Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Probe over Staffie in ‘appalling’ state
A PROBE has been launched by the Scottish SPCA after an “appalling” picture emerged of a severely underweight Staffordshire bull terrier.
The dog is understood to have been taken away from an address in Dundee after neighbours alerted the animal charity.
It is believed a resident took the dog — with its bones clearly showing — into their home and fed it before inspectors came and collected the canine.
The Scottish SPCA today confirmed it is investigating.
Dundee folk hit out at the dog’s treatment, with many saying they were shocked.
Posting online, one animal lover said they were “astounded and absolutely gobsmacked.”
Another described the dog’s state as “absolutely appalling”.
The person added: “There is a rescue shelter for Staffies that could have been contacted — no need to make the poor dog suffer.” A number of Staffordshire bull terrier charities have been set up in a bid to cope with the large number of the breed that tend to be neglected.
Linda Quinn, who runs the Missing Pets, Dundee and Angus Facebook page, said: “Seeing a picture like that disturbs me and will disturb the Dundee public greatly. I’d like to say thanks to the person who took him in, or perhaps the dog would have died. All I would be asking from the public is if they ever see or know of anything like this, is to pick up a phone and report to many agencies that offer help to animals in Dundee or check rescue pages on Facebook.
“Our page alone would jump into action and get the animal help, whether it be medical help or animal cruelty.”
Shona McCann, chair of Scotland Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue — which deals with dogs from the Tayside area — said: “It’s extremely sad to hear of cases where dogs have been neglected.
“There is no excuse for any dog to be let to get into any sort of terrible state. People struggling to look after their dog should pick up a phone and get in touch with their local rescue centre — that’s what we are here for.”
Scottish SPCA inspector Karen Cooper said: “We were called to a property in Dundee on Sunday and inquiries are ongoing. Anyone concerned about the welfare of any animal should contact our animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”