On a cold January evening, a man living in Earlton, New York, opened his front door and found an unforeseen guest. It was a skinny, hairless dog that was shivering in the cold air – and the man had no idea where she would certainly come from.

” It appeared that she had actually been disposed by the roadside and abandoned,” a speaker for the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA wrote on Facebook. “It was a freezing night, and it was thought she came to the door looking for food and warmth.”

The man brought the dog inside and called the police, who then took her to the sanctuary. When the staff established eyes on the canine, now named Penny, their hearts broke.

” She was in bad form,” Ron Perez, president of the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA, informed The Dodo. “She had some open lacerations on her face and neck, and was pretty much devoid of any type of hair. It was sad. It’s always sad to see them like this.”

It ended up that Penny had a severe skin problem called demodex mange, which is caused by mites burrowing right into a dog’s skin.

If left untreated, demodex manage can be deadly, Chris Reeder, a board-certified vet at BluePearl Veterinary Hospital in Franklin, Tennessee, informed The Dodo. “Normally, it’s even more debilitating than fatal, but in specific situations it can be,” he said.

While Penny had managed to stay alive, the manage had actually taken a heavy toll on her wellness– she ‘d lost the majority of her fur, leaving her with dry, flaky skin that had become infected and scabby.

” When she scratched it, she would scratch her flesh, which would get infected and produce more bleeding,” Perez said.

But with medical treatment and lots of loving care, Penny improved– and more quickly than anybody expected. “Within one week, she appeared like a different dog,” Perez said. “The veterinarian was pretty impressed with her healing.”

As more weeks ticked by, Penny recovered even more. Now her manage is completely gone, although her hair might never totally grow back, Perez explained.

” She’s a real fighter and very resilient,” Perez said “Her stress levels are clearly much lower now, since she’s interacting with individuals and she has proper food and is sleeping correctly.”

As Penny has actually been recovering, the Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA has been dealing with local cops to locate the person who ‘d abandoned Penny. Within 24 hr, Penny’s former owner was identified, and police arrested him on pet cruelty charges. If convicted, the previous proprietor might face a $1,000 penalty and prison time.

Penny will certainly leave on Saturday to start her new life, and the sanctuary staff could not be much more delighted.

” She’s just a wonderful dog,” Perez said. “She really does not have a mean bone in her body. She’s an absolute doll, and she’s going to be a great pet.”