JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Looking at the images, it seems hard to believe that a dog could survive such a harrowing ordeal.
Sami, a hound dog, was found Feb. 5 hobbling down a road in rural St. Johns County, according to Florida Urgent Rescue (FUR), a local animal rescue group.
Based on the dog’s appearance – skin stretched thin over protruding bones and open wounds tattering its coat – the group suspects Sami starved for months after she was thrown from a vehicle.
Left for dead, the dog somehow endured and fended for herself in the wild. Her rescuers believe she suffered animal bites, which festered without medical attention, while she was out there on her own.
“Once we saw her photo, we knew we had to help,” said FUR founder Mike Merrill. “We picked her up and immediately took her to the vet.”
Deathly frail and covered with infected wounds, Sami was clearly in bad shape. But thanks to some timely intervention, things are starting to look up.
Sami is now in the care of a loving, experienced foster “who is giving her lots of love and TLC,” Merrill wrote in an email to News4Jax.
Still, Sami’s not out of the woods just yet. While she’s receiving treatment from St. Francis Animal Hospital, she has a long road to recovery.
"She could be feeling like a normal dog within a few weeks," said FUR vice president Jeanne Forney. "She's not going to be able to behave like a normal dog for a few months most likely."
Forney said hounds are frequently dumped in our area because hunters are not respectful of the animals they keep. Dogs that won't hunt are often discarded if they don't serve that purpose.
To stay on top of Sami’s progress and learn how you can help, visit the crowdfunding page FUR has established in her name.