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"Representatives for Rural/Metro Medical Services spotted the dog while they were driving one of the ambulances, and they scooped up the dog and rushed her over to the SPCA," says Gina Browning, the agency's spokesperson.
The agency still has the dog listed in guarded condition, Browning added.
Meantime, Brian Lawson, director of public affairs for Rural/Metro Medical Services, says two of its drivers spotted the dog outside the clinic, saw someone inside, and "were trying to alert them that this dog was laying out there, and apparently the person was aware of it, but they were not going to take [the puppy] in."
The SPCA's news release indicates the person inside the animal hospital was a "maintenance employee," who wasn't authorized to handle animals, so a Rural/Metro supervisor came by and picked up the puppy.
Rural/Metro isn't permitted to transport animals in its ambulances, Lawson says.
The puppy, which the SPCA has dubbed "Metro" following the efforts of the ambulance workers, had a temperature "within normal limits," Dr. Helene Chevalier, head veterinarian at the SPCA.
"She's brighter, can stand, and is eating well on her controlled diet. We will continue to monitor through bloodwork the functioning of her internal organs. She continues to be supported medically through heating pads, IV fluids, vitamin supplements, and a diet particularly for starvation cases. She is severly emaciated, scoring only a 1 out of 9 body score. Over the weekend, we will attempt to remove support systems to find if she is able to thermal regulate and remain hydrated on her own," Chevalier said in the news release.
Anyone with information on "Metro" is encouraged to contact Jeff Eyre, the SPCA's director of animal cruelty investigations, at 716-629-3525.
