Horrific pictures have emerged of a pack of abandoned and starving dogs whose ears were filled with ticks in a remote cave in a popular tourist destination.
Luckily, the neglected dogs were rescued by police and civil guard officers in the San Cristobel de La Laguna area of Tenerife, which is located in the largest of the canary islands.
The dogs were found in a ravine near the town of Tabaida. A spokesperson for the animal shelter, where the dogs were now being looked after, said that the severely abused canines were living in ‘hell’.
This neglected pooch was found to be extremely malnourished and was covered with ticks all over his ears and back. Pic: Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino/Facebook
The Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino animal shelter reported that three out of the five dogs were microchipped, leading people to believe that they have an owner, and had been stuck in the hot sun without any food or water.
Media outlets in the Tenerife village alleged the dogs belonged to a local hunter.
The pack of five dogs were found by rescuers, living in an abandoned cave in Tenerife. Pic: Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino/Facebook
A spokesperson for the animal centre told a local newspaper that a complaint had been filed with the local authorities.
In one of the images, which has shocked dog lovers around the world, one of the dogs looks out through a metal fence as its ears are weighed down by untold numbers of ticks.
The dogs are now being treated in an animal shelter and are expected to make a full recovery in three months. Pic: Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino/Facebook
All five of the dogs appeared to be extremely malnourished — their ribs and leg bones can be clearly seen in the harrowing images taken by the Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino animal centre.
However, it seems there might be a happy ending for these abused animals.
Each one of the dogs was in severe pain as they had been left without food or water and had tens of ticks feasting on their blood. Pic: Albergue Comarcal Valle Colino/Facebook
They are receiving five-star treatment and the vets at the shelter reckon they will be back to full health in around three months.
Once they are back to top condition, the shelter will place them up for adoption so they can find their forever homes.
People from across the world were shocked at the dire condition of these dogs and have called for their owner to be arrested on animal cruelty charges PIC: ALBERGUE COMARCAL VALLE COLINO
It is not known yet whether their alleged owner, said to be a local hunter, has been arrested for animal cruelty charges.