Starving dogs with ears filled with ticks are rescued after they were found abandoned in a cave on Tenerife
- Dogs were rescued after being found in a ravine cave near town of Tabaida
- They were taken to Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino animal shelter
- Three of five had microchips and were found in hot sun without food or water
- Local media said the dogs were owned by a hunter
Starving dogs with their ears filled with ticks were rescued after being found abandoned in a cave on the tourist island of Tenerife.
Police and civil guard officers in the San Cristobel de La Laguna area of Tenerife, the largest of the Spanish Canary Islands, found the dogs in a ravine cave near the town of Tabaida.
Their rescuers took them to the Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino animal shelter, with a spokesman saying that the dogs were living in ‘hell’.
Starving dogs with their ears filled with ticks were rescued after being found abandoned in a cave on the tourist island of Tenerife
Three of the five dogs had microchips and were in the hot sun without food or water.
Local media said the dogs were owned by a hunter and a shelter spokesperson added that a complaint has been filed with the local authorities.
Horrific pictures show one of the dogs staring at its rescuers through a metal fence, its ears weighed down by ticks.
Police and civil guard officers in the San Cristobel de La Laguna area of Tenerife, the largest of the Spanish Canary Islands, found the dogs in a ravine cave near the town of Tabaida
Another image shows the inside of a different dog’s ear filled with the blood-sucking creatures.
All of the images showed the dogs with their ribs and leg bones clearly visible.
The dogs are continuing to be treated at the shelter and vets expect them to be back to full health in around three months before going up for adoption.
Their rescuers took them to the Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino animal shelter, with a spokesman saying that the dogs were living in ‘hell’
Three of the five dogs had microchips and were in the hot sun without food or water
Local media said the dogs were owned by a hunter and a shelter spokesperson added that a complaint has been filed with the local authorities
It is unclear whether the hunter has been arrested for animal abuse.
People on social media were horrified by the images.
One said: ‘Oh my God. At least there was a happy ending. I don’t know how people can sleep when they keep animals in such conditions. He deserves to go to prison.’
Another added: ‘Thanks to the kind and compassionate people who helped to rescue these five innocent animals from their living hell.’
A shelter spokesperson added that a complaint has been filed with the local authorities. Pictured: The dogs in their enclosure
The dogs are continuing to be treated at the shelter and vets expect them to be back to full health in around three months before going up for adoption