Frozen To Death: Tips Sought After Pomeranian Left Outside Detroit Dog Rescue Overnight
DETROIT (WWJ) - Heartbroken staffers at the Detroit Dog Rescue are working to identify a person who dropped off a dog at the shelter Monday night — leaving to freeze to death in the bitter cold.
Kristina Rinaldi, Executive Director of DDR, said the Pomeranian mix left in a small crate outside the shelter, on Detroit's east side, at around 8 p.m.
Temperatures dipped below zero overnight; and, tragically, the little dog did not survive.
"It's the same thing you would feel as a human. You know, their paws start to hurt just like our fingers would, Rinaldi said. "A lot of these dogs, their undercoat, their bellies are exposed, so you start to feel the frostbite. Their ears, actually, have been known to get frostbitten and fall off; it's extremely painful. Then, of course, hypothermia sets in."
The dog was dropped off by a male suspect, around 6 feet tall, driving a large van painted half-maroon and half-white or silver. Security camera images showing the man and the vehicle were posted by the rescue on Tuesday, in hope that someone in the public will be able to help.
Rinaldi noted that the little dog may have been otherwise abused.
"It does look like it had some other injuries," she said. "We did find a small amount of blood in the crate. We are taking the dog to have a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death."
Anyone has any information about the person caught on camera, the vehicle seen in these photo, or the dog's owner, is asked to call Detroit Dog Rescue at 313-458-8014, or send an email to KristinaDDR@gmail.com.
Tipsters may remain anonymous.
