The Carbon County Animal Shelter would like to know more about a dog it picked up in Lansford on Sunday with what appears to be severe burns.

Shelter Director Tom Connors got a call on Sunday about the dog, which wandered onto someone’s porch in Lansford. The person was on their way to church when they discovered the dog, he said.

This person also posted photos on social media, hoping to find an owner and more information about what happened.

Connors retrieved the dog and immediately sent photos to Dr. Dawn Mriss at Lehighton Animal Hospital.

“She got back to me right away, and we started a plan to get the dog back on track,” Connors said. “He went for his first visit and he’s going back next week.”

Dr. Mriss believes the wounds are burns, Connors said, and took samples to see if a lab to make a better determination.

“He gets a special ointment put on him twice a day. He has antibiotics. He got a couple shots. He’s actually very friendly, very happy,” he said.

“He’s a loving dog, and we’re keeping him in a clean environment and we’re getting him outside a lot for walks and he seems to be holding up very well considering the condition he came in,” Connors said.

The shelter did find a microchip on the dog, a Rottweiler whose name is Renzo. He is about 6 years old, if they go by the date the chip was registered, Connors said, as they are usually chipped as puppies.

The registered owner is Anthony Siade of Hempstead, New York. The shelter called the phone number, left messages and sent emails to the email address provided with no response, he said.

The owner may have changed phone numbers or email addresses, or this may no longer be the dog’s owner, Connors pointed out.

Renzo could have been given away and the chip information never updated, but usually the original owner can provide them with information to find the current owner, he said.

“Or maybe this is the owner, and he moved to Lansford,” Connors said. “That’s a possibility, too, but we don’t know.

“We can only investigate so far,” he said. “Our concern is getting the dog the help that it needs.”

Connors hopes that someone will step forward with information about Renzo, who became the property of the shelter after 48 hours. The owner can still claim him, but needs to provide a satisfactory explanation as to what happened, he said.

Connors doesn’t know if the police are investigating this as a case of cruelty, either, he said. Carbon County doesn’t have a cruelty officer and the county dog warden can’t get involved in cruelty investigations, he said.

“Police can,” Connors said. “The state police have a cruelty officer that can, but we cannot, as a shelter, get involved in it.”

State police at Lehighton know about the dog, because they called him about a report of a dog running around with burns. Connors said he told troopers that the shelter had the dog and it was safe.

“We didn’t notify the police. We took the dog in and got him care immediately,” Connors said. “So, I don’t believe there’s any investigation going on. If somebody wanted to do that, they’re more than welcome to, because we don’t get involved.”

Connors said he also can’t accuse someone of wrongdoing, either, and police are better equipped to handle investigations.

“We’re just happy that the dog is friendly and seems to be responding well to the care he gets,” he said.

The shelter is currently caring for 13 dogs, including a mother with two puppies which will be ready for adoption in about two weeks, Connors said.

The shelter is located at the county complex off Route 93 on the Broad Mountain, and the address is 63 Broad St. Nesquehoning. Staff is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Visitors are welcome after 10 a.m. but should call 570-325-4828 first to ensure that someone in on site, as staff may be called away on emergencies or vet visits.