Whoever left Lily trapped inside a box by the side of Saddlemire Hill Road early Friday morning. . .Mike West is looking for you.
And he won’t rest till he finds you.
Lily is a miniature dachshund who’s missing part of her lower jaw and teeth. In desperate shape when found, Lily is now at the home of Mr. West and his wife, Cyndi.
Here’s how Lily got there:
David Gregory of Sloansville was driving to work about 1:30am Friday when he saw a box alongside Saddlemire Hill Road.
“People dump stuff there all the time,” Mr. Gregory said. “I don’t like it and pick it up.
“This box hadn’t been there the evening before, so I stopped. This little dog was inside.”
The box was folded so that Lily couldn’t get out.
“If I hadn’t stopped, the poor thing would have froze or starved to death,” Mr. Gregory said. “It was cold, and there was no food or water for it. Unbelievable.”
Mr. Gregory called the Sheriff’s Office, then a dog control officer. DCO Joe Durma met Mr. Gregory at the Sloansville Mobil Mart and eventually took Lily to the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley in Howes Cave.
At the Shelter Friday afternoon, Lily was trembling, scared and hungry. But that didn’t last long.
Ms. West, who’s on the Shelter’s board of directors, took Lily home, where the Wests have four other dachshunds.
By Monday, Lily was eating a bit, happy and wagging her tail.
But Mr. West wasn’t so happy.
“We have the box. . .we’re going to try to figure out who left her there,” Mr. West said. “I’d love to be this person’s worst nightmare.”
An attorney and former Schoharie County District Attorney, Mr. West will contact the Sheriff’s Office and begin the search.
He surmises that Lily’s jaw was either amputated or was infected and rotted off. Either way, local veterinarians’ offices may have records of such a case, he said.
Whether the person couldn’t afford vet bills or just didn’t want the dog doesn’t matter, Mr. West said.
“It’s a sweet little dog,” he said. “There’s never a reason for leaving a dog by the side of the road. There are vets, the Shelter. . .you can always reach out for help.
“Leaving that dog inside a box by the side of the road is probably the kindest thing that person did. At least then the dog had a chance to live.”
Although Lily is eating a little now, she’s tiny even by miniature dachshund standards. She weighs about six pounds but should be about 14 pounds.
Mr. West is hoping this story and photo will generate information, and he’s willing to keep callers confidential.
Mr. West can be reached at home, 296-8809; at his office, 296-8844; or on his cell, 231-3230.
“It’s too bad that sometimes we have to be militant,” Mr. West said. “I just want to make sure that whatever happened to this little dog didn’t happen for nothing.”