Woman arrested after bringing malnourished dog to shelter

Author: WKMG
Published:
This malnourished dog named Adonis was brought to a shelter, and the woman who took him there was arrested, according to police. (Photo via Edgewater Animal Shelter)

It was one of the worst cases of animal neglect staff members at Edgewater Animal Shelter said they had seen: an ailing mastiff mix brought in by a woman Tuesday afternoon.

“He has absolutely no muscle mass, no muscle development whatsoever. It appears as though he’s been starved,” said Amanda Leclair, veterinarian technician.

The flea-infested dog had an injured leg, was dehydrated and weighed only 59 pounds, which is about half of what he should weigh. The dog’s owner, Sarah Wells, 37, was arrested by police Thursday.

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“He’s a very sweet dog. He came in and immediately took over all of our hearts,” Leclair said.

Leclair named him Adonis because she said he has potential. He also has the potential to recover, but the nonprofit organization said it needs money to do that.

“It’s mostly just a lot of drugs to help his gut restart. His liver is possibly compromised, his kidneys are possibly compromised just from the severe dehydration and malnutrition,” Leclair said.

News 6 went to visit Adonis at the Newman Veterinary Centers, where he was hooked up to an IV, and already had blood work and X-rays done. Adonis is still so weak that it took two people to get him out of the cage to go outside.

“It’s a lot of slow-going and it’s going to be long process. The way he looked at us, he perked up and he was smelling around and he wanted affection. He’s not done. And, if he’s not done, we can’t stop,” Leclair said.

Newman Veterinary Centers said they’ve received $205 in donations but still have a long way to go. Staff members said they need about $1,000 to bring Adonis back to health and every little bit helps.

Edgewater Police said there is an open criminal investigation and charges could be filed.

If you’d like to help Adonis, visit the Edgewater Animal Shelter’s Facebook page, which has a donate button.

You can also donate by calling Newman Vets of Edgewater at 386-663-3989 or the Edgewater Animal Shelter at 386-424-2442.

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