Burns from boiling water prove too much for Ga. pup to overcome
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - The story is gruesome; the photos are gut-wrenching.
“We were ed earlier this week by an animal hospital that they had a tiny puppy who was in horrific shape,” said Jackie Spett, Director of Development and Marketing for Angels Among Us Pet Rescue.
The puppy, named Elsie by her rescuers, was covered with burns over her entire body. Spett said vets told her the puppy had either been placed in or had boiling water spilled all over her.
“The really tough part was that the owners kept her for a week,” Spett said.
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The owners eventually took Elsie to the animal hospital, quickly coming into the care of Angels Among Us Pet Rescue on Wednesday.
Elsie’s story exploded on Facebook, with hundreds of thousands of people following her recovery.
“We want to give them a fighting chance,” Spett said.
And Elsie fought. Photos and video show the 11-week-old puppy in a pink full-body cast.
“I was holding her, and she started kissing me, and it just kind of felt like she was a normal puppy,” Spett said.
By Friday, it appeared Elsie was on her way to recovering. Things took a bad turn Saturday morning.
“She became septic, and she just couldn’t fight anymore,” Spett said.
Spett has been with “Angels” since 2011, and tragic stories like Elsie’s are all too common.
“I mean, people are shocked that this is happening all around them, but it’s happening every day,” Spet said.
Spett said she was told that Animal Control is looking into Elsie’s case.
Elsie survived into Saturday partly because of a blood transfusion. Spett said that there is a critical shortage of blood donations for dogs and cats. If you’d like to learn about how you and your pet can help save pets like Elsie, you can find more information here.
“Waking up to the news was a huge disappointment, but I didn’t have time to mourn,” Spett said. “There’s going to be the next one and the next one and the next one.”
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