A severely injured lurcher dog who arrived in a terrible state has made an excellent recovery, thanks to the team at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre.
Soldier was found by a kind member of the public straying in a nearby wildlife area and arrived at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre in an awful state. He was dangerously underweight with a protruding rib cage, he had open sores on his legs, and his ear tip was damaged.
It was obvious that his wounds and injuries had been left untreated for some time and this poor boy was behaving like he was in shock. He was very accepting of all the care he received, he obviously knew the team was there to help him.
“We have no way of knowing how long he had been straying for before arriving here and his injuries were not fresh. His body condition alone would tell us that he had been neglected,” said his carer Kayleigh. “He was worried by things when he first arrived in January, but he’s come such a long way since then”.
Gradually over the past few months in our care, Soldier has started to find his feet again.
“He can still be a little worried, but we are seeing his real personality shine through now. He loves cuddles and will happily sit for half an hour or more on someone’s lap enjoying the attention. Now that he’s used to human affection, he can get quite lonely and loves being in the company of people; this is so positive for a dog who was also neglected by people. We’d like to find him a home where he’ll have lots of attention, ideally someone who is home a lot and can spend all day with him – he deserves the very best after everything he’s been through,” added Kayleigh.
“He’s still a bit anxious around other dogs, although we have carefully introduced him to another dog in our care and they have enjoyed a few walks together. All in all, he’s just a really good boy and it’s fantastic to see how far he’s come during his time in our care”.
Soldier is currently on a care plan to help him gain weight and, once he’s reached his goal he’ll be ready to find a new home.
A growing problem
Soldier is just one of many animals we see who arrive at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre with significant medical issues.
“Many pets are going without urgent medical care, particularly during the cost of living crisis and unfortunately we are picking up the pieces,” explained Jodie Hayward, Animal Home Manager at Bristol Animal Rescue Centre.
“More animals are coming into our care with complex needs, and fewer people want to adopt them. We need support to give more of them a second chance at a happy life,” she added.
We’re here to make sure that no animal gets left behind, but we’re up against a challenge. Nationally, animal intake is up 8.4%* as pet owners struggle to afford their pets’ care during the cost of living crisis.
We’re seeing an increase in pets arriving with untreated medical conditions, which means they’re staying longer too – the average stay for a dog is up from 85 days to 93 days. Not only that, but there are fewer people willing to adopt, particularly dogs like Soldier with complex needs.
Dogs like Soldier need time, patience and care. We wouldn’t be able to provide that without our kind supporters. By giving what you can, you’re helping to ensure dogs like Soldier get a second chance at a happy life.
Please donate to our Spring Appeal to help more vulnerable animals like Soldier.
