TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - A dog brought to Pima County Animal Care Center was so neglected its owner may be headed to jail.
We now know the dog's name is Maya.
Pima Animal Care says she was so bad off her owners brought her in to be put to death.
But treatment at Pima Animal Care has Maya getting stronger by the day, and now the little dog's former owners are facing criminal charges.
Maya is a little dog who lived a tough life---outdoors, its owners said, because she was too dirty to be near their child.
She was starving. Her fur was matted with feces and full of burrs and maggots.
The owners turned her into Pima Animal Care Center to be euthanized.
Now she's on the way to a better life and her former owners could be headed to jail.
They're facing criminal charges that could land them six months in jail, a 25 hundred dollar fine and up to three years on probation.
Now that she's getting good care Maya is getting stronger. Veterinarian Dr. Jen Wilcox says the dog gained almost a half pound overnight.
"She's been described as spunky by her foster so that's really remarkable and may explain why she was able to make it so long despite not having any care and inadequate food."
With time and good care she'll probably be a good candidate for adoption. Dr. Wilcox sees plenty of neglected animals. Their cases are not all as bad as Maya's but they're bad.
And if Maya's owners couldn't care for her, they could have turned her in before she was so close to death.
Karen Hollish of Pima Animal Care says, "Please, if a pet is in trouble near you, call us. Report it. If you're struggling to care for your pets, call us. We will try to help you."
If you'd like to learn more about adopting an animal from Pima Animal Care Center or can offer foster care for an animal, follow this link.
