Miracle survival

With his mutilated little tail hanging on by a thread and his skin bald and red-raw with mange, Piglet wasn’t even expected to make it through the night.

The tiny terrier and spaniel cross, who was also dangerously weak and riddled with worms, was barely a month old when he was found abandoned in Oxfordshire in August alongside another dog with severe mange.

Both dogs were taken to the council pound. Piglet received urgent care under local anaesthetic to remove what remained of his tail, which was clearly the result of a botched and illegal tail docking procedure. But the odds were still stacked against him.

He surprised everyone by surviving the night, though. And the next day, Blue Cross Burford was asked to take Piglet in. The team didn’t hesitate.

Noosh Ashmead-Bartlett, Admissions Coordinator, says: “He was the smallest thing ever, so feeble. He was very weak.

“The tail docking would have been a home attempt without anaesthetic. It would have caused such terrible, unimaginable pain that it will have an impact on his pain reflexes for life. It essentially severed the nerves attached to his spinal cord.”

Piglet also had a condition called luxating patella, which means his kneecaps can slip out of position. But vets believe this was caused by malnutrition and will resolve in time.

With medication to treat the mange, Piglet was placed in isolation to prevent the spread of infection.

This is challenging for a normal puppy, but for one who had experienced so much trauma at such a young age, it was especially hard.

Our team, wearing protective clothing, spent as much time with Piglet as possible to teach him that humans could be kind through fuss, food-focussed training, and playing with a variety of toys.

We also gave the sweet puppy soothing antiseptic baths to help heal his sore and itchy skin.

After two-and-a-half weeks, his black and white fur had begun to grow back, and he got the all-clear from mange.

Given his difficult start to life and lack of early socialisation, getting Piglet straight into foster care for the next step of his recovery was crucial.

So, Rachel Hazley, Rehabilitation Trainer and Behaviour Advisor, took him home straight away.

She says: “At first, he was worried about noises. And he was so used to sleeping in a silent, motionless kennel all alone that he struggled to settle in the presence of people.

“He had team members visiting regularly for play and socialisation but when they left, he thought: ‘Nothing is happening now, I'll just sleep'. So, at home he constantly expected interaction from us because we were there.

“But he improved every day. At first, he would be with you all the time, but then he started to go into a different room on his own.”

Within a few weeks, Piglet’s fur had grown back, and his confidence was going from strength to strength.

Watching him bound around the Burford centre’s puppy playpen with joy, Rachel says: “He’s clever, brave, cheeky, and persistent. A really inquisitive boy. And so optimistic despite all he had been through.”

Hearing this, it’s no surprise that Piglet had already found his family in Rachel and her husband, who were missing the company of a pet after saying goodbye to their elderly dog last year.

"Piglet has faced so many challenges, so I wanted to give him that chance,” Rachel says.

Due to his tough start, there will likely be more challenges to come, but Rachel is ready to support Piglet through anything he might encounter.

The barbaric attempted tail amputation will have a lifelong impact on Piglet, who continues to experience pain caused by the cruel act. And, not having a tail, may also impact his communication and relationships.

Rachel explains: “It can be challenging for other dogs to read his behaviour. It can be challenging for people to read his behaviour as well. And it could potentially impact ongoing veterinary care he may need in the future.

“From having such a large, painful experience at such a young age, it could make that vet handling quite challenging for him. So, it's really important when he is so young to be able to work on those things, to help him in the future.”

The torturous practice of tail docking has been a criminal offence in England since 2007, unless under very exceptional circumstances and performed by a vet under general anaesthetic.

It’s devastating to see that dogs are still suffering in this way, but we’re so relieved that we were there to offer life-saving care for Piglet.

He’s unrecognisable from the terrified, bald puppy who arrived, and is now living life to the full in his new home.

Now called Charlie, he is still loving his weekly baths.

Rachel says: “The team did a brilliant job of making them a positive experience for him, because as soon as we lift him out, he's trying to jump back in! He likes putting his nose under the water and blowing bubbles.”

Noosh adds: “It’s remarkable how quickly he recovered. He’s such a cool little dog.”