The Association for Abandoned Animals unfortunately have their work cut out for them in Malta, with abandoned or stray dogs being brought in on a weekly basis. Their Marsa sanctuary is home to around 80 dogs, and while they share many of their stories online, some strike a chord more than others. And that’s exactly what happened with Lily’s story this week.

Lily the poodle was brought in to AAA’s sanctuary on the 5th of November when she was abandoned by her own family. A lifetime of breeding and her old age meant the tiny dog arrived in a very poor state. 

In a Facebook post announcing Lily’s arrival the people over at AAA explained how the dog’s first week at the sanctuary will be sent neutering her “so she will never have to go through another birthing” and undergoing rigorous dental care. 

“The few remaining teeth are completely rotten and are infecting her gums,” the post read. In fact, Lily had already been put on an antibiotics course by the time the announcement post was shared. 

“Please love your pets, dogs are not money-making machines,” AAA said in the Facebook post. This comes only a couple of weeks after the AAA shared the story of Laika, a two-year-old chow chow that had been abandoned with terrible infections. Fortunately, Laika’s story recently got a happy ending, but Lily’s long road to recovery is only starting. 

The post quickly garnered attention by hundreds of people, with dozens more sharing Lily’s story over the last couple of days. Comments ranged from people wondering who the animal really is in such cases, to others recounting their own experiences with elderly pets.

When one person commented on how frequent these posts are getting, the AAA had a very worrying reply. “Just one of many, non-stop calls for unwanted dogs, dogs in the streets, even dogs given as presents.”

As for Lily, her vet bills are justifiably (and worryingly) high, and AAA are appealing for people to help cover them. All people need to do is to send an SMS to these numbers to donate the corresponding amount:

50617350 – €2.33 
50618060 – €4.66 
50618910 – €6.99 
50619200 – €11.66

Share this post if you think all animals should be loved and tag someone who’d love to help Lily on her road to recovery!

READ NEXT: Abandoned Maltese Dog With Terrible Infections Finally Finds A Loving Home

David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).