Animal Rescue League Of Dedham Responds To Emaciated Dog Case

DEDHAM, MA - Dedham police and the Animal Rescue League of Dedham held a joint press conference Thursday morning as they continue to seek leads about an emaciated, dead dog dumped at the ARL site on Oct. 23.

ARL public information officer Mike DeFina noted that the dog was found on the property on a Saturday night in October in a garbage bag. There is some camera footage of the car, but it is blurry.

Surveillance footage revealed that on October 23 at approximately 11:17 p.m., an SUV-type vehicle that may be a Nissan Rogue with two unidentified people inside entered ARL property and proceeded to leave the animal on a walkway before exiting the property.

"There was no collar on the dog, and it wasn't microchipped," he said. "I will say that the necropsy report noted the body condition score as a 1/9 on the Purina Body Condition Score index."

According to this scale, this is the worst possible condition for a dog. Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones and all bony prominences are evident from a distance. With dogs in this condition, there is no discernible body fat and an obvious loss of muscle mass.

"We want to make a point that all we really want to know is what the circumstances were behind this," DeFina said. "In the past, we might have been more harsh and sought punishment, because abandoning the dog is a crime.

"But we want people to know that there is all kinds of assistance out there to prevent something like this," he continued. "If you can't afford to take care of a dog because your financial circumstances have changed, or you just don't want to anymore, call your local animal control officer or the Animal Rescue League."

Anyone with information can contact ARL Law Enforcement at (617) 470-4266 x110 or email [email protected], or Dedham Police Detective Kevin Mahoney at (781) 751-9301 or email [email protected].