Sick puppy was dumped in dustbin

September 1983

Dog owners have been warned to be on guard against a disease which can kill pets in a matter of days.

The warning comes from the ISPCA after a four-week-old puppy found dying in a rubbish bin last Thursday died two days later, despite the best efforts of a vet to save it.

The brown and white coloured spaniel died from the effects of the deadly Parvo virus disease, and now Gardai and ISPCA officers are trying to trace the callous owner who dumped the pup in a dustbin near the CBS primary school.

‘Animal owners should be on guard against this disease and should report any symptoms of illness to a vet,’ ISPCA officer, Mr Hugh Harold, said on Wednesday.

The pup was rescued from the bin by a twelveyear-old schoolboy who heard it whimpering as he passed by.

The boy took it home, but efforts by the family to feed it and trace its owner were unsuccessful.

Contact was made with Mr Harold, who took the little animal to a vet, but constant care by Mr and Mrs Harold and several injections failed to save its life.

Said Mr Harold: ‘There have been many cases of cruelty to animals in Wexford, but this one takes beating.’

And he again appealed to owners of unwanted dogs and other animals to contact him instead of disposing of them in such a gruesome manner.

‘Owners can get help and advice from the Gardai, any veterinary surgeon, and from the ISPCA,’ he said.

Dogs suffering from Parvo will become tired and show a general lack of mobility. Another symptom is the inability of the animal to keep down food, or even water.