Angel had endured so many days of loneliness, hunger and pain. She was trapped in a cluttered, rubbish-filled yard. There was no reason for her to think this day would be any different.

She didn’t know that the cruelty would finally stop. She didn’t know that the hunger and pain was about to end.

And she didn’t know her road to recovery was about to begin.

Angel's story shows how people just like you can change an animal's life forever.

And help stop cruelty to animals in Western Australia.

Angel’s story is heart-breaking, and we wanted to share it with you earlier. But her cruel owner had indicated he was going to try to take her back.

And we couldn’t let Angel go back to that barren backyard. Nobody should have to relive her traumatic ordeal.

A concerned member of the public made a report about animals at a property in Midland. It was over 33C in Perth that day. Angel had no access to food or fresh water. And nowhere to shelter from the sun.

When the Inspector first saw Angel, her hips, spine and ribs were clearly visible under her dull coat. It was clear that Angel needed urgent treatment. This photo was taken by the Inspector when she climbed the wall to check on Angel.

Imagine if your own animal was deprived of their most basic needs. Deprived of being healthy and free of pain.

Angel’s owner explained that she was so skinny because she had worms. The Inspector gave Angel a worm treatment and spoke to the owner about the need to provide better care.

It was his responsibility to provide nutritious food and fresh water daily. And Angel needed suitable shelter. These were Angel’s most basic needs, and she relied solely on her owner to provide them.

In the following weeks, the Inspector returned to check on Angel and her progress. But they could tell that she wasn’t being cared for properly.

She was even skinnier than before, and the Inspector could now see she had a serious injury on her vulva. The owner said the injury was from having puppies.

Angel’s cruel treatment came to an end that day. The Inspector seized Angel and brought her to the RSPCA Animal Care Centre in Malaga. Angel would finally receive the vital medical treatment she needed.

Generous donations made this happen. When you make a donation today, you can save another animal waiting to be rescued, just like Angel.

Angel was very skinny – she had a body condition score of 2 out of 9 and weighed just 16.6kg when she first arrived.

RSPCA Vet Rachel recalls first seeing Angel.

“She was such as sweet girl, and it was heart-breaking to see her in this condition. She was underweight, scared, and in pain. There was no need for Angel to suffer; she just needed someone to love her.”

“I’m so grateful to our supporters. They make it possible to provide the treatment animals like Angel desperately need.”

The vets estimate the serious cut on her vulva had happened up to two weeks earlier and been left untreated this whole time.

Can you imagine the pain Angel must have felt from her untreated wound. How could her owner just leave her like this?

Angel’s injury was so severe that she was taken to a specialist veterinary hospital to be examined by an expert in canine reproductive anatomy.

Generous donations and support from the community meant that Angel received this level of specialist care.

The expert vet confirmed her injuries were not related to having recently had a litter of puppies, like her owner had claimed. Sadly, we still can’t determine what caused this painful wound.

Without this specialist intervention, we would never have known that Angel’s owner had lied about her injuries.

Angel should never have had to suffer. She relied on her owner to give her healthy food, fresh water and the medical treatment she needed.

But he didn’t.

Angel’s owner was sentenced for animal cruelty. He was found guilty of failing to take reasonable steps to alleviate harm to Angel.

On top of a fine, he was banned from owning any animals for ten years. And Angel was forfeited to the Crown.

Despite this, Angel’s owner threatened to appeal his sentence, and was granted 28 days to do so. If his appeal was successful, there was a real chance that Angel would be returned to her owner. And to those dreadful living conditions.

We could not let this happen.

This also meant that Angel would need to remain in care for another month. She would have to wait longer to find a permanent loving home where she would be loved. Somewhere she could finally feel safe.

It was perhaps the longest month of Angel’s life. She waited to find out if she would get to live the happy life she deserved.

Without the support of people just like you, animals like Angel, and thousands more, would not have hope. Hope for a full recovery. Hope for a pain-free life in a loving home.

There is a big job ahead of us. And we know we can’t do it without you. No animal deserves what Angel has been through.

Please, help us put an end to it today. 

PS: Angel’s wait continues — her previous owner failed to appeal his sentence within the 28-day period. She’s now happy, healthy, and ready to find her forever home! All thanks to generous donations and support from people like you.