MHS: Starving Dogs On The Rise In Detroit

DETROIT (WWJ) - The Michigan Humane Society in Detroit is reporting a troubling rise in the number of dogs brought in who are starving.

Chief Investigator Deborah McDonald, with the Michigan Humane Society in Detroit, said she has no hard numbers, but they're getting an increasing number of reports.

"We've had one come in today and a couple came in yesterday and a couple days before that, so they're coming in on a fairly steady basis, both owned and stray," she told WWJ's Sandra McNeill.

McDonald said most of the calls they get about emaciated dogs, involve those chained outside.

"They smell people cooking dinner, you know, neighbors barbequing in the backyard, the dog two-doors-down is getting dinner, and they just sit there having nothing. I mean, not just the physical pain but the emotional pain as well, it's got to be incredible."

McDonald said there's a lot of concern because this time of year is usually not their busiest for this problem.

"A lot of what we see is, you know, that they just don't stop feeding them, they just don't feed them enough. It could be weeks, it could be months. A lot of times, it will just drag on - it's a long, slow process."

Overall, she's not sure if unemployment and the pending welfare cutoff are to blame, but one thing is for sure: the numbers are up.

"A lot of people don't have jobs and a lot of people don't have money and we're anticipating it's going to get worse. I mean, we're kind of bracing for this winter. One of the dogs we recently got in, we didn't know if she was going to make it through the night. She couldn't stand she was so emaciated, she was just skin and bones."

The Humane Society has a food bank for those struggling to buy dog food, and encourages anyone concerned about a starving dog to give them a call at 248-852-7420. Anyone wishing to donate food or blankets can do so by visiting the MHS Detroit Center for Animal Care, located at 7401 Chrysler Drive.