Dog dies after being ‘eaten alive’ by maggots due to severe neglect in Dublin

"This dog suffered immense pain as she was practically eaten alive by fly maggots".

A young Shih Tzu dog has died in what is being described by the DSPCA as the worst case of coat matting and cruelty towards a dog for years. Last Thursday, 11 July, the DSPCA received a call relating to a collapsed dog in the Lisdisfarne area of Clondalkin, Dublin 22. The dog, a small female Shih Tzu, was found in a severally matted and neglect state. She had reportedly been seen around the Dublin housing estate prior to an inspector calling to collect her but it is not known where she may have originally come from and she was not microchipped. Upon arrival to the shelter, the dog could barely move due to the severe matting and fly infestation. She was also quite unwell. When the veterinary team examined her, they realised that the dog was infested with fly maggots and underneath the thick impacted matts were open wounds that had formed from urine and faeces that were embedded into the fur that accumulated over a period of years. Some of the wounds were fresh and others were so bad that the flesh had died and had already turned black. The DSCPCA's veterinary team spent over four hours removing the matting and the maggots, one by one. The wounds were then flushed and cleaned. Despite administering the dog with all the required medication, she died on Sunday. DSPCA Chief Inspector Liam Kinsella has described the condition of this dog as "utterly horrific". He adds: "The dog was not old and should have had a happy life but instead was subjected to complete neglect. A Shih Tzu is a family pet and should be treated as one but instead this little dog was subjected to filth and dirt with probably no washing or brushing of her coat since she was a pup. The owner must have known the skin was infected as it way raw and bleeding plus the presence of flies around the dog would have been evident." "This dog suffered immense pain as she was practically eaten alive by fly maggots and had open infected wounds under a filthy severely matted coat." The DSPCA has appealed for anyone with information on who the owner of this dog is to contact the inspectors line on 01 4994727 or email [email protected].