Starving dog finds abundant support

Cost of Neeko's medical care may top $10,000

Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 8, 2007 at midnight

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The Aurora Animal Care Division has been deluged with phone calls and e-mails from people wanting to foster or adopt Neeko, the dog who was found near death in an abandoned Aurora home two weeks ago.

"We have a slew of people who want to help him," said Cheryl Conway, spokeswoman for the division.

"He does have a legal owner, but she is facing possible charges. Even if she relinquishes him, we have to get him healthy, and the veterinarian says he needs another two months of care in the animal hospital."

The legal owner is Kristy Knecht, 29, of Aurora, who is being investigated after leaving Neeko, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, and Nikita, a white German Shepherd, in an abandoned home in the 1000 block of Uvalda Street.

The case against Knecht was still being reviewed Friday by the Arapahoe County District Attorney's office, and no charges have been filed.

On Aug. 21 the remains of Nikita and a barely alive Neeko were found by animal control officers following up on an anonymous tip. There was no water in the house, and Neeko had survived by eating anything he could find, including the carcass of the dead dog.

A microchip implanted in Neeko led investigators to his previous owner, a soldier who tried to find a good home for the dog after finding out he was being transferred to Iraq.

The soldier, who was not identified, placed ads and interviewed a number of people interested in taking Neeko. According to Conway, ownership of Neeko passed from the soldier to Knecht on July 1.

"She did not update the registration, so the microchip traced back to the previous owner," Conway said. "He (the previous owner) did nothing wrong."

In fact, she said the soldier didn't get transferred to Iraq after all and has expressed interest in having Neeko returned to him. As of Friday, Conway had a list of 27 people interested in fostering or adopting Neeko.

"We appreciate the outpouring of support, but we're asking everyone to be patient," she said. "If charges are filed, then he is considered evidence in the court case. It's going to be a long legal process before he goes anywhere."

In the meantime, people who want to help Neeko can donate money to the animal care division to help cover the costs of Neeko's care.

So far his medical needs - which include a week in intensive care, physical therapy and food expenses - have cost the Alameda East Animal Hospital $3,000. By the time he is fully recovered, the bill could be more than $10,000.

"He's getting a little better every day," said Lisa Brudenell, referral coordinator for the animal hospital.

Neeko was a bit overweight, about 75 to 80 pounds, when the soldier had him. When he was found last month, he was skin and bones, weighing only 30.2 pounds.

"He had no muscle, no tissue, no fat," said Brudenell. "His body was literally eating itself. There was nothing left in his body to burn."

Friday, Neeko weighed 32.9 pounds - a gain of almost three pounds in the past two weeks, but still just half of the 65 pounds he should weigh.

Neeko is on a special diet of dry food and a canned food called Recovery, designed to help starving animals. But he needs to be fed every two hours, so he still requires around-the- clock care.

He has physical therapy twice a day - chasing a ball, playing tug of war, running on a water treadmill - but only for 15 minutes per session.

Despite his ordeal, Neeko is a playful, friendly dog.

"He's a scavenger at heart, but hopefully that will change," Brudenell said. "He's not very aggressive, and he's very interested in human contact."

Even after he attains a normal weight, Neeko will probably require more than normal veterinary care for the rest of his life.

"He's a fairly young dog but he may come back with orthopedic or internal issues. He may make a full recovery, but we will not know for at least a year. It may be five years before we really know," Brudenell said.

How to help

The Aurora Animal Care Division is encouraging people to donate to the Aurora Animal shelter to help care for Neeko.

• Send checks to Aurora Animal Shelter Attention: Veterinary Care Donations 15750 E. 32nd Ave. Aurora, CO 80011-1518

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