Rise in animal neglect across the Valley

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Furry friends need more than just a forever home. They need all-around care and love.

Otherwise, it can be considered abandonment.

"Neglect can be as much as hitting your dog, physically abusing your dog, but neglect could also be starving them, keeping them from their daily provisions like food, water, locking a dog in a crate for 24 hours, that can be considered neglect," said Ruben Cantu, Animal Care Adoption Supervisor at Valley Animal Center.

Maddox is a 7-year-old dog with Tulare Animal Services.

He was found after getting a report that he was chained up and starving.

"When I arrived, he was behind a gate; I noticed that he was super, super malnourished; his head was tilted to one side, which was evidence of some type of blunt force trauma to one side of his head," said Tulare Animal Services officer, Tyler Gilmore.

Maddox also needs dental work, but the vet says he's too skinny for surgery, and it's hard for him to eat certain foods right now.

"His blood work showed that he was in liver failure due to his body taking an extra meat off his bone, off his body, and processing it into protein to be able to survive," said Gilmore.

The effects of severe neglect and trauma are not always physical but sometimes mental.

That's why officials are asking for someone to take care of Maddox, as it can truly make a difference in his canine care.

"If he goes to a foster or finds a rescue that's a lot less stressful than a shelter, it can speed up the process," said Gilmore.

Cantu adds that you should call your city or county's animal rescue to report animal cruelty or neglect as soon as possible.

"If you suspect something, tell someone, and even if it's maybe not 100 percent accurate, you at least did your due diligence for that animal who can't speak for itself," said Cantu.

If you're interested in fostering Maddox, learn more here. For Valley Animal Center adoptions, get more information here.

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