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Dog abandoned in Waterbury undergoes surgery, long road to recovery ahead

A community is coming together to try to help a dog abandoned and emaciated after just giving birth. “She’s very swollen from delivering and full of milk and ba...

A community is coming together to try to help a dog abandoned and emaciated after just giving birth.

“She’s very swollen from delivering and full of milk and basically it is causing infection," says Jennifer Humphrey, CEO and Founder of Brass City Rescue Alliance.

Humphrey is describing January, a roughly three year old boxer who wandered onto a fellow rescuers deck in Waterbury on Friday.

"She more or less looks like she has utters, and the two largest in the back by her hind legs are exceptionally swollen, and now turning black with necrosis," says Humphrey. "One of them actually split and ruptured and that requires immediate surgery for removal.”

January is struggling to stay alive, but Humphrey says she's lucky.

“I gotta say, honestly I think a guardian angel took her to that deck because she would have frozen to death outside," says Humphrey.

After finding January on the deck, Humphrey and Sarah D'Autoria, the BCRA Canine Adoption Coordinator who initially found January, rushed her to an emergency vet clinic in Canton.

Vets there determined she had recently given birth but her puppies have yet to be found. January was also severely emaciated, anemic, and dealing with a bone marrow issue.

“This is a very long road we have ahead of us," said Humphrey.

January's story is now making its rounds on social media being shared and commented on by hundreds.

“Until you see it and it’s in your face and you’re like oh my god this is real this is happening," said Humphrey. "This is something that rescuers see everyday, it's really disgusting.”

Humphrey added that cases like January's happen all too often, but this time they were able to help. January had surgery at a clinic in Rhode Island on Wednesday, and will need additional surgeries for at least a week.

“Be good to your pets and if you see something say something," said Humphrey.

January's vet expects January to make a full recovery, but says there is still a lot that needs to be done. So far, just under $2,500 has been raised to help pay for January's care, and the costs continue to climb.

If you want to help January's road to recovery you can donate on the Brass City Rescue Alliance Facebook page, visit their website: or mail a check to 2 Service Road, Middlebury, CT 06762. Yyou can also make a donation to the clinic in Rhode Island by calling CAWS at 401-615-2200

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