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The Animal Welfare Cause
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Loading...Irresponsibility Leads to Death of Pekinese Dog
A devastating story from Waltham, MA shows firsthand how an irresponsible pet owner can needlessly cost the life of an animal. A Pekinese dog was found abandoned on the side of a road by a Good Samaritan. The dog was unable to move or walk because of severe matting of its fur, due to years of neglect by an owner who didn’t consider grooming an essential part of taking care of a pet. The little Pekinese died as a result.
Veterinarians said it was the most extreme case of animal neglect they had ever seen. The male Pekinese dog was literally trapped in his own fur.
The dog that the staff at Kindness Animal Hospital named Mattie was between 9 and 12 years old. His owners had allowed his fur to grow to the point that he was completely immobilized. Susan Rosenblatt DVM treated the little dog, but he died a few days after arriving at the hospital due to pneumonia and complications from his matted fur.
“It was just one big ball of fur, feces and urine. He was responsive at the time, but he couldn’t move or stand up,” Dr. Rosenblatt told The Boston Channel.
“The mats were so big and thick that an open safety pin, which appeared on an X-ray we took, couldn’t be found after we clipped his fur,” continued Rosenblatt.
It took a full hour of clipping to release Mattie and when it was done, he weighed 4 pounds less.
“His ears, which are normally less than 3 inches long, were nearly a foot long with the mats. Matted fur also pulls on the skin, causing a great deal of irritation and pain,” she continued.
Rosenblatt found that Mattie’s muscles had atrophied because he had been unable to move for a long time and his nails had grown in a complete circle from not being trimmed. He was also extremely emaciated and blind in one eye.
Rosenblatt was at his side when Mattie died from the pneumonia. “We just wanted him to know the gentle touch of a human. I think he did know that.”
City police and animal control are looking for the owners because they fear other pets in the household may be similar condition. They are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identity of the owner.
It’s sad to hear about a pet growing old or becoming sick, but it is demoralizing to realize the only reason Mattie’s life ended was because his human guardian didn’t take time to have him groomed.
Read more: animal neglect, animal welfare, pekinese dog matted
Creative commons Blackangel
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222 comments
+ add your ownWhy have a dog when you're not even going to take care of it. Disgusting.
AW HOW SAD AND HORRIBLE X
poor dog
These people obviously didn't take responsibility for their actions. If they were going to adopt a pet they should know the responsibilities that come with him/her. If after they realized they could not take care of him they should have taken him to another place where he could be taken care of. They should most definately be punished for their actions.
Just BREAKS my heart to think an innocent loving animal died because of some LAZY ASSHOLE!
Noted and sign !
Animals should be allowed to run this country and make the rules. Seems to me that they are the intelligent ones, not the so called humans who take up space on this planet. A pea brain ought to be able to comprehend one of the most basic things involved with owning a long haired dog: grooming. People are just so stupid and ignorant. Most things in life are just common sense issues, but then again most people don't have common sense. I get so sick of reading these horror stories about animals.
People if you can call them that are selfish cruel idiots that have no idea how to look after anything just themselves.Yes the owners must be tracked down and prosicuted.Banned from ever owning any animals, and even more impotrant every animal that is found in the "home"must be took awy and treat with humanly.Society seems to have pets for cruel, sick, vile, live entertainment these days, ansd no laws are their to protect the animals.WHY? If these people have children then i would have the children took off them and all cases that involve cruelty, neglect., abuse, and suffering to any animals living in these "homes"And definatly would ber banned from ever having or working with all animals for ever.These people are criminals,willful neglect ,clean the streets of all animal abuseres,think of the victims like in humans .Sadly no one seems to think of them .my veiw is punish a criminals not the victims ,no justice is as bad as the abusers to me if the law would stop this by imprisoning these people and having them as an example, the numbers will drop.But as the law stands at the moment no one fears a prison sentance as very few go to prison ,so can continue to carry ony ,they depraves actions to other innocent victims .Only the next time they become even more sly as to not get caught.And what of the poor animals that are never found ,think of their on going agonising fear, and suffering,all because the victims are "just an animal" The animals are the ones causing this cruelty if
My brother has a dog that was rescued from an abandoned house.
The animal rescue people here bring dogs to a friend of ours that does grooming, and he still has a picture of Spot on the wall with the caption "Worst Yet."
His health is much better now, and he's been a great dog, but he had similarly been neglected in every way, including grooming (that picture looks nothing like he does now), and he was in danger of dying because he couldn't evacuate feces with all the matting of hair.
Even more surprising, the owner showed up trying to claim him, and when they mentioned that he'd be charged with cruelty to the dog, he recanted, denied owning any pets, and left.
It was good timing, too, as we were looking to replace another dog who had recently died, especially since the dog we still had was clearly depressed to have lost his friend.
Spot actually was one of 2 dogs that replaced the one that died; the other was recovered by police in a raid on a drug house, where the puppy appeared to have been kept to someday be used for baiting fighting dogs.
This isnt about not knowing, ignorance, or I couldn't afford to take it to the vet/groomer... this is down right abuse, and should be prosecuted, or made to pay in some way. Bless the people who offered a reward to find them.
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