NEED TO KNOW
- A dog was found on the side of the road in Ruskin, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 3, with its legs tied up
- The dog managed to free its front legs and walk to a nearby house, where the homeowner called animal control
- The chihuahua mix was brought to Hillsborough’s Pet Resource Center, and will be up for adoption in a few days
A dog was found on the side of the road in Ruskin, Fla., with its legs tied up.
Animal control responded to the report on Wednesday, Sept. 3, when they were called to an area near G-7 Ranch Road and Stephens Road. The dog managed to free its front legs and walk to a nearby home, where the resident reported it, per local CBS affiliate KENS.
The small brown chihuahua mix was left with sores on his legs, but had no other major health concerns, Roger Mills with the Hillsborough County division of Animal Control told the outlet. The dog will now be up for adoption in a few days.
“He would be perfect for like an older person who just wants a really chill little dog that’s gonna just sit right by them, snuggle up with them,” Lori Letzring from Hillsborough County’s Pet Resource Center told KENS.
Animal control did door-to-door checks in the neighborhood where the dog was found in an attempt to find the original owner, but the investigation remains ongoing. The individual who abandoned the dog in this condition could face up to a third degree felony charge.
Animal control and HPRC staff are asking anyone who recognizes the dog or knows anything to call them at 813-744-5660.
PEOPLE reached out to Animal Control’s Hillsborough County division and HPRC for comment.
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The dog found on the side of the road comes after another dog in Daytona Beach, Fla., was rescued after being found injured and abandoned in an apartment complex’s dumpster earlier this summer on July 6.
“This act of cruelty is unacceptable, and we are fully committed to pursuing all leads to identify and hold the responsible party accountable,” the Daytona Beach Police Department said in a July 9 statement to The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Heather Jones, whose husband, Brandon Arroyo, rescued the dog, organized a GoFundMe to raise funds for its care. Arroyo works for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, per WESH, and the couple lives at the apartment complex. As of Aug. 7, the couple adopted the abandoned dog and enrolled him in “puppy school,” naming him Drax.
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