It's a godsend: Dying dog gets another chance at life
Humane officials said they want to find the owner of the dog.
SALEM -- Lazarus, the dog, is getting a second life.
The emaciated canine weighed just 29 pounds as of Monday, and that included caked mud, according to Brenda Austin, the humane agent for the Humane Society of Columbiana County. He should weigh about 40 to 45 pounds.
Officials want to find the owner of the dog they named for the friend Jesus brought back to life in the Gospels.
Austin said she first saw the dog about 10 a.m. Sunday where it had apparently been abandoned in the parking lot of Angels for Animals in Mahoning County.
"I have never witnessed a dog in such a condition," she wrote in an e-mail. "In fact, everyone who has seen this dog has been shocked by his condition and has been affected by it."
Initially humane officials thought the dog had been hit by a car and may have been in a ditch for days. But X-rays revealed no broken bones in his back and pelvic area, although his tail may be broken.
Officials think Lazarus may be a victim of severe neglect, due to his emaciated condition and his continual habit of walking in circles.
"Obviously, he has survived a very traumatic experience," Austin wrote.
He appears to be a keeshond mix, if not a keeshond purebred.
The American Kennel Club's Web site says a Keeshond (pronounced kayz-hawnd) is known for its intelligent expression and thick fur on its shoulders and chest.
Lazarus was given pain medication and on Tuesday was shaved down to the skin in most places to remove the mud.
He's in a foster home, and his recovery is monitored. Lazarus will perk up for a few moments, according to Austin.
"It is heartbreaking to see him, and it makes one wonder what he has been through," she wrote.