LUTZ, FL -- Hillsborough County Animal Services investigators found one dog dead and a barely-alive puppy locked in a bathroom at a Lutz apartment complex.
They believe the dogs were left there for nearly two weeks without proper care, water or food.
Inside the bathroom at The Preserve at Deer Park, investigators found a dead female adult poodle and a 5-week-old boxer. The puppy was dehydrated and malnourished.
The puppy, named Neicy by Animal Services, is expected to recover and will be placed in a foster home and then will become available for adoption.
A friend of the owner was asked to check on the animals. When he and a leasing agent went to the apartment on Saturday morning, they found the puppy in distress and the poodle dead.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Animal Services are trying to track down the owner and charges are likely.
