Abused Darlington dog Moses given new lease of life

Moses, who is thought to be about seven years old, was beaten and abused by a former owner, before being brought to the UK by sympathetic rescuers.

Having his paw chopped off and being left to die on a road in Romania has left Moses with lasting issues - including problems with pain, originating in his spine, that have seen him collapse. 

Maria Lancaster, from Darlington, adopted Moses just over a year ago, knowing she was taking on the difficult task of rebuilding his trust in people following “incredible cruelty”.

But financially, the cost of Moses's treatments got too much - and to be able to afford him the best quality of life possible, Maria started a GoFundMe campaign for him in September. 

After Moses collapsed from pain in summer, Maria rushed him to the vets - where she was told the years of abuse, and having to walk on three legs, had taken its toll on Moses's nervous system. He required specialist treatment, like hydrotherapy, to lead a high-quality life. 

A news article about Moses's plight helped to get his story out there, and donations started flooding in. Following the fundraiser, and thanks in part to the kindness and  Moses is doing much better. 

Moses has hydrotherapy at Butterwick Animal Rehab Clinic every two weeks, working to build his strength, and get him moving comfortably. 

The extra support of the water pressure helps to alleviate stress on Moses's joints. 

She said: She said: “Moses suffered incredible cruelty at the hands of his old owner – it was just seven years of torture. He was starved and beaten, and had his paw chopped off before being thrown out of the car onto a motorway, which is done to ensure that the dog dies.

“Thankfully, he was spotted, and taken to a shelter on the Moldova border, but because of his disability, he couldn’t get his fair share of food. As soon as I saw him, I knew i wanted to give him the best quality of life I could - the quality of life that he deserves.”

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Maria said she has had people come up to her as she walks her dog around Darlington, recognising Moses from the story. 

She said: "Only the other week I was walking him in the park when a man came running up - he said 'please don't think me weird, but I have to ask, is that Moses?' 

"He told me that he'd seen us walk around before, and could see the change in him in the last few months, that it was like he was a brand new dog."