The RSPCA is seeking information concerning a dog who was thrown from a truck travelling at 50mph in a rural Kent road on Friday, 28 January.
The one-year-old terrier cross, now called Freya, was rushed to the nearest vet by local Deborah Hollingdale. She said, “The woman in the car behind saw an arm stick out of the driver’s window and threw something out as they were going about 50pmh. She thought it was a teddy bear at first, then she saw it was a dog which ran onto my drive.
“I found her, she wasn’t making any noise. The first thing I noticed was that she looked starved. She was just skin and bones, you could see her hip bones poking through. Her fur was matted, she was covered in her own mess and she smelt terrible. It was clear she had been living in her own filth.”
Deborah wrapped the dog in a towel and then rushed her to a vet for emergency treatment. Vets found Freya was underweight, suffering from fleas and had a matted, dirty coat, and was not chipped nor had a tag.
The RSPCA was alerted soon afterwards. Inspector Kirsten Ormerod, who is now investigating, said, “We were contacted by a member of the public who reported seeing a black and tan, curly-haired dog being thrown out of the driver’s side of a flat-bed truck that was travelling at around 50mph along Benover Road in Yalding, in the direction of Collier Street, at 5.45pm on Friday evening.
“Freya was incredibly lucky to survive after being hurled from the moving vehicle at such a high speed and vets were incredibly concerned that she may have suffered internal bleeding so performed surgery immediately. Vets are monitoring her closely and have given her pain relief and I am keeping everything crossed that she pulls through after experiencing such callous cruelty.”
“I’d urge anyone with information to contact our inspector appeal line, in the strictest of confidence, on 0300 123 8018”
Kirsten added, “We’re following up some lines of enquiry in the local area but I’m really keen to hear from any other witnesses who saw what happened or has any additional information about the vehicle, the people who were travelling in the truck, or Freya herself.
“Perhaps you recognise her, you have CCTV or dash-cam footage from the area, or you saw which direction the truck was heading in?
“I’d urge anyone with information to contact our inspector appeal line, in the strictest of confidence, on 0300 123 8018.”
Since taking Freya to the vet’s, Deborah has been back to see her.
“She’s still very thin, she’s getting lots of small meals to help build her up gradually. She gave me a little lick when she saw me, it broke my heart,” she said.
“I’m so thankful she survived being thrown out of that van. Given the state she was in I don’t think she’d have survived much longer living in the conditions she was being kept.”