A severely neglected dog that had four pounds of matted hair removed is improving, SPCA officials say.
Dori was found last week in the basement of a home on Milford Avenue in Buffalo, where police thought they had found a dead dog.
"I didn't know what I was looking at," said Officer Jessica Coughlin. "I thought it was simply a ball of fur. There was no movement. I couldn't tell if it was an animal, and if so, what kind of animal it was. I couldn't tell one end from the other, couldn't tell if whatever the animal was alive or dead."
When Officer Coughlin realized Dori was still breathing but unable to move, she rushed the dog to the SPCA’s Tonawanda shelter where veterinarians began working to remove the matted hair. It took around two and a half hours:
When Dori was first brought in she weighed 11 pounds. After the hair was removed, she weighed just seven.
While removing the hair, veterinarians found twine embedded in her left paw. It had worked through the soft tissue and was crushing her toes, breaking one of them. Dori also has ear infections and damaged eyes.
But despite all of this, the SPCA says Dori's condition is improving, including her eyes. She is also said to be moving better than she was last week.
Ronald and Shelly Brier of Milford Avenue in Buffalo are both charged with animal cruelty. They surrendered Dori to the SPCA and are due back in Buffalo City Court on December 18.
