9 Shaggy Dogs Rescued – Before & After Photos

This makes me so sad and so angry. I found this story at The Dodo website.

Nine very shaggy Standard Poodle-cross dogs were found abandoned in the UK and The Dodo’s Ben Guarino reported on their story:

“When nine dogs were found abandoned on a cold January night, their fur was so matted with mud they could have been confused for old, dirty mops.

Locals picked up the dogs, whose coats were painfully tangled and overgrown, in Winchester, U.K., on Wednesday:

“This is the worst case I have ever seen,” Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals inspector Jan Edwards said in a statement. “Even if just one of these dogs had been found in this state I would be appalled, but to find nine of them all in such a bad way is incredibly upsetting.” (Photo credit: Winchester City Council)

The dogs, struggling with their knotted fur, could barely stand or see. (Photo Credit: Winchester City Council)

But this shaggy dog story takes a turn for the better. The Winchester City Council took the dogs, all between the ages of 1 and 3, under its wings.

Vets removed up to 25 pounds of hair from each dog, and a spokesperson for the city council told The Dodo that the recovering dogs are “very affectionate.” (Photo credit: Winchester City Council: Bags of hair removed from the dogs).

After seven days, the RSPCA will take the dogs into its care, with the goal of finding new homes for the pooches. “Our first priority has been and remains the welfare of the dogs,” said Jan Warwick, Winchester’s environment and health councillor, in a statement. “The dogs are doing well in spite of their ordeal.”

Those in the UK looking to adopt a homeless dog or cat can visit the RSPCA website, and the Winchester City Council has put out a request for any information regarding these abandoned dogs.”

According to the Winchester City Council press release, “The investigation into who mistreated and abandoned the nine dogs in the Winchester district continues. Evidence is being gathered and the City Council is still urging the public to come forward…
Winchester City Council has taken several prosecutions under the animal welfare act.”

I would like to follow this case. First the guilty party/parties have to be found and charged, but once that happens, I’d like to see how effective the U.K. is in prosecuting animal cruelty cases. Although tougher laws in the U.S. have made animal cruelty and animal neglect cases easier to prosecute, they still remain woefully lacking.

I find the punishment phase of U.S. animal cruelty cases to be insufficient and I hope that continued outcries from the public to our lawmakers, prosecutors and judges will change that soon. In order for that to happen though, people need to speak up and speak out!

When you hear of animal cruelty and neglect cases, take a few minutes to do some basic research and contact those handling the cases. Phone calls, letters and emails ARE indeed taken into consideration. We need to be sure that the guilty don’t float out of the system with a mere slap on the wrist for crimes perpetrated against animals.

Remember that we humans are the stewards of God’s creatures and we need to speak for them as they cannot speak for themselves. It is our moral responsibility and obligation. Let’s start making a difference!

Please share your thoughts in the comment section.