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PAGE COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) – Community members around Page County are seeking justice after an image shared on social media showed a dog with signs of severe malnutrition. The pet was then taken for medical treatment, but died a few days later. The owner now faces a misdemeanor charge.

Rosie, a young German Shepherd, has been looking healthy since August. Just a few months later, a picture was taken showing Rosie showing signs of severe malnutrition when Page County deputies found her on October 24th. Gina Troyer, a Dogs Deserve Better Blue Ridge volunteer, said it left her heartbroken and outraged.

“I couldn’t imagine a dog suffering the way she did for so long without anyone, with people seeing it every day and knowing she’s living like this and not asking for help,” Troyer said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dog in this condition. I worked with hoarding situations. I have worked in situations where dogs have been neglected. They live in horrible environments – homeless, abused. I’ve never seen a dog in such bad physical shape as Rosie’s picture.”

The criminal complaint filed said that after Rosie was found by officers, she was taken to Verona Veterinary Emergency Hospital. The deputy then received a call from one of the veterinarians who reported that Sarah Madien was responsible for paying for a blood draw to assess the dog’s health.

“The results of the blood draw indicated that the dog was severely dehydrated and the muscle fibers were breaking down due to inadequate food and water,” the deputy said, according to the complaint.

Now, Troyer and others in the community are seeking justice for Rosie against Madien.

“There are so many resources and groups to turn to. There could have been a surrender of the owner. Someone could have reached out and begged for food, but to just neglect that dog and ignore it and allow it to suffer like that, they should be prosecuted for everything they could be prosecuted for.” , Troyer said. “Whoever lives in the household should be prosecuted. Anyone 18 or over should be prosecuted. They witnessed it, they saw it, they ignored it and they didn’t feed it every day. At any time, anyone in that household could have reached out to someone to get help for that dog, and no one did.”

As of now, Madien is charged with a Class I felony, but Page County Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Cave said charges could be filed after further investigation.

“I am very pleased with the outpouring of messages I have received regarding this case. Animals hold a special place in many of our hearts because, like children, they are not quite able to defend themselves against some of the evils of our human nature. They are our pets and they rely on us to take care of them,” Cave said. “When you’re prosecuting a case, you want to make sure — especially if you’re bringing a felony charge — you want to make sure that’s something you can prove in the facts of this case. We’re evaluating that and certainly looking at whether or not it meets those qualifications and that’s what we’re trying to determine right now.”

Troyer said she hopes to see the case help more people come forward with animal abuse cases like Rosie’s to help stop the “evil” acts.

“It’s sad that it takes something like this for the community to speak up and express their outrage and pain over situations like this and I hope this kind of opens people’s eyes to the animal cruelty that goes on with dogs every day who do not receive an adequate amount. care,” Troyer said. “I really hope that the public continues to let their voices be heard and speak up for Rosie, because obviously she didn’t have a voice and she doesn’t have a voice now.”

Madien’s court date is currently set for Nov. 14, and Cave said he hopes to make a decision by then on whether or not to press charges.

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