The Mirror on March 21 reported that Zoe, a German Shepherd dog, was found with a amputated front leg in an apartment in the town of Exeter, New York, USA.
A delivery driver found Zoe injured and took her to the vets. When taking an X-ray, the veterinarian at the veterinary hospital found bones in the dog’s stomach despite being starved for a long time. Carl Pritchard, Zoe’s owner, was later arrested, News 10 reported.
Stacie Haynes, executive director of the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said the 9-year-old dog could have died in agony had it not been discovered.
“The X-ray showed there was bone in the dog’s stomach and it was missing a leg. So we assumed the dog was starving to the point of eating his leg,” Stacie said.
In addition, Zoe had several other untreated injuries and was said to have been abandoned for days before being found.
“Zoe has an unusual bump on her shoulder. At first we thought it was a sign of pathology and suspected the dog had bone cancer that caused him to bite off his leg because he couldn’t stand the pain. However, the test results showed that there was a fatty tissue wrapped around Zoe’s shoulders, chest and arteries,” Stacie said.
Zoe needed surgery to remove the fatty tissue, but veterinarians feared she would not survive because of her frail health. But luckily, the dog survived the surgery.
Carl Pritchard, Zoe’s 59-year-old owner, was charged with torturing, abusing and beating animals and failing to provide Zoe with a place to stay. The 59-year-old woman relinquished ownership of Zoe and will appear in court on December 4.
