Malnourished puppy to be released from vet

By Megan Matteucci

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A malnourished puppy abandoned at a Decatur veterinarian will move to a foster home this week.

Veterinarians said “Little Bit” was so malnourished that she couldn’t stand or lift her head when she was dropped off at The Village Vets of Decatur on Sept. 28.

On Sunday, veterinarians said the mixed breed pit bull had gained three pounds and will be released this week. The puppy is 8-10 weeks old, said Dr. Alisha Spivey of the Animal Emergency Center of Decatur.

“She’s running around and chasing some of the other puppies. She’s doing great,” Spivey said Sunday night. “Medically, she can go to any foster home at any time.”

The puppy will be placed in a foster home once police review the applications received. She will be adopted to a permanent home once police complete their investigation, Spivey said.

Spivey said her office has gotten dozens of calls from residents wanting to adopt Little Bit since Friday when police released photographs of her.

Police are still searching for the couple who abandoned Little Bit. They could face animal cruelty charges, DeKalb County Police spokesman Officer Jason Gagnon said.

Video surveillance shows a woman brought the puppy into the vet and started to fill out some paperwork. She then fled, leaving the incomplete forms and the dog in the lobby, police said.

“She was severely dehydrated, severely emaciated and had abnormalities in her blood because of dehydration,” Spivey said. “We gave her fluids and fed her. That’s all she needed.”

The suspects were captured on the office’s video surveillance cameras. They were last seen fleeing in a black SUV.

The suspects are described as a black male and a black female. The male suspect is about 5-feet-9 inches tall, 180 pounds with a low haircut and some facial hair. The female suspect is described as about 5-feet-5 inches tall, 150-170 pounds with her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

Anyone with information about the dog or the suspects may contact the DeKalb police animal cruelty unit at 404-294-2645.