RIVER WEST — A dog that had been shot, malnourished and burned was taken in by a Chicago animal rescue this week, and they're looking for help paying for his recovery.
The Trio Animal Foundation posted on their Facebook page that Augustus was found walking down a South Side street by a concerned citizen who called the police.
Augustus was shot, malnourished, and had chunks of his skin and fur coming off from chemical burns, according to a Facebook post from Trio, which assists rescues, shelters and other animal care organizations.
"While many of his test results are not back yet, and some tests will be repeated to check for any signs of improvement (or even decline), we know that our boy is in really bad shape," the group said on Facebook. "Augustus will likely need a blood transfusion because his red blood cell count is dangerously low as he is severely anemic. His white blood cell count is through the roof with so many sources of raging infections, and blood poisoning is a real concern."
The post said that Augustus is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at the emergency veterinarian.
"Augustus is one of the worst cases of abuse TAF has ever seen. Between the gunshot wound, chemical burns all over his body, starvation, raging infections and pressure sore it's amazing he is alive," said Bridgid Nolan, the Medical & Rescue Director for Trio. "People need to say something when they see something...it's the only way to catch the people who cause this abuse."
For information on providing assistance to abused animals like Augustus, and to donate and help cover Augustus' medical care, log on to The Trio Animal Foundation's website.
"Augustus has not given up and we are not about to give up on him," the organization said. "If we truly didn’t think that he could make a full recovery and have a wonderful quality of life, we wouldn’t be working so hard to save him."
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
