Kentucky Shelter Finds Emaciated Puppy Left in Taped Box With 'Help Me' Written on the Side

Kentucky Humane Society

The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) made a shocking discovery on September 17.

According to a recent Facebook post from the animal shelter, a KHS employee went outside to the shelter's recycling bin on Friday morning and found a taped-up box with holes poked in it and "FOUND HELP ME" written on the side. Inside the box was "an emaciated and miserable looking animal," KHS wrote, adding that it was a puppy with skin "raw and swollen from infection."

"He was missing almost all of his fur, and he was bloody from the sores that covered his thin body. He was so weak from demodectic mange and malnutrition that he could not even stand on his own," the post continued.

After discovering the dog — who KHS estimates to be six to eight months old despite being only 15 pounds — KHS immediately set to work trying to help the ailing puppy. The shelter's initial health check revealed that the puppy has a weak immune system due to their severe case mange and malnutrition. KHS started treatment on the pup, who they named Liam, but had to transfer him to a veterinary hospital after he took a "turn for the worse" over the weekend, according to a Monday Facebook update from the shelter. KHS took Liam to the hospital after the puppy tested positive for parvovirus.

"Our team rushed him to a veterinary hospital, where he is receiving round-the-clock emergency care in their quarantine ward. Parvo is an extremely serious and highly transmissible virus that attacks unvaccinated dogs. Symptoms include vomiting and severe diarrhea. Parvo causes intestinal damage, resulting in severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, and it can lead to septicemia, a deadly blood infection," KHS wrote in the post.

Since dogs infected with parvo often take 6-10 days to show symptoms, KHS believes Liam was already ill with parvo when he was found on Friday. The shelter asks animal lovers to keep Liam in their thoughts since the pup is battling a severe health issue with a compromised immune system. KHS also asked dog owners to make sure their canines are vaccinated against parvo.

Kentucky Humane Society

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According to KHS' initial post about Liam, the shelter checked their security cameras for footage from the day Liam was found and spotted "a man fleeing from the area where the puppy was found around 12:30 a.m. on Friday."

To stay updated on Liam and support his care, visit the Kentucky Humane Society's Facebook page and website.