More people are abandoning their dogs, according to police in Malden, Massachusetts, who say they've noticed an uptick in cases in the last month.
Dior, a young mixed-breed dog, is an example of the consequences. She's in recovery after she was hit by a car on Salem Street last week.
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She suffered road rash, lacerations and abrasions from the crash. And police say the owners left Dior with a good Samaritan that showed up to help after the accident, leaving message behind before walking away.
“They can’t take care of this dog. The dog was struck by the car. Needs to get to the vet but they have other issues going on and they can’t take care of it," explained Malden Animal Control Officer Kevin Alkins.
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The good Samaritan took Dior to the Blue Pearl Emergency Animal Hospital in Charlestown. This is the third case like this in three weeks.
“We’ve probably had three or so more dogs that when originally phoned into us were stated that they were strays and we’re later finding out that these were owned by the very people that were calling it in," Alkins explained.
Since the pandemic, rescue workers say abandonment cases have been rampant across the North Shore. That matches a trend seen across the state - according to the Massachusetts Trial Court, animal cruelty cases have increased more than 70% from 2019 through 2022.
“It’s like an epidemic. People all got dogs during COVID and then life went back to normal and these animals didn’t fit in their life anymore," explained Lisa Cutting, who has worked with abandoned dogs in the area for 20 years.
“Literally dumped. We had two cats and a little 14-year-old dog that was left in a carrier in a church in Medford. We had a pitbull tied to a guardrail. I’m in court right now with another pitbull that was tied to a tree at Revere Elementary School. It doesn’t stop," Cutting said.
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Cutting is consistently at court with owners that have neglected their pets. But she said there is a silver lining to her work, such as in Dior's case.
“Just in the week that I’ve had her, she’s the most loving dog. She didn’t deserve that. She is going to make somebody an amazing best friend.”
If you are unable to care for your pet, there are legal resources available instead of abandoning them. Depending on the severity of an abandonment case, a perpetrator can face jail time.
