Woman Finds Maggot-Covered Puppy Tied To Tree In Swamp

A sweet tiny puppy is in safe hands after being abandoned, tied to a tree and left in a swamp. According to the SPCA of Wake County, the puppy was rescued by a woman who was hanging her laundry in her backyard in Zebulon, North Carolina, when she heard a faint whining sound.

Jess Clayborn was concerned for whatever was making the noise and followed the sound, which lead her right into the swampland surrounding her home.

She waded a few feet into the muddy swamp when she spotted the puppy tied to a tree on a small island of dry land.

“I was hanging laundry and I could hear him crying in the woods,” Clayborn told ABC11. “Really, all I could see is a bunch of weeds moving and hear him until I got right on top of him because the weeds are really tall.”

Luckily, she had a pocket knife on her and she cut the rope. The puppy – now named Nash – had deep wounds in his neck where the rope had burned him.

Clayborn took Nash out of his muddy prison and brought him home where she cleaned the maggots from his wounds and ears. “He was completely covered from head to toe,” Clayborn said.

“Whenever I picked him up he just kind of laid back in my arms because he was just so relieved that someone had found him,” she added.

She then called Care First Animal Hospital and the SPCA of Wake County, where a veterinarian then treated him for his injuries. While treating the dog, the vet discovered chemical burns on Nash’s ears and shelter staff think Nash is deaf.

“It appears he may be deaf, and we don’t know if he was born that way or if that may be due to the conditions he was left in (he was covered in maggots),” SPCA of Wake County wrote on Facebook. They shared a video of Nash running around happily.

Nash is recovering and is in a foster home with Mark Aubut of Raleigh. “When he first came to the house, he was really nervous. We got two other dogs,” Aubut said. “After about a day, he really lightened up. He runs around, plays; he’s doing really good.”

Nash will be up for adoption when he is healthy and ready. Visit the SPCA of Wake County if you would like to help Nash and other animals like him.