However Griffin ended up on a freezing Midtown street last week, it couldn’t have been good. The dachshund is blind, with eye sockets but a missing eyeball, has severe dental problems and had toenails so long it’s hard to image how he could walk. But animal lovers have jumped in to help pay for his recovery. He’s now at a rescue facility, receiving medical care, and waiting to be adopted.
The story of Griffin – a blind and possibly neglected dog dumped last week in Midtown – has been spreading across local Facebook pages and Internet groups.
One animal rescuer says Griffin was in the worst shape of any dog she’s helped. But folks across the metro area are making contributions to get him healthy and to find out who might have let him get into such bad shape.
Griffin showed up in South Hyde Park last Wednesday, a bitterly cold night. Nate King says a stranger knocked on his door and asked if he knew anything about the small dachshund shivering on the street. King didn’t recognize the dog, but took him in to warm him and see what was going on.
King put out the word the way many in Midtown do these days, through an Internet group that helps reunite lost pets with their owners. But by a few days later, it was clear that Griffin had probably been dumped, and that the dog has severe medical issues.
For one thing, the six-pound dog was blind, with scar tissue covering his eyes and perhaps one eyeball missing. His toenails were so long that he couldn’t walk easily, and his teeth and gums were in terrible shape.
These seemed like symptoms of abuse, but King says the dog was happy and trusting and clearly trained to jump into a human lap.
Since then, Griffin has gone to Erin’s Midwest Animal Resq, where Erin Morse is caring for him while he gets medical attention. So far he’s been to the vet, who removed some of his teeth. It’s impossible to know what happened to his eyes, but he’ll need more surgery on them. He’s also being treated for other possible infections.
Morse says she has seen a lot of abused dogs in her work, but she considers this the most horrific. “Imagine the length of time it took for this dog to be in this condition.” She speculates that Griffin ended up in such a state because he was neglected.
But she agrees with King that Griffin is a sweet and happy dog, against all the odds.
Erin’s Midwest Animal Resq is raising donations to pay for Griffin’s care. In fact, they raised enough for the first vet bill in 24 hours, mostly through small donations of five or ten dollars, and from kids donating their lunch money.
He’ll need more surgery for his eyes and treatment for other infections.
Morse says there is currently a $1000–$2000 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever neglected Griffin.
Griffin will stay in rescue until he’s recovered well enough for adoption. Morse already has a list of people who are interested.
Contributions:
- Search for Erin’s Midwest Animal ResQ page on Facebook
- Midwest Animal Resq home page
Reward:
- Contact Erin’s Midwest Animal Resq for more information about the reward
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