In 2018, our Investigations & Rescue team responded on-scene to rescue three dogs – Merlin, Maverick and Autumn – who were victims of horrendous neglect. We were first contacted by a citizen who had been calling law enforcement for over a year and getting no help. We immediately responded with assistance from United Angels, a non-profit dedicated to companion animals.

We arrived to find all three dogs in horrific condition and covered in mange, an inflammatory disease caused by mites that left these dogs with terrible skin infections, lesions and hair loss. Their skin was so infected that the stench was overpowering. It was the worst case of mange our veterinarian had seen in her 19-year career. In addition to their physical wounds, these young dogs were visibly depressed from their pain and suffering – they shied away from attention and barely wanted to lift their heads. It was heartbreaking to see.

Once in our care, we began urgent treatment and did everything we could to keep them comfortable as they started the long, slow process of healing. Our team of caregivers and medical staff worked with Merlin, Maverick and Autumn for months, giving countless baths and skin treatments. But the payoff is so worth it as our team watched these survivors become normal dogs. Not only have their bodies healed, but their personalities have come out and they are able to act like the puppies they are.

We have since found incredible forever homes for all three – they are now happy, healthy, and loved unconditionally by their new families. YOU helped make that happen for these sweet dogs.

Our Director of Investigations & Rescue Operations worked hard on this case for months, gathering and submitting medical evidence to the Sheriff’s office and supporting the prosecutor on this case. Thanks to this persistence, the dogs’ owner was convicted of three counts of Animal Cruelty in the 2nd Degree.