Petsfanatics Forums - Appeal For Maltese Owner ( Urgent! Please Help! )

Dear All,

I am new these pets forums and I learnt a lot from members in these forums. Everybody is so friendly and helpful, offered me a lot of advise whenever I encounter a problem with my jrt, Bibi. To all who has helped/advised me, I would like to say Thank You.

Few days back, I saw a thread in one of these forums looking for a fosterer. I am actually looking for a dog who can be a companion for my grandfather. He loves to go for walks, and is still very active. When I called the lady who is looking for a fosterer, she told me she has two dogs up for adoption, a maltese and a poodle. But the poodle is already "reserved." A maltese require daily grooming, so I felt that he may not be suitable for my grandfather. However, the lady told me she urgently require somebody to foster the maltese as her own shih tzu tends to attack him. The maltese is also not paper trained. In order to "toliet train" him, and to prevent the shih tzu from attacking him, she confined him to the toliet. She told me the maltese is her "friend's" dog and she need some time to screen adopters carefully. As I am a full time housewife, I agreed to foster the dog for free until she find a loving home for him.

When Terry arrived , I immediately sense something amiss. His body and paws was slightly wet, smell of pee, even though he came in a carrier. There was no pee in the carrier. He seems nervous, and not keen to take any of the treats I offered him. She told me she had shaved him down herself as his coat was badly matted. He had some wounds/scars at the mouth area, and bits of rubber like material stuck to his fur on his face. The skin around the mouth appear red and sore. I raised my concern with her and she told me that her friend is currently overseas, this dog had been taken care of by her friend's maid, as the maid is a malay lady, she was not comfortable with the dogs saliva, therefore had to place a muzzle on him. She also told me she had permission from this "friend" to put this dog up for adoption. She mentioned the maltese is about two years old.

After she left, I bathe the maltese. I noticed his nails had not been clipped for a long time. He looks a bit "funny" when he walk, as though something is hurting his paws. His paws are stained red, as though he has been standing in a wet area for some time. His nails look chipped and broken and also stained. I was unable to see the quick in the nail, so I dare not clip his nails. His ears were full of dirt and hair, and smell. When I tried to clean his ears, he was very upset, whined and struggled, as I am not a professional groomer, I did not want to stress him. I used a pair of baby round sissors to snip of most of the rubber bits stuck to his fur on the face area.

I was also concerned about Terry's behaviour. He seems very nervous whenever I walk near him with a camera or anything else in my hand. He behaves normally when I walk to him with nothing in my hand. He pees anywhere in the playpen and lies down on it. He does not sniff around before he lift his leg and he does not try to clean himself when he is covered in pee.

When I called the lady about my concerns for Terry, I requested for her to bring Terry to the vet for a check up and to a groomer to clean his ears, clip his nails. She told me these will be handled by the new owner. Not comforted by her words, I call my private dog trainer whom is training my jrt when I told him about Terry's behaviour, this was what he said,

"Its not in dogs natural behaviour to lie down comfortably in his own pee. Dogs like to be clean. He had come across such behaviour before and its very likely that Terry had been confined/tied/cage to a very small area, forced to eat, sleep, pee, poo all at the same place for a very long time, until he is used to being dirty, he no longer cares."

I was very disturbed when I learnt this. But I dare not raise too much questions with the lady as she was already getting impatient with my frequent calls. I am afraid she may just take Terry back and he may be confined to the toliet again.

During this time with me, the lady only contacted me to arrange for viewing of Terry. She did not turn up with the viewers as agreed. She told me to call her if the viewer decided to adopt Terry, than, she will take a cab to my place. At that time, I asked her how she "screen" the adopters if she is not present. She told me to just let people view the maltese and leave the rest to her.

I am just an ordinary housewife. i am also new in such forums. I really do not know what to do.

I spoke to few forumers privately to seek advise. Thats why it took me some time to decide to post this out.

I would like Terry's owner to Please Come Forward, if anybody know who is Terry's owner, Please pm me.

I did not have the lady's permission but to clear my doubt, I seek for assistance from another forumer and brought Terry to a vet that has experienced in handling abused dog. The vet diagnose that Terry’s case might be an abuse and neglect. Terry still need follow up with the vet.

I would like to thank all who has taken the time to read my long post. Please help me.

Pictures of Terry @ the Vet.

Very bad REDDISH paws, and left eye cannot be fully opened

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c...y_/Terry045.jpg

Scars on the muzzle, suspected to be caused by muzling for long term

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c...y_/Terry051.jpg

Very dirty ears, Debris were CAKED!

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c...y_/Terry023.jpg

Very bad teeth

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c...y_/Terry030.jpg