In the name of Florence
With her trusting eyes, silky soft coat and playful nature, Florence is a lovable, happy little dog with an adoring family. She loves to dart around after a ball and to steal toys from other dogs (especially bigger ones). Given half a chance, she’s pretty good at pinching sausages from the table, too.
But if there’s a beloved pet in your home, a cat or a dog, reach out to them now for a stroke or a snuggle before you read on, for this is a story about a very badly neglected little dog in a house in Brighton that will break the heart of any animal lover.
When the RSPCA heard about the plight of Cheeky, now named Florence, the poor 14-year-old poodle shih-tzu cross was rescued. The dog was found in a terrible state, says Tony Woodley, the inspector leading the investigation into her case. ‘Her coat was thickly matted. Her eyes were encrusted and infected, and her teeth were obviously decaying.’
Vets discovered she had an ear infection and gastroenteritis. Her teeth were found to be so rotten all of them had to be removed. But there was far worse to come.
Florence’s fur had been allowed to become so badly matted that it had wrapped tightly around her front legs, cutting off the circulation to her paws, which had simply dropped off. ‘I have been an inspector for 17 years,’ says Woodley, ‘and have seen many dreadful cases, but this was one of the most appalling examples of long-term neglect I have ever witnessed. As well as the missing paws, she had more than 1.5kg of matted, encrusted fur to be removed.’
Karen Branagh who is a major donor-fundraising manager for the charity, says: ‘I am used to seeing the “before” pictures in neglect cases like these, so perhaps I am more hardened to it. But when my husband saw them, he cried his eyes out.’
The kindest thing to do might have been to put her to sleep. But there was, and still is, something about this brave little girl, a spark, seen by Inspector Woodley and the chief vet at Arthur Lodge Veterinary Surgery in Horsham, West Sussex, and they made the decision to save her.
The vets and nurses set to work. Florence needed many hours of careful surgery and treatment, and spent two months at Arthur Lodge. Kind local students created a harness on wheels for her so she would be able to get around without putting weight on her front legs.
Meanwhile, evidence was being collected to prosecute Florence’s former owner, and inspectors began looking for a new, loving home for her. But how difficult was it going to be to find someone who would take such a dog?
Not so hard at all, as it turned out. ‘I saw the press release about Florence and her plight, with a little photo of her wearing the wheels, and I don’t know what possessed me,’ Karen says. ‘There was just something so sad about Florence’s story. I asked my family if we could take her. We have two elderly cats – Archie, 19, and Daisy, 20 – but we’ve never had dogs. However my daughters, Kitty, 10, and Bea, seven, and my husband Neil, were all for it.’
And so Florence has a caring forever home and a wonderful new life. To look at her, you’d never believe she could have been through so much.
‘She never played when she first arrived here,’ Karen says. ‘It was as if she’d never had a puppyhood. Now, though, she loves to dart around the sofa after a ball and play tug-of-war with you.
‘She behaves like a puppy. And she’s so cute and so calm, the kids adore her,’ Karen continues. ‘She’s running and walking better now, too. I get the impression she’d been kept in one room for a lot of her life. When you take her out she watches everything, and sniffs everything.
‘She’s not afraid of other dogs, but it seems she’s never interacted with them before. We can take dogs into work at the RSPCA in Horsham and she’ll go round all the other dog beds, snatching their toys and taking them back to her own bed. She stole Piglet from a Labrador 10 times her size the other day!
‘When her case prosecutor saw the change in her, he cried – but in a happy way.’
At home, there’s been no problem with the family’s other furry friends, though Karen’s husband slept on the sofa for the first few days after Florence came home, just to make sure the cats and the dog got along.
‘We have to eat in another room or Florence will try to steal our sausages,’ Karen says. ‘I get the feeling she’s more used to human food.’
In the early days, Florence couldn’t put weight on her stumps but now, with an endearing extra wiggle of her rump, she can easily move around on soft surfaces such as grass.
‘People make a beeline for us when we’re out,’ Karen says. ‘Florence is just so adorable.’
Design and technology students at Collyer’s College, Horsham, are making a lighter, more manoeuvrable carbon-fibre version of her wheels and Dogswheels.com is making her a set of wheels, too. Meanwhile, Florence’s story will be forever remembered thanks to the setting up of a special fund in her name, aimed at helping to save animals who have suffered similar neglect.
‘People shouldn’t hesitate to report their worries to the RSPCA – don’t assume someone else has already done it,’ Karen says. ‘What makes me sad is if only we had got to Florence earlier, we might have saved her so much misery.’
Cheeky’s (now Florence) former owner faces prosecution and at the time of going to press had pleaded guilty to charges of causing unnecessary suffering.
The cost of sending Florence’s inspector to her rescue, two months of specialist veterinary treatment and prosecuting her previous owner, cost nearly £5,000.
Every year there are hundreds of other cases like Florence’s. In 2012, in England and Wales, the RSPCA secured 4,168 convictions in magistrates courts; the highest number since 2008.
To donate to The Florence Fund, send a cheque payable to the RSPCA, to: The Florence Fund, RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS. Or call Freefone 08000-121989.
But if there’s a beloved pet in your home, a cat or a dog, reach out to them now for a stroke or a snuggle before you read on, for this is a story about a very badly neglected little dog in a house in Brighton that will break the heart of any animal lover.
When the RSPCA heard about the plight of Cheeky, now named Florence, the poor 14-year-old poodle shih-tzu cross was rescued. The dog was found in a terrible state, says Tony Woodley, the inspector leading the investigation into her case. ‘Her coat was thickly matted. Her eyes were encrusted and infected, and her teeth were obviously decaying.’
Vets discovered she had an ear infection and gastroenteritis. Her teeth were found to be so rotten all of them had to be removed. But there was far worse to come.
Florence’s fur had been allowed to become so badly matted that it had wrapped tightly around her front legs, cutting off the circulation to her paws, which had simply dropped off. ‘I have been an inspector for 17 years,’ says Woodley, ‘and have seen many dreadful cases, but this was one of the most appalling examples of long-term neglect I have ever witnessed. As well as the missing paws, she had more than 1.5kg of matted, encrusted fur to be removed.’
Karen Branagh who is a major donor-fundraising manager for the charity, says: ‘I am used to seeing the “before” pictures in neglect cases like these, so perhaps I am more hardened to it. But when my husband saw them, he cried his eyes out.’
The kindest thing to do might have been to put her to sleep. But there was, and still is, something about this brave little girl, a spark, seen by Inspector Woodley and the chief vet at Arthur Lodge Veterinary Surgery in Horsham, West Sussex, and they made the decision to save her.
The vets and nurses set to work. Florence needed many hours of careful surgery and treatment, and spent two months at Arthur Lodge. Kind local students created a harness on wheels for her so she would be able to get around without putting weight on her front legs.
Meanwhile, evidence was being collected to prosecute Florence’s former owner, and inspectors began looking for a new, loving home for her. But how difficult was it going to be to find someone who would take such a dog?
Not so hard at all, as it turned out. ‘I saw the press release about Florence and her plight, with a little photo of her wearing the wheels, and I don’t know what possessed me,’ Karen says. ‘There was just something so sad about Florence’s story. I asked my family if we could take her. We have two elderly cats – Archie, 19, and Daisy, 20 – but we’ve never had dogs. However my daughters, Kitty, 10, and Bea, seven, and my husband Neil, were all for it.’
And so Florence has a caring forever home and a wonderful new life. To look at her, you’d never believe she could have been through so much.
‘She never played when she first arrived here,’ Karen says. ‘It was as if she’d never had a puppyhood. Now, though, she loves to dart around the sofa after a ball and play tug-of-war with you.
‘She behaves like a puppy. And she’s so cute and so calm, the kids adore her,’ Karen continues. ‘She’s running and walking better now, too. I get the impression she’d been kept in one room for a lot of her life. When you take her out she watches everything, and sniffs everything.
‘She’s not afraid of other dogs, but it seems she’s never interacted with them before. We can take dogs into work at the RSPCA in Horsham and she’ll go round all the other dog beds, snatching their toys and taking them back to her own bed. She stole Piglet from a Labrador 10 times her size the other day!
‘When her case prosecutor saw the change in her, he cried – but in a happy way.’
At home, there’s been no problem with the family’s other furry friends, though Karen’s husband slept on the sofa for the first few days after Florence came home, just to make sure the cats and the dog got along.
‘We have to eat in another room or Florence will try to steal our sausages,’ Karen says. ‘I get the feeling she’s more used to human food.’
In the early days, Florence couldn’t put weight on her stumps but now, with an endearing extra wiggle of her rump, she can easily move around on soft surfaces such as grass.
‘People make a beeline for us when we’re out,’ Karen says. ‘Florence is just so adorable.’
Design and technology students at Collyer’s College, Horsham, are making a lighter, more manoeuvrable carbon-fibre version of her wheels and Dogswheels.com is making her a set of wheels, too. Meanwhile, Florence’s story will be forever remembered thanks to the setting up of a special fund in her name, aimed at helping to save animals who have suffered similar neglect.
‘People shouldn’t hesitate to report their worries to the RSPCA – don’t assume someone else has already done it,’ Karen says. ‘What makes me sad is if only we had got to Florence earlier, we might have saved her so much misery.’
Cheeky’s (now Florence) former owner faces prosecution and at the time of going to press had pleaded guilty to charges of causing unnecessary suffering.
The RSPCA Florence Fund
In honour of brave little Florence, the RSPCA has launched The Florence Fund for the most severe cases of cruelty and neglect.The cost of sending Florence’s inspector to her rescue, two months of specialist veterinary treatment and prosecuting her previous owner, cost nearly £5,000.
Every year there are hundreds of other cases like Florence’s. In 2012, in England and Wales, the RSPCA secured 4,168 convictions in magistrates courts; the highest number since 2008.
To donate to The Florence Fund, send a cheque payable to the RSPCA, to: The Florence Fund, RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS. Or call Freefone 08000-121989.