IT IS suspected a spate of abused and neglected dogs abandoned in the Fermanagh countryside in recent months may be connected to the heart-wrenching case of two dogs that were found dead in horrific conditions near Aughnacloy at the weekend.
On Friday the two deceased German Shepherds were found tied together and weighed down by a dumbell at Carrick Lough near the Tyrone town.
It has now emerged a number of German Shepherds have also been found in very poor condition in east Fermanagh over the past year, and there have been calls for the local public to come forward with any information relating to the ongoing situation.
Local journalist and writer Emma DeSouza, who has rescued one of the neglected dogs, said she was aware of at least five German Shepherds found emaciated and injured in the Coonian, Knocks, and Fivemiletown areas.
Sadly, one of these dogs was infested with maggots and despite the best efforts of vets didn’t make it. The others have been left traumatised and with life-long injuries.
“All the dogs were found with scars and cuts, one girl was missing an ear, a boy was completely blind and our girl has had multiple litters,” said Emma. “She was 18kg when we found her, she’s now 36.5kgs, that’s how underweight she was.”
Emma and her husband adopted their girl, Wraith, after she literally walked up their driveway on April 30th. Having contacted the dog warden, they later found out through Pets Lost and Found Fermanagh that a male German Shepherd had also been found at the same time on the Coonian Road.
That dog, Zeus, was taken to a vet in Omagh before finding a long-term foster home through Bright Eyes Animal Sanctuary.
“Two previous Shepherds were found in October near the Knocks community centre, both were rehomed,” added Emma.
“The most recent in Fermanagh was in June, a boy found near Carnmore Rock, he was rushed to the vets but had to be put to sleep.”
Another had been found near Lisnaskea, but this was slightly further away than where the other dogs had been abandoned.
Emma said while it is not certain, she genuinely believes the abandoned dogs may be connected to the dogs found in Augnacloy at the weekend, with those responsible possibly moving a little further away after the dogs were found in Fermanagh.
Katelyn Mannion, who set up Pets Lost and Found Fermanagh and is now director of the charity Lost Paws NI, also suspects the same culprits may be responsible.
“There is no doubt in my mind, it’s too suspicious,” she told the Herald, adding the current spate of abandoned German Shepherds first began last August when two young females were found.
Aside from the poor dog that didn’t make it, Katelyn said all four surviving dogs had found loving foster or forever homes and were now thriving, despite their ordeals.
She added Wraith “had walked up the right driveway” when she chose Emma’s home, stating “she is a completely different dog now from when I first saw her… she is just so happy now.”
However, it has been a tough journey for all involved, with Katelyn noting the cases were among the hardest her team has ever dealt with.
“A lot of them don’t want to be caught because they have had such bad interactions with humans, and that’s the tougher end of it,” she said.
“We got lucky with Wraith and Zeus, because they were older and they were so weak they didn’t have a lot of fight left in them.”
However, despite how well the rescued dogs are now doing, Katelyn said she and the team were anxious the situation may continue.
“Until someone is caught or something is done, you are just waiting for the next one,” she said, calling for more action from the police.
Anyone with any information, or who has seen anything suspicious, in relation to an abandoned dog is urged to contact Lost Paws NI, who will liaise with the relevant authorities, or contact police on 101 or by making an online report at www.psni.police.uk.
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