Two emaciated dogs were pulled from a Bronx basement Friday after a building superintendent discovered them living in their own waste, covered in maggots and open sores.
The animals, nicknamed Ren and Stimpy by rescuers, were found by the new superintendent of an apartment building in the New York City borough. NYC Second Chance Rescue, the organization that responded, said the man was “devastated” by what he encountered and immediately sought help.
The dogs’ condition was extreme. Images released by the rescue group show the pair with mangy, matted coats and visible signs of prolonged neglect. Both suffered countless open sores and infections, and were infested with maggots and fleas, according to the organization’s social media posts.
“One of them is suffering beyond words. He is so severely matted that maggots have burrowed beneath his hair and are eating away at his skin. He is being eaten alive,” NYC Second Chance Rescue posted online.
Stimpy, the more vulnerable of the two, required sedation before veterinarians could remove his matted fur. The hair had wrapped so tightly around one leg that it had begun cutting into the skin. Rescuers rushed both dogs to an emergency hospital Friday, where veterinary staff worked to stabilize them.
“We don’t know how they survived this long,” the group said in its initial post about the rescue.
The superintendent told rescuers that the dogs had been left behind by his predecessor, the building’s former superintendent, who abandoned them after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. How long the animals remained in the basement without care remains unclear, though the extent of their injuries suggests a prolonged period of neglect.
As of Saturday evening, both dogs remained at risk. The rescue organization noted that Stimpy was in “an incredibly vulnerable condition” and that the pair faced a long recovery ahead.
The case has drawn attention to the broader problem of animals abandoned when owners face health crises or other life disruptions. NYC Second Chance Rescue has used the story to highlight both the dogs’ urgent needs and the emotional toll such rescues take on responders.
“How do you love an animal and then leave them to suffer like this? We will never understand,” the group said.
The organization has not indicated when Ren and Stimpy might be available for adoption, focusing instead on their immediate medical needs and survival.