Just two weeks after taking in over 130 rabbits and other animals - they're biggest intake of the year - the ANNA Shelter takes in yet another abuse case.

A small dog, abandoned in a wire crate for weeks, who they've named Hope.

"The crate was just deplorable," said Ruth Thompson, founder and director of the A.N.N.A. Shelter. "I mean she has sores all over, you can see the urine staining from where she's been sitting and standing in her own urine and feces. The whole bottom of the crate had been dug out where she had been trying to get herself out of it for quite a while. So yeah she'd spent a long time [in the crate]. From what the vets are saying weeks at least in that kennel."

Thompson says Hope weighed just 11 pounds when they took her in, and had a body temperature of about 94 degrees - a dog's temperature is normally around 101.

Thompson feels this is just the latest in a trend of animal abuse cases in Erie. 

"I really feel like 2023, I don't know why but to me it feels like the worst year that I can remember [for animal abuse cases]," continued Thompson. "Again, remember I've been doing this for 22 years, I know there's been people been doing this for longer but this is the worst. I mean just this year, between the large scale seizures, and the degree of cruelty that we're seeing it's hard. It's just been a bad year.

And it's not just hard on the animals. Veterinary assistant Kelly Haynes says it's tough on veterinarians too.

"It always breaks my heart because it's like 'great another one,'" said Haynes. "We just saved one, now we got another one on our lap. But at the end of the day it's why I've been doing this job for 12 years. Someone has to do it and I know I'm a good someone for this job... Just to see [Hope] grow and develop into the happy healthy dog she should be is why we do this at the end of the day."