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Community Corner

'Homeless' Injured Dog Abandoned

The dog was found by a Good Samaritan after it was tied to a pole downtown.

On Wednesday December 12, 2012 a black and white elderly female Cocker Spaniel was found tied to a pole near Soquel and Front Street in downtown Santa Cruz. 

The dog was wearing a sign that stated “homeless” and had an Elizabethan collar around her neck. She also had a severe open wound that was infected on her underside.

The wound had been wrapped with an ACE bandage, but the dog had not been provided proper veterinary care. The dog was brought to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter and she was immediately seen by a veterinarian. The wound was cleaned and she was put on pain medication and antibiotics.
 
The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is asking anyone that has any information on this case to contact Field Services manager Todd Stosuy at 831-454-7254.

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Failure to provide veterinary care to an animal who is suffering and abandoning an animal are both illegal under California Law.
 
“We are thankful to the Good Samaritan who found this sweet dog and brought her to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter,” states Field Services Manager Todd Stosuy.  “We want to ensure we find her previous owner and justice is served for the suffering she had to endure. Not providing veterinary care to a suffering animal is not only illegal, but morally reprehensible.”
 
General Manager Melanie Sobel states, “We also want to remind the public that the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is a safe haven for animals in the community.  Our open door shelter will always accept any animal regardless of age, medical condition, breed or temperament.  There is never any reason to abandon an animal, especially one that is suffering.”
 
The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter operates two open admission shelters and will take in any stray, unwanted, mistreated, neglected or abandoned animal. The shelter provides emergency response to rescue sick, injured and mistreated animals twenty four hours a day, 365 days a year. The shelters are located at 2200 7th Avenue in Santa Cruz and 580 Airport Boulevard in Watsonville.

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