JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 A candlelight vigil was held outside Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) to honor \u201cMiracle,\u201d the name rescuers gave a severely emaciated Great Dane found on the side of a Jacksonville road. <\/p>\n
The dog, also known as Oak, did not survive, but his story continues to spark outrage, community action, and changes within the shelter.<\/p>\n
Rodney Renfroe was the first to find the dog on November 2, curled up and starving.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt literally made me sick my stomach,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <\/b><\/a><\/p>\n Renfroe took a photo and posted it on Facebook in hopes someone would step in to help. That post was seen by Perrin Todd, who immediately drove to the area to search for the animal.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a until I saw a white hat pop-up. I had no one would\u2019ve ever known where he was,\u201d Todd said.<\/p>\n She kept driving until she finally spotted movement along the roadside.<\/p>\n \u201cA white head popped up, and I immediately knew that\u2019s, that\u2019s Oak,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n Oak was found alone, terrified, starved, and on the brink of death. Despite that, Todd remembered how desperately he still wanted help.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s incredible that this dog had the tail still wagging and had enough in him to want to be taken somewhere,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Todd contacted ACPS, where veterinarians began treating the dog. But they determined Oak was simply too weak to survive.<\/p>\n A photo shared by the shelter, partially blurred due to its graphic nature, showed his ribs and spine clearly visible. Oak weighed just 50 pounds when he was found, though a Great Dane of his size should weigh more than 100.<\/p>\n Local Great Dane owner Robert, who brought his 180-pound dog George to the vigil to show what healthy looks like, reacted strongly to Oak\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re a dog lover, you\u2019ve never let that happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Nearly a month after Todd discovered Oak, investigators charged Dawn Lipford with felony animal cruelty. She is scheduled to appear in court on December 2. The case comes as Florida introduces two new anti-abuse laws, which carry penalties of up to five years in prison and fines up to $10,000.<\/p>\n According to ACPS, Oak\u2019s death has already prompted internal changes. The shelter created a new position, a humane education coordinator designed to teach the public about proper pet care and help prevent similar cases of neglect.<\/p>\n [DOWNLOAD: <\/b>Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks<\/b><\/a>]<\/b><\/p>\n