The kids contacted a man in the neighborhood, and he called Melampy. She said Little Bit was near death when found.
“She wouldn’t have made it one more day,” Melampy said.
MORE: Injured dog escapes Middletown fire that claims lives of other pets
The Australian shepherd mix escaped a fire that killed multiple pets, but had multiple burns and went missing. Her owners and the Middletown Division of Police asked residents to search for the dog.
Little Bit had burns on an estimated 50 percent of her body, the rescue said. She faces months of rehabilitation after numerous surgeries at MedVet Cincinnati. With her injuries, she is likely to have a medical bill estimated between $6,300 and $11,500, so Joseph’s Legacy is asking for donations to help, Melampy said.
Little Bit has lost one ear and she’s unable to blink, she said. Her back right leg is “really bad,” but the doctor thinks if it is kept moist the skin cells may grow back, Melampy said.
Her face is worst of all her injuries, Melampy said. Since the medical staff cannot bandage her face, they will need to keep it moisturized.
“I can’t imagine the excruciating pain she has been through the last six days,” Melampy said. “I mean imagine how much it hurts when you burn a finger.”
So far, 37 people have pledged to donate more than $1,200 to offset Little Bit’s medical bills, according to Joseph’s Legacy Facebook page. Melampy said she has only heard from one person who said the dog should be euthanized.
“She deserves for us to fight for her after what she has been through,” Melampy said.
Middletown firefighters were called to a house at 11:12 p.m. Feb. 20 in the 2200 block of Winton Street, according to Deputy Chief Brent Dominy.
He said the fire caused $30,000 in damages to the property and $15,000 to contents.
Lt. Frank Baughman, the city’s fire marshal, said the fire was caused by a power strip failure because too many plugs and multiple strips were being used to power heat lamps in snake and lizard tanks. He said numerous dogs, cats, snakes and lizards perished in the fire.
To Donate:
Mail: PO Box 3, Middletown, Ohio 45042
PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/JosephsLegacy
Credit Card: http://www.josephslegacyrescue.org/donations.html
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