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GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — The Guilford County Animal Shelter said a three-month-old hound mix is recovering from third-degree burns over 30 percent of his body.

Greensboro Animal Control was called to an apartment at 1003 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on Thursday where the puppy, named Hoyt, was found tied to a pole. The puppy's caretaker, Anthony Jones, said he found the dog and tried to make it his own.

"I took care of the dog. I used to take him with me places and everything else you know, bought him a leash. I paid for the collar," said Jones.

However Jones said he could not afford medical care for the dog and after a hot day outside with his kids, Jones said the puppy seemed disoriented. Jones said he purchased pet shampoo and a vaccine from a local store. He claims the dog may have been allergic to a shampoo he used to give the dog a bath.

The shelter's director, Marsha Williams, said the puppy was in terrible shape when authorities brought him in for care.

"We've never seen a reaction to a vaccine, that severe. I did talk to a shampoo distributor who said they sell lots of brands of shampoo, and they don't know of any shampoo that would burn a dog with third-degree burns," said Williams.

Jones said he called animal control to have them come get the dog, but he did not tell them that he was the pet's owner, because he said he didn't want to be financially responsible for the dog.

    "I was trying to avoid having to pay for the dog, because I am not going to pay a whole bunch of money because they were talking like it was going to be three, four, $500 dollars to get the dog straightened out," said Jones.

The case is still under investigation. The shelter said Hoyt's burns should take up to eight weeks to heal before they are able to make him available for adoption.