Severely Emaciated Dog Still Unable To Maintain Body Temperature
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
The severely emaciated dog that humane officers say was "tortured" is, according to the Western Pa. Humane Society, "hanging in there."
On the animal shelter's Facebook page Wednesday, they posted an update on the condition of little Effie.
They say while she is eating a little more each day, she is still not able to maintain her own body temperature. Because she needs a heating source to do so, she will for now be staying at the Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center in Ohio Township.
"This is the best place for her right now so that she can be monitored 24/7," the update goes on to say.
Effie, a 3-year-old pit bull mix, was rescued last week by humane officers.
An exterminator on a job first spotted Effie in an apartment in Homewood, took a picture of her, and got in touch with humane investigators.
She only weighed 23 pounds at the time she was seized, and one of her rescuers called her "a living skeleton." Officials say a dog of Effie's size and breed should normally weigh between 50 to 60 pounds.
She had surgery because her intestines were blocked from having to eat things that weren't food just to stay alive.
So far, not much has been released about Effie's owner other than he's 19. According to the Associated Press, police are working with the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office to file stiffer animal cruelty charges against him.
They hope to file a misdemeanor charge, which carries up to a year in jail. A summary citation usually comes with only a fine.
Officials at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society say this case though highlights the need for "Angel's Law," which is a bill proposed by state Rep. Dom Costa. If passed, the bill would make the first charge of animal cruelty filed against someone a misdemeanor and the second a felony.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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