German shepherd 'Courage' was found near death after 5 weeks of starvation inflicted by his owner. Good news is that Courage has gained nearly 10 pounds since April 7th when he was found. It is not known yet if the brave 3 year olds internal organs will recover fully but his mental ability is incredible and hopefully this will see him through. What's even more shocking about this story is the fact the dog's owner is a veterinary technician. Staff at Southern California Veterinary Referral Group in Irvine where Nizato worked are said to be shocked and didn't even know she had a dog.

Kimberly Nizato, 26 has been arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty and is being held on $20,000 bail. The Animal Control Authority has requested this be increased to $50,000. So why did something so horrific like this happen? She said it was a misunderstanding. Stay tuned for more updates on Courage's recovery.



Photo: German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County