Stratford Animal Rescue Society is raising money to cover the vet expenses and continued care of a pet at the center of a recent animal cruelty case. Animal control officers removed Abby, a 17-year-old dog, from her home last month. The pictures of her then are hard to look at.

“She was obviously in need of medical grooming. Her coat was matted to the point of not being groomed for several months. The coat was so overgrown that she had difficulty walking and just getting around,” Animal Control Officer Angelique Fitzmorris told News 12, adding it appeared the dog hadn’t been to a veterinarian in years. “Even if her coat was fine, still, senior dogs need a lot more care.”

Abby also had sores on her body, was severely underweight with her ribs protruding and her ears were significantly and chronically infected, according to STARS.

Fitzmorris said Animal Control first got involved after a call from a local vet, who’d had to put a dog down that was in bad shape. The vet knew the dog's owner had another pet at home, Abby, and was concerned about what shape she might be in, so officers paid the owner a visit and determined Abby was a clear case of neglect.

“No matter what the owner wants or how badly they might love the animals, it was just a case of—it needed, you know, immediate medical intervention,” Fitzmorris explained.

Abby is now being fostered after being groomed and spending time at the vet, but she will need ongoing visits.

Her owner was charged with animal cruelty. Barbara Baldino appeared in court last week, visibly upset. The prosecutor said it’s expected she’ll face a second charge for the dog that was put down.

“I definitely see where people have the love for their animals, and I think in this case there was maybe a thought that the animal was in the right place. But because we're the advocate for the animals, when we see them in that condition, we know that's not the right place for them if the owner can't provide what they need,” Fitzmorris said.

For now, Abby is not up for adoption, but Fitzmorris told News 12 the hope is she will be.

“There's a lot of people out there that love senior dogs in the first place and their heart kind of expands when they see a dog that's in need like that, so I do think we could find her a really good home once we do gain custody,” Fitzmorris stated.

If you’d like to donate to Abby’s care, click here.