Dog cruelly left to die in ditch
FILM MAKER SPOTS PUP COVERED IN MANGE WHILE DRIVING PAST
Tuesday August 31 2010
A CARLOW man said he was horrified when he came across an abandoned dog stricken with mange all over its body.
Killeshin author Pauric Brennan was driving past the Three Counties pub on the Athy Road with his partner Amanda O'Brien when he spotted the dog in a ditch at the side of the road.
'I thought it had been hit by a car, in was in pretty bad shape,' he said. 'I spotted it out of the corner of my eye but when I went over I saw that it had mange all over its body. It was just lying there.'
The film maker and published author, who owns 50lb Films, rang Carlow garda station to try and get help for the animal.
' They gave me some numbers but I just got answering machines, apparently animal cruelty doesn't happen at the weekend,' he said.
After receiving no reply from the local dog warden, the ISPCA and Dublin's ISPCA he drove home and began looking up phone numbers on the internet.
He eventually found a number for PAWS animal shelter in Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary and he contacted them.
Gina Hetherington from the centre rang a friend in Athy who returned to the scene with Pauric.
' The dog was up and moving about then but you could see it was in a very distressed state,' he added.
'I told Gina that she ever needs any coverage I'd be delighted to do something with 50lb Films to highlight what's happening especially since Carlow is getting such a mad name for things like this.'
The dog was in such bad shape that vets couldn't precisely identify its breed.
It is thought to be some type of lurcher and was found standing in its own urine and faeces. It is a male and thought to be around six months old and has no identification collar or chips.
Normally adult dogs found with mange have one or two mites but this dog was plagued with hundreds.
'He was with the vet for 48 hours,' said Gina Hetherington. 'He is here with us now and is a little brighter. He's very weak and has a long way to go. He's lucky to be alive.'
She described the incident as ' horrendous' and added that it scares her as this dog would not have been born alone.
'He's just a bag of bones. If Pauric hadn't have stopped and made the effort he wouldn't have made it.'
The dog rescued by Pauric Brennan recovers at PAWS animal shelter.
- LYNDA CONNOLLY
