A Derry charity has revealed the horrific injuries suffered by a pet Labrador who was allegedly attacked by hunting dogs in the city on Tuesday night.
The Golden Labrador has suffered severe and numerous bite, rip, puncture and slash wounds and remains so weak vets have not been able to safely sedate him to have his injuries flushed yet.
His rescuers say he would not have survived another night without medical attention. Despite weighing around five stones and in otherwise apparent good health, the dog's injuries and shock have left him vulnerable.
It is unclear who the owner of the dog is, if he has been stolen or lost. The attack happened in the Glengalliagh area of Derry.
WARNING : DISTRESSING IMAGES FOLLOW
Thousands of people responded to social media images of the dog holed up and trying to hide in a garden of a home on Tuesday night - blood could be seen on his coat.
He was too frightened to be caught by the householder who put out the alert.
A charity which works round the clock to rescue, reunite and rehome stray, lost and abandoned dogs, continued their search and on Wednesday the dog was found in the garden of a second property.
Drumahoe Vets accepted the dog into their care and in order to assess his injuries, they shaved much of his coat which revealed the horrors he had been through.
A spokeswoman for the rescue charity said on Wednesday night: "Our boy is safe and warm but has a very long road ahead of him.
"His injuries are horrific as the graphic images show. We were on the fence about posting them but with so much love and interest in this poor boy we felt you need to see for yourselves the extent of this attack and what your donations are going towards.
"These wounds are not superficial, they are through the muscle. Infection has already set in but he was too weak to go under anaesthetic today to get them flushed properly.
"He’s on fluids, IV antibiotics, and morphine and ketamine for pain relief. If he has stabilised tomorrow he may be strong enough for a more complex clean up.
"His legs, back, groin and neck are where the most extensive injuries are and understandably he’s miserable and terrified.
"Please keep this boy in your prayers, he’s by no means out of the woods. Thank you for all your help and shares to find him, he wouldn’t have made it another night."
The charity said the attack was reported to them by member of the public who was woken by a commotion at 3.30am on Tuesday. The witness reported that he had seen the Labrador being set upon by four or five "out of control" hunting dogs, leaving him with serious injuries.
They added: "It’s thoroughly disheartening that the opportunity to outlaw hunting with dogs was overruled by our main political parties. This type of catastrophic event is not an isolated incident.
Derry City and Strabane District Council is due to debate the ban on hunting with dogs on Thursday, after a Private Members Bill on the matter was thrown out of Stormont at the end of last year.
It is estimated that there are more than 8,000 dogs licensed within the council area and there are no registered dog breeders.
Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK where hunting wild mammals with dogs is still permitted. The Private Members’ Bill, which was brought by Alliance MLA John Blair, was thrown out of the Assembly.
Sinn Féin voted against the Private Members’ Bill while DUP MLAs got a free vote with some backing the bill while others voted against.
If you wish to donate to Pet FBI Rescue, you can click here and follow the link.