An emaciated dog with no ears and no tongue has been found wandering a street in Ohio alone.
The “neglected dog”—now named Penny—was found on Lincoln Avenue, in the Hubbard Township, with “an open sore on her butt, filled with flies and larvae,” The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project said on Facebook.
The non-profit rescue organization took the dog in and had veterinarians run an assessment for any other issues.
Jason Cooke, founder of the The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project, told Newsweek: “Her condition upon arrival was heartbreaking to say the least—she was extremely emaciated; her beautiful ears had been cut off and she had a sore on her rear. We also noticed that there appeared to be something wrong with her mouth that was limiting her ability to eat and drink.
“If this is your dog, then shame on you and it’ll be over my dead body before she ever goes back to you…” the dog shelter wrote on Facebook.
Following the an assessment, veterinarians found as her were “completely gone,” she will “need to wear ear muffs on occasion to protect her ear canals,” the dog rescue said on Facebook.
They also found two small tumors that will need to be removed, and that she suffered a degloved lip, meaning her top lip “completely torn” from the gum line due to trauma.
A picture shows Penny the dog. She was found emaciated in Ohio. Jason Cooke/The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project
“Almost all of her teeth are either completely worn down or gone; her tongue is almost completely gone due to trauma, which means that she’ll need to be hand fed and given water via a syringe for the foreseeable future…she is also unable to pant, so she needs to avoid high temperatures,” the rescue said.
“I don’t know who had Penny, nor can I say for certain how she came to be in this condition…what I can say is that she has been severely neglected and her ‘owner’ needs to be held accountable…”
The dog rescue is urging anyone with information on the owner to contact the local police department.
A reward of $1,000 is being offered to anyone with information on the dog that could lead to “the arrest and subsequent conviction” of the owner.
A picture shows the severity of Penny the dogs emaciation. Jason Cooke/The Healthy Hearts and Paws Project
In Ohio, intentionally causing harm to an animal is considered a first degree misdemeanor, which an be punishable with a jail sentence of 180 days or a fine. A second offense is classed as a fifth degree felony, which can result in up to 12 months in prison.
Pictures of the dog posted online show Penny’s ribcage showing due to emaciation. Pictures of her mouth also show multiple teeth missing.
Dog lovers took to Facebook and commented on the post, some claiming Penny would be unable to live a happy life with such injuries.
However Kari Lyn, a volunteer at the shelter, said in the comments that she spent “quite a while” with Penny, and saw that she is able to eat with hand fed wet food, and she can get “water easily” using a syringe.
“She is a very loving girl and super sweet. She definitely has the will to live and still acts like a normal dog in every other way. Will she ever be able to go on a jog with someone or eat dry food or drink water out of a bowl? No, but just because she needs some help eating and drinking is not a reason to put her down,” Lyn said.
“She has been eating well several times a day and taking water well. She will still very much be able to have a normal dog life once she is no longer emaciated, she will just need assistance eating and drinking and short walks or just some playtime out in the fenced yard for a while.”