Dog who was set on fire and had his head ‘caved in’ by attackers makes miraculous recovery

This is Bruce right after he was attacked and left for dead.

Bruce, who’s a bull-lurcher was found dumped in a sleepy village on the outskirts of Carlisle on 30 August, 2018, after being beaten so badly he had to be rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery.

His skull was fractured so badly that he couldn’t open his mouth, he was so underweight his ribcage was visible, and he had an infection from the splinters he’d gotten after being beaten with pieces of wood.

Bruce had also been burnt to the point his hair had singed off on parts of his body.

It was touch-and-go, with vets not sure that Bruce would make it due to his severe injuries.

RSPCA Inspector Sam Morris said about finding him: ‘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. You really question what kind of person could do this.

‘Vets said the side of his face had been caved in and described the damage to his skull as dramatic.’

Little fighter Bruce has, however, made a miraculous recovery, and has since found his forever home.

Marie Coleman, who was working at the vet surgery where he was taken for his treatment, adopted him, and has helped him bounce back to his usual happy self.

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.

She 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.

‘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.