A firefighter in Florida made a disturbing discovery at her fire station when she returned from a call - a terrier mix that was burned along his back.
Nicole Velarde, the firefighter and paramedic, who found the pup said the dog was found in a crate in the station's bay, WTVJ reported.
No one at the station knew who left the dog, which is about 5 months old. Velarde took him inside, patched him up and fed him before taking him to the veterinarian's office, WSVN reported.
Veterinarians said the puppy had burns from his neck to his tail that were infected, WSVN reported. The wounds were so bad that the dog, now known as Scruffy, had to be sedated just for his examination.
"They had a bandage over his wound, and that was a big help. I think somebody tried to kill him and put either some chemical or some hot oil or water on his back," Dr. Ember Moreno, the vet at Sunshine Animal Hospital, told WSVN.
Scruffy underwent surgery Monday, WTVJ reported.
"They pretty much just removed an entire layer of his back, which he won't grow hair on, so he'll have a bald spot, but as long as he's happy and healthy, I'm happy," Velarde told WTVJ.
She plans on keeping Scruffy and will take him home once he recovers.
Velarde started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for his medical expenses.
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