A dog found on the side of a road in Radcliffe-on-Trent had to be put down in a "tremendously upsetting situation". Lauren Whaley found the dog tied to a fence with suspected stab wounds to the neck.
The 25 year old from East Bridgford took the dog to RSPCA Radcliffe on November 16 where she was named Candy. Lauren said: "She was really skinny, she looked like she just had puppies. She was not in a good shape and we were not entirely sure what was best to do.
"We rang a couple of animal charities, the dog warden came to us and then we went to the RSPCA." At the RSPCA, vets examined Candy and estimated her to be around three to four years old and was a Mastiff-type breed.
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They concluded the untreated wound Candy had was consistent with a knife injury as well as having suspected dog fight injuries on her face. Given the fact Candy was abandoned, the RSPCA cannot conclude full circumstances.
Lauren, who has a two-year-old French Bulldog, phoned the animal charity to ask for updates on Candy. Lauren added: "She was getting really angry with the other dogs and not getting on with them at all.
"They rang me back to inform me they made the decision to put her down. I went to social media to see if any other charities could help me as I didn't feel it was a very long time to make that judgement. Within three hours I had two dog behaviour specialists that were willing to train aggression out of her and another dog charity for a sanctuary space.
"I think if in six months to a year or whatever, if the dog is still got to the point where she was still showing a lot of aggression then fair enough, you have done what you could do."
The RSPCA decided it was best to put Candy down, which is "never a decision taken lightly". A spokesperson for the RSPCA Radcliffe Animal Centre said: “Poor Candy has been through so much and the branch’s staff have done all they can to help her. Sadly we will never truly know the extent of Candy’s past trauma which ultimately led to her abandonment and the impact this past life has had on her.
“Candy has been professionally assessed by a vet and clinical animal behaviourist. Her case has subsequently been discussed with an external veterinary behaviourist, dog warden and the police. There is collective agreement that sadly Candy’s welfare risk to herself, the public, other animals and staff cannot be safely managed through a rehabilitation programme.
“Candy’s welfare was suffering mentally and physically and she was showing signs of extreme behaviours and as a large and very strong dog she could not be fostered or rehomed as she posed a high risk to other animals and humans.
“This is a tremendously upsetting situation for all involved in the care of Candy and we would have loved nothing more than to have found her the loving home she deserved. We just take some comfort in the fact that we provided her with lots of love and care while with us.
“This is never a decision taken lightly, and happens very rarely when a dog poses a danger to other dogs, animals or humans. We give the best possible support to dogs in our care but cannot rehome a dog where there is a risk of harm to others.“
Upon hearing the news, Lauren added: "I have cried for about three days now. I was so upset and now I am just so angry about it. I am a huge animal lover in general so I think when you first get that news. I am an emotional person I just sat on the phone and cried because I was so upset that I felt I could not do anything."
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