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Back in November 2020, a border collie named Jake was found buried under a pile of rocks in the Scottish Highlands by walkers who alerted the animal welfare charity Scottish SPCA (SSPCA). Inspectors Yvonne Sloss and Mark Greener of the SSPCA responded to the call on that day.
“This was truly one of the worst cases I have ever experienced," said Sloss, who was first on the scene, in a statement.
“When I first saw Jake I felt shock, sadness and disbelief that someone had deliberately done this to him. His head was so swollen and he was in a terrible way. We didn’t think there was any way he would make it. He was in a comatose state when we arrived at the vet where he received emergency treatment. Miraculously, Jake survived the night. It was only when he was transferred to our Glasgow vet clinic that we found out how bad it actually was. Poor Jake was in need of a lot of care to help him recover both mentally and physically.”
The team at the Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre veterinary clinic, where Jake was transferred, were shocked by the extent of his injuries. Jake had various skull and jaw fractures and had to undergo multiple surgeries. He also became blind in one eye as a result of his injuries. Against the odds, his condition slowly improved and now the SSPCA has found Jake a loving home.
After many weeks of care and rehabilitation, it was agreed that Jake would benefit from being fostered by someone he knew so he went home with Greener just before Christmas. Greener had been with Jake from the moment they found him under the pile of rocks and was hopeful that he could become someone Jake felt he could trust after his traumatic experience.
“When Jake came home with me, he was still incredibly fragile. His fractures hadn’t completely healed and he was unable to close his jaw," said Greener. “Jake required specialist care and it took time for him to come round and really heal. It took him a while to trust me but now that he does, we’re bonded forever. We are always outside and Jake loves to play. I really couldn’t imagine life without him now. I’m so thankful to the passers-by who found Jake. Without them he may not have survived that day."
Jake's traumatic tale serves as a sobering reminder that animal cruelty remains a threat to animals in the UK, where a recent turn over in the law that classes all animals as sentient seeks to bring an end to such violence towards both domestic and wild animals. Animal welfare charities are reliant on public support to intervene for such animals in need, both in the form of donations and in the act of reporting anything that seems out of the ordinary that pertains to the treatment of animals. This story fortunately had a happy ending for Jake who was rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed, but too easily could it have ended in tragedy.
“I’m sure his experience still stays with him and always will but now he’s with me, we are doing all we can to make it a distant memory,” Greener said.
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