A dog was found wandering the streets with a tumour the size of a football – which she had to drag across the floor.
Betty, a 12-year-old Jack Russell, was in a terrible state when she was handed in to a dog warden.
As well as the gigantic tumour weighing in at a whopping 1.2kg – she also has poor hearing, needs dental work and is in the early stages of cataracts.
But now thankfully things are looking up for the poor pooch after the RSPCA took her into care and removed the large mass.
RSPCA inspector Mitchell Smith said: “She was covered in fleas and the tumour had started to ulcerate where it had dragged on the floor due to its size.
“Betty is now recovering from successful surgery where vets removed the 1.2kg mass.
“She is eating and drinking well and clearly feels a lot better from having that huge weight removed.
“She is currently being cared for overnight by a vet but what she really needs is a foster home.”
“She is such a lovely little dog who is very friendly and anybody who meets her will fall in love with her.”
Betty also does not have a microchip so it is not known where she came from but she was found wandering the streets in Dagenham, Essex, on January 7.
It is thought that poor Betty was abandoned because her owners did not want to pay for the surgery she needed.
Now the RSPCA are in search of a foster home in the Chingford area in Essex for the little dog as she recuperates from her ordeal.
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “Sadly it’s possible this could be down to owners not wanting to or being unable to pay for Betty’s treatment.
“But either way abandoning her is a callous way to treat an animal.”
Director of claims, Westley Pearson, at Animal Friends Pet Insurance said: “For some owners the cost of veterinary care can be prohibitive, and if they are unable to pay for treatment some owners resort to abandoning their pet.
“Tragic cases like this show how important pet insurance is, as unexpected large bills could be covered for just a few pounds a month.”
It is thought that poor Betty was abandoned because her owners did not want to pay for the surgery she needed.
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “Sadly it’s possible this could be down to owners not wanting to or being unable to pay for Betty’s treatment.”
“But either way abandoning her is a callous way to treat an animal.”
Director of claims, Westley Pearson, at Animal Friends Pet Insurance said: “For some owners the cost of veterinary care can be prohibitive, and if they are unable to pay for treatment some owners resort to abandoning their pet.
“Tragic cases like this show how important pet insurance is, as unexpected large bills could be covered for just a few pounds a month.”
