An abandoned dog with no nose has received hundreds of offers of a new home after a plea from a shelter that saved him.
Sniffles came to the United States for treatment after losing his nose in an attack by other strays in Puerto Rico. Following multiple surgeries he was left with what his rescuers describe as a “blow hole”.
Staff at Poodle and Pooch Rescue of Florida said he was “shy, scared and confused” when taken in just before Christmas.
Their subsequent campaign to find him a home saw more than 300 potential owners come forward from across the United States.
Sniffles, thought to be around 12 years old, also suffers from a host of other conditions, including parasites, serious dental issues and a growth from his eyeball, but he remains affectionate in spite of all his difficulties.
“He does these Eskimo kisses that are so cute, it’s just so ironic that a dog with no nose gives Eskimo kisses,” said Michele Wacker, special needs director at the centre.
Poodle and Pooch Rescue takes in between 500 and 600 sick or wounded dogs each year. Ms Wacker said she hoped those who miss out on Sniffles will come forward to help one of the many others at risk of being put down due to ill health.
“It’s almost sad,” she said. “We have people that wanna drive from Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, Michigan to adopt this one dog.
“Meanwhile, to us, there’s nothing special about this one dog. He’s just as important as every other dog that we’re saving from being euthanised.”
The centre says it will wait a short while before making a decision on where to house Sniffles, adding that they want to keep him local as they want to continue treating him.
In the meantime, Ms Wacker urged other would-be owners to “go down to your local animal shelter, be a hero to that dog”.
