PETA Offering £10'000 Reward After Dog Found Abandoned With Severe Injuries
An animals rights group is offering a £10'000 reward for information after a small dog was found abandoned with horrendous injuries in a Birkenhead cemetery.
The dog was found by members of the public in undergrowth in a remote part of a cemetery off Collin Road, in Prenton, Merseyside, on Saturday (25 January).
Vets who examined the dog - who was named Elmo by veterinary staff - said that every bone in his body had been broken at some point in his life.
Four different vets, including a bone specialist, all agreed it was not possible to fix the extensive damage. His injuries were so severe that he was euthanised earlier today (Monday) on veterinary advice.
RSPCA animal welfare officer John Littlewood said: “When Elmo was found, he was covered in faeces and smelled of stale urine, and had severely overgrown claws which curling back on themselves.
“I suspected he had two broken back legs and took him straight to a vet. They made him comfortable and x-rayed him.
“I was shocked when the vet came back to say there was almost no bone in the dog’s body which had not been broken, he had broken hips, broken ‘wrists’ and cartilage damage.
“The vet believes some of the injuries could date back several years. It’s difficult to imagine the pain and suffering this poor little dog has endured. I have dealt with some shocking cases but this is the most severely injured dog I have ever helped, even when I’ve dealt with dogs hit by cars their injuries have not been as extensive as this.”
AWO Littlewood said that this was a heartbreaking incident, adding: “There is no way he could have got himself into the cemetery with those injuries. I strongly believe he was dumped and left to die in the cold. He was caked in filth and urine, so I suspect he may have been kept caged up for some time.
“I have no doubt that someone knows who owned this little dog, we need to hear from them so we can find out what happened to him.”
Now PETA have offered a £10'000 reward in hope of finding those responsible. Kirtsy Henderson from the group says:
This case is horrendous, what I want to happen for this not to go un-noticed. The reward is so big because of the level of torture Elmo suffered. We couldn't really sit back in silence, we had to do something particular large so people will notice."