Stray dog's horrific tick infestation leaves rescuers dumbfounded: "I don't even have words"
Irving, California – A dog found in California with a massive tick infestation has rescuers shocked, and pictures of the poor pooch's ear are gut-wrenching.
"I don't even have words," veteran dog rescuer Suzette Hall admits in her Facebook post alongside pictures of the rescued animal.
"If you know me, you know that’s something I never say. But today… I am completely speechless."
The snaps of the furry friend are hard to bear.
Hundreds of ticks have latched onto her. Some of the bloodsuckers are even hanging from her eyes.
One particularly disturbing pic shows the inside of the dog's ear, bursting with pebble-like protrusions. There are more ticks than fur in some places.
"This precious girl is covered in what looks like thousands of ticks. Thousands. Her gums are almost completely white, and my heart just sank the moment I saw her," Hall said.
"I cannot imagine how long she has suffered, or how weak and scared she must feel."
The California rescuer took the pooch to her vet. Still, she's worried about the suffering animal's condition.
A vet will do all they can for the tick infested dog
The Californian is committed to doing all she can to help the poor critter.
"She is on her way to my vet right now, and we are going to do everything we can to save her," Hall said.
Removing the ticks could take hours – a grueling task for the veterinary team.
"I don’t even know how to write this post. I don’t know how to put this kind of heartbreak into words. All I know is that she deserves a chance. She deserves to know love instead of neglect and pain," the rescuer added, horrified.
Luckily, the vet was able to remove "years and years of ticks."
The dog, whom Hall dubbed Nova in a follow-up post, has suffered from the infestation and become anemic. She will need a blood transfusion.
Treating the poor animal is likely to be expensive, and Hall is also asking for donations.
Cover photo: Collage: Screenshots/Facebook/Suzette Hall