An extreme fur-matting case that the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) took on nearly two years ago left viewers angry and upset following a recent ruling.
In February 2023, Rex was removed from his home following an inspection while confined to a small cage with his fur “severely matted.” He was brought to the DSPCA where the veterinary team sedated him and began removing the mats and dreads, some of which were about 12 inches long.
The DSPCA recently shared footage of when Rex first came and what he looked like after the team worked on him. His day-and-night transformation left viewers shocked. It’s nearly impossible to tell that it was a dog sitting in the vet’s office at the beginning of the clip. The matted hair covered his face and legs.
As team members worked on Rex, they learned he was “constantly spinning, circling and chasing his tail.” They believe the behavior was a result of being kept in a small space for a long time. Rex has been on medication to help with the behavior for the last year and eight months. He’s been staying with a foster family that has been helping him as he recovers.
Screenshots from an October 16 TikTok video about a dog’s severe matting case. The dog had mats and dreads measuring up to 12 inches long.
@dspca/TikTok
The DSCPA’s TikTok shared that the dog’s previous owner had been fined €150 (about $162) and avoided jail during a court ruling last week. The owner pleaded guilty to “neglecting her dog and not safeguarding its health and welfare,” the caption read.
The judge called it a “tragic set of circumstances” and said if it weren’t for the intervention of the DSPCA, the dog would likely still be in a state of distress. The fine did not reflect the gravity of the case but showed that the judge took into consideration the defendant’s circumstances as she was on disability benefit and caring for her husband with Alzheimer’s and another family member with “profound intellectual difficulties.”
Newsweek reached out to DSPCA for comment.
Heartbroken about Rex’s story, people flooded the comment section with praise for DSPCA stepping in to help. The TikTok clip amassed more than 140,200 views and 4,118 likes as of Monday.
“Hard to believe that people allow animals to suffer like that. Makes me so angry,” a viewer said.
Another added: “Omg that is heartbreaking thank the lord that little dog was rescued gorgeous soul, great work xxx.”
Expecting to see a larger dog under all the matting, one person wrote: “How. That was a tiny dog under that hair.”
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