Emaciated Pit Bull 35 Pounds Underweight Rescued in Boston: 'One of the Worst Cases of Neglect'
Glitch may feel bent and broken now, but the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) is working to change all that.
The year-old pit bull mix was brought in by two Good Samaritans to MSPCA’a Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston on July 30 after being found near the Massasoit Community College campus in Canton, Massachusetts.
Glitch arrived at the medical center weighing only 15 pounds — 35 pounds less than a healthy dog his age and size — and “completely hunched over,” according to the MSPCA.
The dog’s posture and tendency to walk on his shins has led Dr. Maria Brandifino, a veterinarian at the medical center, “to suspect he spent most or all of his life confined to a cage,” the animal welfare organization added. Glitch was also hypothermic when he first arrived at the animal hospital, despite the summer temperatures in the area.
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Along with providing Glitch much-needed medical care, MSPCA is also seeking justice for the malnourished dog.
“This is one of the worst cases of neglect I have ever seen,” Dr. Brandifino, who examined the dog in Angell’s Emergency & Critical Care Unit, said in a statement. “When he arrived my first thought was: how could he have even survived this?”
The MSPCA’s Law Enforcement Department is currently offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to a felony animal cruelty conviction for the person who grossly neglected Glitch.
“Anyone with information that may help the MSPCA identify who owned the dog is urged to call the MSPCA’s hotline at 800-628-5808,” the MSPCA wrote in a release about the reward. “Animal cruelty is a felony in Massachusetts, punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.”
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Amazingly, Glitch has a strong, kind personality, even after everything he has been through. He has become a staff favorite at the medical center, and is friendly and outgoing with his foster family.
Glitch is in the middle of a carefully planned refeeding program to help him get to a healthy weight.
“We’ve had to place him on a rigid refeeding protocol to ensure he doesn’t gain too much weight too soon, which itself can be very dangerous,” Dr. Brandifino added. “But the bottom line is that someone nearly starved this dog to death.”
Dr. Brandifino is optimistic Glitch will fully recover from his cruel past. Once the dog is healthy inside and out, he will be put up for adoption at MSPCA.
