The Shih Tzu “Baby Boy” found suffering from serious burns and laying in a St. Rose flower bed earlier this year has made a strong recovery, but soon must find a new home as his story continues to roll through twists and turns.
Originally, the two-year-old dog was considered the possible victim of abuse, with burns thought to be the result of someone pouring harmful chemicals on him. The story went viral at the time, after PETA offered a $5,000 reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect.
But following that, the dog’s owner was thought to be identified and its burns not the result of an attack at all, but instead stemming from a grease fire that happened in the home of a St. Rose man who was injured himself in the incident. As the man disposed of a pot of grease that had caught fire, some spilled on him while some spilled on the dog, who fled. His dog was named Prince, their home not far from where Baby Boy was found, and St. Charles Parish deputies believed Prince and Baby Boy were one and the same.
Weeks later, however, Baby Boy is still in the care of the Metairie Humane Shelter, where he has been since he was found in that St. Rose garden and brought to the shelter by a Good Samaritan.
According to Joan Delahoussaye, board member of the Metairie Humane Shelter, whether the dog belongs to the St. Rose man or not, the man has not come to claim the dog and has indicated he has no plans to.
“Who knows what happened,” said Delahoussaye, who has maintained doubts that the two dogs were one and the same. “It very possibly is his dog, but we never felt there was true verification. But he apparently says he doesn’t want (the dog) back.”
The very good news for Baby Boy, however, is he has come such a long way from when he was initially found barely able to move and unable to open his eyes, with burns along his head and all over his body.
“In the beginning, it was very touch and go. We didn’t know if he was gonna make it. Fortunately, he’s been a real trooper,” Delahoussaye said.
Once Baby Boy was able to open his eyes, he had no vision in one of them—“He was going around that neighborhood completely blind,” Delahoussaye said. He now has a little sight in the eye, and Delahoussaye said they will learn more about how far that recovery has progressed this week.
His outlook is so positive that July is set as a target date for Baby Boy to be placed on the adoption list.
As his body heals, he’s also becoming more social, and by mid-summer his potential new family will be seeing their new Baby Boy in much greater spirits than he was just a few weeks ago.
“When we brought him in, all he did was lay there. Now he interacts with everyone, he’s happy to see us and he gives us kisses. His appetite is good and he’s moving right along,” Delahoussaye said.
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