A resident of Earlton opened his door on a cold January night to find an unexpected guest – a skinny, hairless dog trembling in the cold. He didn’t know where she came from, but let her in.
He fed and watered the dog. While she was warming herself, he called the Columbia-Greene Humane Society. She was soon taken away. Shelter staff almost burst into tears when they saw the dog.
“The dog was abandoned on the side of the road when she was very sick. Her face and neck were lacerated, and she had no hair. The president of the society, Ron Perez, described her as terribly sad. Upon taking Penny to the vet, shelter workers discovered she had demodicosis, a serious skin condition. In some cases, this type of mange can be fatal due to mites burrowing into the animal’s skin.
Penny survived the illness, but lost most of her fur and developed dry, scabby skin. The dog quickly recovered with high-quality treatment and care. Penny looked completely different after a week. Ron Perez said the vet was very impressed with how quickly she recovered.
Penny has now fully recovered and is on her way to her new home. The police found the man who left the dog on the road while she was being treated and arrested him for cruelty to animals. A $1,000 fine and jail time await the man if he is found guilty.
