LAUDERHILL, FLA. (WSVN) - A good Samaritan came to the rescue of a dog that she found in poor shape in a Pompano Beach neighborhood, and now the abandoned pup is on the road to recovery at a vet’s office in Lauderhill.
Michele Stadler said she had just gone on her morning walk when she found the canine on a sidewalk near her home off Southwest 14th Court, at around 7 a.m. on Friday.
“He was right here,” she said as she pointed to the spot where, she said, she found the animal barely breathing.
“Just like a lump of mop or something,” added the good Samaritan.
At first, Stadler said, she couldn’t even tell it was an animal.
“I stepped closer, and I saw a little bit of movement, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God. That’s a dog,'” she said.
She snapped a photo of the male dog shortly after. The snapshot shows someone had placed a small bowl of food next to him.
“Whoever dumped him off there, I guess they were considerate enough to leave him some food, even though he couldn’t move,” said Stadler.
As she called for help, Stadler said, Pompano Beach Animal Control arrived.
“I just feel like whoever dumped it there was the one that called and just took off because they didn’t want to get in trouble,” she said.
Stadler said the dog yelped when he was picked up.
“When the Animal Control guy picked the dog up, I’ve never heard such a bloodcurdling screech in my life,” she said.
The ailing dog was taken to the Animal Medical Center in Lauderhill.
Marsha Prince, a head nurse at the facility, said the dog was covered with chunks of old matted fur, so much that he could barely see through it.
“Oh, it was really bad. He was really full of fur, poop, pee, matted,” she said.
The dog, named Matty by the veterinarians, was in such bad shape that it took Prince an hour to carefully groom him.
“I’ve never seen it that bad before, and I’ve been in the business for about 14 years,” she said.
“With all the hair, I think it was double his weight, so it must have been pretty painful for him,” said Reannah Barr, a veterinary tech with Good Karma Pet Rescue.
But after some care, Matty underwent a stunning transformation.
Prince said the dog is friendly and docile.
“You can pet him. He’s a cuddle bug, so he’s really nice,” she said.
The staff at Good Karma Pet Rescue said the dog didn’t have a microchip, making it difficult to find his owner.
Caretakers said the Stadler is reaching out on Nextdoor to see if anyone’s doorbell camera caught someone abandoning the dog in the neighborhood. They believe he must have been kept in a small confined space.
“He’s got a pretty bad eye infection, a pretty bad skin infection that he needs to be treated, but otherwise he needs a foster,” said Barr.
Veterinarians said Matty’s health is improving every single day, and they hope they can help give him a better life in a new home.
“He’s ready to go to a foster home, and then as soon as we get everything treated, he needs to be adopted,” said Barr.
Stadler said she hopes that happens soon.
“He didn’t deserve that, and I’m just very happy that he’s got all of that off of him and he’s going to be put into a good home and taken care of for the rest of his life,” she said.
Matty will remain at the Animal Medical Center until Monday. He will then go to a foster family, and at some point, he will be ready for adoption.
If you would like to foster or adopt Matty or pets like him, or if you would like to help with Matty’s medical care, click here.
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