One of the worst cases of animal neglect was reported on a beach in Hawaii; a dog found cut, covered in infected open wounds and buried alive.
She had lost most of her fur and was in a shocking state when she was rescued.
Six weeks later you won’t believe her transformation.
The dog was found buried alive in the sand at West O’ahu beach. She was swollen, sunburnt and missing most of her fur.
After receiving emergency treatment veterinary staff discovered she was “bleeding from every inch of her body.”
A Facebook post put out by PAWS of Hawaii read: “This beautiful girl was found by one of our team members. Someone had just buried her and they had a machete so who knows what was next.”
The animal rescue group rushed her to Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services for treatment.
“Severe sunburn, lesions, swollen limbs in her extremities, that is a sign of being very dehydrated and very poor care,” veterinarian Dr. Kelly Dowdall-Garberson told KITV 4.
“Her skin, if you were able to smell her, is rancid because she has so many open sores that are infected,” Ku’ulei Durand, PAWS of Hawaii’s executive director, told the news channel. “The man who buried her, we were led to believe, had started to cut her.
“He felt he was ending her suffering by trying to end her life,” Ku’ulei said, “instead of getting her the help she needed.”
The dog was named Leialoha (“beloved child”) by her rescuers and was looked after by a foster family who after four days had made amazing progress with this frightened pup, who initially would only leave her kennel to use the bathroom.
”She smelled horrible from being buried and her skin disorders,” she shared. She was swollen and crimson. I tried to pick her up in order to move her from the travel kennel to a very huge dog crate, but she sobbed. I honestly didn’t know whether she’d make it through the night, Leialoha’s foster mom, Amanda, wrote on Facebook.
But soon, she started to improve.
“Leialoha has come so far,” Amanda says.
“Last night she came out while we had friends over to see what was for dinner and has been liking being under the coffee table. She has a long way to go, but the worst is over.”
Sadly, as of September 2019, Leialoha’s abuser had not yet been identified.
“Due to amazing care with Aloha Affordable Veterinary Services, Foster mom Amanda, and the love, care and donations the community sent, Leialoha made the fastest recovery we have yet to see from a dog in her condition,” the animal rescue organization posted.
Leialoha, who now has a fully regrown beautiful white and brown coat, has even found a forever home in Hawaii.
Amanda Krasniewski and her husband later adopted Leialoha, and thanks to their prior experience with foster pets, they managed to give this adorable puppy the life she deserves.
“We wanted to make sure she went to her permanent home and that someone would not want her simply because she was “famous,” Amanda says.
“We concluded that keeping her was the best choice.”
What a despicable way to treat an animal; I hope the person responsible is caught and is never allowed to go near an animal again.
Despite everything she went through this dog made an amazing recovery, she’s barely recognizable.