Reward offer to collar dog abuser

WORST CASE: This was a photo of Lacey when she was found clearly emaciated, though the other images of her horrific neck wound are too graphic for publication. PHOTO/SPCA

A Northland dog is recovering after she was tied up, abandoned and found severely emaciated with some of the most horrific neck injuries a veteran SPCA inspector has ever seen.

Bay of Islands SPCA inspector Wendy Locke said the staffie-cross, now named Lacey, was turned in early last week.

Ms Locke said her first impression upon seeing Lacey was: "Oh my God. How can someone do this?" She estimates Lacey is about two or three years old.

She was not the only one outraged, with non-profit organisation Paws Justice offering a $1000 reward for any information leading to the conviction of Lacey's previous owner.

A man and his children were swimming at the Mangamuka River when they found her wandering and took her home with them, she said. However, it appeared somebody else may have found Lacey tied up earlier and freed her.

Her ribs and hip bones were jutting out while the wound around her neck was the worst case of a collar growing into a dog's neck that the veteran SPCA worker had seen.

"It's very common up here for ingrown chains, collars and ropes but Lacey's was the worst I have ever seen," said Ms Locke, who had worked as an inspector for 16 years. Yesterday Lacey underwent surgery to stitch the skin back together around her neck and she was spayed.

She has also put on 2kg since being rescued. It was likely Lacey's wound had been inflicted over a long period of time, Ms Locke said.

"It's not new," she said. It was the result of "basically being tied up with something that has not been adjusted".

Despite the abuse Lacey appeared to be a "very sweet" and well behaved dog, Ms Locke said.

"She just wants to sit on your lap and be cuddled."

Since appealing for information about Lacey's previous owner on Facebook there had been a "huge" outpouring of support, Ms Locke said. A handful of people had volunteered to adopt her already, though that was still a while off as she needed to heal and recover.

After Paws Justice posted the photos over 3000 people also shared them.

- If anyone has any information on who abandoned Lacey they can contact SPCA inspectors Bridget (021407150) or Wendy (0272280466). All calls will be treated as confidential.