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Severely Neglected Dog Rescued By Good Samaritan

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- An emaciated and neglected dog was rescued from a Baltimore home, and is now on the mend.

Rescuers say the animal barely had the strength to lift his head when he was brought to BARCS last weekend.

One-year-old Bubs is learning to be a dog for the first time.

"When he first got here, it was just this little ball of bones all hunched over and unable to stand. And it of course, breaks our heart," said Lisa Morabito, BARCS Director of Operations.

A good Samaritan brought the bulldog mix into BARCS last week, about 35-pounds underweight. Morabito said his body temperature was too low even for a bath.

"When he first came in, he was extremely dehydrated. Obviously severely emaciated, and unable to stand on his own," she said.

Another side effect of the severe neglect: his front legs. Bubs walks on his wrists; a deformity that will require intensive care or maybe even surgery.

And the veterinary bills add up. BARCS spends more than a $500,000 a year just on medical care for extreme cases. These cases draw on the Franky Fund, which saved nearly 900 animals last year alone, thanks to donations.

"We see some of the most extreme abuse and neglect cases here at BARCS, as well as injured animals that come through our shelter from the city, and we have to have a fund ready to be able to pay for those bills," said Bailey Deacon of BARCS.

About 12 Baltimore dogs every week come in with stories like Bub's -- once starved and forgotten, now on a road to belly rubs and a better life.

Bubs has a long recovery ahead before he can be adopted. Animal control has an open investigation into his case and the home where he was found.

No charges have been filed.

If you'd like to help donate to the Franky Fund, and dogs like Bub, you can donate here.

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