Emaciated Puppy, Mistreated By Owners, Would Not Stop Wagging His Tail As Rescuers Free Him

Animal control officers from New Jersey have rescued a young puppy that was mistreated by its owners and was on the verge of starving to death. According to a report by NBC New York, animal control officers in Paterson, New Jersey, responded to complaints from neighbors that informed them about the sad state in which a puppy was kept. The neighbors alleged that the puppy was kept outside the owner’s home in the heat with no food or water for days. They also complained about a strong stench emanating from the animal.

Responding to the complaint, officers quickly reached the puppy. The sight there was depressing to say the least. The puppy was emaciated, and according to one officer, the poor animal hadn’t “eaten in days.” What surprised them however, was the reaction of the little puppy on seeing the officers. Instead of being apprehensive and wary of them, the puppy wagged his tail vigorously, perhaps happy that someone cared to check on him. In a Facebook post, one of the rescuers wrote,

“The puppy’s tail never stopped wagging — he was so excited to finally have human contact and kind touch.”

The puppy was in such a bad state that he collapsed out of sheer exhaustion of wagging his tail. Upon examination, the puppy was found to be suffering from several medical conditions — all caused by the lack of food and the filthy conditions in which he was kept by his owners. His skin was badly infected and was flaking as he continued wagging his tail every time an officer came close to him. The extremely bad odor coming from him was the result of the puppy being exposed to his own feces and urine over an extended period of time.

The puppy was later named Pax, meaning “Peace,” and was taken to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge home by an officer. The first thing the animal did after reaching the home was to drink plenty of water from a toilet. Upon questioning, the owners admitted to the officers that the puppy hadn’t eaten in days.

After being taken to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge home, the puppy was fed and medical care was provided. He was later taken to the Oradell Animal Hospital where he was kept on IV fluids and antibiotics to help him regain his strength. Even at the hospital, Pax, in spite of his frail health, continued to wag his tail. An officer who was at the hospital recalls how happy the little puppy was.

“When they arrived and unwrapped him, he began wiggling again. He was so happy, his tail wagging furiously — all the while, the rescuers were in tears as he tipped over and over again from weakness, his skin flaked to the floor and his little heartbeat seemed to shine right through his paper-thin skin.”

The rescue group has also started a GoFundMe campaign for Pax the puppy, In the description, they wrote,

“Pax is finally at peace, and we can’t wait to give him all of the attention, love and care that he has so desperately been craving. Please make a donation towards Pax care to help us to help him and so many others in desperate need.”

Meanwhile, it remains unclear if Pax’s owners would face animal cruelty charges.

This incident about a mistreated puppy comes just one day after the Inquisitr reported about another horrific case involving puppies. Four puppies were reportedly burnt alive in the Indian city of Hyderabad by a group of youngsters. They also filmed their dastardly act which later went viral on social media. All the boys were below 18 years old. Earlier this month, Inquisitr also reported about another such incident from India where two medical students were seen throwing a poor dog off the roof of a building.

[Image via GoFundMe]