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An animal rescue organization in Iowa came across a horrifying scene this week after receiving a tip off that a dog was in need of urgent care in a Des Moines apartment.
The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is currently investigating after a Great Dane was found emaciated and locked in a crate without food or water.
"He was trapped in a wire crate and he was literally a skeleton," ARL shared in a statement. Officers responded to a tip about the animal, but were left shocked at what they found.
When the officer arrived at the apartment, she found the dog named Kai shut inside the crate "wasting away in an apartment where people were living and no one was helping him."
After having Kai released from the cage, the officer witnessed him bolt straight toward the bathroom, where he "began guzzling water out of the toilet."
"He was so hungry and thirsty it was heartbreaking," added the ARL.
The officer immediately transported Kai to the Emergency Care Team at the ARL who were waiting with open arms for the hound. "The sight of him was shocking: We could see every bone in his body. He was so emaciated and dehydrated that even his head and eyes were sunken in," added the ARL.
"He had no muscle mass whatsoever and weighed just 44 pounds. He wouldn't have survived much longer."
"We immediately gave him food and water, and he ate and drank ravenously, pushing the bowl around the floor to get every last morsel. His dehydration was extreme, so we started him on IV fluids. He is now on a careful refeeding program to help him safely regain his weight. He is safe now, but he has a long road to recovery."
In Iowa, animal neglect is classed as when an individual owns or has custody of an animal, confines that animal and fails to provide full access to food "in an amount and quality reasonably sufficient to satisfy the animal's basic nutrition level," or a sufficient amount of water " to satisfy the animal's basic hydration level."
Animal neglect when it does not cause injury, serious injury or death is a simple misdemeanor for first time offenders, while neglect that causes injury is a serious misdemeanor. Neglect that leads to a serious injury or death is classed as an aggravated misdemeanor.
The investigation by the ARL is ongoing, and Newsweek has contacted the organization for comment.
