BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn — The Blount County Animal Center is caring for a severely underweight dog that was brought in by animal control on Friday.
The animal center said the dog, named Chelsey, was emaciated with a deformed front leg and was covered in an "army of fleas" when she arrived.
Doctors gave Chelsey a good combing and a bath to rid her of the fleas, but said the process of getting her back up to a healthy weight will take some time since they need to feed her smaller portions to keep her from getting sick.
The center said they think Chelsey is an older dog that had been left uncared for "way too long."
"There are some images we never want to see. Being able to look into the face of a gorgeous dog, while also being able to see every bone in their body is definitely on the list of horrible images. We can never understand why a dog would be allowed to get in such bad shape, when we are just a short drive away, and open to the community," the animal center said.
Chelsey is not up for adoption yet, but the animal center is raising money for Chelsey's treatment, saying it works with the Smoky Mountain Animal Care Foundation to get and keep animals healthy.
"Every dollar received directly benefits our animals and their continued care," the center said.
If you'd like to help adopt other animals, animal center said it posts its adoptions at this link.