The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a possible animal cruelty case Thursday after a photo of an emaciated dog went viral.
A rescue group first learned about the dog after photos of the dog were posted on Facebook and showed the dog severely emaciated.
Michelle Harris, president of the Pet Angel Fund, said she gets emotional whenever she talks about it.
“We’ve helped a lot, but this one’s bad,” she said.
Her rescue group got Kiki, a boxer, after the owner voluntarily surrendered the dog Thursday morning to the shelter.
While boxers usually weigh between 55 and 71 pounds, Harris said Kiki weighed 34 pounds when her group recovered her.
The boxer is now at Southern Oaks Animal Hospital, but Harris said she’s worried Kiki won’t survive.
“We asked them to do what they could,” Harris said. “We want them to try and save her, but we know the outlook is not very promising.”
WRAL News contacted the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, who said they are investigating the case to determine whether they will issue charges. A spokesperson with the Sheriff’s Office said they are trying to determine if the dog was chronically ill, saying it’s hard to decide about a dog’s treatment based on a photo.
“That’s what’s not explained in a photo shared on social media. There’s a lot more to it than just a photo of a dog,” said Aaron Meredith with the sheriff’s office. “It’s tough. It’s a very sad photo, but there may be a lot more to it than neglect, torture or anything like that.”
Deputies are working with Animal Services and the Harnett County District Attorney’s Office to determine the next steps.
As far as Kiki, Harris said she’s holding out hope.
“We’re not going to give up unless the vet tells us, you know, there’s nothing else they can do,” she said.
