A miniature poodle has been found with hair so matted that he was blind and in so much pain he could not walk properly, according to vets in the UK.
The nine-year-old, called Doug, was brought to Portsmouth City Council’s kennels with his black fur so matted it was pulling on his skin.
The hair also covered his eyes, causing an infection, and his ears were also affected.
Doug was sedated so vets could shave his fur without causing further pain, and drops were administered to fight the eye infection.
Scott Linnett, of Sanctuary Vets in Farlington, said: “In spite of the evident neglect, Doug was notably well behaved and allowed much of his fur to be clipped without any objection.
“It was only clipping towards his head that proved too much, at which point he was sedated to spare him any further unnecessary discomfort.
“In total, 1.3kg of fur was clipped from a dog who initially weighed 14.4kg — almost 10 per cent of his bodyweight.”
Carol Plumbly, lead kennel assistant at the council, said: “This is one of the worst cases we’ve ever seen. One of our staff had to go home in tears.
“His eyes were infected, because of the matted fur over them, and full of pus. He had no way of seeing.
“His fur was so tightly matted that it would have been causing him pain. It was pinching his skin so he couldn’t walk properly. He could hardly hold his head up.
“We were just horrified. He’s a lovely boy. He doesn’t deserve what he’s had done to him.”
The council and the RSPCA are now hoping to trace the owners of Doug, who was brought to the kennels by a teenage girl and her mother who said they had found him wandering the streets.
PA