From down and out to living like a prince

When Albert was abandoned in a field, the people who left him must have known the little dog would be terrified.

And they must have known he was in pain. The open wound on the underside of his muzzle was unmistakably in need of urgent veterinary attention.

Thankfully for Albert, a kind couple spotted him all alone and hurried over to help the terrier.

The dumped dog had suffered horrendous facial wounds. He had several cuts to his face, and an enormous, deep cut on his chin.

The couple rushed Albert to our Blue Cross Hertfordshire rehoming centre where they knew we would help the sad and dejected youngster.

Shocking mistreatment

“Sadly we do see some very sad cases of mistreatment at Blue Cross,” says Kirsten Findlay, Rehoming Supervisor at our site in Kimpton, Herts. “But Albert’s injuries were severe, and the team were all really shocked that someone had allowed him to get into that state.

“We’re here to help pets find new homes when their owners can no longer care for them, so there’s no need to leave a dog all alone, especially when they’re in a lot of pain.”

Albert’s injuries were consistent with a wild animal attack, and we suspect he had been used for the cruel and illegal practice of badger baiting. He had suffered puncture wounds to most of his face. Cuts covered the inside of his lips and shoulders, his face was swollen, and he couldn’t open his right eye. When vets first tried to examine him, he recoiled in pain.

After getting him initial emergency first aid from vets local to our rehoming centre, we transferred Albert to our Victoria animal hospital in central London for further treatment, where he remained for a month.

Amanda Rumball, London Welfare Officer, explains: “From the day he arrived, Albert wagged his tail at everyone despite being in huge amounts of pain, which just shows what a trooper he is.

“Our main concern was the large open wound on his chin. The skin in the area had died, leaving him at real risk of serious infection. Because there was no healthy skin in the area, it wasn’t possible to close the wound immediately and the process took several weeks.”

Due to the location of his wound and the potential for infection, Albert had to be treated in isolation for his own protection.

He underwent daily flushes to clean the wound, as well as multiple procedures to remove the dying skin, stretch the healthy skin, and stitch up small areas at a time. It took three weeks and eight procedures to get Albert’s body to a state where it could eventually heal itself. Though this would have been extremely uncomfortable for the young dog who had already been through so much, he placidly allowed our vets and nurses to treat him.

From foster to forever home

Veterinary surgeon Johannah Maxwell remembers well her first encounter with Albert at our Victoria hospital.

“He was gorgeous, but he was very sad,” she says. “He was being barrier nursed, where you need to wear special gloves and protective clothing to touch him because he had an open wound, and he was very, very brave.”

Amazed by Albert’s resolve and knowing he was looking at a lengthy stay in hospital kennels, Johannah took him into foster care to give him some home comforts. It was there she realised just how neglected the little terrier had been.

Johannah says: “The first day [in foster care] he was terrified. I don’t think he’d been in a house before. I put him on the sofa and he just sat there for two hours in a little shut down ball. He didn’t know how to get up and down stairs at all, he wasn’t housetrained, and was just nervous about everything. He didn’t know what a toy was either; he didn’t have a clue how to play with anything.

“He was scared of men. Whenever my dad stood up to go into another room, Albert would run away.”

Slowly, and thanks to Johannah’s patience, kindness and love, Albert emerged from his shell. Johannah introduced him to squeaky toys and helped him to realise that he was allowed to have fun.

And although Johannah wasn’t looking for a dog, there was something about the plucky and determined little stray that she couldn’t bear to part with, and he is now a permanent member of her family.

“Now he’s perfect,” she says. “He’s all healed up and he’s very well.

“His case was the worst [I’ve seen] because he was such a baby, and most other pets I’ve treated have owners who care about them. Despite what had happened to him he was still such a nice dog, and that was what was really sad about it.”

At just a year old, Albert has been through such a lot in his short life. But now he can put his sad beginning behind him and look forward to a future as a loved pet. Now, his is a life full of cuddling up on the sofa after countryside walks with his besotted owners; and what more could a dog ask for.