Ansonia police are investigating a suspected animal cruelty case after a small dog was found tied to a utility pole on Westfield Avenue Wednesday morning.
The female dog — thought to be part West Highland Terrier — was covered in dirt and feces, according to Ansonia Animal Control Officer Jean Roslonowski.
“One eye was completely covered in an infection. Its hair was all matted. We didn’t know if it was a boy or a girl because it was that covered,” Roslonowski said.
The animal was found outside a veterinarian’s office on Westfield Avenue at about 10:30 a.m.
The dog was taken to Dr. Tara Nanavati’s Ansonia Animal Hospital in Seymour.
“It seemed like a very sweet dog. It was just a mess,” Roslonowski said.
She suspects the dog’s owner simply abandoned it in Ansonia.
“Unfortunately, these dogs need grooming and people can’t afford it and things get out of hand,” Roslonowski said.
Nanavati put the dog under anesthesia, then shaved it to clear away maggots. He gave the dog antibiotics and antiviral medicine.
The dog was well-behaved, but obviously not well cared for, the vet said.
“Maggots do not attack a healthy body,” Nanavati said.
The dog is expected to recover and will be put up for adoption.
Last year, writer Kate Ramunni reported that the Valley was seeing an uptick in animals being abandoned by their owners.
The trend continues, according to Deb Ice, Seymour’s Animal Control Officer.
“People are still losing their homes,” Ice said.
About three weeks ago someone used a crow bar in the middle of the night to break the fence at the Seymour pound in order to dump an unwanted pit bull. The next day, someone took advantage of the still-broken fence to dump a Bichon Frise, which has since been adopted.
“Please put in the story that my fence has been fixed, so people can no longer dump their dogs with me,” Ice said.
The problem is that people who have to move — especially those who own “bully breeds” such as pit bulls — wait until the very last minute to deal with the dog.
Ice said she has no problem helping people find new homes for their dogs — but she can’t help you if you wait until the moving truck arrives.
“If you have to move, do not wait, especially if you own a pit bull,” Ice said. “Call your local animal control officer. Call them during business hours. Publish a classified ad, use PetFinder.com.”
“It’s a living thing. You can’t just dump a dog at the pound,” she said.
