Florida Rescue Caring for Neglected Dog Thrown onto Its Property: 'Never Saw Anything Like it'

Kelli Bender
Updated ·3 min read
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https://www.facebook.com/TriCountyAnimalRescue/posts/pfbid02HRiAWYzbufXQPymzDbdHv2UidKMbi5HZr3e2H9H1R7u2W9a2j5Ycb9C9Fs47DWaUl
https://www.facebook.com/TriCountyAnimalRescue/posts/pfbid02HRiAWYzbufXQPymzDbdHv2UidKMbi5HZr3e2H9H1R7u2W9a2j5Ycb9C9Fs47DWaUl

Tri-County Humane

After years of "neglect and torment," Parker the dog is finally feeling the love.

According to a Facebook post from Tri-County Humane in Boca Raton, Florida, on June 8, an unknown individual threw a small Shih Tzu dog over Tri-County Humane's fence. The canine landed near the rescue's dumpster and was found there by the facility's staff.

"Her hair was cemented to her skin, her nails so long they were wrapped around her paws and wounds so old they were filled with maggots. The smell is something I will never forget," Tri-County Humane shared on social media alongside several photos of the dog — later named Parker — which show the pet covered in filthy, matted fur.

"I never saw anything like it before and personally I hope to never again," the post added.

Even though Parker arrived at Tri-County Humane in sorry shape, the rescue refused to give up on the dog. After finding the canine near the dumpster, Tri-County Humane's staff immediately started making the dog more comfortable.

https://www.facebook.com/TriCountyAnimalRescue/posts/pfbid02HRiAWYzbufXQPymzDbdHv2UidKMbi5HZr3e2H9H1R7u2W9a2j5Ycb9C9Fs47DWaUl
https://www.facebook.com/TriCountyAnimalRescue/posts/pfbid02HRiAWYzbufXQPymzDbdHv2UidKMbi5HZr3e2H9H1R7u2W9a2j5Ycb9C9Fs47DWaUl

Tri-County Humane

"It took 5 staff members over two hours to shave her carefully, swapping out buzzers as they got hot," the rescue shared on Facebook.

Along with shaving off two pounds of dirt and hair from Parker, Tri-County Humane's veterinarian treated the dog's open sores while the rest of the rescue's staff comforted the canine.

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"We spoke to her, telling her the worst was behind her, that she had to be strong, that she was loved," the rescue wrote.

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Parker pulled through her challenging first few days at the rescue, and it is now up on her paws and eating on her own. Tri-County Humane shared a video of the dog enjoying breakfast in her kennel on June 15.

Dr. Lindsey Naimoli, the vet who treated Parker at Tri-Humane, told WPBF that she believes the Shih Tzu spent most of her life in a cage being forced to breed based on Parker's dire condition when the pet arrived at the rescue.

Tri-Humane is working with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office to determine who abandoned Parker by the rescue's dumpster, WPBF reported.

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"It would be extremely rare to just have one animal treated horribly. I think this is one of many," Dr. Naimoli told the outlet about why it's important to find who neglected Parker.

For Parker herself, the past is behind her, and the pooch is now focused on healing. Dr. Naimoli is confident that the dog will recover and could be ready for a forever home as early as September.

To learn more about Parker and Tri-Humane's work, visit the rescue's website.