The MSPCA has euthanized a dog that had nearly starved to death when it was brought to its Boston animal hospital earlier this month.
The roughly 2-year-old pit bull mix was extremely emaciated when she was brought to Angell Animal Medical Center on Jan. 10, the animal welfare non-profit said previously. The MSPCA’s veterinarians named her “Dolly” and immediately began providing lifesaving treatment in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
“When this dog came in, she was unbelievably thin and too weak to stand up,” MSPCA animal protection vice president Mike Keiley said previously.
Early examinations revealed that Dolly had wounds on her feet and tail and gastrointestinal bleeding that required a blood transfusion, the MSPCA said. She soon had several seizures, but the non-profit was hopeful that she would recover with round-the-clock care.
Over the weekend, the MSPCA shared in an Instagram post that Dolly had been diagnosed with epilepsy and megaesophagus. Veterinarians also suspected that she had an autoimmune condition that was contributing to her muscle weakness and causing vomiting.
“We were hopeful that some of these conditions would resolve as she healed. Despite the combined efforts of multiple specialty teams, Dolly’s body had endured more than she could overcome,” the MSPCA wrote.
Days into her treatment, Dolly experienced a medical emergency, the non-profit said. Veterinarians managed to stabilize her, but she became oxygen-dependent.
“With the scope of her conditions and concerns about her long-term prognosis and quality of life, we made the hard decision that the most compassionate choice was to let her go peacefully,” the MSPCA wrote.
“ … Though Dolly was only with us for a short time, she touched every member of her care team and so many of you. Because of your support, we were able to provide Dolly with every possible resource, and those same donations will continue to help the next animal in need.”
MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement is investigating how Dolly became so sick. The person who brought her to the hospital told veterinary staff that they found her outside Lexington.
As of Monday evening, the MSPCA had not located Dolly’s former owner. Investigators are hoping the public can help them identify this person.
“We’re very concerned with how she came to be in this terrible state, and we need help from the public to learn more,” Keiley said previously.
MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement asks that anyone with information about Dolly’s former owner contact the department by phone at (617) 522-6008 or (800) 628-5808, or online at mspca.org/tip.
