Heartbreaking Scene: Dog Found in Leeds With Body Matted in Glue, Legs Stuck to Its Own Ears
Images of a 6-year-old Lhasa Apso, abandoned and wandering the streets of Leeds with its body covered in sticky, matted fur and legs glued tightly to its ears, have left people deeply shaken.
According to Mirror, the dog — later named Soldier — was discovered on June 3 in a state of severe neglect. His fur was so entangled that patches around his eyes had begun tearing away, taking skin with them.
Rescuers believe Soldier may have been abandoned for months. He was spotted purely by chance by a passerby walking their own dog on the way to work. When brought to a veterinary center, vets had to sedate Soldier in order to shave away the hardened, glue-like fur that clung painfully to his skin. Without anesthesia, the process would have been unbearable.
“I’ve never seen a dog so matted like this,” said Harriet Chaplin, the woman who first found Soldier. “He couldn’t possibly have walked far in that condition. Either he was abandoned here, or he belonged to a nearby home.”
Now shaved completely bald to allow treatment, Soldier is slowly recovering as his health is closely monitored. Amanda Sands, manager at Dogs Trust and a rescuer with nearly 30 years of experience, admitted:
“I’ve never seen anything as horrific as this. We don’t yet know if Soldier will fully recover, but we’re relieved he’s at least eating again. We just have to hope his condition improves in the coming weeks.”