After being abandoned with a zip-tie around his snout in a remote part of the Malibu Canyon, Argon the German shepherd faces another challenge ahead.
The dog, estimated to be 7 years old, was diagnosed with lymphoma and is being treated by a medical team at Saddleback Animal Hospital in Tustin.
The good news is that Argon is in better spirits, and his lymph nodes are going down after arriving at the hospital a week ago.
But doctors are still trying to determine what’s next for the dog.
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“We're waiting for the type of cancer it is, what type of lymphoma, whether it's B cell or T cell. Once we know that, then we can readjust his treatments more appropriately,” Michael Kavanagh, a veterinarian at the animal hospital said.
In addition to being shy and withdrawn from people after having gone through a traumatic experience, Argon is also being treated for skin trauma, Kavanagh said.
“He had swelling in his back legs and down his abdomen that were pretty significant. He had an ear infection. And he was pretty emaciated, and all his lymph nodes were elevated on his whole body.”
Caregivers are hopeful the dog’s conditions improve as he’s already exhibiting progress.
“He's doing a lot better. He's really responsive. He's responding to things around him rather than hiding in the corners. He's really good with the staff [who is] trying to reacclimate him.
Once Argon is fully diagnosed and doctors determine what his treatment will look like, the German Shepherd will be available for adoption.
As the dog recovers, an animal protection group called In Defense of Animals has been raising money for a reward for anyone who can identify the person or persons responsible for abandoning argon. It’s raised $25,000 so far to offer it as a reward.
“We are determined to see a measure of justice for this dog because he could so easily have died. It's very clear that whoever abused him is a danger to other members of society,” Fleur Dawes from In Defense of Animals said.
“There's no excuse for what happened to him,” said Maria Dales, the founder of German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County. “We've seen a lot of sadness in our work. I've been doing this for 30 years and there's no end to some of the cruelties that we've seen, but this is a first for me.”
German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County is accepting adoption applications and taking donations to help with Argon’s medical bills.
