A fluffy Chihuahua with disfigured legs was rescued from a mountainside after seemingly being abandoned there by his owners.
Little Albert was discovered on a mountain near Ferndale in Rhondda, Wales, with minimal mobility due to his deformed legs.
He was taken to Hope Rescue in Pontyclun, where staff came to the conclusion his owners abandoned him because they didn't want to pay his vet bills.
The elderly dog has had to have all but one of his teeth removed since being taken in by the rescue - and is currently receiving round-the-clock care at a foster home, Wales Online reports.
Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, Hope Rescue owner Vanessa Waddon said there was “no way” he could have got onto that mountain on his own.
“He was deliberately abandoned probably because they didn’t want to pay out for his vet fees,” she said.
In a Facebook post, Hope Rescue said: “At this stage there is nothing surgically that can be done, so the only option would be to amputate.
“However we feel his mobility is OK for now and that amputation would do more harm than good.”
“Our team have completely fallen in love with him and he really is adorable.”
Albert also has cryptorchidism, meaning his testes are in the wrong plane. As a result, vets had to search his abdomen leading to more incisions.
They found a mass which could be the testicle so had it removed and sent for a biopsy.
Poor Albert will need a lot of help with the cost of his treatment so far at £1,000. Hope Rescue has already said they are on track to hit £200,000 worth of vet bills in one year alone.
You can donate to help Albert and other dogs like him here .
