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UK TV: Heartbreaking plight of emaciated Irish boxer dogs on Animal A&E

By April Neale Mar 21, 2013, 22:31 GMT

The sad story of abused boxers - a pair of two-year-old brothers, which were rushed to a veterinary centre run by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) for life-saving treatment - are the focus for the latest episode.

Americans often hear horror stories about how dogs are mistreated in Mexico and Puerto Rico, but many have no idea of the horrors happening in Ireland. 

This week, Andrea Hayes and the team as British TV3-show Animal A&E are reporting on animal welfare issues, meeting local vets and their patients and following the ISPCA inspectors as they investigate more cases of cruelty and neglect specifically in the UK and Ireland.

The sad story of abused boxers - a pair of two-year-old brothers, which were rushed to a veterinary centre run by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) for life-saving treatment - are the focus for the latest episode.

The Animal A&E reporting focuses on the unwanted and discarded dogs in Ireland. The horrifying state of the animals reflects the plight of a growing 'epidemic' of discarded dogs that are dealt by the ISPCA's officers according to the Daily Mail.

Inspectors said the two dogs, which are two-year-old brothers, were the most malnourished they had seen with sores on their body, which showed their skin was a closed to the bone as it could get, according to the Mail report.

ISPCA Inspector, Conor Dowling said 'irresponsible' dog ownership is a 'major animal welfare issue in Ireland with far too many owners not embracing concepts such as neutering and microchipping.

'We produce far too many puppies in Ireland,' he said, 'and this is reflected in the cases of canine cruelty and neglect that we encounter on a daily basis and the numbers of dogs discarded in our pounds.'

Donna M. Harrington, president of The Furry Angels Foundation in Southern California (www.thefurryangelsfoundation.com) says,"I don't get it. Deplorable people letting any animal get to this state. Every country needs to step up and stop animal abuse and enforce some real penalties for not looking after animals and making sure pet owners comply with registration, neutering and vaccine upkeep. This money can be put toward the shelter systems to help offset the costs of medical care and housing. Australia has some of the best laws that enforce and collect the fines people pay for not picking up or looking after after their pets."

Harrington continues, "I work with abandoned and abused dogs languishing in animal shelters all through Southern California, we clean them up, get them the medical care they need and through a large foster network, we place these lost souls with the right families. One of our goals is to address the lack of funds available for low income people to properly spay and neuter their pets; this is something we are hoping to change."

Watch Thursday at 19.30 on TV3 (UK) or catch-up on TV3's 3Player