A 2-year-old female pit bull likely jumped out of a second-story window of a vacant Vandergrift house Sunday night because she was hungry and thirsty, borough police said.
Tipped by a phone call about a dog running loose in the Emerson Street area, officers on Sunday called a rescue shelter to pick up two pit bull terriers, according to police Chief Joe Caporali. The dogs’ ribs and spines could be seen, he said.
A passerby told police she saw a brown dog jumping from the window on 28th Street Alley and start running up and down Emerson Street, Caporali said.
Investigating officers found the second dog in the same house.
A police report described conditions inside the house as deplorable, according to Caporali.
“When the owner was contacted by phone at work, she relinquished her ownership of the dogs,” the chief said.
Officials didn’t release the name of the owner and no charges had been filed as of Monday afternoon.
On Sunday night, police called the Tiny Cause Dog Rescue on the borough’s Columbia Avenue. They are caring for Sadie, the brown female dog who jumped from the window, and a white male named Rocky.
Tiny Cause founder Darla Held said the dogs, both about 2 years old, were 20 to 25 pounds underweight. Sadie had two ear infections, and both had fleas.
Held said the dogs’ owner called Tiny Cause about a month ago, but it didn’t have any space for the animals at that time.
She said a call could have been made to another rescue shelters in the area.
“If someone can’t take care of their dogs, you just don’t put them inside a vacant house,” Held said.
The dogs had an appointment scheduled with a veterinarian on Wednesday.
Held said the dogs would be spayed or neutered and treated for infections and any other problems.
After the dogs get up to a normal weight, Held said they would be placed up for adoption. It’s unknown how long that might take.
“They are getting small feedings of high-protein puppy food,” she said.
Vet technician Amber Phillips said the dogs are now being fed three times a day and being held in separate kennels.
“We have been told Sadie has had three litters. We don’t want her pregnant again,” Held said.
Police continue to investigate.
