Crime
The dog, a severely malnourished puppy named Sprout, was discovered during a routine traffic stop.
Police in West Bridgewater are looking to charge a 27-year-old man with animal cruelty after an officer discovered a severely malnourished dog in his car during a routine traffic stop.
Officer Alexandra Maloney made the heartbreaking discovery after she pulled the Taunton man over for allegedly running a red light shortly before noon on Nov. 24, the West Bridgewater Police Department said.
The dog, a puppy named Sprout, was “significantly underweight,” according to police; in a photo shared on the department’s Facebook page, her ribs and spine protrude from a skeletal frame. She was rushed to Westbridge Veterinary Referral Hospital, where she received medical care.
Sprout is now in the care of the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, where she’s on the mend. The shelter is raising money online to support her recovery, with a Facebook fundraiser drawing roughly $3,000 as of Friday afternoon.
“Despite what she’s been through, she is incredibly sweet and just wants affection and closeness,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. “Her photos are difficult to look at but they show the reality of the suffering she’s endured.”
APCSM said its veterinarian believes Sprout is around 1-and-a-half years old. She arrived “severely emaciated,” and subsequent bloodwork showed a “dangerously low” hematocrit level, or percentage of red blood cells, the shelter said.
“It’s a level that no animal should ever have to reach and it speaks volumes about the neglect she endured before she found safety with us,” the shelter wrote in an update. Sprout ultimately required a blood transfusion and hospitalization, and she was put on a slow refeeding program to help her gain weight without sending her body into shock, according to APCSM.
According to Boston 25 News, the dog’s owner allegedly admitted he’d had Sprout for less than a year and “literally hadn’t fed her” due to a lack of money and time. West Bridgewater police have not publicly identified Sprout’s owner, as he has not yet been officially charged in court.
“We express our gratitude for the Westbridge Veterinary Referral Hospital and the Animal Protection Center of Southeastern Massachusetts,” Lt. Jonathan Craven said in a statement. “With their efforts, we are confident Sprout will be surrounded by the highest quality of care and support as she starts a long road to recovery.”
APCSM said it will be some time before Sprout is ready for a new home, so the shelter is not yet accepting applications or adoption inquiries.
“Thank you so much to everyone who helps us fight for animals like her,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. “She has a long road ahead, but she isn’t walking it alone anymore.”
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
