EUCLID, Ohio — For a few hours Friday, a dog abandoned in the dumpster area of the Lakeland Animal Clinic in Euclid felt love one last time.
Employees were on their way to work when they noticed the dog, which they named Belle, was left in the dumpster area behind the building.
Lakeland Animal Clinic workers say she was near death and could barely lift her head.
“It was kind of hidden away, kind of up against the fence that hides our dumpster," said Carrie Brickman. "We ran inside with the dog, the dog we did not even know if it was alive.”
Belle had an internal temperature of 92 degrees which is severely low for a dog, according to Brickman.
“She was just completely limp in my arms, and she was upon first examination. She had raging ear infections to the point her ear canal was almost closed," said Brickman. "Her nails were curled under. She had dried vomit all over her.”
Eventually, they were able to get Belle to eat something, but they noticed more problems.
"She had zero use of her legs whatsoever, her front or back. At this point, we suspected that there was something wrong with her spine or a ruptured disc," said Brickman. "With everything that was mounting against her, she was suffering."
After trying everything, the workers knew Belle had little time, and she died early Friday afternoon.
“This is one of the worst neglect cases I've seen in quite a while, she was left somebody just dumped her," said Miranda Llewellyn, administrator of Lakeland Animal Clinic.
Llewellyn said unfortunately, they see a lot of animals just like Belle come through their doors around the holidays.
“At least here, she got some sort of love and care at the even at the end," said Llewellyn, who told News 5 that support has been coming in through donations.
One person donated a $1,000 reward to find the person responsible. She hopes the person who threw Belle out like a bag of garbage is caught.
Euclid police continue to investigate to find the person responsible. Workers at the animal clinic have created an Angel Fund, which will soon be in Belle's honor, to help other animals just like her.
