Lottie came into the care of the branch in early May 2019. She had been found wandering the streets in Ramsgate, Kent.

She was in a terrible mess. Her ears had large growths and open sores, she had diarrhoea, was underweight, malnourished and dehydrated, and her skin was patchy and scabby. It was also visibly obvious that she had been used to breed from multiple times. This poor little dog was in a lot of pain. We suspect that she had previously been owned by an unscrupulous 'backyard breeder' whose primary motivation was profit and certainly not Lottie's welfare. Had an owner been found, they would almost certainly have been prosecuted for neglect.

We got her straight to our vets where she spent almost a week, receiving critical care in the form of rehydration fluids, specialist food, antibiotics, pain relief and blood tests to measure her overall condition. She also received some much needed and long overdue TLC from the nurses at Eagle Vets in Minster! Once Lottie was fit enough to leave the vets, she came back to the animal centre to continue with the next step of her longer-term recovery back to good health. We didn't want to put her in a kennel, so she currently spends her days in the reception and her evenings at home with one of the animal centre staff.

Most of Lottie's problems just need a bit time and consistent care to sort out, but her ears are a big problem. She had preliminary surgery to investigate the lumps, and thankfully they aren't cancerous. The lumps are polyps, most likely caused my a horrible infection that had been left untreated for years. The vets said that they had never seen ears as bad as these.

She has now had a lengthy and complicated operation on the ears, to remove as many of the lumps as is possible and to open up her ear canals so that we can treat the underlying infection. The vet said that because her ears were so bad the surgery won't completely fix them, but she will be so, so much better than she was before. Lottie is now in recovery back at the animal centre, having pain relief and antibiotics. One or two more minor surgeries will be required, and after that it will likely be lifelong ear drops and cleaners to keep the ears as healthy as possible.

Despite the ordeal of her horrible life before coming to us, and the painful surgeries she has endured since, she remains a happy, lively little dog who loves people and loves a cuddle and a rub on the head. We love her lots and want to make sure that she goes on to have a secure and comfortable future.

Please help us to help Lottie and all other animals in need of help that come our way. So far the bill for Lottie's treatment is £2000, and that's after a generous discount. We are a small branch of the RSPCA and are responsible for our own income generation and we are looking for any help you can give us.