Tied up and abandoned

AN ANIMAL welfare charity is appealing for dog owners facing difficulties to contact them for help after finding a traumatised Jack Russell Terrier tied to a pole outside its rehoming centre in Finglas.

The dog was discovered after a staff member at Dogs Trust heard the terrier’s harrowing cries on a Saturday morning.

CCTV footage has revealed the dog, named Alex by staff at the centre, was left tied to the pole by a man who pulled up in a car and then drove off.

Dogs Trust centre manager Catriona Birt said the footage wasn’t clear enough to identify the man, assumed to be the dog’s owner.

“A staff member heard harrowing cries which drew our attention to the dog’s presence,” she said.

“Unfortunately, the dog wasn’t microchipped, nor were we able to see the registration number of the car, so we were unable to identify the person who carried out this desperate act.”

The footage showed the car pulling up outside the centre at around 10.30am while articulated trucks were passing by from a nearby quarry. A man then got out of the car, tied the dog to the pole and drove off.

The terrier is now being looked after by the Canine Carers at Dogs Trust.

“He was in relatively good condition but was understandably very shook after his ordeal,” added Birt. “We named him Alex.”

Dogs Trust Executive Director, Mark Beazley, said sometimes dog owners find themselves unable to care for their pets.

“Dogs Trust do appreciate that people’s situations can change, and understand it’s often a very sad and sometimes traumatic situation for somebody when they can no longer look after their pet,” he continued.

“We would encourage people to seek information about the proper way to deal with such a situation; for instance going to welfare organisations close to them to talk about the options available.

“If the reason for surrendering a dog is down to a behavioural issue, there might be a medical reason for the behaviour or perhaps training classes are required. If a person’s working hours have increased, could a dog walker or day care be considered in their routine?” 

Alex is approximately five-years-old and is now available for rehoming from Dogs Trust.