Update on emaciated dog fighting for life

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Another shocking case of apparent animal cruelty and neglect in the valley.

Monday marks one week since animal rescuers picked up an emaciated German shepherd.

They say he was on the brink of death. Take it from Samantha Curtis with the Vegas Pet Rescue Project.

“That’s literally all he is. Skin and bones. There’s nothing to him. It’s really hard to see that,” Curtis said.

Given his coloring, the dog is named Raider after the fighting silver and black.

Vegas Pet Rescue Project volunteers tell FOX5 the dog is a fighter, and was eating trash to survive.

Emergency surgery revealed rubber bands, plastic and hair inside of Raider’s stomach.

Curtis tells FOX5 the most surprising part of this dog’s story, saying “He was an owner surrender.”

Another spokesperson with the animal nonprofit says the surgeon concluded the obstruction was very recent and Raider’s body condition took months of starvation.

“He was brought in at 18 pounds,” Curtis said.

Those same pet rescue volunteers tell us he should be 80 pounds, which means he weighs about a quarter of what he should.

But putting more meat on his bones isn’t as easy as it sounds, given his feeding tube.

“You can’t feed them too fast, too much, because it could cause refeeding syndrome, and then they’ll actually get worse,” Curtis said.

Curtis says veterinarians think he’s going to make it, and she’s happy to see the community coming together to support Raider, raising over $7,200 for his vet bills. However, Curtis says that doesn’t come close to what it is going to take to cover the cost of his critical care.

The Vegas Pet Rescue Project says there is an open investigation in Raider’s case.

Metro’s Animal Cruelty unit recently told FOX5 there has not been a rise in animal abuse cases.

But Curtis fears there will be more cases like Raider’s, as she sees this sort of thing far too often.

“There’s a lot more out there that people don’t see or don’t realize until it’s actually brought in front of a camera,” Curtis said.

FOX5 has learned it will take a few months for Raider to be strong enough to be neutered and start getting vaccinated. In the meantime, VPRP staff members say he will need to undergo training and build trust with humans, as they say he’s not very trusting with strangers. They are also unsure if he needs more surgeries.

The Vegas Pet Rescue Project directed us to contact Animal Protection Services for more on the investigation.

We will update this story when we hear back.

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