Dog was left with ‘protruding rib cage’ and open sores due to scale of neglect
A stray dog who left with a protruding rib cage has been rescued and seen his life transformed.Soldier the lurcher was found by a member of the public and rushed to the Bristol Animal Rescue Centre (Bristol ARC) in an awful state.He was dangerously underweight with a protruding rib cage, had open sores on his legs and his ear tip was damaged. It was obvious that Soldier’s wounds and injuries had been left untreated for some time and the animal was behaving like he was in shock, Bristol ARC staff said.
His carer at the charity, Kayleigh, said: ‘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. 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 Bristol ARC’s care, Soldier has started to find his feet again.
Kayleigh added: ‘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.’
Soldier has successfully completed a care plan to help him gain weight and now that he’s reached his goal he is available for adoption.
The dog is just one of many animals staff and volunteers see who arrive at the centre with significant medical issues.
Nationally, animal intake is up 8.4% as pet owners struggle to afford their pets’ care during the cost of living crisis.
Bristol ARC is 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.
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