LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A three-year-old pit bull is now recovering from hypothermia after he was tied to a fence outside of the Louisville Metro animal shelter early Sunday morning.
LMAS has several surveillance cameras on the property that were able to catch the person dropping off the dog around 5 a.m. Sunday, while the shelter's gate was locked.
They tied the dog to a fence near the fire hydrant , putting down bowls with food and water. They also left the dog with a chew toy, but the video shows two and a half minutes later, the owner drove away, leaving the dog behind in the cold.
It was an hour to an hour and a half before LMAS staff found the dog. They took it to Jefferson Animal Hospital where the dog received IV fluids.
"The temperature it was, leaving the dog out there like that in the cold weather, was not good for the dog at all," Adam Hamilton, LMAS's animal control supervisor said."If we wouldn't have gotten to it when we did, there's a chance the dog could've died."
When staff found the dog, it was unresponsive, facing hypothermia from the cold, and severely dehydrated. He also weighed up to 20 pounds less than what he should.
"It's still very lethargic. It's tired but it's getting better day by day," Hamilton said.
LMAS staff is now looking after the dog and they say he's sad and they believe he's missing his owner or family.
"We don't want to see any dog suffer, that's why we're here," Hamilton said. "We just want to make the public aware tying your dog up and just leaving it somewhere is not the option. The option is coming in here, talking to us and trying to get the help you need to care for your own pet."
The surveillance footage doesn't clearly show the car's license plate, or the person's face, so LMAS is asking for help finding the dog's owner.
"I don't know the reason why they did it. That's why we want to talk to this person and see why did you do what you did," Hamilton said.
The dog owner is facing two criminal charges related to abandonment and denying food, water, and shelter. They're also facing another possible charge of animal cruelty.
LMAS asks anyone with information to call 574-LMPD.
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