Recently, we received yet another call from one of the caregivers from the factories that a dog had been abandoned outside their factory. The owner simply and callously drove by and left the dog there to fend for itself; yet the dog never once suspected that he had been abandoned and waited for his owner’s return for two days, whining and barking in hope that his owner will soon come back for him.
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| He looked as is he had been crying for days |
Eventually, the dog followed the caregiver into the factory. Other than being heartbroken, he was also malnourished and walked with a limp. He soon realized that his owner was not going to come back for him, and fell into a depression. Refusing food and water, all he could think of was his owner who had left him behind.
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| Photograph sent to us by the workers |
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| We took him to the vet |
He was sent to the vet and renamed Taz. Taz had a wound on his back, and both his front and rear left paws were swollen and bleeding. It felt as if he had walked for days in search of his owner. Taz was slightly dehydrated. A full blood test was done and fortunately, Taz was tested negative for parvo virus, distemper, heartworm and tick fever.
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| Heartbroken |
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| Walked till his paws bled |
It was heart-breaking to see Taz in such a state. Even though Taz’s injuries were not considered serious, it was a heartache to see a dog this depressed. Throughout the whole vet visit, Taz hung his head low, refusing to look up or make eye contact with anyone. He was calm and even allowed the volunteers (who were total strangers to him) to pat and hold him. However, no amount of patting and treats could cheer Taz up, nothing could erase his emotional pain and sadness. He pined for his owner. . . . . whom he would never see again.
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| Abandoned with his old collar on |
Taz is truly an exemplar of a dog. Their loyalty and dedication to their owners are commendable despite having a heartless owner who discarded him like a used item. It is extremely disheartening to see that such irresponsible owners still exist and that they could simply just leave a dog to fend for itself after knowingly having domesticated them.
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| Taz had an old wound on his back |
Taz is estimated to be 4-5 years old. He looks slightly like a Lab but could be a crossbreed or a local breed.
Over the past week, Taz has been staying at the vet where his wounds are being cleaned daily. The vet remarked that Taz was very scared and nervous when the vet tried to change his bandages and hence had to be sedated while changing the bandage for his paws. Taz also had 2 seizure episodes over the weekend but after taking oral anti-seizure medication, the seizures have stopped. The cause of the seizures are yet to be determined and the vet has recommended that we do a MRI scan to determine the cause of the seizures. At this point of time, this will be put on hold.
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| Shaved off to clean the wound on his back |
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Taz can be discharged anytime but his wounds would still require daily cleaning while it heals and it is estimated that the wound would take 10-14 days to completely heal. As it is, our resources are stretched to the limit due to the recent spate of cases, especially cases such as Bobby’s where complicated surgical procedures were involved. Fosters are also urgently needed for Bobby and Cassie. For these reasons, it is with deepest regrets that we would have to let Taz move back to the factory where he was found and to allow the caregivers there to take care of Taz. It is of course our wish to be able to rehabilitate and rehome every injured dog we meet, yet limited resources and a lack of fosters have led us to make difficult decisions such as letting Taz go back to the factory. Our primary concern is that Taz would be unable to adapt to life as a stray, especially since he used to live in a comfortable home without a worry in the world. We are also worried about infections and complications developing before Taz’s wound can completely heal due to less sanitary living conditions for Taz in the factory.
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| He must be the world's saddest doggy |
Taz is also a reminder to all pet owners that owning a pet is not only a responsibility, but also a commitment. By bringing a pet home, you are not only pledging to take care of him and to give him a good home, but also making a promise that you will not forsake him, especially in times of need. Even if it is not possible for the owner to take care of his pet anymore, necessary arrangements should be made to find the pet a new and suitable home, instead of taking the easy way out and abandoning the pet.
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| Poor Taz |
After all, our pets would not leave us when we are in need, so how could we?
If you wish to help out with Taz’s vet bills, foster or adopt him, or help in any way possible, please email hopedogrescue@singnet.com.sg. Every bit of help matters and is greatly appreciated by both dogs and humans alike from Hope Dog Rescue.
Thank you.
Written by Zhiyi
