An emaciated, elderly dog who was abandoned by his owner on the Upper West Side earlier this month has died, according to the animal hospital that rescued him.
The dog, a 12-year-old Chow Chow, was left outside Riverside Animal Hospital on February 9th; veterinarians said he was malnourished and covered in matted fur when they found him, though they were able to feed him, care for him and make him warm. According to the hospital's Facebook page, they were also able to find him an adoptive home through the volunteer-run Chow Rescue group, which named him Old Man River.
Sadly, though, River passed away early Monday morning. "He died in his sleep peacefully," a spokesperson from the animal clinic told us today. "He died here around friends and was warm, snuggly and happy." Vets noted via Facebook that they haven't determined River's cause of death, though they did find a tumor in his chest earlier this week.
