Chihuahua mix puppy found with severe injuries to his ears, stomach

One of them had the name, Fireman. The little gray, tan, and white puppy was curled up in a wicker basket, he was sedated. "The dog is in an extreme amount of pain," said clinic nurse Beth Allen-Garland. "Someone did something really awful, it's either a severe chemical burn or somebody tried to light his ears on fire."

Fireman was found on Wednesday in the play area at Antioch Animal Services. The area is surrounded by a six foot tall fence and volunteers say they don't know who may have dropped him off, or how they were able to.

Kristy Keusch, one of the volunteers, decided to foster Fireman. Keusch says she can't figure out what caused the dog's injuries. "If he were to fall or stand in a chemical it would affect his paws, but his paws are not affected. I feel someone tortured him." 

Keusch has teamed up with Umbrella of Hope, an organization that says it saved more than 500 cats and dogs from Contra Costa County shelters last year, to help in Fireman's recovery.

The Chihuahua mix will have to have his ears amputated due to the extent of his injuries. Beth Allen-Garland says Fireman should be able to live out a great life despite his injuries. 

She also says a thousand dollar reward is being offered by Fido Alert for information that leads to an arrest and conviction. "You kind of wonder about the people walking among us willing to harm an animal, let alone a baby animal."

Fireman is hoping someday to find a loving full-time home. Umbrella of Hope says he could be up for adoption in four to six weeks.

Adoption Information

Message from Umbrella of Hope: 

'We have had over 100 inquiries about him as of 6 p.m. on Friday, April 3rd, 2015. Due to the sheer volume on inquiries we have received already, we will be unable to respond to inquires asking questions on adoption inquiries until he is made available for adoption. We will post updates on Fireman (just like all of our animals) on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Umbrellaofhope - please like our page and follow us to ensure that you receive updates.'

Donation Information

Umbrella of Hope says monetary donations can be made to their Paypal at beourpet@gmail.com. Their tax ID number (tax-exempt) is 45-4103375.