In what the staff has described as "one of the worst cases" of apparent animal cruelty, a dog dying of starvation was found on a Branford roadside Monday, March 6 and is being sheltered and cared for at Branford-based Daniel Cosgrove Animal Shelter. To date, a reward of $2,500 has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for the dog's condition.

Reports have been posted at the shelter's Facebook page on March 6, with an update on March 7. The shelter staff, who have named the dog "Hope," will try to post daily updates between noon and 7 p.m. Follow the posts here

On March 6, the staff posted the dog had been brought to the shelter by a woman who took the dog into her car after seeing it walking and fall on Route 1 in Branford (near Big Y) at approximately 11 a.m.  The dog was given veterinary attention, which determined the animal had been starved for between two to three months, to the point where death was eminent within 24 to 48 hours.

"This dog cannot stand, walk, or lift her head. She is being provided with 24 hour care at this point. The vet gives her a body condition score of 1 on a body scale of 0-9. Her body temperature is at 96 degrees," the staff posted. "We have named her Hope and we are doing everything humanly possible to save her life and provide her with the love she has not received for a long, long time."

The shelter posted photos with a discretionary viewing warning and is asking members of the public who may recognize the dog, or noticed a black dog near Big Y in Branford, to contact the animal shelter confidentially at 203-315-4125. The black dog with white markings dog is believed to be a mix of pit bull and Labrador retriever.

On March 7, the shelter posted an update with news of some improvement, noting "... at 4 p.m. Hope finally was able to stand. As you can tell from the look on her face she is still uncomfortable. She is eating 1-2 tablespoons an hour and she is receiving 24-hour care. Her body temperature went from 96 degrees yesterday to 101 at 4 p.m. The recovery process for Hope will be long and she is still at a critical stage right now, but we are all feeling more optimistic seeing her stand today."

The shelter is receiving many calls of concern and also noted that Hope is not another lost dog, "Missy," as many callers had inquired.

Also on March 7, the shelter noted it had received an offer of a $2,500 reward leading to the arrest of the person responsible for Hope's condition. The dog, estimated to be between five to eight years old, has pressure sores on several areas of her body. Sores on her paws could be caused from being housed in a crate on a hard surface or in another small area, according to the post.