Dog lovers in Northern Ireland have been asked to choose a name to a dog who died without one after a life of hell as a puppy farm breeder.
The spaniel was discovered last week lying in a ditch in Forkhill, Co Armagh on the verge of death, unloved, uncared for and with no microchip or identity.
Vets at the USPCA worked fast to treat her but her suffering was too great and her conditions without hope of recovery and they gave her a peaceful end to stop suffering.
But she died without a name and this week Aisling Denny who runs a dog group in Northern Ireland reached out to her supporters to ask them to help remember the dog and give her the dignity of a name.
Now the little dog has been given a series of names and Aisling hopes DogsLive readers add many more and that the USPCA will put them on her record of treatment.
Aisling said: “This beautiful dog spent her life as a puppy farm breeder and disgustingly, she was thrown away like a bit of rubbish. When I read the story I couldn't get her out of my mind and it just broke my heart.
"The hashtag on the article was #shehadnoname and the USPCA explained that the wee dog didn’t even get a chance to be given her own name because she was so ill and they had to move very fast to help her.
“Vets believe this poor dog was repeatedly bred in a puppy farm and she was discarded in the most cruel way when she was no longer of any use to them.
"All those puppies she was forced to have made money for the farmer and gave so much happiness and joy to families who didn't realise how she'd been suffering. She gave her life and it would have been a miserable and cruel life.
“Now she's out of pain but it bothers so many of us that she died without a name. Every dog deserves a name so we have started to give her names.
“My hope is that while she is gone, she won't be forgotten amongst the thousands of dogs who have been used and abused in puppy farms and thrown away.
“We wanted to give her meaningful names, and we hope that others will lend their support and send DogsLive as many names as they can, all sorts of names, a recognition that she was here and if she'd been with the right people she would have been loved.
"And we want to send a message to the puppy farmers that we hate what they do, we hate how they treat these precious souls.
"This poor dog only knew love and care for the last few hours of her life. During her life as a breeder she'd have had no care or comfort, no gentle hand to hold her. The puppy farmer thought she was just a dog to be used and abused but today we claim her, she was our dog, Northern Ireland’s dog, we love her and we name her.'
“Well she was our dog, Northern Ireland’s dog, we claim her, we love her and we name her.
"The names she has been given so far are Realta meaning star, Adira meaning strong, Aiofe meaning one who gives life, Realtin meaning little star, and Zaya which means brave and fearless.
“Please add your choice of name for her, let’s give this poor girl an identity, a sign of love for what could have been.”
The dog, believed to be a liver and white Springer Spaniel, was discovered lying in a ditch by a member of the public last weekend in the Longfield Road area of Forkhill, Co Armagh.
She was suffering with severe mange and a serious skin infection and had a very large tumour in her abdomen.
Vets from the USPCA assessed the little dog on her arrival and they believed she had been repeatedly bred and left untreated for serious medical conditions. They said they had no option but to end her suffering and put her to sleep.
If you would like to help name this spaniel please add your choice of names in the comments section and they will be forwarded to the USPCA for their records.
MLA Robin Newton said: “This is yet another dreadful example of dogs and pups being used and abused only for huge profits.
"The cruelty of the illegal puppy farmers is well known, and the introduction of my Private Members' Bill will help address not only the cruelty of the puppy farmers, but those who deal in the sale and trafficking of the pups."
If you have any information about this dog please contact the USPCA on 028 3025 1000.
