Adam doesn’t hold grudges.
One might expect a puppy, found in an emaciated state, with his mouth duct taped shut, to distrust humans. But at 12-16 weeks-old, all Adam wants is to be held in your arms, contentedly licking your face.
Elizabeth Rivera, owner of Lizzy’s Head to Toe Salon in Newfoundland, found the puppy while visiting a friend on Pond Road in Hamlin, Tuesday night. An animal lover, Rivera had her two Pomeranians: Angel and Gizmo tucked safely in her pocketbook when she exited the car around 10 p.m. But Gizmo jumped out and made a mad dash for a nearby ditch. When Rivera went to retrieve him, she was surprised to find him licking the face of a seemingly lifeless puppy. Curled up in a tight ball, in the four-foot deep drainage ditch, the little hound was surrounded by about four inches of moving water. “We thought he was dead,” Rivera said. That’s when they noticed his little muzzle tightly wrapped with tape — and not just once.
When family friend, Gary Howard reached for the white, spotted dog, it growled, but didn’t really move. So Howard allowed the frightened animal to smell him before gently removing the tape. “It was very, very upsetting,” Rivera said, to find an animal in such a state.
Not knowing what to do, they took the friendly pup to Rivera’s salon where they removed ticks, applied salve to his raw muzzle where the tape had torn away his fur. Rivera bathed him, put him in a blanket and kept him overnight.
Rivera then went online to try and find a shelter or someone who could help the little dog, which was suffering from dehydration and hypothermia. That’s when she was put in touch with Pennsylvania Humane Society Police Officer Marlene Metzger, who works with the Dessin Animal Shelter. Adam was taken to the Carbondale Veterinary Hospital for fluids and care. “He would have died of dehydration before starvation,” Officer Metzger said.
With visibly showing ribs, Adam is underweight — all of 13 pounds when he should tip the scale at 20. “He didn’t get this way overnight,” said Sue Frisch, Dessin Animal Shelter manager.
Metzger says if you look at Adam’s nose, you can see where the tape was. Metzger says she figures the duct tape and stream weren’t related, that whomever taped the pup’s mouth shut wasn’t trying to drown him. She figures he was thirsty and fell into the water.
As to why someone taped the pup’s mouth, Dessin Animal Shelter Manager Sue Frisch can only guess that someone got mad because he was puppy barking or biting.
“Horrible, horrendous cruelty ...You don’t tape a dog’s mouth shut without wanting it to die,” Metzger said.
Metzger and State Dog Warden Jim Rickert are looking for any information involving the incident, including knowledge of possible litter mates. Metzger may be reached at 647-0239, with all calls kept confidential. A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the offender.
By early Thursday, calls were already coming in to Dessin from people hoping to adopt the friendly pup, having seen his picture on TV.
