In January 2025, the NYPD found a medically compromised dog in Brooklyn who was tied up and had multiple serious injuries. The dog, later named Seal, was initially brought to the Queens Animal Care Center, and then to Veterinary Emergency Group for urgent medical care. She was then transferred to the ASPCA Animal Hospital (AAH) for further treatment.
The ASPCA veterinarians found that Seal was underweight, weighing only 38 pounds, with visible vertebral and pelvic bones. She had multiple penetrating wounds of varying ages on her neck, ears and all four legs, which were consistent with dog bite injuries. Under sedated examination, the team saw that Seal also had extensive skin loss and exposed muscle tissue on both back legs, near the ankles.
To tend to these injures, Seal was in need of extensive wound management. She was also started on a refeeding plan to manage her weight safely. Malnourished and underweight dogs like Seal require a carefully measured diet so that they don’t gain weight too quickly, which can cause further distress.
Right photo courtesy of the Queens Animal Care Center.
Once Seal was medically stable, she was transferred to the ASPCA Animal Recovery Center (ARC), where she would continue her rehabilitation. Under the lifesaving care of Dr. Karla Kovach, Director of Veterinary Services at ARC, and the rest of her team, Seal had her wounds tended to and weight closely monitored. Refeeding syndrome in particular is a crucial condition to prevent.
“Refeeding syndrome is potentially fatal,” says Dr. Kovach. “When starvation has occurred and the body is in an emaciated state, reintroducing full caloric intake quickly can lead to dangerous metabolic derangements & fluid shifts in the body.”
Though Seal was technically classified as underweight-to-thin, not emaciated, preventing refeeding syndrome was a top priority.
“Due to her unknown history of access to food, we placed her onto a modified refeeding plan for her safety,” says Dr. Kovach. “We still slowly reintroduced caloric intake, but started at a higher level of calories than we would normally do with a true emaciation case.”
After nearly two months of careful rehabilitation at ARC, Seal was finally ready to find a home of her own. She moved to the ASPCA Adoption Center in March and quickly became a staff favorite. Her loving personality shone brightly when she was featured in videos on ASPCA’s social media channels. She donned a classy tuxedo in a photo shoot, and she was even invited to tour Carnegie Hall as a special guest!
Unfortunately, like many pit bull-type dogs, it took some time for the right family to find Seal.
New, Thrilling Beginnings
In May, Sean C. was considering adopting another dog after he had a wonderful experience fostering a dog in his home. His dog, Jackson, was getting older, and having another dog in the home gave him a second breath of life. He hoped that adopting another dog would bring that youthful energy out of Jackson again.
He came across Seal’s adoption profile on the ASPCA website, and quickly realized he wanted to meet her, along with his three children.
“We were leaning more to pit bulls because of their reputation — even though we know it isn’t true in a lot of cases. So they need more attention,” Sean says.
Sean and his family met Seal at the Adoption Center, along with their older dog, Jackson. After seeing everyone interact, the decision to adopt her came easily to them.
“We knew she was the dog for us because of how much of a mush she is,” Sean says.
After welcoming Seal into the family, they decided to rename her Silia, as to keep something similar to her previous name.
When they brought Silia home, she was initially a bit shy and standoffish, but that didn’t last long. It was clear how well everyone would get along.
“Silia always wants to play tug of war with us or chase a ball. All in all, just wanting to be around us,” Sean says. “She’s such a sweetheart.”
Silia is thriving in her new home, and she has gotten to know her canine sibling quite well. Since Jackson is an older dog, Silia knows to go easy with him when they play. Sean also recently adopted a third dog, Skylar, who is younger and able to match Silia’s playful energy. Silia and Skylar both want to play full-heartedly — and they do!
One Big Happy
These days, Silia never wants to leave the sides of her favorite people.
“Life is great with Silia, and I can’t picture a day that I don’t see her or play with her,” Sean says. “She is an essential part of the family, and we’re all so grateful that she’s with us.”
Though Silia has formed a special connection with Sean’s daughter, when the kids aren’t home, he says that Silia knows when he needs love and cuddles the most. Of all his dogs, she’s first to give them to him.
“It definitely helps bring the family together a bit more because when you play with your dog, the dog plays with the whole family,” Sean says. “She gets the kids off their tablets!”
Sean and his family couldn’t recommend adopting a dog more! He acknowledges that adopting a dog may be a little unnerving when you don’t know what personality they’re going to have, but that can be true of any pet.
“Adoption is the way to go!” Sean says. “There are so many dogs that are in shelters who need homes. I feel like they know when they’re saved, and they try to repay you with all the kisses and love that they can give.”
Sean feels that they couldn’t have asked for a better addition to the family than Silia.
Helping More Animals Like Silia
When Silia first came into the ASPCA’s care, she was starving, underweight and seriously injured. Thanks to the dedication of our staff and the loving embrace of her new family, she has found the new start in life that she so desperately needed and deserved.
The ASPCA is dedicated to helping as many animals like Silia as possible. That’s why we have set an ambitious goal for our Holiday Meal Drive to provide 100,000 meals before Thanksgiving for hungry animals. Your gift will help us give more rescued animals the care and meals they need. Learn more at aspca.org/hungryanimals.
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