Severely emaciated lurcher dumped from vehicle days after giving birth

Agnes when she was first brought to Dogs Trust. Picture: Jason Seagrave

A leading animal charity said it was "deeply shocked" by the discovery of a female lurcher dog, who had recently given birth, dumped from a vehicle near one of the charity’s offices.

Dogs Trust said the lurcher, which it has named 'Agnes', was cast out of a car close to Finglas in Dublin.

Luckily, a witness to the incident managed to rescue the traumatised dog and bring her safely to the charity’s nearby premises.

The charity said Agnes was in an extremely emaciated condition when she arrived, and a subsequent veterinary examination discovered she was also suffering from severe dental disease and had likely given birth to a litter of puppies just days before she was abandoned.

Despite its best efforts, the charity said it could not locate any of Agnes’s pups.

“She was skeletal and just lay down in the reception area of our centre, so I had to carry her to see our vet,” said administration assistant manager at Dogs Trust Sandra Ruddell. 

Unfortunately, we will never know what became of her puppies. 

"What makes it more upsetting is what an extremely sweet and gentle-natured dog she is and the fact she was producing milk for pups she would never get a chance to feed.” 

Ms Ruddell said that, following extensive treatment, Agnes’s condition has improved significantly and she is now looking like a different dog.

A much healthier and happier Agnes today. Picture: Fran Veale

"We can’t thank her foster family and the kind people who brought her to us enough,” she said.

At present, the charity is caring for 154 dogs, and amid a sharp increase in the number of dogs being surrendered to it over the past few months. Dogs Trust has appealed for people to foster dogs in their homes if they are in a position to do so.

“Being a foster carer gives you all the joy of helping a rescue dog learn about life in a home without the long-term commitment and it’s perfect for dog lovers who aren’t in a position to adopt a dog yet,” said Dogs Trust foster coordinator Kate Horgan.

"If you can temporarily welcome a rescue dog into your home, and especially if you have experience with dogs, we would love to hear from you."

• More information on fostering can be found on Dogs Trust's website