On July 7, 2011, the Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Team found a Boxer that had been chained to a fence and left to die. The dog was emaciated and had lost the use of this left hind leg. The chain had rubbed his neck raw and become embedded in the skin, and maggots infested the wounds. Adopt A Boxer Rescue responded to the ACCT call and collected the Boxer, now known as Columbo, and took him to the emergency vet. Although he was near death at the time of his rescue, in the last two weeks Columbo has improved greatly and is now living in a foster home until he is well enough for adoption.
Columbo was microchipped, and through the chip was tracked to his breeder, who described his travels and transfers of ownership from Missouri to Arkansas, then to New Jersey where he was shown to within 3 points of his AKC championship,. The New Jersey owner gave Columbo away to someone in the 717 area code, named Dayna, according to the information posted on the AABR Columbo's Journey Facebook page. AABR is seeking help to discover who left Columbo to die, and is offering a $2,000 reward for any information that leads to a conviction.
Help AABR with Columbo's Care
Obviously, a dog in such severe condition requires a significant amount of veterinary care. Although Columbo's neck is healing, he may require surgery in the future to remove dead skin that covers deeper wounds. His rear leg is still not functioning and will need further assessment. Columbo spent two days in emergency veterinary care, which of course led to an extremely expensive bill.
AABR, like most Boxer rescue organizations, is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation, funded primarily by donations. When extreme cases such as Columbo's arise, often the rescue workers pay for the dog's care out of their own pocket until and unless enough donations come in to cover the costs. If you are interested in helping AABR with Columbo's care, they have set up several ways for you to make a donation:
Columbo's PayPal Donation Page
AABR's Donation (Mail or PayPal) Page
Other Boxer Rescues
Columbo is certainly not the only Boxer to end up in rescue, though his is one of the more desperate situations. As one of the most popular breeds in the United States, it's not surprising that Boxer rescues are often overflowing with dogs in need. Most Boxer rescues are in continual need of support, be it monetary donations, volunteers, or donated supplies. If you'd like to donate to your local rescue, both the American Boxer Club and the American Boxer Rescue Assocation provide lists of local Boxer rescue groups.
Keep Up With Columbo
If you'd like to keep tabs on Columbo, consider subscribing to these pages:
Philadelphia Animal Welfare Examiner
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