ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orlando dog rescue is working around the clock to help a severely abused poodle recover after she was found taped inside a plastic bag left in the hot sun to die.
Nonprofit Poodle and Pooch Rescue got the call from Orange County Animal Services Saturday after a good Samaritan saw what they thought was a stuffed animal coming out of a clear plastic bag. After a closer look, the person realized the fur was from a dog and jumped into action. She ran into a local business and asked for scissors to cut the pup free, according to the rescue.
The senior poodle named “Petal” had duct tape around her mouth and her legs were tied together, photos show. The good Samaritan said the plastic bag was also left on the hot cement in 90-degree temperatures. By the time Petal was found, she didn’t have much more time, according to the rescue.
“This wasn’t even just throwing the dog away, this was torture,” President of Poodle and Pooch Rescue Rebecca Lynch said.
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Petal was found in a shopping center off Forest City Road and All American Boulevard.
“A good Samaritan is actually the one that discovered her just happened to be driving by there and she swerved her car to avoid a pothole and it caught her eye,” Lynch said.
Orange County Animal Services transported Petal to the rescue’s Orlando veterinarian partner, which is where she is as of Thursday. Petal is on IV fluids, pain medications, antibiotics and receiving around-the-clock care, according to a news release.
“She was so weak she was unable to stand on her own. She is on four times/day feedings and she’s been ravenous, but needs to be fed slowly in several feedings so she doesn’t get sick,” Poodle and Pooch Rescue said in a news release. “Every hour she has been improving but is still not out of the woods yet.”
Yaicha Peters, is one of the veterinarians caring for Petal now.
“She’s definitely very loved here and we’re definitely pulling for her and putting in our best effort but she’s certainly one that I’m definitely worried about,” Peters said.
The poodle is very, very underweight and Peters said this type of malnourishment didn’t happen over a short period of time.
“Unfortunately, this is not something that happened overnight with her,” Peters said. “Obviously, the abuse aspect with being taped up, that was something that obviously happened in the short term but goodness only knows what happened to this poor dog in the long run.”
Officials with Orange County Animal Services said an ongoing animal cruelty investigation is underway but the rescue said no cameras were in the area and they are concerned the person responsible won’t be held accountable. As a result, Poodle and Pooch is asking for the community to submit any information that could lead to an arrest to JusticeForPetal@gmail.com. There is a $2,500 reward for information leading to an arrest.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has also been started to cover Petal’s growing medical expenses.
Petal is a “little fighter” but still has a long road to recovery.
“A human tortured her and we want to show her that not all humans are bad,” the rescue said. “This is why we do what we do to save dogs in need in the Central Florida area.”
Lynch asks if any pet owner is unable to take care of their pet they can take them to a shelter or reach out to a local rescue like Poodle and Pooch Rescue.