New homeowners Maddie McDonald and Liam Williams, both 29, were delighted when they added a four-legged friend to their family on April 11. The couple brought Crash home when he was just 8 weeks old, and while he may look like a normal Dalmatian puppy, it turns out that he is much more than that.
McDonald, from Brighton, U.K, told Newsweek that Crash came from “an accidental litter” after the breeder mistakenly let their Staffordshire Bull Terrier spend a little too much time alone with a friend’s Dalmatian. As a result, Crash has the spotted fur coat that is synonymous with Dalmatians, but the muscular physique of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
“People comment on his breed mix all the time because most people have never heard of a Dalmatian x Staffy before,” McDonald said. “Everyone is fascinated by what he’ll look like when he is fully grown.
“He definitely has traits from both breeds. He already weighs 14 kilograms at 14 weeks, so we think he’ll take after the Dalmatian in size, but he’s very stocky like a Staffy. Personality-wise, he has the classic Staffy land shark temperament and wants to bite absolutely everything.”
Unfortunately, Crash has not had the easiest start to life.
The breeder informed McDonald and Williams that the puppies contracted ringworm from the mom. Although it was being treated, the puppies were not healing because they were constantly around each other. As a result, McDonald and Williams agreed to collect Crash and continue his treatment at home.
The poor pup had 13 pink sores all over his body which looked “itchy and uncomfortable.” Nonetheless, the couple did everything they could to ease Crash’s pain and help him recover.
“Treating the ringworm was hard work. We had to keep Crash in a pen in one room, minimize handling, constantly wash our hands, change clothes when moving around the house, and do daily washing loads to stop it spreading,” McDonald continued.
“We continued giving him medicated baths every two days, daily medication, eyedrops, pain relief, and regular vet visits. He also had to wear the cone of shame for weeks to stop him licking the sores.”
Thankfully, Crash has made a wonderful recovery so far. He is no longer infectious and does not have to be quite so restricted now. His fur is starting to grow back healthier, his eyes have healed and he no longer has sores.
While he may have had a difficult start to life, McDonald tells Newsweek that Crash has been “incredible throughout it all.”
In the weeks since she brought Crash home, McDonald has been documenting the recovery on the dog’s dedicated TikTok account (@crashthedaffy). A post detailing his painful journey has gone viral with over 104,000 views and 4,200 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
The online response has been overwhelmingly supportive. McDonald has loved hearing from many fellow pet owners about their similar experiences, and she has even connected with owners of Crash’s siblings, and they are planning to meet up and reunite the pups.
McDonald said: “In general, Crash is adorable, cuddly, sweet, and incredibly smart. He already knows lots of tricks, loves people, and would do absolutely anything for cheese. Crash has had a difficult start, but he’s brought so much happiness into our lives already.”
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