‘Unimaginable’ abuse left dog without a leg, PA shelter says. Now she’s healing
A dog is safe and is in the process of getting the help she needs after her owner was arrested and now faces felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.
Lancaster County Detectives along with the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Pennsylvania State Police have a arrested Stephen Stoltzfus after he was accused of cutting off his dog’s hind leg with a pair of scissors, a news release issued by the SPCA in Philadelphia said.
The group said it launched an investigation after they received a complaint of a dog that had injuries from farm equipment in Kirkwood.
“According to the complainant, the owner had sought pain medication for the severely injured animal but refused to provide any veterinary care,” the release said. “Instead, the individual reportedly amputated the remainder of the dog’s damaged leg himself using scissors.”
Kimber, a poodle mix, was barely clinging to life when she was rescued, but she was gentle with her rescuers, the group said.
“Her leg was grotesquely infected—you could see the bones protruding from the wound,” the Main Line Animal Rescue said. “Her matted fur was soaked in dried blood, her skin crawling with fleas and ticks. The smell of infection was so strong, it filled the room. Yet somehow, despite the agony, Kimber still trusted us.”
Police rescued Kimber on May 9 and said her suffering from the initial equipment injury had been prolonged, and her pain was intense and devastating.
“Kimber endured unimaginable suffering that no animal should ever experience,” Julie Klim, CEO of the Pennsylvania SPCA, said in the release. “To deny a critically injured animal veterinary care and then perform an amputation with scissors represents a complete abandonment of basic compassion and responsibility.”
Currently, Kimber is fighting and receiving medications and fluids to stabilize her until she’s strong enough for amputation surgery.
“The failure to provide appropriate medical care following a traumatic injury demonstrates a fundamental disregard for the animal in question,” Nicole Wilson, director of Animal Law Enforcement and Shelter Services at the Pennsylvania SPCA, said in the release.
To report incidents of animal neglect and abuse, contact the Cruelty Hotline at 866-601-7722.