DUBAI // Images of a young dog believed to have been deliberately covered in hot tar in an effort to treat mange have been revealed to shock people into taking the proper action when trying to help injured animals.
The puppy, which was found abandoned in Al Ain, is thought to be a husky and about a year old. She was left outside an animal welfare clinic during the Eid weekend, suffering severe burns. Her injuries were so bad vets were unsure if the underweight animal, which had not eaten for some time, could be treated.
They contacted Animal Welfare Al Ain, which arranged for the dog to be taken to a vet in Dubai, where she remains critically ill.
The transfer was organised by volunteer Linda Tedd, who has been in the UAE for 31 years and runs animal import and export business, Pet Express Dubai.
Nevaeh, as the dog has been named, was sedated and given intravenous painkillers and an infusion pump overnight.
She had to be shorn of her fur to remove the tar, wrongly believed by some to be a cure for mange, a skin disease caused by parasitic mites.
Mrs Tedd posted photos of Navaeh on her Facebook page and launched an appeal for old T-shirts to help keep the dog warm and stop her licking her wounds.
Mrs Tedd said: “We believe, and hopefully we are correct, that the person who poured the hot tar on her was trying to treat her mange but it all went horribly wrong and she got burned beyond belief.”
On Monday, Nevaeh was listless and her poor blood test results showed that she was in need of a transfusion.
Within 10 minutes of phone calls and appeals, a list of donors was in place.
Luckily, a blood match was found in a pointer called Ted, owned by a woman in Arabian Ranches, Dubai.
The clinic has since been inundated with offers of T-shirts, blankets, towels and bedding, as well as offers for a new home for Nevaeh from animal lovers in the UAE and as well as France, Switzerland and the UK.
Well-wishers have also paid for her treatment by vet Dr Peter Jaworski, who was reluctant to speak of the dog’s survival chances.
“It is a very difficult case and every day is hard,” he said.
“I don’t want to raise people’s hopes. Two days ago we were losing her but then she started to walk again. People are disturbing me at work while I am caring for her, so I would ask to give her time and space.”
Dr Jamorski advised people to call experienced professionals or animal welfare charities for advice if they find an animal they think may be sick.
For sarcoptic mange, vets can prescribe anti-parasitic medications, as well as medication to ease itching, inflammation and secondary skin infections.
Kay Ivanova, who runs Dubai cat rescue charity 38 Smiles, has been monitoring the dog’s progress.
“I went to see her a few days after she was found and I was shocked by her injuries,” she said.
“There are a lot of stray dogs here but we think she must have been someone’s pet as she is pure-bred.
“We don’t know who did it and when but the fact it happened is just awful.
“This was one of the worst cases that I have seen. It is a long recovery, hopefully she will make it.
“I can understand why people may be worried about a vet’s rates and not want to take a sick animal to a clinic but there is often help available from charities.
“No one will be on their own in these kind of cases.”
nwebster@thenational.ae
