For us animal lovers it’s unfathomable to imagine why anyone would have a pet and not feed it. There are a few justifiable reasons for such cruelty.
Probably the most shocking case I’ve seen in a while is the state of Tiggy, a female Lurcher dog who was found in a field in Northumberland, England.
She was skin and bones with hardly any fur and close to death.
Describing the first encounter with this sad state of a dog on Berwick Animal Rescue Kennels (BARK) website, her rescuer wrote: “I thought she was dead, but this little girl had a fighting spirit and somehow managed to hang on until she got picked up by the dog warden.
“All our hearts just broke. At that point she collapsed unable to walk. She was taken straight to the vet.”
Distressing images were posted of the three-year-old hound showing her emaciated state in an effort to trace the heartless owner.
A council animal welfare officer said: “This dog was in a really horrific state. Someone, somewhere knows who she belongs to, or has seen her about.
“She was completely skin and bone and less than half the weight she should have been. She had no fur either and has never been micro chipped and seems to have just been dumped out on the streets.
“This is a shocking and inexcusable case of neglect and we are very keen to get to the bottom of how she came to be in such an emaciated condition and bring the person(s) responsible to account.”
Mrs Tiggywinkle or Tiggy for short, as she was later named, is now being cared for by foster parents arranged through BARK.
According to staff from the kennels Tiggy couldn’t even stand up when she was first found.
It took a special liquid diet where she was fed every hour and plenty of rest in front of the fire before this sweet girl could even stand up. Even then she refused to go outside out of fear.
Tiggy was 23 pounds when she was found. According to Pet Guide adult lurchers should weigh between 60 and 70 pounds.
Just one week after she was found her foster mom reported Tiggy had gained four pounds and was getting her spark back.
“She’s down to just 8 meals a day but knows exactly when they’re due and whoa betide you if you’re late. She is showing an interest in going out for house training,” according to BARK’s website.
So awful to see these pictures. All animals deserve to be treated with love and respect! We wish Tiggy a happy and healthy recovery.
I hope the person responsible for this shocking case of animal abuse is caught and never allowed to keep animals again. Please SHARE.
