An abandoned pit bull now named Dallas is recovering at an animal shelter in Tinton Falls after being left alone in a Linden apartment hallway for an undisclosed amount of time.
"He's quite skinny but he's super cute, and affectionate and becoming more and more bright as time goes along," Emily Woods, a doctor at the Animal Humane Society Tinton Falls shelter said.
"He's still recovering and he's got to gain some more weight before we think about adoption, but we'll see how he does over the weekend."
Woods said she received the dog Friday morning after his stay in a Fairfield hospital Wednesday and Thursday.
Linden police confirmed they responded to calls of a neglected animal from a building on East 18th Street Wednesday afternoon and discovered the animal who appeared to be neglected and malnourished.
According to the Associated Humane Society (AHS), Popcorn Park Shelter's Facebook page, the pit bull was placed in a carrier, "in the unheated hallway of an apartment building, to stay until he starved to death." An Newark officer with the humane society was contacted and he was taken to the hospital.
The 23-pound mixed pit bull is a little over 1 year old, according to the humane society.
"Thoughts of sadness and disgust fill our minds when we think of what this poor dog went through, thanks to a heartless and cruel individual who was supposed to be, "caring for him," said a representative posting on the shelter's Facebook page.
Humane society workers said the dog's skin began breaking down because the animal was only fed every other day.
The owner could no longer care for the animal because they had cats in the apartment that did not get along with the dog, according to the Humane Society.
Linden Police confirmed that the investigation is now being handled by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
According to the humane society's Facebook page, the pit bull's owner, whose name they did not disclose, will face charges.
On Facebook, Dallas received comments in support of his recovery and even some chipping into adopt the dog.
Those wanting to donate to AHS' rescue fund can do so here.
Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ladytiamoyo.
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