Shelter Opens Investigation On Dog Left To Die On 17-Degree Night

BRANFORD, CT — With thousands of people reacting to the cruelty, Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter is once again working to save a dog’s life.

Lincoln was left abandoned Saturday night shortly before midnight on the street near the Branford Community House, on what staff believe was the “coldest night of the year so far” with just a towel for warmth. He was found at around 7 a.m. Sunday morning by a jogger, so he’d been outside alone all night in the frigid weather. The dog that shelter staff have named Lincoln, was not only frozen, but very ill.

In a Facebook post that has nearly 5,000 reactions from furious people, the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter noted his paws were frostbitten and he could barely walk. He’s at least 10 to 20 pounds underweight and has mange, badly overgrown toenails and pressure sores from being crated.

Warning: Some of the images may be hard to look at for some.

The shelter has opened an animal abandonment investigation and asks that anyone with information about Lincoln call 203-315-4125. All information will be kept confidential.

As one person commented on the Facebook post, with hundreds agreeing, "Come on people! Someone knows something! Do the right thing and speak up before this happens to another animal or a human."

Lincoln is getting the medical help he needs, the shelter noted, but “will need rehabilitation for quite some time” so won’t be up for adoption.

But Cosgrove animal shelter director Laura Burban told Patch Tuesday afternoon that Lincoln is "definitely feeling better today. It’s amazing what 48 hours will do."

A week later ...