Starved dog covered in ‘infected puncture wounds’ dumped outside Maghera vets

Badly neglected Chance - as he is now called - was left on the road outside Glenshane Vet Clinics Ballynahone Road practice around Saturday lunchtime.

The five-year-old dog was in dire need of emergency care for wounds so infected and numerous the vet couldn’t count them.

Sarah Lamont, the veterinary nurse who has been looking after him, told the Mail: “I would doubt an owner would come forward.

“He was just dumped at our entrance and we think he was used for some kind of fighting or hunting as he was covered in puncture wounds. It could have been with badgers or foxes.”

At 22.6kg when he should be around 35kg, Sarah added: “He’s just a horrific sight, he’s skin and bones. He’s completely covered in scars all over his body from head-to-toe. It’s not just new wounds, he’s got old wounds as well [and] he’s been starved.

“He’s got a lot of puncture wounds from something that has been attacking him,” she added.

“We’re not really sure what he’s been through.”

And although now in safe and caring hands, Sarah said poor Chance “is not out of the woods just yet”.

“His wounds have become all infected,” she explained.

“He’s being treated with really strong antibiotics, obviously pain relief because he is so sore and we’re having to spoon feed him because he’s just so weak.

“He’s just petrified. Petrified of people,” she went on. “Over the weekend I’ve been dealing with him so he’s got used to me, he’ll eat and stuff from my hands, but he’s just bones.”

If Chance does pull through, Sarah said he will be joining her for a charity walk in Draperstown’s Derrynoid Forest on Sunday, August 16 at 3pm to help the vets raise money for the many unwanted and neglected dogs that are dumped on its doorstep.

An elderly couple has also offered to give “the sweet and gentle dog” a loving new home if he survives his treatment.

“If anybody has seen anything - any vehicles that may have been on the road,” Sarah is appealing for you to contact the clinic on 028 796 42279 so they can find who did this to Chance.