AN ANIMAL CHARITY has reported that a three-week-old puppy was recently sold to unknowing Irish buyer with its legs broken and its tail severed.
Mo Chara Animal Rescue explained how the pup was brought to them badly injured and in a lot of pain after a man bought bought what he was told was a seven-week-old terrier in a car park in Co. Tipperary.
Despite the fact that the poor dog was in bad shape, the man was reportedly told by the seller "not to worry" because the puppy "had been seen by a vet and would heal".
But when the little pup was taken home, it cried all night and its owners knew something was wrong.
He got in touch with a local vet, who quickly diagnosed that the puppy had a couple of broken legs, and was also just three-weeks-old, not seven. Her tail was also badly damaged and infected.
"[They] probably used a pair of scissors or a similar implement and have actually de-gloved (ripped all the skin off) the top half of her tail," said a rescue worker.
It's understood that the young dog is to undergo surgery to repair her fractured leg.
The grim news comes amid a worrying rise in dog thefts around the country. Reported dog theft cases have sharply risen during lockdown, as supply has been down to Covid-19, while demand for a new pet to entertain the family has skyrocketed in recent months.
Gardai have previously warned people to take care in securing their pets at night, and for anyone buying a new dog to make sure that the seller has come by them legally.
There's growing pressure around the country for there to be an increase in the severity of punishment for anyone found guilty of stealing a dog. Currently dog theft is treated no differently to someone stealing a power tool.
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