'One Of The Worst Cases Of Animal Cruelty' Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter Staff Have Ever Seen

BRANFORD, CT — Staff at the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter are calling it "one of the worst cases of animal cruelty" they have ever seen.

At 11 a.m. Monday, a woman said she was driving down Route 1 in Branford near the Big Y Plaza and saw a dog walking and fall down, animal control staff said. She stopped and placed the dog in her car and brought it to the animal shelter.

"We are reaching out for the public's help because this dog has been starved, according to the vets, for 2-3 months," the staff said on social media. "The dog was between 24-48 hours from death. So far all bloodwork shows no infections or diseases. This dog cannot stand, walk or lift her head. She is being provided with 24 hour care at this point. The vet gives her a body condition score of 1 on a body scale of 0-9. Her body temperature is at 96 degrees."

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"We have named her Hope and we are doing everything humanly possible to save her life and provide her with the love she has not received for a long long time. If any of you recognize this dog or noticed a black dog near Big Y in Branford please contact the animal shelter at 203-315-4125," animal control staff said.

Animal control staff said that this dog could have been brought in from another town, and if this dog looks like a friends, families, or relatives dog to please contact the animal shelter. All information provided will be kept confidential," animal control staff said.

On Tuesday, Hope was showing some signs of improvement.

Images via Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter Facebook page