BOULDER COUNTY – Boulder County authorities confiscated two pit bulls last week after a neighbor reported that the dogs had been left outside in the bitter cold for several days, according to the Humane Society.
One dog suffered such severe injuries – and was unable to stand or walk – that veterinarians at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley had to euthanize the animal. The other dog was treated for frostbite.
Animal control officers seized the dogs on the evening of Jan. 11 from a home in the Sugarloaf area, which is in the foothills west of Boulder. The dogs’ owner has been cited with two counts of animal cruelty, authorities said.
Officials said the dog that was euthanized had an undetermined illness that the cold exacerbated.
“This case exemplifies the importance of providing pets with safe and warm shelter,” Humane Society of Boulder Valley chief Jan McHugh-Smith said in a statement.
McHugh-Smith also encouraged people to report suspected abuse as quickly as possible to minimize the potential harm to the animals.
