Two five-week-old terrier brothers were brought into The Mayhew Animal Home after they were cruelly dumped in a box and left for dead.

The little puppies, named Rascal and Toby, didn’t have a happy or safe start in life after they were discovered abandoned in Gladstone Park in North London.

A member of the public found the freezing cold pups and called The Mayhew Animal Home. Our Animal Welfare Officers went straight to the park to find them and rushed them to the safety of our Home to receive the urgent care they needed.

Our Vet Team immediately provided emergency relief to the pups and tried to make them feel more comfortable.

The Mayhew’s Head Vet, Dr. Ursula Goetz MRCVS, GP Cert (SAS) CVO, said: “It was clear that Rascal and Toby were very sick and they had to be kept in isolation and away from other dogs. They were both suffering from mange, a parasite living inside a dog’s skin, which usually affects dogs with a weakened immune system.”

“We also suspected that they could have Parvo virus, a highly contagious viral disease that often affects unvaccinated dogs and can be deadly, which is why it is always highly recommended to keep your dog’s vaccination up to date. Thankfully in this case Parvo was not confirmed.”

Rascal suffered from mange

Rascal and Toby were so cold, dehydrated and weak they were given urgent and intensive care at our Vet Clinic and fed every few hours to build up their strength and fight for their lives. They were dewormed, given medicated baths, put on IV fluids and antibiotics and wrapped in warm, heated blankets to improve and maintain their body temperature.

Despite all the urgent treatment and loving care, Toby was too weak to recover and sadly he didn’t make it through the night.

Cold and weak Toby in our Vet Clinic

Dr. Ursula Goetz added: “Young animals are like babies and need warmth, care and regular food otherwise they will deteriorate quickly and in Toby’s case unfortunately all help came too late. Because they had been taken from their mum at such an early age, they didn’t have the chance to thrive and grow healthily. That is why it is so important to seek veterinary care straight away, especially with young animals.”

Though devastated at the loss of poor little Toby, our Vet Team had to focus on continuing to care for Rascal to make sure he didn’t suffer the same dreadful fate as his brother.

Rascal getting back on his paws

Thankfully, after receiving further treatment and plenty more TLC, Rascal started showing signs of improvement and after ten days of intensive care he was able to leave the isolation unit. Soon the little puppy was living up to his name and started showing off his personality. Thanks to the tireless work of our Animals Welfare Officers, Vet and Kennels Team, Rascal made a full recovery and our Adoption Team soon found him a new home with a loving family.

Rascal in his new home

It is most likely that Rascal and Toby were bred in order to sell, but when they showed signs of ill health were callously dumped in the park to fend for themselves. The Mayhew is a member of The Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG), which raises public awareness of the responsibilities to be taken into consideration when purchasing pets online or via advertising, and encourages thorough research before taking on a pet.

As well as promoting preventative veterinary care and the Animal Welfare Act’s Five Welfare Needs, The Mayhew’s Animal Welfare Officers discourage the selling of animals in pet shops, and educate pet shop owners on the issues that animal welfare organisations like ours see on a daily basis.

We are entirely reliant on the generous donations from supporters like you. Every day our Animal Welfare Officers and Vet Team work around-the-clock responding to animals in need, just like Rascal and Toby, please consider a donation to help them help more animals in need. Alternatively you can make an instant donation by texting “WOOF13 £5” or your chosen amount (up to £10) to 70070.