Outrage after dying dog is dumped

ANIMAL lovers have expressed their disgust and anger after an emaciated and apparently dying dog was dumped outside the gates of a Yorkshire dog rescue centre.

The dog, named Jack, was dead by the time the rescue centre's boss discovered him in the early hours of the morning.

The chairman of the Whitehall Dog Rescue in East Ardsley, near Leeds, Brian Wheelhouse, said the plight of the animal had shocked and disgusted him and dog centre colleagues.

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"Someone left this poor dog outside the gates wrapped in an orange sheet. They made no attempt to call or knock on the door to alert us to the fact he was there," he said.

"Had someone alerted us, maybe we could have saved him."

Mr Wheelhouse believes that the dog, which he named Jack, had suffered ill-treatment and had been starved.

He added: "The unbelievable suffering this dog has had to endure has shocked all of us within the rescue centre."

Jack had pressure sores on his side, probably caused because he had been too weak to move, said Mr Wheelhouse, and his claws were growing into his pads.

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"We think he was alive when he was dropped off. Why would anybody drop off a dead body?"

He said Jack had been wrapped in a yellow blanket and his head was uncovered when he was found, leading him to believe that he was probably still alive when brought in.

Mr Wheelhouse is appealing for information about how Jack came to be left at the gate and who was responsible for his poor state. Support has come from members of social networking site Facebook, where over 2,000 people have signed up to a group called Justice for Jack.

The group includes animal lovers from as far afield as Canada, the United States, Sweden, Australia and Crete, some of whom have been telephoning West Yorkshire Police to urge officers to urgently track down the culprits.

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One Facebook member, Alexa Smith, said: "I want to see Jack's killers brought to justice with the longest sentence and harshest fine possible so that we may show anyone committing animal abuse that they will not get away with it."

Another member of the Justice for Jack group, Carly Magee, from Bristol, said: "This is one of the most horrific case I have ever seen."

By yesterday evening, 2,400 people had signed up to the Facebook group.

Mr Wheelhouse said he had issued photographs of Jack but admitted they were "horrific".

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He believes that the person who left Jack at the centre may not be the person responsible for mistreating the dog.

"I have a feeling the person who dropped him off is maybe not the person responsible for his starvation. I think someone tried to get him help."

Mr Wheelhouse took Jack's body to a vet, who confirmed that it appeared to be a case of neglect. He also contacted police, who are investigating.

It is believed that Jack was left outside the centre, at Greenacres Farm, Cave Lane, between midnight and 5am on Friday, September 17.

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A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police appealed for help investigating the case.

He said: "Our officers have been sickened by Jack's story, and while we normally only investigate immediate and ongoing reports of animal cruelty, in this case we have been able to make some basic inquiries to try to find those responsible.

"Unfortunately those inquiries have drawn a blank, so if anyone has information which can help find those responsible, please contact the RSPCA or ourselves."

Nobody was available for comment from the RSPCA.

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