There is practically nothing that makes me more angry than animal neglect or cruelty. I understand life comes up, jobs transfer, or there are yards that aren’t fit for an animal. But at that time, give the animal to the local Humane Society or find a new owner that can love and nurture it. This was not the case for a 2-year-old pit bull named Devlin. His owners could no longer keep him, so they did the absolute unthinkable. They left him “in a dilapidated, garbage-filled shed, with a caving in roof, and padlocked the door so he could not get out,” the Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter in Forked River, New Jersey, said on its Facebook page.
This is sweet Devlin. As you can see, he is extremely underweight and malnourished. He wasn’t cared for the way that he should have been.
What makes this story even more horrific is that his “owners” decided to put him in a shed, with a padlock and no food or water, hoping he would just die. Devlin wasn’t going to give up though; he is a fighter.
This is the inside of the “shelter” where he stayed for weeks.
It was later learned that the owners of this property had moved out weeks ago.
There was no food or water in sight.
And as you can see, the shed was padlocked shut. The owners hoped he would just die in there.
Devlin found an opening through the roof of the shed and was able to escape. He ran to a neighbor’s house, who then took him to an animal shelter.
More info: Associated Humane Popcorn Park Shelter
Although he is hungry and about 20 pounds underweight, he is happy. “Devlin was overwhelmed with joy when our ACO [animal control officer] brought him to us at Popcorn Park in New Jersey and gave him a good meal, a warm bed, and some much-needed medical attention,” the shelter posted on Tuesday. “His temperament is fantastic and his tail has barely stopped wagging since he arrived.”