Abandoned dog who was set on fire and left for dead makes miraculous recovery

An abandoned dog who was set on fire and had his head "caved in" has made a miraculous recovery.

Bruce the bull-lurcher received life-saving surgery when he was found dumped, beaten and left for dead in a village in Carlisle, Wales, on 30 August, 2018

Photos from the time showed a cowering Bruce covered in blood with swelling around his eye.

He was also so underweight his rib cage was visible.

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Vets rushed him to the theatre to repair his fractured skull and treat the infection in his head caused by suspected splinters from the wood used to beat him.

An MRI scan revealed the poor dog’s skull was ‘shattered’ and he couldn’t open his jaw.

Vets were concerned he would not pull through the surgery as his injuries were so severe.

Sadly Bruce lost an eye as a result of the abuse.

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RSPCA Inspector Sam Morris said: “I was absolutely gobsmacked at what I saw.

"I’ve worked for the RSPCA for 10 years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything that awful.

“We know Bruce had been in that condition for a number of days before he got the vet treatment he needed.

"The pain that he must have been in is unimaginable. He was losing the will to carry on.”

He added: “Bruce is a fighter. As soon as he woke up from the surgery his tail was wagging!”

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Bruce is now healthy after being adopted by Marie Coleman, who was working at the vet surgery where he was taken for his treatment.

She said it was "love at first sight" and initially fostered him before adopting him permanently after helping him on his long road to recovery.

Coleman said: “He has settled in very well. He loves home life.

"His wounds have healed very well. You can hardly see his scar at the top of his head.”

Coleman added: "He lost all of his hair on his bottom from being burnt and all the way down the inside of his legs, which has healed up beautifully.

“He is so special. Bruce is 100 per cent happy in life and he’s made our lives 100 per cent better.”

The miraculous tale will feature on the new series of The Dog Rescuers, which airs on Channel 5.