One year ago today, on July 22nd 2014, someone dumped two dogs at the tip of Mynydd Baiden in South Wales.
Both dogs were covered in mange and kennel sores, starved and scared. It was a boiling hot day and they were hungry, thirsty, and petrified. Both were riddled with fleas, had significant hair loss, welts, and severely overgrown nails.
A driver-by saw the dogs and when he reached a residential area he told the first person he saw, in case they knew who these poor dogs may belong to. The man he told, Bryan Butt, ended up being a guardian angel for these boys. Bryan drove up to where the dogs had been seen and was horrified by what he saw, commenting later that it was a very pitiful sight. The dogs were frightened but also friendly and welcomed the help as Bryan put them in his car, worrying at their fragility.
Bryan took the dogs, later named Bill (Dylan) and Ben, to Croft Rescue Kennels where they were rushed to a vet due to their condition; staff at the rescue commented it was the worst case of neglect they had seen and could not believe these two boys were still alive. Dylan weighed around just 12kg.
The boys were treated for sarcoptic mange with regular maleseb shampoo baths, and were given 5 small meals a day to build up their weight, and treated for sarcoptes scabiei parasite. The boys had to be kept in isolation due to the mange being contagious, and staff had to wear new disposable overalls each time they interacted with them.
On August 23rd, Ben was taken into the care of Hounds First Sighthound Rescue and placed in a foster home. Shortly after, once Bill had reached a suitable weight, he was also taken on by Hounds First Sighthound Rescue and fostered by one of their experienced foster carers Abby Gregory. Multiple volunteers supported Bill and Ben through transport runs to get them into rescue, donations, and other selfless gestures, including Wendy Jordan and Andy Parkes.
Following weeks of care from Hounds First Sighthound Rescue, including having the dogs neutered and regular vet checks to monitor their progress, both dogs were ready for adoption.
On September 26th my husband, Austin Jennings-Birch, and I adopted Bill and renamed him Dylan. Shortly after in October, Helen Beavis and her husband Michael adopted Ben. Both dogs have flourished in their new homes. Dylan is an absolute joy to have in our lives. In December 2014 he won the PDSA Pet Survivor Award and appeared we appeared on BBC Breakfast in a segment about animal abandonment. Dylan is a sensitive dog who still lacks a lot of confidence, especially with strangers. He is continuing to learn to trust and love; he really is the most loving dog. We could not imagine our life without him in it. He now lives with us and his furry brother, Theo, both of whom are humbly followed by hundreds of fans who brighten our day with their lovely comments over at facebook.com/dylanandtheo. He has us in hysterics daily at his antics. He now weighs 23kg, and neither he nor Ben have any current health implications as a result of what they went through; they truly are two little miracle dogs. Ben has recently welcomed a human baby sister into his family too. To see more of Ben head over to Baby Bens Quest for His Forever Family.
Thank you for reading. Please share to further raise awareness of Dylan and Ben, the atrocities that occur, but also the amazing people who work tirelessly in rescue.
Both dogs were covered in mange and kennel sores, starved and scared. It was a boiling hot day and they were hungry, thirsty, and petrified. Both were riddled with fleas, had significant hair loss, welts, and severely overgrown nails.
A driver-by saw the dogs and when he reached a residential area he told the first person he saw, in case they knew who these poor dogs may belong to. The man he told, Bryan Butt, ended up being a guardian angel for these boys. Bryan drove up to where the dogs had been seen and was horrified by what he saw, commenting later that it was a very pitiful sight. The dogs were frightened but also friendly and welcomed the help as Bryan put them in his car, worrying at their fragility.
Bryan took the dogs, later named Bill (Dylan) and Ben, to Croft Rescue Kennels where they were rushed to a vet due to their condition; staff at the rescue commented it was the worst case of neglect they had seen and could not believe these two boys were still alive. Dylan weighed around just 12kg.
The boys were treated for sarcoptic mange with regular maleseb shampoo baths, and were given 5 small meals a day to build up their weight, and treated for sarcoptes scabiei parasite. The boys had to be kept in isolation due to the mange being contagious, and staff had to wear new disposable overalls each time they interacted with them.
On August 23rd, Ben was taken into the care of Hounds First Sighthound Rescue and placed in a foster home. Shortly after, once Bill had reached a suitable weight, he was also taken on by Hounds First Sighthound Rescue and fostered by one of their experienced foster carers Abby Gregory. Multiple volunteers supported Bill and Ben through transport runs to get them into rescue, donations, and other selfless gestures, including Wendy Jordan and Andy Parkes.
Following weeks of care from Hounds First Sighthound Rescue, including having the dogs neutered and regular vet checks to monitor their progress, both dogs were ready for adoption.
On September 26th my husband, Austin Jennings-Birch, and I adopted Bill and renamed him Dylan. Shortly after in October, Helen Beavis and her husband Michael adopted Ben. Both dogs have flourished in their new homes. Dylan is an absolute joy to have in our lives. In December 2014 he won the PDSA Pet Survivor Award and appeared we appeared on BBC Breakfast in a segment about animal abandonment. Dylan is a sensitive dog who still lacks a lot of confidence, especially with strangers. He is continuing to learn to trust and love; he really is the most loving dog. We could not imagine our life without him in it. He now lives with us and his furry brother, Theo, both of whom are humbly followed by hundreds of fans who brighten our day with their lovely comments over at facebook.com/dylanandtheo. He has us in hysterics daily at his antics. He now weighs 23kg, and neither he nor Ben have any current health implications as a result of what they went through; they truly are two little miracle dogs. Ben has recently welcomed a human baby sister into his family too. To see more of Ben head over to Baby Bens Quest for His Forever Family.
Thank you for reading. Please share to further raise awareness of Dylan and Ben, the atrocities that occur, but also the amazing people who work tirelessly in rescue.