Dolly, severely malnourished dog, dies following critical complications

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BOSTON (TNND) — Dolly, a severely malnourished dog that was being treated at Angell Animal Medical Center died after suffering critical medical complications, according to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell (MSPCA-Angell).

The shelter confirmed the news with The National News Desk on Friday.

Dolly rests in the ICU at Angell Animal Medical Center in Massachusetts. (Photo: MSPCA-Angell)

“Dolly suffered a medical emergency overnight that left her oxygen dependent. Given this setback and other concerns about her long-term outlook, medical staff had to make the extremely difficult decision to humanely euthanize her,” MSPCA-Angell said in an email.

“She crossed the rainbow bridge today surrounded by people who cared deeply for her and showered her with love, ice cream, and peanut butter,” the email noted.

The roughly two-year-old pit bull terrier mix had been receiving around-the-clock care from Angell’s critical care team after she was brought to the hospital in extremely poor condition. While she received extensive treatment, MSPCA-Angell said her injuries and medical challenges proved too severe to overcome.

“Despite only being with us for a short period of time, Dolly made a huge impact on our staff,” MSPCA-Angell said. “We made a little memorial with her paw print in our Boston office.”

Dolly was brought to MSPCA-Angell on Saturday by someone “who claimed to have found her outside in Lexington.”

Dolly receives treatment in the ICU at Angell Animal Medical Center in Massachusetts. (Photo: MSPCA-Angell)

Mike Keiley, who is the vice president of MSPCA-Angell’s Animal Protection Division, said the dog was unable to stand on her own and was in critical condition when she arrived. He said Dolly scored at the lowest possible level on a veterinary body-condition scale, indicating extreme emaciation.

“When this dog came in, she was unbelievably thin and too weak to stand up,” Keiley said in a news release.

“It’s fortunate that Dolly was brought in when she was,” he added. “She was in desperate need of medical attention.”

MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement officials are continuing to investigate how “this incredibly sweet dog” ended up in such a severely neglected state.

Authorities urged anyone who has information to contact the MSPCA-Angell Law Enforcement at 617-522-6008 or 800-628-5808 or online at mspca.org/tip.