It’s a story all too familiar to Meike Wilder, who rescues animals for the nonprofit organization Carpathia Paws.

She received a phone call Sept. 27 from Gary Bell of Liberty County Animal Control regarding two puppies found tied in trash bags discarded on the side of a road in the Eagle Creek Mobile Home Park in Hinesville.

Wilder said the puppies were discovered by a resident of Eagle Creek who had returned home and noticed two trash bags near his home. When he investigated, he noticed one of the bags moving. The man took the bags into his porch and, when he untied them, he discovered the puppies, estimated to be 8 weeks old.

The man called 911 and, according to Wilder, when Bell arrived to investigate, he noted that the puppies needed medical care. Liberty County Animal Control does not provide medical care, so Bell called Wilder to see what Carpathia Paws could do to save the puppies.

When Wilder arrived, she quickly noticed that the puppies were in bad shape. Wilder placed a call to the on call veterinarian at Cedar Animal Hospital in Richmond Hill and was told to bring the pair to the hospital.

Wilder said the female puppy, which Carpathia Paws named Trinity, had a very low body temperature and was near death. The male puppy, named Chase, was more alert and stronger.  

“If they were not rescued when they were, they would have certainly died,” Wilder said.

When Trinity and Chase arrived at Cedar Animal Hospital and were inspected by the veterinarian, it was discovered that they each had a case of severe hook worms. They also were dehydrated and emaciated and covered in fleas.

Trinity is slowly recovering, but not yet strong enough to be removed from her hospital cage. Wilder said it’s touch-and-go for her. A video shot Tuesday afternoon shows her walking toward hospital staff and slowly wagging her tail. Chase, meanwhile, is on the road to recovery and getting stronger daily. So far, $800 has been raised for their treatment.

In another case of neglect, a mixed-breed dog was let out of a vehicle on County Line Road in Liberty County suffering from bite wounds and an eye infection. Wilder would not speculate how she was sustained her wounds.

She has been named Danica, according to Wilder, and was rushed to Cedar Animal Hospital on Sept. 25 shortly after being found. Wilder said a passerby who witnessed her being let out of the vehicle wrote down the license-plate number and turned it over to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating.

Wilder said that at first, it was feared that Danica would lose her right eye, but it has since improved. Danica currently has a tube in her head to drain the infection from the bite wounds. She is scheduled to be transported to Pennsylvania for adoption when she is strong enough.

Wilder believes the owner didn’t want to deal with the medical expenses and decided to abandon Danica, a situation Carpathia Paws often encounters. Wilder said her organization deals with dozens of cases of abandonment and abuse, and in each case, medical treatment is funded through donations.  

Is the abuse and neglect of pets getting worse?

“People say it’s getting worse; I don’t think it’s getting worse,” Wilder said. “I think people are getting more aware of what’s going on and talk about it and report it. We need more people who turn others in, who witness this and speak up.”