‘Gentle giant’ rottweiler has throat cut and is stabbed repeatedly while sleeping in sickening ‘attempted murder’
A “GENTLE giant” rottweiler had his throat cut and was stabbed repeatedly while sleeping in a sickening alleged attempted murder.
Anji Sanderson, 56, found her dog Rocky wandering by the stables where he sleeps in north Lancs with stab wounds to his chest, thigh and side, as well as a four-inch slash to his throat.
The seven-year-old rottweiler, described by Anji as a trusting gentle giant, had to have part of his jaw removed by vets after the horror attack.
Police are investigating the area but no arrests have been made.
Anji told Lancashire Live: “This was attempted murder. Someone has tried to kill my dog.
“I know that Rocky was asleep in his bed when this happened. To go into a dog’s bed, stab them multiple times and slit their throat, it’s just horrific.
“They have targeted him. Nothing else on the yard was touched or stolen.”
‘ATTEMPTED MURDER’
Anji, from Blackpool, owns several animals, including horses, a pig and nine rescue dogs.
She arrived with her daughter Caitlin at the stable where some of her dogs are kept early on September 17 to find that somebody had broken in.
She said: “You could see the tyre tracks, a four-by-four or a van had been down at the yard. Then I saw that the heavy duty padlock and chain on the gate were gone.”
Anji and Caitlin first noticed their other rottweiler Tia was limping, having sustained an injury to her leg.
Anji then spotted Rocky, who had at least four stab wounds, a deep cut to his throat and trauma to his jaw and head.
He was immediately rushed to theatre and vets were forced to remove part of his jaw the next day after they noticed several of his teeth had been pulled out.
Anji said: “We didn’t know for a time if he was going to survive. Rocky is such a gentle dog, he wouldn’t have even retaliated when he was attacked. He’s so trusting.
“Even now at the vets he’s still friendly and they didn’t even have to muzzle him when they inspected his wounds.”
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Rocky may now have to undergo further surgery after two of his stab wounds opened up again.
A friend of Anji’s has launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for his treatment.
Lancashire Constabulary are investigating the attack.
