A Milan woman is now facing an animal cruelty charge after her puppy was found seriously injured by an embedded collar.

Court records show Heather Feist, 35, was charged with one count of animal cruelty/abandonment for leaving Lou, her 11-month old Labrador mix, tied to a landing in her residence with a rope collar that was too tight.

Milan police officers and cruelty investigators with the Humane Society responded to the 200 block of County Street on Oct. 23 after receiving a call about an abused animal. They found Lou emaciated and bleeding, reports said.

The wound was a quarter-inch deep into the dog’s neck and had been there long enough that the skin was actually growing back over the collar, said Nancy Kilian, an animal cruelty investigator and owner of the DHK Animal Rescue in Milan.

Kilian said the wound, infested with insects and maggots, was the worst caused by collar she’s seen in her 16 years of rescuing animals.

“It was potentially deadly because he was on his way to being septic,” Kilian said.

Kilian took Lou in at the shelter after Feist signed away her ownership rights and treated him with cycles of antibiotics and immunizations. He was gaining weight quickly and was recuperating while awaiting adoption, Kilian said.

Kilian earlier said she received nearly 100 calls from potential suitors after news of Lou’s situation spread. However, many weren’t the right fit.

“Families with other pets aren’t ideal because he goes spastic when he sees another animal go by,” she said.

Kilian couldn't be reached over the weekend to find out whether a family has been located for Lou.

Feist told officers she received the dog from a friend about six months earlier, and he was often kept on a leash in the backyard or in the back hallway because he is hyperactive and “out of control,” police reports said.

County prosecutors authorized charges earlier this month, and Feist has not yet turned herself into authorities for arraignment, court records show. She has no attorney listed in court documents, and attempts to reach her by phone were unsuccessful.

Call the DHK Animal Rescue at 734-439-7000 for more information about Lou.