Tiny Puppy Dying In Dumpster, Maggots "Eating Him Alive." Trash Taken Out Moments Before It's Too Late
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Augusta, Georgia, resident Austin Stutzmen never imagined that taking out the trash might save a life. Yet when he tossed his garbage into the dumpster behind his apartment complex, he noticed a plastic bag that was positively writhing with maggots.
When he opened it, he made a horrifying discovery: There was a three-week-old puppy inside.
Stutzmen made a quick call to the nonprofit Saving the Chain Dogs, an organization that helps abused and abandoned canines. A team immediately came to the site to collect the puppy, which was eventually named Trent.
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Robin Mitchell, Founder of Saving the Chain Dogs, put a post about Trent up on the organization’s Facebook page. As soon as dog rescuer Gina Gonzalez saw it, she bolted for her car, intent on getting medical care for the animal.
“You could tell the puppy was dying,” she said. “You could hear the whines, but he was hardly moving.
“His skin, soon as you went to move it, it wasn’t even budging. You could tell it was very anemic.”
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Trent’s condition horrified Dr. Scarlett Timmons of All God’s Creatures Veterinary Hospital, who said his case was among the worst she’d ever seen. “He was extremely dehydrated, the maggots were eating him alive, [and] he did have some trauma to the head.”
Maggots generally do not eat living flesh. They feed on necrotic tissue, which suggests that this poor puppy must have experienced some sort of trauma.
Timmons gave the tiny dog a blood transfusion, provided IV fluids, fed him with a syringe, and generally tried to prop up his immune system so he could heal. Sadly, the abuse had a permanent impact on Trent’s health.
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One of his eyes was missing and some of his brain tissue has been permanently damaged. The puppy’s other ongoing conditions included lymphoedema (i.e., fluid retention in the extremities).
Still, Trent continued to improve. After three weeks, Stutzmen was able to visit and hold the tiny dog.
“It’s kind of a big moment,” Stutzmen told WRDW. “He fell asleep in my arms like right away, and it feels like he’s still comfortable with me even though this is my first time seeing him since the dumpster.
“He’s a lot more lively because he had a lot of heavy breathing and was just laying there limp when I found him. He’s been more active and just really happy today.”
Trent’s recovery is ongoing. However, once his health improves, he will be placed with a loving family.
The search is still on the individual who abused Trent. Saving the Chain Dogs has hired an attorney, and local police are offering a $1,000 reward for information about the crime.
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