This neglected dog seized from a priest by animal rescuers is set to have a leg amputated after an open wound was allegedly left to fester for at least a year.
Max, an eight-year-old German shepherd, belonged to a priest, who could now face charges, in the town of Namyslow in south-western Poland’s in Opole Voivodeship region.
The ‘Olesnickie Bidy’ foundation for homeless and injured animals, in the nearby town of Olesnica, intervened after being tipped off by concerned local residents.
They said that, although Max had the run of a large garden, he was badly neglected and had an open wound on his leg that had been left untreated for at least a year.
Olesnickie Bidy volunteers went to check on the dog and challenged the priest, whose name is not reported, who said he did not have time to talk as he was on his way to mass.
Video Credit: CEN/Olesnickie Bidy
But they took Max away with them after the priest waived his rights to the animal. He said he felt sorry for it but had thought the wound would heal itself.
Olesnickie Bidy spokeswoman Izabela Klapinska told Central European News (CEN): “It’s worse than we expected. Max has terrible anemia, caused by an aggressive tumour. Max can hardly breathe because his body does not distribute oxygen anymore.
“Vets will have to operate on him. He will certainly lose his paw. How much of his leg he loses will depend on what the doctors say. Keep your fingers crossed for the boy!”
And she added that volunteers were already thinking about where he would live afterwards, saying: “We’ll need a new home for Max. It could be a temporary home with a permanent option.”
Olesnickie Bidy says it will pass on details of the case to local prosecutors and it is possible the priest could face charges for neglect.
Rafał Kowalski, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Wroclaw, said: “The lack of care over the animal is reprehensible. If charges against the priest are confirmed, he will have to be punished just like any other citizen.”
Police have not yet confirmed whether they are investigating the case, however it is provoking a lively debate among animal lovers online.
Netizen ‘Janina Zielinska’ commenteds: “A priest’s conscience is the money in the collection tray – this is their morality.”
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Story By: Bartosz Staszewski, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
