A scraggly case for keeping the Pike Humane Society open

MILFORD — A severely neglected and abandoned mixed breed Lasso Apso dog was brought to the Pike County Humane Society last Sunday morning. The dog was brought in by a woman who found the sickly looking dog wandering aimlessly behind the Apple Valley Restaurant on Route 6 in Milford. The small dog was so matted and neglected that her eyes were practically shut closed from infection and her fur was just a tangled mess that can only come from someone guilty of animal neglect. “She’s about three to four years old and someone just dumped her off,” remarked Danny O’Connor a volunteer at the animal shelter. “I am taking her to the vet we use in Saylorsburg, south of Stroudsburg. They are open 24/7 and we get a discounted price from them. The person who left her is guilty of animal cruelty and neglect,” said Janet Heim, wife of Humane Society Director Barry Heim. “They’re going to have to sedate her to shave off the matted fur which will probably take as long as two hours. Shaving is a slow process because there may be skin infections or sometimes even maggots beneath the matted fur. They’ll also be able to look at her eyes to see how bad the infection is. Sometimes these infections can cause blindness,” she said with concern for the dog in her voice. If the Pike County Humane Society were to close its doors due to financial needs there would have been no place for this neglected dog to be taken. “As long as money from donations and fundraisers come in, we’ll stay open,” said Heim. Last Saturday evening the Humane Society held a fundraiser at St. Patrick’s Church in Milford. Heim said there were at least 375 people who paid from $5 to $7 for a spaghetti and meatball dinner. It was so busy they had to get help two times from the Milford Diner who cooked up extra spaghetti for them. On Sunday there was a Basket Bingo fundraiser held at the Fire Hall in Matamoras with 16 baskets with at least $100 worth of goods in each. “Abandoned and neglected pets like this one are just one of the reasons we work hard to raise money so we can stay open. Our fuel bills to heat the buildings and the cost of electricity are really hurting us this winter. Our vet bills always run high. I will probably have to leave this dog overnight and drive back down to Saylorsburg tomorrow to pick her up,” Heim stated as she was putting the injured dog in the back of her mini van. “If anyone knows the owner of this dog please get in touch with the shelter at 296-7654,” Heim said just before she drove away with another animal for which the Humane Society was able to provide necessary medical care.