Dog Chews Her Own Leg Off After Owner Chains It To Fence Without Food

A dog in the US has chewed her own leg off after being tied up in the cold with no food or drink.

German shepherd Zoe was spotted in a backyard in New York by a delivery driver last Thursday, who initially suspected she had been shot. The man then knocked on the house but got no answer, so phoned the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Susquehanna SPCA

Zoe was taken for immediate medical attention and vets found bones in her stomach. It is thought she may have chewed her leg off as a result of the chronic pain she was in.

As well as missing her front leg, it was established that Zoe is anaemic and has a heart murmur. Vets also feared she may have cancer, however, further assessment revealed a large tumour on her shoulder was not cancerous.

That said, the tumour still needs to be removed in an operation which surgeons have described as 'palliative and dangerous', with the risk increased by Zoe's other health conditions, age and the need to navigate major arteries.

New York State Police have since charged Zoe's owner Carl Pritchard with a number of animal cruelty offences.

In a post on Facebook, the force accompanied a photo of Zoe with the caption: "This is Zoe, she was found last week missing her left limb. Veterinarians in Otsego County believe she chewed off her own arm [sic], she was found with no food and water, living outside in a plastic pet crate with hay inside.

"Her owner, Carl K. Pritchard, age 59 of Exeter was arrested and charged with Agriculture and Markets Law Agriculture and Markets Law overdriving, torturing and injuring animals; failure to provide proper sustenance (misdemeanor) and failure to provide appropriate shelter for dogs left outdoors (violation).

"Zoe was cared for by the Susquehanna SPCA, veterinarians in Otsego County and is now at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine."

Susquehanna SPCA shared a post after Zoe's discovery, highlighting both the cruelty animals still face and how good deeds can make a difference.

The post read: "We share these graphic photos and her story because we want to highlight the very sad fact that animals like Zoe are in our communities suffering and we need your help to combat the inhumane treatment of animals.

"The good Samaritan who called this situation in was outraged and scared for Zoe. They did exactly the right thing by calling our line and we want to praise them for their heroic act.

"This is an example of how when folks who care come together, we can make a difference. This rescue is one of the many worthy ways in which your donations are making a difference. If you can consider a contribution to help us off-set the expense of Zoe's medical treatment, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made at: https://sqspca.org/support/make-a-donation/."

Topics: Dog, US News, crime, Animals

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey