Pit Bull Left To Die In 100-Degree North Jersey Home: Officials

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A pit bull that was left to die in a more than 100-degree apartment in Paterson has been rescued.

Paterson Chief Animal Control Officer John DeCando said the emaciated dog was found tied up Wednesday morning in the basement of an apartment complex on North 3rd Street. An animal control officer and the property manager responded to the building after a concerned citizen reported the dog was in the basement.

"The dog had bruises and tumors on her stomach and marks on its leg like it had been trying to break free," DeCando said. "You could tell the dog has not eaten anything in quite sometime."

DeCando contacted the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge (RBAR), an Oakland-based nonprofit, who sent someone down to collect the dog they named Phoenix. The dog was being rushed to the Oradell Animal Hospital in critical condition.

The dog is so weak she cannot even lift her head, said Megan Brinster, RBAR's executive director. RBAR is accepting donations that will help fund Phoenix's medical treatment and care.

"She was caked in her own feces," said Fran Laurita, RBAR's animal welfare specialist who took Phoenix to the hospital. "She is completely dehydrated, she can't even bark."

DeCando is investigating the case with a Paterson Police Department and a humane law enforcement officer with the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

"The dog was thrown away like yesterday's garbage," DeCando said. "There's no reason why someone should do something like this. If you don't want a dog, bring it to an animal shelter."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photos: Phoenix, a pit bull that was rescued after she was found inside a 100-degree basement in a Paterson apartment building Wednesday. (Photos courtesy of Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge)