After being rescued from a Choa Chu Kang HDB flat, 10-year-old Caitlyn is now searching for her furever home.
The little shih tzu is "an absolute sweetheart" and a "lap dog", according to a Mar. 2 Facebook post by HOPE Dog Rescue, the organisation that came to her aid.
"She is slowly gaining weight and we hope she finds a family to love and cherish her and let her know every day, that she is worth loving."
Looked like a scene from a horror movie
Caitlyn was rescued from a flat at Choa Chu Kang Street 62.
On Jan. 27, a Mothership reader shared a tip-off about a dog chained to the gate of their neighbour's flat.
Her fur was dirty and matted and the floor was covered with faeces.
Photo from Mothership reader
Once alerted, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) visited the flat, but there was no response.
On Jan. 30, HOPE Dog Rescue gathered several volunteers to launch a rescue attempt.
The volunteers encouraged the flat's occupant, a woman, to hand the dog over.
Two hours later, the woman finally agreed to give the dog to the volunteers.
But she had been shaved in what appeared to be an attempt to "[get] rid of all the evidence of neglect".
Photo from HOPE Dog Rescue
Despite the bath, Caitlyn stank and had brown liquid flowing out of her ears.
She also weighed 3.3kg — half that of a normal shih tzu.
"She looked like a scene out of a horror movie," they added.
Rescued, brought to the vet
Fortunately, she was subsequently brought to the vet where she was diagnosed with mange.
Medical staff reportedly took almost three hours to detangle her fur and discarded three shavers in the process.
While her health is now "ok", Caitlyn has severe arthritis from being chained up, HOPE said in its Mar. 2 Facebook post.
Despite her ordeal, she gets on well with dogs and humans, and is sweet and non-aggressive.
Interested adopters can fill in this form to find out more about Caitlyn.