Starved, blind dog ‘Treasure’ found in Burton dumpster. Beaufort Co. police look for owner
Desperate yelps heard from a dumpster in the Burton area helped save the life of a severely mistreated poodle. As the 10-year-old pup — lovingly named “Treasure” — begins a long recovery, Beaufort County police are seeking to charge his owner with animal cruelty.
Treasure was found early Thursday morning by a “good Samaritan” at a S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) office in northern Beaufort County, located on Parker Drive. The employee heard “yelping and screaming” from the parking lot’s dumpster, opening it to find the dog inside a sealed garbage bag with trash and dirty diapers, according to a Saturday morning statement from the Beaufort chapter of the Noah’s Arks Rescue nonprofit.
The woman used a piece of fencing to rip open the bag and free the dog. By then, the dumpster was already supposed to have been picked up and compacted — but the garbage truck was 30 minutes late that morning.
Beaufort County Animal Services took Treasure to the Port Royal Veterinary Hospital, where head vet Dr. Marikay Campbell “stopped everything” to help the dog survive. He was severely malnourished and covered with feces and urine, with up to three inches of matted fur “all over his body” and covering his face. The dog is also blind with cataracts in both eyes.
Veterinarian staff removed two pounds of fur from Treasure, who only weighed 10 pounds total. Based on the dog’s condition, he was likely “confined to a kennel for most of his life,” the post from Noah’s Arks said.
Doctors say Treasure still has a number of medical conditions that need to be addressed. They’re giving him “lots of tiny meals” to avoid “refeeding syndrome,” a potentially fatal condition that can occur when food is rapidly reintroduced after a long period of starvation. Dr. Campbell will also assess Treasure’s eyes to see if surgery could restore his vision.
“Treasure is a sweet, sweet pup who gave all the staff kisses yesterday,” the Noah’s Arks staff member wrote. “He is a loving dog despite his abuse and neglect.”
In hopes of pursuing criminal charges, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to share any information that might link Treasure to his owner. Police are also attempting to find a DNA match from the used diapers the dog was found with.
Anyone with information on Treasure’s owner is encouraged to call Sgt. Swalm at 843-255-3215 or the anonymous Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry tip line at 843-554-1111.
Port Royal Veterinary Hospital has no further on the situation and advises residents with information to only call the sheriff’s office, according to a Facebook post made Saturday morning.
