A shocking incident of pet cruelty has occured in the UK, as a German Shepherd dog has died after its owner treated its infection using advice from the Internet. Unfortunately, the pet owner did not take the dog to a veterinarian, which finally resulted in its death.
Before the death, the German shepherd dog named Lenny suffered intense pain after the 10 cm wound on its face opened up. Later, it was extended to its mouth, and as the condition got worsened, the wound was filled with live maggots and faecal bacteria. The Wirral Magistrates Court heard that the dog's fur was matted and thick with dirt and more live maggots were seen crawling underneath.
During the time of the hearing, Theresa Dixon, the owner of the dog said that the hole in the dog's face opened up just half an hour before she took Lenny to the veterinarian in Upton. The veterinarian doctor said that the dog has been suffering from intense pain for some days, if not weeks. To end its pain, the doctors decided to put him to sleep forever.
Chris Murphy, RSPCA prosecutor, said that the dog might have been saved if the owner has taken it to a vet in the early stages of the wound. "She said the animal had been scratching his face due to recurrent ear infections and she had been treating it at home. The wound was extremely severe and it extended under the skin 3cm, 5cm and 10cm at its deepest," said Murphy.
According to Chris Murphy, the wound had been present significantly longer than the timeframe given by the owner, and the presence of live maggots clearly substantiates this fact. Murphy also told the court that the owner of the dog adopted tips and techniques from the Internet to treat Lenny.
