 It was a frigid morning on February 2, 2015, when the 911 call came to Paws Along the River Humane Society. The operator reported that a man who had been driving down Park Avenue stopped when he saw a stray dog in the middle of the road. The temperature had been below zero for weeks, so we quickly responded. When we arrived, the man was kneeling down on the icy road with his coat over the dog. When he removed the coat, a black lab mix dog was revealed. The dog's face and his hindquarters were missing hair. What caught everyone's eye that day was the severe emaciation we saw; his bones were showing over his entire body. His coat and skin were dry and flaky. There was no life or sparkle in his eyes, leaving him looking very sad, lost, and alone. As we rushed the dog to the veterinarian, it was confirmed he indeed was neglected and severely underweight. The doctor said he should weigh around 65 or 70 pounds for his size and breed. In actuality, he weighed a mere 36 pounds. When PAWS investigated the situation, we learned that the dog's name was Jack. Jack was owned by a family who lived close to where he was found. When addressing Jack's state and condition, they did not seem to understand what all the fuss was about. Jack's family had failed to provide him flea protection for his flea allergy, proper food to eat, and veterinary care. They did not see what everyone else did. Ribs sticking out, his body severely undernourished (Jack was half the size he should have been) combined with severe hair loss. The doctor said Jack's coat would probably never return to normal as his condition had been left for so long without treatment. However, the staff at Paws Along the River were determined to get Jack healthy again. Over the next several months, with medicine from the veterinarian, special baths, and lots of TLC, Jack become the handsome Lab he was meant to be. He successfully re-gained weight; his skin and coat began to shine from the nutritious diet he was placed on. The sparkle in his eyes that had been missing on that cold morning in February was back. Since that day, Jack has been living the good life. He adapted wonderfully to his new home and family, who provide him with all the vet care, a healthy diet, and most importantly, love that one dog can handle.
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