AS A nation of dog lovers, the people of Ireland were disgusted and saddened by the news that emerged of the death of a severely neglected Shih Tzu.
Despite emergency efforts to save her life, her condition had been left to deteriorate for far too long, and she died “in immense pain”, having been “eaten alive by fly maggots”, according to Liam Kinsella, Chief Inspector of the DSPCA.
The Shih Tzu was found in a desperate state. Source: DSPCAThe Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) picked up the young female Shih Tzu after she was found collapsed on the road in Clondalkin last week.
The DSPCA deal with countless calls relating to neglected animals, and this was one of the more severe cases, with DSPCA Chief Inspector Liam Kinsella describing the dog’s condition as “utterly horrific”.
Source: DSPCAThe Shih Tzu was left almost completely immobilised from the severity of its fur matting, and was covered in wounds; some fresh, some so old and infected that the flesh had turned black and was rotting away.
When being treated by the charity’s team of vets, it was found that the dog was ridden with maggots thriving on its deteriorating condition, which included sores caused by old urine and faeces which had become rooted in its fur.
The Chief Inspector of the DSPCA, clearly passionate, furious and upset, said: “This little dog was subjected to filth and dirt with probably no washing or brushing of her coat since she was a pup.”
He continued, “The owner must have known the skin was infected as it was raw and bleeding, plus the presence of flies around the dog would have been evident.”
Speaking to The Irish Post, Gillian Bird at the DSPCA, said: "This is such a severe case, not only because of the horrific injuries caused by the neglect of the dogs coat which lead to her death but for the lack of care/love and respect given to the dog in her short life."
The Shih Tzu is a popular pet with families due to its docile, loyal nature, and in some cases the breed has been described as too trusting. It is unbelievably sad to think of this pet being abused by its owners as it likely remained loyal to them until the very end.
A healthy Shih Tzu // (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)The dog died of its injuries on Sunday despite the best effort of the charity to save its life.
Now the charity is searching for the owner of the abused pet, urging them to come forward and encouraging anyone with information to contact the inspectors’ line by calling (+353) 1 4994727 or emailing [email protected].
The DSPCA care for a myriad of different animals at their shelter in Rathfarnham. If you would like to donate to help the charity to rescue and care for more neglected animals like this Shih Tzu, you can do so on their website and Facebook page.
