Dogs Trust has released upsetting CCTV footage of an ill dog being abandoned and tied to a gatepost outside their Finglas rehoming centre late at night.
CCTV footage shows two people walking up to the gates at the centre, with the dog on a lead, which is subsequently dropped over a metal post and the dog is left behind, looking after the people who left her there.
Dogs Trust, Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity, is reiterating their appeal to members of the public to contact them if they are struggling with their dogs.
The female Rottweiler, named Beau, was abandoned at midnight and discovered by staff at 7.30am.
Emer Cassidy, assistant operations manager with Dogs Trust Ireland, said: "She was immediately friendly and very pleased to see me, which made it even more upsetting when I reviewed the CCTV footage and saw she had been abandoned just before midnight. I burst into tears when I realised, she had spent over seven hours in the cold, on her own, just lying there, especially given the fact that we have an emergency number stuck to the gate.
“It wasn’t until I took her indoors into the light, that I saw the tumours hanging from her undercarriage and that her head was tilted to one side.”
Upon veterinary examination, it was discovered that Beau had a chronic ear condition that appeared, like her tumours, to be untreated, leaving her in enormous discomfort and causing her head tilt.
In order to decide on the best course of veterinary treatment, the charity has sent off samples from Beau’s various tumours for laboratory analysis to see if and how they can be treated but are worried about her prognosis.
Becky Bristow, executive director with Dogs Trust Ireland said: “We are very saddened by this case and appeal to anybody who is having difficulties with their dog to please contact us. We are not here to judge you and we will do our upmost to help you, whatever your circumstances are, because we want to avoid cases like Beau happening in the future.”
Veterinary costs
Given the number of complicated veterinary cases that have arrived into the care of the charity over the past number of months, Dogs Trust fears their veterinary costs will be even higher in 2021 and they will be relying on the generosity of the dog-loving public, now more than ever, to help them care for Ireland’s abandoned dogs through these uncertain times.
Dogs Trust Ireland currently has 138 dogs in their care and donations can be made online to support the charity.
Beau is not available for adoption as her prognosis is guarded at the moment until Dogs Trust has more information on her health and what the outcome of any tests will be.
