Rosie Blanning
Please be a Friend to Floyd
Fundraising for Woodgreen Pets Charity
Story
Floyd - A final update. 13/02/2012
Wood Green was overwhelmed with the support and messages of goodwill for Floyd. His plight touched the hearts of the team here and the many hundreds of people who got in touch with us from across the country.
The RSPCA, working with Wood Green, undertook a thorough investigation to try and trace his owners. You may have seen in recent news coverage that they were able to track the owners by their car registration plate, which was caught on our CCTV cameras.
Floyd’s owners appeared in court for sentencing last week. They were given a 22-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, and also ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work. They were also disqualified from keeping animals for life and ordered to pay £619 costs.
You can read the full story on our website at http://www.woodgreen.org.uk/news/1406_dog_owners_banned_from_keeping_animals_for_life.
Thank you for your support.
The Charity is sad to report that on the advice of our vets we have had to make the extremely difficult and sad decision to end Floyd’s suffering. Floyd was abandoned outside the gates last weekend in one of the worst animal neglect cases ever seen by the Charity.
Vets today confirmed that Floyd had been experiencing a great deal of pain which would not respond to treatment. Floyd had severe hip ...dysplasia and arthritis which meant that walking and even standing would have been very painful for him. He also had a number of other medical issues that were causing him considerable distress.
Our only comfort is that in the last week he was given the best care and love from our dedicated staff. We’re so disappointed that no matter what we did, it was too late for us to save Floyd and undo the pain and suffering that he had already endured.
Unfortunately, Floyd is not alone in his suffering, every week the Charity is seeing animals that are in pain due to owners not knowing where or how to get the support and help they need before it’s too late. Wood Green would like to take this opportunity to advise pet owners that we understand that pet ownership does present challenges, and whilst the vast majority of people take on pets with good intentions this is not always enough to provide for all of your pet’s needs.
The Charity would encourage owners to seek help at the earliest sign of a problem in caring for your pet so as to avoid reaching a crisis situation. Wood Green, like many other animal welfare organisations, offer non-judgemental advice and guidance to existing pet owners and those considering welcoming a new pet into their home.
Wood Green are continuing to support the RSPCA’s investigation in seeking justice for Floyd.
Vets today confirmed that Floyd had been experiencing a great deal of pain which would not respond to treatment. Floyd had severe hip ...dysplasia and arthritis which meant that walking and even standing would have been very painful for him. He also had a number of other medical issues that were causing him considerable distress.
Our only comfort is that in the last week he was given the best care and love from our dedicated staff. We’re so disappointed that no matter what we did, it was too late for us to save Floyd and undo the pain and suffering that he had already endured.
Unfortunately, Floyd is not alone in his suffering, every week the Charity is seeing animals that are in pain due to owners not knowing where or how to get the support and help they need before it’s too late. Wood Green would like to take this opportunity to advise pet owners that we understand that pet ownership does present challenges, and whilst the vast majority of people take on pets with good intentions this is not always enough to provide for all of your pet’s needs.
The Charity would encourage owners to seek help at the earliest sign of a problem in caring for your pet so as to avoid reaching a crisis situation. Wood Green, like many other animal welfare organisations, offer non-judgemental advice and guidance to existing pet owners and those considering welcoming a new pet into their home.
Wood Green are continuing to support the RSPCA’s investigation in seeking justice for Floyd.
**FLOYD PROGRESS UPDATE**
Floyd had a full veterinary examination yesterday. Unfortunately his back legs are still very weak, which we believe to be due to poor exercise and the weight of carrying his matted fur around. He will be going for an x-ray on Monday where our vets will be able to diagnose if there is a more serious underlying problem. In the mean time he has a nice comfy duvet to chill out on and will be on pain relief. He is enjoying his walks in the sunshine - there are some new pictures up and we hope to upload a video of him soon.
**APPEAL UPDATE**
Thank you all so much for your incredibly generous response to our appeal. Now that the target has been met - all further donations will be spent on helping the thousands of other homeless dogs, cats and other animals like Floyd who we have to feed, provide veterinary treatment to and care for. Although Floyd's is the worst case of neglect we have ever seen, we regularly have animals abandoned at our centres with no explanation as to where they have come from or why they are unwanted. This money is a great help to us and we are extremely grateful.
PLEASE BE A FRIEND TO FLOYD
This is Floyd. Floyd is ten years old, and is nearly unrecognisable as his breed, an Old English Sheepdog. He has suffered from horrific neglect. In the middle of the night, 1.30am Saturday 27th August 2011, a dark coloured car pulled up to the exit gate of Wood Green, The Animals Charity's centre in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire. Floyd was hauled out of the car and tied to the fence with a piece of string.
Luckily, our Security Team were on site and rushed to his aid. They took him inside and comforted him as best they could. He was then given a thorough assessment by our Surgery Team. Covered in matted hair, Floyd could barely walk, see, hear or go to the toilet. His claws were over two inches long, which made every step incredibly painful. He had cysts all over his body and had grass seeds embedded in his paws and ears. He had to have an urgent operation. Our vets removed 13 kilograms of matted hair from his body.
Floyd has clearly been suffering from appalling neglect for a long time. He needs skin and dental treatment, along with exercises to build up his muscles, as he has been poorly exercised and as a result can not walk properly. The emotional trauma has left its mark on Floyd and it will take months of special care and TLC from the team at Wood Green to get him ready for a new home.
Wood Green, The Animals Charity relies solely on donations from the public. An emergency case like Floyd will be very expensive, and we urgently need donations to help with his care. After years of suffering Floyd deserves some friends. Please donate today to help us with his rehabilitation and be a friend to Floyd. We will keep you updated on his progress.