Rescuers say the dog was likely days away from death after Carlos Marron left him in the July heat with little or no food. Enzo is doing far better now.
Enzo is playful and energetic but most importantly, rescuers say he is hydrated and well fed. And getting the medication he needs to cure his many ailments. Elven pounds heavier and a whole lot happier, caretakers at Fresno Bully Rescue say Enzo is making steady progress on his road to recovery.
"Enzo is actually doing really well. We have had him a little less than a month now and he's started on a good round of antibiotics to take care of the secondary skin infection, and then we just recently started him on mange medicine," said Sarah Hickman, with Fresno Bully Rescue.
The man who police say is responsible for leaving the dog near death, in a backyard without food and water pleaded not guilty Friday morning in court.
Carlos Marron left abruptly after his appearance, but his attorney says Maroon did not abuse or neglect Enzo, despite the dog's deplorable condition when he was rescued.
"He loves that dog. He has had him since a puppy; he spent thousands of dollars looking after that dog. The dog unfortunately has a severe case of mange," Chris Caine, Marron's Attorney said.
Rescuers say Enzo had a secondary skin infection that made the mange even worse. It will take at least six months for him to recover.
"They actually do two to three skin scrapings to make sure that the mange mites are gone. So once those are all clear then he can stop all his medicines," Hickman said.
Marron's attorney says the dog was cared for, even if he didn't look like it, and he contends he was left alone for a good reason.
"My client was in the course of moving from one residence to the other when the dog was seen. He was being provided with water and food," Cain said.
Marron has vet bills his attorney claims will help prove their case. Police say they have strong evidence to support the charge of cruelty to animals. Marron's attorney says his client misses his dog and wants to have him back. But, that will depend on the outcome of the case.
