LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — A Lehigh Acres mother discovered a severely neglected dog abandoned on the side of the road while driving her children to school Tuesday morning.
The dog was found lying on a urine-soaked sheet near Louis Street and East Seventh Avenue in the Northeast part of Lehigh Acres, barely breathing and showing signs of months of severe neglect.
Click here to see Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo, speak with the woman who rescued the dog.
Victoria Paschke, who also works in animal rescue, said she has never seen a case this bad.
"The dog cannot stand. The dog cannot walk. So who knows what the dog has gone through month after month, it could even be years... he's in deplorable condition," Paschke said.
After spotting the dog, Paschke managed to get him into her car and brought him to school, where they called for emergency help.
Medical examinations revealed the dog was severely dehydrated with skin infections, eye infections, and wounds covering his body from head to toe.
Paschke emphasized that pet owners facing difficulties have resources available and shouldn't abandon their animals.
"There is help. They just need to ask, and it becomes a safety concern. Because if there were a child going on the bus or an elderly person walking their dog or their animal, and they went to go see or help and say the dog was aggressive, that's a huge safety concern," Paschke said.
According to Paschke, Lehigh Acres has a growing problem with abandoned pets, but this case stands out for its severity.
"That's the worst I've seen just left... normally they're out running... and somebody eventually finds them. It's clear somebody left him there," Paschke said.
Lee County Domestic Animal Services and the Sheriff's Office Animal Cruelty Task Force are investigating the case. They plan to review security camera footage to identify who abandoned the dog.
"You can't do this… it's not ok," Paschke said.
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