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Animal champion Tony Waters has made an impassioned plea for those leaving the island to have their pets put to sleep rather than turn them out on to the streets and have them end up like this poor creature.
This young female Dalmatian was taken to the 2nd Chance animal shelter after being spotted by school administrator Hazel Clarke close to St Christopher's School in Saar where she works - sadly she did not last the week.
Mrs Clarke spotted the starving animal while out with her daughter, Bethany, 14, and said: "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. She was just so thin she had obviously either been starved or had been dumped and had nothing to eat and there was an open sore on her spine which was stinking and had maggots in it. I can't understand how anyone could let this happen to a living creature."
The poor animal was severely dehydrated and obviously starving and Mr Waters, fondly known as 'the Dogfather' by animal lovers in Bahrain, tried his best to save its life at his sanctuary in Karranah.
Named Skelly, because she resembled a walking skeleton, she was put on fluids, several small meals a day and antibiotics for the skin sore but had to be put to sleep on Thursday as she was unable to eat and vets feared her internal organs had shut down due to starvation.
Visibly upset, Mr Waters said: "There is absolutely no excuse for this sort of thing, though we see it all the time. Sadly she is not the first, though she is definitely the worst that I have seen in 10 years of taking in animals.
"This is a pedigree dog that has obviously been somebody's pet and she has just been dumped to fend for herself.
"People seem to think animals can take care of themselves but that's just not the case, particularly with dogs, and to leave them like this is very cruel. You can see the state she was in, the poor thing must have been suffering terribly.
"Sometimes people think turning the animal loose is preferable to having it put to sleep but they often face a lingering death, like this poor creature, and there's just no need for it.
"People who are leaving the island can always call me for advice, turn their pets over to the BSPCA or, as a last resort, have them put to sleep. Please, please, don't just leave them on the streets - this is what happens to them."
The BSPCA is bracing itself for the usual summer influx of unwanted animals and spokesman Jane Sheikh said: "Abandoned animals either die a horrible, slow death of starvation, get run over or are shot and either maimed or killed by police.
"If you are leaving the island and cannot take your animals with you then you can hand them in to the BSPCA where they will at least have some time to hopefully find a new home. Otherwise, it really is better to have them put to sleep rather than leave them to fend for themselves as this sort of thing is so often the result.
"We would also urge people to think very carefully about taking on an animal in the first place and consider that this is a decision you may be faced with at some stage."
