Animal Control is looking for the owner of a dog who was found badly emaciated and left out in the cold Wednesday night in Arlington, Virginia.
The dog was in such bad condition, it had to be put down.
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) named that dog "Walter" because he was found along Walter Reed Drive.
“The most shocking part was that he was skin and bones,” Nohelia Argote said.
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Argote found Walter while she was out for a walk with her own dogs. The troubling discovery haunts her.
“It was extremely traumatizing, but not for me or anybody, but for Walter to be left in the cold,” Argote said.
Walter had brown and tan fur and cropped ears. When Argote found him, he was on the sidewalk struggling with obvious injuries.
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She covered him with a coat and called the (AWLA) for help.
“He was extremely underweight, emaciated,” (AWLA) Chief Operating Officer Amy Schindler said. “He had some sores on his body.”
Walter also was suffering from extreme hypothermia, AWLA staff said.
They rushed him to an emergency vet, but sadly, he didn’t make it.
“As soon as the vet saw his condition and assessed him, the vet let us know that the kindest and the only option was humane euthanasia,” Schindler said.
Argote was devastated.
“That was extremely heartbreaking, and I was really hoping that he could make it,” she said.
Now, AWLA is trying to learn more about the days leading up to when Walter was found and if he had an owner.
They posted about him on Facebook.
“What we’re hoping is that somebody will come forth with some information, whether they have a dashcam on their vehicle, if they saw something,” Schindler said.
As for Argote, she’ll never forget the moments she spent with Walter.
“He was such a good boy,” She said. “He was so sweet.”
Anyone who thinks they recognize Walter should reach out to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington at (703) 931-9241 or animalcontrol@awla.org.
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