Abandoned dog left in crate in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif (KFSN) -- A dog left abandoned inside his cage at a vacant Fresno apartment has slowly been nursed back to health.

When animal control officers rescued "Bumper" back on December 22nd he weighed just 18 pounds and was pretty much skin and bones. Today he is the picture of health.

Swimming in the grass is one of Bumper's favorite things to do. All he ever wanted was a little attention and some room where he could roam. But Walter Salvari of the Central California SPCA wasn't sure bumper would even make it this far.

Salvari explained, "Unfortunately he was found in a very cramped space with no water, no food and covered in feces."

Bumper was stuck inside a small crate when animal control officers found him. His spine and ribs were visible. He was weak and the boxer-bulldog-pit bull mix had a bad skin condition.

Salvari said, "A lot of our calls are either dumped in a dumpster or left in a backyard in a patio but at least they're able to roam around. In this situation he had nowhere to go. He was just stuck."

Animal control officers rescued Bumper from a small back patio of a Southeast Fresno apartment complex on Fillmore near Garden. They never found his owner but neighbor Brandon Hernandez believes the dog had been left there for several weeks.

Hernandez recalled, "There's always been a stench with the smell living close by to the cage and everything."

Hernandez never knew his neighbor by name but was glad to hear Bumper is doing much better. He even peered over the fence once because of the noise and smell.

Brandon said, "It was real sad. I kind of wanted to help the dog out a little bit but there was nothing I could do."

But there is something you can do. Bumper is happy and healthy - now weighing in at 40 pounds. He is now ready for adoption from the SPCA.