A little dog has died after being tied to a wire fence and abandoned in the Killygordon area.
The dog was one of two dogs tied together with cord and left to die in the Gleneely area this week.
The second dog managed to escape but refused to leave its deceased pal’s side.
Rescue workers with the Twin Towns Lost and Found Dogs charity saved the second dog yesterday. It is now being fed and cared for by local volunteers.
The shocking case of cruelty has left volunteers traumatised.
Doreen Russell, manager of Twin Towns Lost and Found Dogs, told Donegal Daily: “We didn’t sleep that night. It’s hard you see a lovely wee dog, with a good life in front of it, die like that. No good will come of it.”
Doreen said the dogs were tied in such a way that they couldn’t get free from the fence. She believes that the smaller dog got its head trapped in the wire and died. The second dog was seen straying in the area, but thanks to local neighbours and patient farmers, they managed to trap it.
“The area was full of sheep, but luckily the farmers were good, they knew he meant them no harm,” Doreen said.
“He is as light as a feather. At the minute we are getting him built up again, trying to give him good fish oil for his coat. He is loving and friendly and he is wagging his tail. We are giving him peace now and we’ll gradually introduce him to the other dogs. He’ll stay with us for his vaccination.
“At the end of the day we’ll rehome him if we find a good home.”
The second dog escaped and survived
Sadly, the little dog bore the brunt of the ordeal.
“The two of them had to come from the same place. The wee dog was nice and there was no reason to do that, it could have been trained, it didn’t get a chance of a life,” Doreen said.
The deceased dog was taken by the ISPCA who are looking into its history. It was microchipped, Doreen said.
“We don’t know where he came from, but somebody knows.”
The deceased dog was found trapped with cord around its neck.
Doreen has been rescuing dogs since she was 12 years old. In 2013 she made it official by applying for charity status for her shelter.
Doreen warns that the cost of living crisis will see many more dogs being abandoned or put up for rehoming.
“The energy crisis and the cost of living have really impacted on people with dogs. The price of food has gone up crazy,” she said.
“And some people are giving up their dog because they can’t afford the kennel and they want to go on holidays.
“It’s going to be a terrible year for dogs, I see it going back to dogs being put down again,” Doreen warned.
Twin Towns Lost and Found Dogs is funded by the Animal Welfare Grant, a charity shop and public donations. If you wish to donate, visit the shop in Ballybofey or donate online: https://twintownslostandfounddogs.weebly.com/
CHARITY NO: 20081072
