Starved dog finds forever home, one year later

COLUMBIA COUNTY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -Juliet is a 6-year-old, Pit Bull-Lab mix who lives a happy and healthy life with her owners, Megan Kilmer and Riley Ward. They met the dog while Megan was volunteering at Columbia-Greene Humane Society (CGHS) after a family pet had passed away.

"She came in; I didn't know her backstory just yet and I saw her and I had to take her out and she was just the most loveable dog I've ever seen there," described Kilmer.

Life wasn't always good for Juliet. In 2023, she was found wandering the roads of Claverack with another dog who officials say may have been her brother. Both dogs were on the verge of dying. "By the time they arrived, he had passed. The female did survive; she was extremely thin," stated Ron Perez, President of CGHS.

Dehydrated and starved, Juliet had to be fed small meals mixed with water 6-8 times a day. Now, Juliet is back to a regular life.

"When we first brought her home, even now, we thought we'd see some food aggression or any type of aggression," explained Kilmer. "Sometimes, she gets a little sad and needs personal space but she doesn't have any aggression towards us or other dogs that we have."

The CGHS President says it's unclear if the dogs were dumped or wandered off. Columbia County's Sheriff's Office investigated the area and could not find the owner but Perez is not giving up that whoever did this will be held accountable. Anyone who may have answers is asked to contact him at 518-828-6044 ext. 108.

"If the individual was found, it would have unfortunately been just a misdemeanor with this case. But with the male dying, it could have been a felony," said Perez.