Dog abandoned four days after Christmas

FINGLAS based animal welfare charity Dogs Trust has experienced a significant number of stray and abandoned dogs arriving at their centre since Christmas.

The first horrific case arriving at its rehoming centre was just four days after Christmas Day when an eight-week-old Pomeranian puppy was found wandering in the North County Dublin area.

The tiny dog had deep wounds to his muzzle and his coat was in bad condition. It was initially thought the pup had been attacked by another animal, but on closer inspection the wounds to his muzzle were more consistent with having been bound shut.

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking to think that a pup of this age has been through so much trauma at such an early stage of his life,” said Catriona Birt, Head of Operations at Dogs Trust.

“It’s difficult to comprehend what the reason might have been for tying his mouth shut were; whether it was to stop him barking or maybe to stop him mouthing, which is a typical puppy behaviour when learning to explore the world.”

Dogs Trust staff named the traumatised puppy ‘Little Lion Man’ and he is making a great recovery having completed a course of antibiotics and spending quality time with a foster family.

A few days later after the pup arrived an abandoned Shih Tzu, renamed Mary, was found straying around the Finglas area and Joey, Ross and Chandler, three month old puppies found at a building site in County Wicklow.

Mary was in appalling condition; badly matted and had a noticeable tilt with her head. The veterinary team believe the tilt is either due to an untreated ear infection or may relate to some sort of trauma to the dog’s head in the past.

Mary has since been fully groomed, received veterinary treatment and is enjoying the TLC from the team at the Dogs Trust rehoming centre.

Chandler, Joey and Ross, who were found in Wicklow, are Terrier cross puppies who might have suffered a different fate had they not been found in a cardboard box by a builder visiting a site.

The pups were infested with fleas and had a heavy worm burden; both of which have been treated by the veterinary team at Dogs Trust.

Suzie Carley, Executive Director at Dogs Trust, reminded anybody thinking of adding a dog to the family to consider the enormous commitment involve.

“On average, the lifespan of a dog is 14 years and the basic care for that duration of time can cost up to €10,000,” she said.

“We would encourage people to research breeds extensively; taking into account any genetic predisposition to particular disease, grooming requirements and of course, pet insurance cost, and of course speak to your local rescue centre, before making a decision.”

Dogs Trust also advise anybody who finds they can no longer look after a dog after a change in circumstances to talk to welfare organisations about the options available.