MONTEREY COUNTY (KRON) — The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for Monterey County is offering $2,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for abandoning a severely neglected dog and her four young puppies on or around the morning of Monday, May 9.
On Monday morning, SPCA Humane Investigations Officers were contacted by a realtor who found the 1-year-old dog and her 8-week-old puppies enclosed in a cardboard box on a for-sale property on Josselyn Canyon Road on the Monterey Peninsula.
The mother and puppies are extremely thin and suffering from severe demodex – an extraordinarily painful, itchy skin condition that has left them with major hair loss and raw, red lesions susceptible to infection over most of their bodies.
Given the condition of the cardboard box, it is possible that the dogs had been abandoned outside in the elements for between 12 – 24 hours.
Following emergency veterinary examination, the dogs are receiving intensive treatments including medications for the demodex mites, medicated baths, and antibiotics to help with secondary bacterial skin infections and to relieve discomfort.
The mother dog, named Josie by SPCA staff, and her pups, Juliet, Stanley, Hermie, and Stella are also receiving love and much-needed TLC.
Based on the severity of the skin condition, treatment could take anywhere from 3 – 8 months to complete.
The SPCA will be seeking long-term foster care for Josie and her puppies.
Candidates for foster care must be able to provide a low-stress environment for the dogs that will allow their immune systems to strengthen. Potential foster volunteers will be required to apply and become an official volunteer for The SPCA’s Foster Friends Program.
If you are interested in providing a long-term foster home, please contact The SPCA at 831-373-2631.
If caught, the owner could be charged with the following offenses: California Penal Code Sections 597.1 (Permitting Animals to Go Without Care), Penal Code 597(b) (Deprivation of Food, Water, and Shelter), and Penal Code 597s (Willful Abandonment).
If you have any information about this case, please contact The SPCA at 831-373-2631. All calls are completely confidential.
To donate to help rescue animals like Josie and her young puppies, please call the SPCA or donate online at www.SPCAmc.orgTHE SPCA contributed to this report.