A veterinary nurse has shared the worst abandonment case she has witnessed in more than 50 years of rescuing stray dogs. Val Phillips, founder of Valgrays Rescue in Surrey, was left in tears by American bulldog cross Liza.
She was inhumanely dumped and "bred to near death" on the streets. It comes as the number of dogs being abandoned skyrockets amid the cost of living crisis and rescue centres across the UK exceed capacity.
The RSPCA reports 104 dumped animals every single day. Val fears the future of animal welfare and predicts "the worst is yet to come" as Liza is just the tip of the iceberg.
Liza was discovered in an appalling condition by a dog warden on August 25 and taken straight to an emergency vets in Beckenham, Kent. Val told the Mirror: "She was abused, emaciated, bred to near death and on the verge of collapse. The life she endured must have been hell.
"She weighed 14kg and should be double that around 35kg. She was starving and looked like a walking carcass. The vet buried his head into her body and we all stood crying, wondering how someone so inhumane could have done this to her."
The poor pooch was diagnosed with pneumonia and medics gave her a 50 per cent chance of surviving. With the help of IV drips, antibiotics and round-the-clock care, Liza's condition began to improve and she started eating food.
She was released on the condition that former vet nurse Val treated Liza herself with tender-loving care, heat lamps and medication. "She is the sweetest and kindest dog you'll ever meet, an absolute beacon of light," Val said.
"She is improving and walking now but still weak and underweight. She has a long way to go and will need an eye operation to fix her cataracts before we can rehome her.
"Liza's story needs to be told. She is the worst neglected case I have seen in over 50 years."
Speaking about the animal welfare crisis, Val added: "We are dealing with so many dumped dogs now as the puppy boom has dropped from the market. We recently picked up 13 dogs dumped in a field in a terrible state.
"But despite being at full capacity, I can't turn puppies away. I think it's only going to get worse. Every pound is full and unwanted backstreet breeders are disposing of the animals they can't sell.
"We definitely haven't seen the worst of it yet." Val runs Valgrays Rescue from her home in Surrey along with four other dedicated volunteers. If you'd like to donate towards the costs of Liza's care, please visit the Facebook group for details.
