An emaciated dog left out in the cold is now getting the care he needs at an unexpected place.
A six-month-old pit bull showed up on the front porch at the Little Pantry that Could on Friday morning. At the time, volunteers were in the process of converting the food pantry and outreach center into a warming shelter for people who need to escape the cold. Residents staying at the shelter brought the dog inside, and have been caring for him ever since.
“I could see his hips, ribs and shoulders,” said Tom Sweet, a resident staying at the shelter, who first discovered the dog. “I was appalled. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at.”
Residents named him Roscoe Brown, and have been showering him with much needed love and attention.
The rescue group Nashville Pittie also stepped in to help nurse Roscoe Brown back to health. A veterinarian checked him out, and he is being introduced to small meals several times a day to build up his strength. Volunteers said the transformation in just three days has been remarkable.
“He has turned into a different dog,” said Mary Lynne Rish, a volunteer at Nashville Pittie. “We keep him off the leash most of the time. He plays with the other dogs at the warming shelter.”
It's unclear how Roscoe Brown ended up at the Little Pantry That Could, but Rish believed he had escaped from some kind of crate that was too small for him.
"He really wasn't able to stand up straight, and he had some urine burns on his belly and paws," said Rish. "He was extremely malnourished."
Roscoe Brown will stay at the Little Pantry That Could through this week and then will be moved to a foster home. When he is completely healthy, Nashville Pittie will put him up for adoption.
“He is so warm and loving and trusting, and he just wants to be loved,” said Rish.
Nashville Pittie is accepting donations to help cover Roscoe Brown’s medical expenses. For more information on how to donate visit: https://www.paypal.me/NPITTIE. For more information on the rescue operation visit https://www.nashvillepittie.org/
