Dog’s coat was so overgrown he couldn’t walk – and Dogs Trust rescuers found toy stuck in it

Acorn, a three-year-old poodle cross, was rescued by the animal welfare charity after he was found wandering alone in Dublin, in late October.

A very concerned member of the public brought Acorn to Dogs Trust, as it was clear he needed urgent veterinary care due to “severely matted fur” and being “unable to walk properly”.

The charity’s veterinary and welfare manager Niamh Curran-Kelly said: “Although Acorn was affectionate at first, his heavily matted fur was causing him a lot of discomfort and distress.”

As the charity’s team began to clip away his tangled coat, they discovered an old dog toy embedded within the clumps of hair, suggesting he was once a much-loved pet. Due to Acorn’s distress and level of discomfort, he needed to be sedated by the veterinary team at Dogs Trust to completely shave his coat.

“We removed almost a kilo of matted fur from him, which is an awful lot to carry around on his 14kg body,” Ms Curran-Kelly said.

“Dogs with coats like Acorn’s need regular grooming and sadly, this is something many people do not consider when they decide to welcome a dog into their home.”

While Acorn is in the process of being adopted, the charity is appealing to the public for their support, so that they can be there for the next dog like Acorn who urgently needs them.

This year, the charity received the highest volume of surrender requests since opening the doors to its rehoming centre in 2009.

Dogs Trust recently launched its ‘Save the Next Dog’ campaign, highlighting the worsening dog abandonment crisis in Ireland.

With 3,691 people contacting Dogs Trust since January, the charity fears that more dogs like Acorn could end up being abandoned, as rescues and welfare organisations struggle to cope with the demand for their services.

The charity has 274 dogs in its care, which it is trying to rehome all around the country via its regional rehoming programme.