A South Wales rescue centre is appealing for information after a dog was found ‘in critical condition’ with a tea towel in his gut, causing his intestines to turn black.
Rex, a German Shepherd was brought to Hope Rescue as a stray after he was found wandering around near St Mary's Golf Club close to Pencoed yesterday.
There was immediate concern due to his ‘weight and demeanour’ so he was taken to a vet for an assessment.
In a post on Facebook , the centre said: “He was found to be dehydrated and a blood test showed very low sodium and chlorine levels.
"Although Rex began to drink and eat at the vets, his demeanour and blood levels did not improve and a contrast dye test showed on X-ray that his digestive system was not working as it should.
“ It was decided that exploratory surgery was the only option.”
More investigations under general anaesthetic, led to the discovery of a partially digested tea towel twisted in Rex’s guts.
“This has been there for some time, making Rex’s condition continually deteriorate and areas of the intestine had turned black.” The post continued.
“Had this been left much longer it is likely that he would not have survived. The tea towel was so large that multiple incisions had to be made to be able to remove it.
“The next few days are critical due to his condition but so far Rex is doing well and we are hopeful that this has been life-saving surgery.
"For obvious reasons, we are keen to find out how Rex ended up in such a critical condition and why veterinary care was not sought earlier.”
The surgery cost over £3,000, and according to Hope Rescue has come at a time when they are ‘in the midst of a new welfare crisis’ with over 150 dogs currently in their care.
This has led them to appeal to the public for donations to alleviate the financial pressure the shelter is currently facing.
“One of the consequences of that crisis is that our vets bill is already over £20,000 for this month. Rex’s treatment has already exceeded £3,000 but our commitment to the dogs that arrive in our care remains constant.” They said.
“We want to make sure all our dogs get the best chance to live the lives they deserve. If you can help, then we would be most grateful.”
The appeal, which you can donate to here , has already raised over £1,000 towards Rex’s surgery.
The Facebook post received over 1,000 reactions in just under 16 hours, with people flooding the comments section to express outrage at Rex’s condition, and speculating what led him to ingest the towel.
One person said: “Poor little pup. Perhaps he was so hungry he ended up eating the tea towel. Get well soon Rex”
Another commented: “What is wrong with humans, just no words for such sad failings by us so-called intelligent beings, really saddens me, just how and why.”
A third added: “Whoever kept this dog in this state needs locking up. If they couldn’t afford the cost of the vet fees then they should have surrendered him long ago.
“It’s awful what some humans do to dogs and it’s the dogs who are classed as animals! I sincerely hope that this poor dog pulls through and then has a home and the love that he deserves.”
If you have any information about Rex, please contact Hope Rescue on 01443 2266659 or email enquiries@hoperescue.org.uk .
You can also donate to the fundraiser over the phone at the number 01443 226659 between 9am- 5pm or text REX to 70085 to donate £5.
