This puppy survived being left in a hot car. He’s doing much better, rescue group says
When Gruff came to the Poodle and Pooch Rescue, the 2-month old Terrier mix was not only recovering from heat exhaustion, his tiny body was also loaded with tapeworms, hookworms and fleas.
The rescue group, which often deals with special needs dogs in Central Florida, was called by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to take Gruff after the puppy was found in a hot SUV July 2.
Two other dogs also left inside the Dodge Durango parked outside an Orlando Quality Inn and Suites did not survive. The owner of the dogs, Penelope Stanley, 54, who was visiting from Mississippi, was charged with three counts of felony animal cruelty and three misdemeanor counts of confining an animal without food. She has since bonded out of jail. A lawyer was not listed in court records.
Michele Wacker, the medical director of Poodle and Pooch Rescue, said Gruff showed obvious signs of neglect, beyond being left in the car. In addition to the worms, Gruff also had a staph infection on his skin.
“He’s doing a lot better, but he still is going to need medical care,” she said.
Gruff, she said, is “full of energy” and is now a “normal, happy, crazy puppy.”
Wacker said the fact that he survived being in the car — when temperatures outside climbed to the high 90s — was surprising.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know you should never leave a dog in a car,” she said.
According to the sheriff’s office, other hotel guests spotted the dogs in the car and flagged down a hotel worker for help.
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The worker called 911. When the dogs were finally rescued, one, a 6-month-old Chihuahua named Minnie, was dead and two others were in bad shape. A 3-month-old Shepherd mix named Kiara later died.
A deputy tracked town Stanley, who was staying in the hotel.
“This woman made a conscious decision to leave her dogs in the car while she retreated to her air conditioned room,” Wacker said. “She didn’t make a mistake; she made a decision.”
Anyone interested in donating to help with Gruff’s care can visit https://poodleandpoochrescue.org.
