The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Abandoned chihuahuas on the mend at shelter
NORTHHAVEN » Two chihuahuas abandoned in a Target parking lot have received an outpouring of care and do- nations as they recover at a local animal shelter.
The pint-sized dogs — Dharma and Amelia — arrived at Animal Haven shelter two weeks ago unable to move and infested with fleas. With a lot of care from shelter staff and volunteers, the dogs are doing much better, Animal Haven Manager Michelle DeRosa said.
“It makes me so happy,” she said. Two people have given $1,000 donations and many others have brought in clothes for the dogs, as well as beds, blankets and toys, according to DeRosa.
The dogs were found by a woman, in a plastic bag near her car, and she brought them to the shelter. The dogs were starving and shaking, according to DeRosa. Their nails were so long they were curling into the dogs’ paws and their teeth were rotted.
“They were eating like they never saw food,” DeRosa said. The next day they were taken to the veterinarian, who said the animals likely had poor nutrition or were kept in a small cage. They also haven’t been spayed. The dogs had started tearing their fur because it was so infested with fleas, DeRosa said.
“I’d never seen something like that before,” shelter worker Kaitlyn Wahl said. She and DeRosa were both there the afternoon the dogs were brought in. Given their condition when they arrived, the dogs were clearly neglected, DeRosa said.
“It was disturbing,” she said. “We wanted to cry but were trying to keep our cool.”
Seeing both dogs eating well, running around and barking, though, makes the shelter staff smile. Since the chihuahuas were brought in, their health has improved significantly, DeRosa said. Their fur is growing back and they are much more so- cial.
“For their situation, they are very friendly,” Wahl said. The dogs run around the shelter and get excited when volunteers walk by.
DeRosa said she will post on Facebook once the dogs are ready for adoption. They will stay with the shelter until North HavenAnimal Control closes its investigation into who abandoned the chihuahuas.
Unfortunately, situations similar to the chihuahuas’ happen often at Animal Haven, DeRosa said.
“We get more cats than dogs,” she said, “and cats get so overlooked.” One cat was left in a carrier, and when someone brought the animal in, shelter staff didn’t know if it was alive or not, according to DeRosa. “It happens more than you think, she said.
Last year, the shelter rescued almost 100 dogs and 337 cats and kittens.
mdignan@hearstmediact.com @clare_d13 on Twitter