An adult dog described by local vets as one of the worst cases of animal neglect has been offered a new loving home.
‘Sarge’ was found weighing just 30 pounds, half of what his bodyweight should have been, covered with external parasites, riddled with heartworm and covered in sores from spending a prolonged period of time forced to lie on a hard surface.
The emaciated dog, estimated to be about 14-years – was rescued in Raven Avenue, Spotts, last week by Mary-Rose Henderson and her daughter Mary-Anne Lawrence, a former veterinary assistant.
Described by Mary-Anne as a ‘walking skeleton’ the male dog was taken to Island Veterinary where he was treated by Dr. Brenda Bush.
Just days earlier, Mary-Anne had found three puppies, of which just one was alive, and a young female dog, also in a neglected state in the same area. They were taken to the Cayman Islands Humane Society, where they are currently up for adoption.
‘This was probably one of the worst cases of neglect I have seen,’ Ms Bush said.
‘Sarge was terribly emaciated. To get in this condition took years of neglect. You couldn’t look at him without gasping,’ Ms. Bush, who has 14 years veterinary experience in Cayman, said.
‘He was most likely to have been owned by someone. He has a dear personality, a lovely disposition He was at the skinniest he could have been without being dead. It’s amazing he survived.’
It is thought the family of dogs was abandoned by heartless owners.
‘These dogs were definitely not from the neighbourhood and I am pretty confident someone drove them here and dumped them,’ Mary-Anne said.
‘All the dogs had been around people as they were not frightened.
‘Sarge had a long thick rope – the type used to tie up bulls – attached to him. It was shocking,’ she said.
‘How can someone have a dog all those years and then leave them to die in the bush?
‘Unfortunately nothing can be done about it until we find the owner.’
Ms Bush said the problem stems from a lack of education in Cayman.
‘There seems to be a lot of people who don’t understand basic healthcare for dogs and there needs to be a bigger campaign for education for animal owners. There certainly needs to be a higher level of responsibility maintained by animal owners.’
The Cayman Humane Society is home to over 100 unwanted dogs and puppies and regularly euthanizes many for which it can’t find homes.
‘Unfortunately, we do get cases like Sarge,’ Humane Society manager Sugar Evans said.
‘And, at times it really feels like we are not getting anywhere. There are some people that just really don’t care.
‘We encourage everyone to spay and neuter their dog and offer financial assistance. We are also going to schools to educate youngsters on animal welfare.’
Sarges’ new owner – who doesn’t wish to be named – is also all too familiar with Cayman’s unwanted dog population.
She has adopted elderly dogs in the past, giving them a loving home to enjoy for the rest of their days.
FYI
A $500 reward is being offered for information leading to the identification of the owners. Call 925-9914.
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