FLOYD’S A REAL FIGHTER
Mistreated sharpei on the mend
Rescued from a life as a bait dog, this sharpei cross is on the road to recovery
FLOYD may have been used as a bait dog, but he has come out a fighter.
The two-and-a-half year old sharpei cross was recently rescued from Bundaberg after being surrendered to a rescue group in appalling condition.
Tracey Dale, co-founder of local rescue group Tails of the Forgotten, said the “teddy bear-like” dog came in with dog bite wounds, lacerations, ear infections and a rockmelon sized abscess filled with maggots on his neck.
“His whole body was infected and blown up,” she said. “He’s been attacked. The bloke who surrendered him said his mate’s dog had attacked him but he’s got all these old wounds.
“We believe he has been kept in a cage or a pen for most of his life ... and I’m pretty sure he’s been used as a bait dog.”
Bait dogs are often attacked by other dogs as a form of dog fighting, in a bid to make the attacking dog more aggressive.
Floyd was kept at a vet surgery in Bundaberg for a week before being brought to the Coast to a new start to life.
He will stay at a foster carer’s home for at least two months while he recovers from infections and wounds.
The young sharpei will also have his ears cleaned out and be desexed.
He is also booked in for entropion surgery on both eyes, which will help to correct a painful condition where the eyelashes roll inward.
Ms Dale said Floyd wouldn’t have done well in a rescue shelter kennel, which is why Floyd ended up on the Gold Coast.
She said costs for his vet treatment and surgery would end up totalling in the thousands, with the treated abscess expected to take at least six weeks to heal completely.
Despite his harrowing past, Floyd was a sweet dog and got along well with other dogs, Ms Dale said.
“He’s really laid back, chilled out and curious,” she said. “He’s very resilient and will make a great pet for someone. He will be very loyal and loving.”
Ms Dale said it was disappointing how some animals were treated.