Surviving dog in tragic neglect case slowly improving

AURORA - He likes to play catch and just loves fuzzy squeaky toys. When you see Neeko, a Belgian Malinois, on the playground, his kind, thoughtful eyes and the constantly wagging tail will draw you in. What you will also instantly notice are the protruding ribs.

"It's hard to believe that this could happen to an animal, it hurts," said Barbara McLucas, a veterinarian at Alameda East Animal Hospital.

On August 21, an Aurora Animal Care investigator found a barely breathing Neeko in an abandoned home.

"There was no water in any of the toilets, there was no water in any of the fish tanks, anything that was remotely resembling food or might have been food around the house had been scavenged," said McLucas. "He fought hard; he did everything he could to find sustenance inside the house."

Neeko's owner, 29-year-old Kristy Knecht could face animal cruelty charges. She is accused of leaving Neeko and another dog, a white German Shepherd, in the home when she moved out. The other dog died.

Cheryl Conway, with the Aurora Animal Care Division said Neeko did not look like he could make it at first.

"When Nikko was brought in and laid on the examination table he managed to wag his tail, lift his head, look her directly in the eye with this spirit of, 'I want to fight for my life give me a chance,' and he raised paws as if to shake paws. That was enough to make the determination to go forward and try to get veterinary care."

Conway says Aurora Animal Care tracked Neeko's previous owner and learned it was a soldier who recently got deployment orders. When contacted, he said he looked for a good home for Neeko for a while, interviewing different people.

According to Conway, the man told investigators Knecht showed up to get Neeko with a white German Shepherd and seemed like a good fit for the dog. Conway said Knecht got Neeko in the beginning of July.

A photo of the dog shows him happy and healthy, a far cry from the 30 pounds he weighed when he came into the Alameda East Animal Hospital.

McLucas says the recovery will take time.

"It's going to be a long haul, it's not going to be a couple of weeks, it's going to be months and months before he's back to normal dog," she said.

In just two weeks, Neeko has already gained more than 2.5 pounds and started walking, which he could not do when he was first admitted. Veterinary staff says weight gain is slow because giving starved animals too much food too soon could be dangerous for their health.

With physical therapy and daily check-ups, Neeko is already doing better.

"From the moment he hit our door, he has been the best patient, he has tolerated everything, has been pretty happy well-mannered pup," McLucas said. "He is a happy, sweet loving dog. He will take your heart, there is no question. He's full of life and his will to live is what has got him to where he's at."

Neeko's medical bills are already in the thousands of dollars.

If would like to help with Neeko's medical expenses, checks can be mailed to Aurora Animal Shelter, 15750 E. 32nd Ave. Aurora, CO 80011. Attention: Veterinary Care Donations.

The Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case, considering whether to pursue animal cruelty charges against Knecht. She was arrested last week in Adams County on an unrelated charge.