Left to die cruel reality for many dogs, but some Valley residents offer helping hands
Dumped and left to die: It’s a cruel reality for many unwanted dogs.
It happened last week to some and is happening today to others. It’s a doggone shame.
In two cases of abandonment, caring people came to the rescue. The unlucky ones die on the streets of slow starvation, attacks by other dogs or wild animals, disease or being hit by cars.
Max, an American bulldog, was found on the roadside of Warren Avenue in a non-residential area. Nick Gwaltney of Warren Township was on his way to work Sept. 8, a 90-degree day. “I saw a white Impala stop and leave a laundry basket behind,” he said. “Something wasn’t right. I didn’t know what I’d find in the basket, but I had to stop.”
Gwaltney found an underweight puppy, about 4 months old, tightly wrapped in a blanket. “If I hadn’t found him, he probably would have died in the heat,” he said. He talked to his manager at work about his discovery then took the pup home, where he gave it a bath.
An experienced dog owner, Gwaltney knew something was wrong with the listless puppy, who didn’t want to play or eat. He took the pup to Dr. Snigdha Singh, a veterinarian in Niles. Max, as the pup was now called, was diagnosed with parvovirus, which compromises the intestines. Max had a 50-50 chance of survival.
Gwaltney credited Greg Miller, a volunteer at the Trumbull County Dog Pound, with assisting in Max’s specialized care.
Gwaltney and his girlfriend, Julia Murphy, kept Max separate from their other dogs because parvovirus is contagious.
Gwaltney and Murphy said they set up a Facebook page on Max with the slogan, “love is a four-letter word.” It has chronicled Max’s needs, which the dog lovers’ community responded to, and his recovery.
Murphy said Max was abandoned once and they weren’t going to let that happen again: They’re keeping him.
The couple also has another Facebook page, Stop Trumbull County Animal Abuse, Neglect and Inhumane Treatment. Gwaltney said he has rescued about 45 dogs and will continue.
Read more about him and other dog rescuers and learn how you can help in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.