Heartbreak after dog found weighted down in River Blackwater - USPCA report a 72% increase in number of stray and abandoned dogs in Northern Ireland

News of the grim discovery has been released on Tyrone Underwater Search and Recovery with an attached ‘TRIGGER WARNING

‘AREA: BLACKWATER RIVER’.

They said that ‘during a patrol over the weekend at the Moy Bridge the team were flagged down by local fishermen that had noticed something strange in the water’.

‘Upon investigation by 2 of our divers, unfortunately a dog had been found anchored down,’ adds the post.

‘As you can imagine any life lost is deeply upsetting and as fellow dog owners amongst the team, this one hurts just as much as any other life.

‘Thank you to the fishermen that highlighted this to us - it has been reported to the PSNI who with a speedy call to action have been able to recover the little dog.

‘Thank you for your services.

‘Let’s make this world a little less cruel’.

In a statement a PSNI spokesman said: “Police are investigating following a report that a dog had been discovered in a river in the Armagh Road area of Moy.Sergeant Stewart said: “Officers received a report that the dog was found weighted down in the water shortly after 3.45pm on Saturday, April 20th.“The dog was removed from the water and has been taken to a vet.

"A post-mortem will be carried out in due course. We are engaging with the local animal welfare officers in the council.“Our enquiries are underway and anyone who noticed anything suspicious is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 1075 of 20/04/24."You can also submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/."

Meanwhile, a statement from the USPCA about the unprecedented Surge in Dog Abandonment and Neglect Cases Alerts reported by USPCA confirmed it also responded to reports of a dog found weighted down in water in the Moy area over the weekend.

They said their charity is reporting a 72% increase in the number of stray and abandoned dogs coming into their Centre compared to this time last year.

In a statement they say that ‘many of these dogs show obvious signs of neglect, including malnourishment, and untreated

medical conditions, indicating prolonged suffering and hardship’.

Siobhan McHaffie, Director of Operations and Development at the USPCA said: “The rise in abandonment and neglect of dogs is hugely concerning, and the levels of neglect we are seeing

in unwanted dogs coming into our care is unprecedented.

"We have seen the number of stray dogs brought into our care almost double compared to last year, with last month seeing the

highest number of strays ever brought into our Centre.

"In the past week alone, our team have dealt with two serious and distressing cases of neglect in abandoned dogs.

"Both dogs are now getting the vet treatment, care and attention they deserve.

"One of the cases is now being investigated by the PSNI and Council Animal Welfare team.

"It involves a severely malnourished boxer dog which came to us after being physically thrown out of a moving car close to Newry.

"We would urge members of the public to help by reporting cases of dog abandonment and neglect to their local council.

"Cases of cruelty should be reported to the PSNI.

"In extreme cases of cruelty and neglect you can also notify the USPCA, and we in turn can follow up with the relevant authorities.”

The USPCA say that the factors contributing to this distressing trend are complex, ranging from economic hardship and housing instability to lack of awareness about responsible pet ownership.

And the strain on resources within communities and limited access to affordable veterinary care further exacerbate the challenges faced by pet owners, often leading to difficult

decisions and unfortunate outcomes for innocent animals.

However, they add that in some of the most recent cases coming into the Centre, there can be no justification for the state of neglect seen in these animals.