Dog maltreated and dumped at Midway Beach

After being found at Midway Beach in a malnourished state and believed to have been mistreated, Jimmy, a one-year-old collie/heading dog cross, is showing signs of recovery. He had surgery on Thursday to remove an eye, and he is pictured with SPCA inspector Cassie Norris. Pictures supplied

A LONG road to recovery is expected for a dog the SPCA has dubbed "Jimmy" after he was found malnourished and with severe head injuries, a likely result of being mistreated.

An SPCA spokeswoman said Jimmy was found with bad wounds, bruising to his head and a severe eye injury.

“At this stage, SPCA Inspectors believe he has been very badly mistreated and his injuries suggest Jimmy suffered blunt force trauma to his head.”

The spokeswoman said Jimmy was found at the town beach.

“We believe he was dumped in this condition.”

In a Facebook post, the woman said she found him at around 5.30pm on Wednesday at Midway Beach.

She said he was “all skin and bones” with wounds along his neck, and the head injuries were so severe his right eye had “popped out”.

The spokeswoman said Jimmy’s eye was removed on Thursday.

“Due to the extent of his eye injury, vets had to perform an eye enucleation. Jimmy recovered well from the surgery and is in the care of the Gisborne SPCA.

“He will go out to stay with a foster family until he has fully recovered and gained some weight. It’s likely to be quite some time until he is ready to be adopted.”

More often than we realiseThe spokeswoman said this happens in Gisborne far more often than people realise.

“It’s hard to quantify the extent of cases like this, but the SPCA inspector sees cases where animals are not being treated properly or receiving the vet care they need almost weekly.

“We’d like all New Zealanders to understand their obligations as a pet owner. There is help out there for those needing it.”

The spokeswoman said criminal charges would depend on what an investigation uncovered.

“But purposeful blunt force trauma would certainly be an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.”

“The good news is that even though Jimmy has been through such a horrific time, he still has a great attitude and wags his tail.”

“The inspector tells me he’s a “kind soul” who was even still wagging his tail when they were stitching up his eye.”

CareVets veterinarian Alyse Stewart expects him to make a full recovery.

“When he came in he was extremely malnourished. We had to remove the eye and also stitch up some other wounds.

“But he is an awesome dog and has recovered really well. He was eating his breakfast on Friday morning, showing great signs.”

Vet costs are estimated to be between $1000 and $1500, depending on how fast he recovers.

Anyone with information about Jimmy, who he belonged to and how he was injured should call the Gisborne SPCA call centre.

Anyone who wishes to make a donation towards Jimmy’s treatment and recovery costs can do so at CareVets Gisborne, bank account number 030 318 0019895 00 Ref: JimmySPCA.