Dog Covered in Maggots and Matted Fur is Nearly Indistinguishable – But Rescuers Aren’t Giving Up!

Dogs have been “man’s best friend” for centuries. Dogs provide us with unconditional love and support and even a few laughs along the way too. We shower them with toys, treats, and would do anything to ensure their well-being. But unfortunately, not everyone sees dogs as the awesome animals that they are. When Trio Animal Foundation, based in Chicago, got a call about a dog in horrific condition, they could have never been prepared for what they would see when they went to rescue the poor animal.

The dog, now named Grohl, was first brought to an open access shelter and Trio Animal Foundation was called to help. The dog is blinded by matted fur, has a maggot-infestation and is emaciated. 

“We had to forcefully pull the fur away from Grohl’s eyes. There were maggots underneath. The sadness in his eye is almost unbearable,” Trio shares on their Facebook page. 

At first, the medical team could only shave off the belly/groin area. Because his heart rate was too erratic, the team couldn’t risk him going into cardiac arrest. 

The maggots have already started eating away at Grohl’s skin, but that isn’t even the worst part of the infestation. The maggots made a hole through his face to Grohl’s sinus cavity. This is just unbelievable.

The most recent update is that Grohl is waiting to have his head x-rayed and a possible CT scan to see what internal damage has been done. Right now, he is thankfully sedated. Once the medical team feels as though he is stable enough, they will continue with further testing. 

We just don’t understand how the dog was left to suffer for this long! If you would like to help cover Grohls medical bills, which have already exceeded $3,000, you can make a donation via the Trio Animal Foundation. 

While they don’t know who did this to Grohl, there is no way around it: this is animal abuse. Some incidents of animal cruelty go unreported because of a lack of understanding of what is considered neglect. There are signs to look out for when identifying animal abuse and neglect. It’s good to know the signs in case you ever come across an incident of animal abuse.

It’s important to remember that law enforcement and animal control departments highly advise against citizens taking matters into their own hands. As much as it angers you to see an animal being abused or neglected, you could end up putting yourself in a dangerous situation when confronting an animal abuser or trespassing on someone’s property to rescue an animal.

It can take more than reporting animal abuse to the authorities, so to help in prosecuting the abuser, the best thing you can do is document the details, dates, and times of any incidents and contact animal control immediately.

We will be keeping sweet Grohl in our thoughts for a positive recovery!

All image source: Trio Animal Foundation/Facebook