The devastating stories behind three frail dogs being cared for by Derry charity 'Friends of Rescue'

Friends of Rescue Derry took in seven animals in one day along earlier this week, including ‘Chelsea’ a Rottweiler who needed ‘urgent medical care.’

In a post on their Facebook page, a team member said: “She is a Rottweiler, she’s supposed to be a big, strong, proud girl and yet she can’t even stand up. Her head has caved in due to muscle wastage and her emaciated, skeletal body weights just 16kg

“She’s so frail she had to be carried into the vets, and carried back out again. She is utterly pitiful, and she really needs us right now.”

Chelsea is covered in cuts and sores and her iron levels are so low the vet can’t believe she’s ‘even alive.’

"Although her medical work has only just begun we are hopeful that we can fix this for her. We really want to. She is a sweet lady, middle aged and with hopefully a whole new life ahead of her if we can make it there. Please pray for our girl, her name is Chelsea.”

Friends of Rescue have also taken in ‘Patsy,’ who is only a ‘baby’.’

Patsy was, the charity said, ‘left into a vets after falling from a height... she was never collected’.

“Her leg is mangled and as it has been left too long from her injury, it has mended badly. Her toes are actually reaching to the sky and her leg is bent half way up which she now naturally balances on, if and when she can weight bear.” Patsy went in for amputation surgery yesterday, Monday.

And then there is little Stuart. The eight-week-old pup was found earlier this month in a bucket, with wire on the top ‘with two cigarette burns on his head, skin and bone and just a broken wee soul.’

“As if that wasn’t bad enough this wee man was parvo tested and albeit negative he has tested positive for giardia (a parasite of the bowel) and his wee frail, thin body is just about fighting it bless him.”

In a recent update, Friends of Rescue said little Stuart ‘is fighting the good fight and taking it all in his stride’.

“His wee frail body is just heartbreaking to see. He's still heartbreakingly skinny but his foster mum is giving him all the TLC and encouragement he needs and she is so proud of him.”

Friends of Rescue relies on donations to help support the animals in need. Along with Chelsea, Patsy and Stuart, a number of other cats and dogs are also in their care. If you can help, contact their vets Vets4Pets Crescent Link in person or via phone on 02871314420, or donate via PayPal link https://www.paypal.me/friendsofrescue. You can also check out the donation page on their merchandise shop where you can donate by debit/credit card

https://friendsofrescuemerch.square.site/donate