LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida animal rescue is offering a $1500 reward for information on how a dog ended up emaciated, unable to stand, and dumped on the side of the road.
Michelle Holsinger of Mutty Paws Rescue, rescued Khaleesi in after a good Samaritan found her Tuesday night on Eisenhower Boulevard in Lehigh Acres. Holsinger says, “She was found just laying in the grass. She couldn’t get up. She couldn’t move. Skin and bones.” Having rescued animal for 11 years, Holsinger adds, “When I relocated to Fort Myers, I started to follow it so we could help local dogs over here.”
Holsinger was able to get the dog Wednesday afternoon. With time of the essence, instead of scrambling around for a local animal hospital, her veterinarian team in Palm Beach county urged Holsinger to get the dog over to the other coast as soon as possible.
Holsinger believes the dog is of the catahoula leopard breed. She says, “And those dogs are typically 40 to 60 pounds. And her weight was 19.5 pounds. So every single bone in her body was protruding, completely lifeless. And our vet team thought if it was going to be another 24 hours, she wouldn’t have made it.”
The veterinarian saw many concerns when Khaleesi arrived. Holsinger says, “She had absolutely no food in her stomach, not even scraps from the side of the road. She was infested with parasites. She was hookworm positive on her fecal. And our vet team believes she was confined. Someone must have dumped her. Her nails were extremely long and very sharp. So if she was walking the streets, they would have been filed down or shown wear and tear of just normal walking.” She adds, “Normally a dog in her condition would have shown some weight gain, and she hasn’t shown any at this point. So she’s fighting for her life. She’s not giving up.”
To follow Khaleesi’s story, visit Mutty Paws Rescue Facebook page. A $1500 reward is being offered for information on Khaleesi’s previous owner.
If you’d like to donate to her pay her hospital bills, you can reach out to Lantana Atlantis Animal Hospital directly.