From 'worst of the worst' to living at their best: Morley & Waldo thrive again When Morley and Waldo came into the shelter, they were like walking skeletons. If you’d been there on the day poor Morley and Waldo came into the Animal Care Centre at RSPCA WA, we have little doubt that you would have been moved to tears. Because Morley and Waldo were in what some at RSPCA WA would call the ‘worst-of-the-worst’ condition. They were starved – practically walking skeletons from being without food for so long. And you could see almost every one of Morley’s bones. When Morley and Waldo were first found in the backyard of a property in Broome, their condition was nothing short of heartbreaking. Without even a medical test or check, it was obvious that both dogs were extremely underweight and in need of urgent veterinary care. But poor Morley wasn’t just underweight. She was nothing but skin and bones. Her condition even stunned lead vet, Dr Mairi: “Morley is a large dog, so seeing her so skinny was quite shocking. And with such a short coat, there was nothing to cover up the condition she was in.” Donate to help animals like Morley & Waldo Once in the care of RSPCA WA vets, it was quickly discovered that the dogs were suffering from a long list of other painful problems – including tick-induced infection, arthritis, pancreatitis and even large tumours. “Morley had an ear infection, and a problem with one of her eyes, the lens had slipped out of place and there was a lot of inflammation inside her eye,” Dr Mairi explains. Not only was poor Morley starving, she’d been in agony for no one knows how long. For both Morley and Waldo, one thing was a priority: proper nutrition. Waldo were, their body starts using its internal energy stores. First, they burn fat. And once that’s gone, they start breaking down muscle. In the later stages of starvation, an animal’s body begins to break down critical muscles, including the heart. But refeeding emaciated animals like Morley and Waldo needs to be done carefully, slowly and with expert supervision, as Dr Mairi explains: “One of the hardest parts of treating severely underweight dogs is that you actually can’t just feed them as much as they want straight away. It feels very unnatural because your instinct is to keep giving them food. But feeding too much too quickly can be very dangerous. So we start with very small portions, sometimes just a tablespoon at a time, spread across multiple meals each day.” This slow and steady process helped Morley put on almost 80% of what she weighed when we first found her. No one knows how long Morley and Waldo spent extremely underweight, in pain and suffering through the worst-of-the-worst. In the past 12 months, a growing number of animals like Morley and Waldo have come into the care of RSPCA WA in the worst-of-the-worst conditions. Cases of cruelty, neglect and abuse right across the state are cause for concern: “We’re definitely seeing more severe cases coming through now than we used to,” Dr Mairi shares. And as a result, we’re seeing the need for urgent, specialised veterinary care increase too. “A higher percentage of the animals arriving in our care have significant medical problems,” she adds. Animals who’ve been cruelly starved as Morley and Waldo were, need urgent veterinary care, pain relief, medication and treatment for conditions that have been left untreated for far too long. Thanks to intensive veterinary treatment, rehabilitation and time in foster care, Morley and Waldo have recovered significantly and found loving, forever homes. The kind of homes they always deserved. “Despite everything they’ve been through, Morley and Waldo are still sweet dogs with happy, wagging tails. And it’s incredibly rewarding to see them recover,” Dr Mairi says. “That’s what this work is about – treating animals the way they deserve to be treated. We try to give every animal the best care and support from the community helps make that possible.” The care needed to help animals like Morley and Waldo recover from the most extreme cruelty and finally experience the life they’ve always deserved can’t happen without the support of generous donors in the community. You can help provide emergency pain relief for injuries caused by neglect, life-saving surgery and medical care to repair years of suffering and transform quality of life, beyond recognition, by making a one-off or regular donation. Donate to help animals like Morley & Waldo Your kindness will help provide the kind of urgent care animals like Morley and Waldo need to recover from the most extreme cruelty, and live the life they’ve always deserved. Thank you. Manage Cookie Preferences