Police have launched a probe to find the person responsible for abandoning a dog in a park after he was disocovered in critical condition inside a crate.
Reports say the male dog was abandoned near a basketball court in Connecticut, locked inside a wire crate with no food or water.
The unnamed pup was immediately transported to Embrace Animal Hospital, where tests confirmed he was suffering from severe dehydration.
Aside from being visibly emaciated, vets found signs of cuts and abrasions on the dog and have sent him to the animal control facility for treatment.
Officers and animal control were unable to draw any firm conclusions as to how long the dog has been left the crate before he was found.
Desmond’s Army Animal Law Advocates is offering a reward of $2,000 for anyone with information that could lead to the identification of those who abandoned the pup.
The abandonment comes soon after officials asked for help with information on a dog found tied to the fence of the West Haven Animal Shelter on Monday.
In July, the CT Insider reported that an unprecedented number of household pets were being dumped from cars in parking lots or the woods.
Animal shelters have been inundated with reports of animals wandering around with no one to claim them, describing the issue as “overwhelming”.
The director of the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, Laura Burban, explained that their facility is almost overflowing with abandoned pets, including 30 kittens, 32 adult cats, and 12 dogs.
In response to the rising number of abandonments, the shelter is urging people to think carefully before getting a pet and remember it is a “lifelong commitment”.
A post on their Facebook page read: “If you purchase an animal from a fair at a fairgrounds – just know that you will have it for 10 +” years.”
Those who purchased a dog from a breeder but no longer like its behavior have been advised by the shelter to hire a trainer to work with the animal.
