It was a hot June night in East Harlem when a family caught sight of a puppy in a cardboard box next to a pile of garbage at a pizza shop at the corner of Second Avenue and 110th Street. The family rang the doorbell of the nearby Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), flagging down staff, who took in the 6-month-old puppy despite the late hour.

“He was in bad shape, malnourished, with wound marks on his body, but very alert,” an ACC staff member commented at the time.

ACC staff named the pup Zen for his quiet demeanor and ease in handling. They triaged and stabilized him before transporting him to the Veterinary Emergency Group’s (VEG) nearest location for emergency hospitalization. They also reported the case to the NYPD, which takes the lead role in responding to animal cruelty complaints in New York City.

Two days later, Zen was transported to the ASPCA as we provide medical treatment and direct care, among many other services, for animal cruelty victims.

Zen upon intake at the ASPCA.

“He was extremely emaciated and had lost so much muscle to the point where he could barely walk,” says Dr. Aubrey Crowley, Medical Supervisor of ASPCA Animal Recovery Center (ARC). “He had open wounds along his head, back, ears, and sides, as well as an old, untreated fracture of his left elbow. He had terrible diarrhea that was probably a result of being in shock, which in dogs, affects the GI tract significantly.”

“I'm sure he was in pain,” Dr. Crowley adds. “An untreated elbow fracture is painful, as are untreated open wounds. But he was so depressed from his other abnormalities, it was hard to tell.”

Life-Threatening Concerns

Zen’s bloodwork revealed multiple life-threatening abnormalities, most notably a severe anemia (low red blood cell count), hypoalbuminemia (a low albumin, an important protein in the blood), and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), according to Dr. Crowley.

Zen’s poor body conditions included anemia, pressure sores and old bite wounds.

Emaciated, Zen weighed just 13 pounds. He received an urgent blood transfusion at the nearby Schwarzman Animal Medical Center (AMC), as well as ongoing critical care and medication to treat his low blood sugar. A refeeding protocol, begun at VEG, was continued to safely reintroduce his body to nutrition. He was also given supportive care to treat his dehydration and diarrhea, as well as his wounds.

In the AMC’s ICU, Zen caught the eye of Christina B., a nurse who helped care for him. Over the next three days, she became interested in fostering and adopting Zen.

“He was very sweet,” says Christina, who has been at AMC for 10 years. “And it’s just so easy to get attached.”

Road to Recovery

After three days, Zen returned to the ASPCA Animal Hospital for continued critical care. He remained in the ICU for another week before he was strong and well enough to continue recovering in the Animal Recovery Center.

“Unfortunately, Zen’s fracture was too old to repair, so we kept him rested for several weeks to allow it to heal as much as possible,” Dr. Crowley says. “Another issue he had, common in male emaciated dogs, is he lost the musculature that holds his penis in its prepuce – or protective sheath.”

To prevent inflammation and infection, medical staff lubricated Zen’s penis several times a day.

“Since this is not something we’d ask of the average foster caregiver, it was serendipitous that Zen’s AMC nurse wanted to foster him because he needed this treatment,” says Dr. Crowley.

Zen at intake, left, and with Erica Barbot, director of the ASPCA’s Animal Recovery Center, who fostered Zen in her office.

She adds it's hard to say what caused all of Zen’s wounds, but believes those on his ears were old bite wounds and those on his limbs were more consistent with pressure sores from being too weak to stand or move.

Zen gained approximately 17 pounds over the next two months and was soon at a healthy weight of 30 pounds.

“Some of that weight gain was growth,” says Dr. Crowley, “but the majority was regaining necessary weight.”

A Happy Ending

Now called Brownie, Zen is, well, very Zen. “His legs are still weak, but he’s got puppy spirit,” Christina says. “And he’s food motivated.”

Zen gets along with the family’s dog Brooke, a 14-year-old Boxer-pit bull mix, their one-eyed cat named Iris, also 14 and a former cruelty victim adopted from the ASPCA, and Christina and her husband’s two children, ages six and three.

No arrests were made in Zen’s case, which is now closed. His shredded ears will never grow closed, and he will likely develop arthritis from his elbow injury.

Still, the ASPCA considers Zen one of the happier stories of 2024.

“A puppy who was likely days away from death and found in the trash and then met his foster caregiver and future adopter in AMC’s ICU,” says Dr. Crowley. “We couldn't ask for a better ending for this sweet boy.”