Chance, the 5-month-old pit bull with a terrible case of mange that was rescued and brought to a vet for help in late March, has died.
The dog had been living at the Groton Animal Control Facility after receiving emergency treatment at vet clinics in Middletown and Berlin. He was at Groton Animal Control because that is the town where his owners lived, and his case is under investigation.
Donna Duso, animal control officer for Groton, said Thursday that Chance had been doing really well, gaining weight and his hair was growing back while under medical treatment for demodectic mange. His Facebook page, Helping Chance, reported on his progress as well.
But on Tuesday, Chance took a sharp turn for the worse.
"He had trouble standing, he was walking into things, he was blind," Duso said. He was taken to Four Paws veterinarians, and the vet determined that the medication Chance was taking for the mange was too much for his already-suppressed immune system. His body was shutting down, and the decision was made to euthanize him.
"I am heartbroken," Duso said. "He was coming along so wonderfully. His hair was growing in, he was gaining weight, he was very sweet."
Duso said demodectic mange is an auto-immune disorder. She said all dogs carry the mange mite, but those with a weakened or compromised immune system cannot fight it off. She said that was what happened to Chance, except no one treated it, so by the time he did start to get treatment he was pretty sick and even weaker.
Waterford's Tiffany Fogg-Jones, who is part of the rescue group Rotta Love Pits, an organization that helps rescue pit bulls and other dogs, was the 'first responder' in this case. At the time she told Patch this was "the worst case I've ever seen. He looked like he was burnt.” She could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Duso said that Chance's story is a cautionary tale for people. If your dog gets sick and you cannot afford treatment, or you can no longer care for it, there are many ways to find help. She said the Groton Animal Foundation, for example, is a nonprofit that raises money to help the Groton facility. But it also has a fund for animals who need but cannot afford health care. Duso said local vets know about organizations that can help and people should feel safe in doing so.
Duso said she is still investigating the case.
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