clinging to life when authorities rescued
him. He was emaciated and
dehydrated, his skin was covered with
infection, and he had heart worms.
Police say his owner left him chained to
a tree for four straight years.
The poor pooch — whose name was
changed from Toby by the folks at
Progressive Animal Welfare Society
(PAWS) in Ohio — is getting better. He's
currently undergoing veterinary
rehabilitation. Joseph's former owner, Jeremy Shane
Temple, faces animal cruelty charges.
"It's just hard, really, seeing a dog that
skinny," Kassie Jadin, the facilities
manager at PAWS, told HuffPost Crime.
"It's just so pathetic all around. There
aren't enough words to explain how sad
it is."
Officers told WCPO that they found the
5-to-7-year-old dog chained to a
backyard tree in Middletown with no
more than a few scraps of food and little
water. Jadin says he was covered in
fleas and painful bites.
Temple reportedly told suspicious
neighbors that Joseph had a disease
that made him appear to be emaciated.
When an arresting officer asked Temple
about Joseph's condition, he allegedly
said, "The dog is not a human."
Temple was fined and released, but he's
expected back in court on Oct. 14 for
more hearings on animal abuse
charges. City prosecutors didn't return
calls for comment by press time.
Jadin said he is expected to make a full
recovery. He's a nice dog, and "he's
really enjoying the attention," she said.
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