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‘The most shocking animal cruelty story staff at Rochdale RSPCA have ever seen’
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How could they?
by Lisa Gray23/ 4/2008
A GROUP of four and five-year-old children has beaten a dog to within an inch of its life in a ‘sickening’ attack.
Brutal kids used a stick to batter a terrified 10-week-old Staffordshire bull terrier pup before they were chased off by a passer-by.
The puppy underwent lifesaving surgery – though is still likely to have a leg amputated.
The Good Samaritan, who wished to remain anonymous, saw the small children hitting an object repeatedly on fields on Darnhill, last Wednesday morning. He was shocked to see a tormented animal cowering in pain as the child attackers fled the scene.
The passer-by immediately took Meg, as she has been named by vets, to the animal centre on Redcross Street, where staff operated on her fractured femur. But the nerve damage was so severe, it looks probable that a hind leg will have to be amputated.
Thankfully, there is a very different side to Heywood. Since The Advertiser reported last week that a tiny terrier was dumped at the gates of a pet hotel in Langley Lane, more than a dozen people have volunteered their homes to adopt him.
But the news about the beaten puppy, Meg, is the most shocking animal cruelty story staff at Rochdale RSPCA centre have ever come across.
Animal centre manager, Jean Spencer, who has adopted Meg while she is on the road to recovery, said: "I’ve never heard of such a terrible animal cruelty case before. The age of the children makes it absolutely sickening. They should know the difference between right and wrong.
"If they are doing this aged four and five, just imagine what they will be doing when they are 14 and 15."
The puppy is so badly hurt at the moment, she needs to live in a cage for her own protection.
Jean takes her to work each morning and then takes her home at night, but she will not be able to foster Meg indefinitely as she has her own pets to look after.
Jean said: "She is obviously very upset and despite the operation and the care we are giving her, she regularly whimpers with pain. Despite the distress, she is a lovely puppy. All she wants is to be hugged and kissed and cared for. It is beyond belief how children of this age could have brought themselves to hurt her."
The story of the Jack Russell terrier abandoned last week, complete with his kennel, at the Birch Pet Hotel and Dog Training Centre, reveals the genuinely caring side of so many people. Robert Aston, who runs the centre with his mum, Sue, said they have had an ‘unbelievable’ response since the Advertiser’s story.
He said: "A lot of people were touched by the story and really fell for the dog when they saw his picture. We are going to invite people down here and we are going to ask those people who already have a dog to bring it with them so we can check whether the two pets are going to get on together."
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26/04/2008 at 00:08
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