Heartbreaking pictures show the horrendous condition of abandoned dogs with fur so matted rescuers could barely recognise them

Heartbreaking pictures have revealed the horrendous condition that abandoned dogs have been kept in with fur so matted that even rescuers struggles to recognise the animals. 

Niall Harbison, a Michelin-chef turned dog rescuer, showed shocking snaps of the poor pooches - one of which was so malnourished that it had maggots in its eye on the day it was rescued.

Niall, who lives in Thailand, said the pictures were sent to him on June 9, with a message asking for help concerning two dogs that had been seen trapped in cages. 

So poor was their condition that Mr Harbison said he had to squint to even be able to recognise the animal as a dog. 

He took the dogs back to his Happy Doggo sanctuary and days later, after numerous vet visits and more than 12 hours of grooming, Niall was pleased to share that the animals' health had 'fully improved'. 

Although he shared that one of the dogs, Faith, will lose her eye, the dog rescuer reassured people that such an event is 'not a big deal at all', given the state in which she was initially found. 

Posting to X on Tuesday, Niall shared a heartwarming update as he wrote: 'They were down at the beach today. 

'It’s hard to believe that just 16 days ago they were in the cages with no hope and in agony from their fur in the heat.' 

He added: 'They’ll continue their recovery for another few weeks and then we’ll find them a forever home together. 

'Two little fun loving angels who deserve every moment together on the beach'. 

Niall works to rescue dogs through his charity, Happy Doggo, which he first set up in 2021 after recovering from a near-death experience due to substance abuse. 

While jogging around the area of Koh Samui in Thailand in an effort to get his life back in order, Niall noticed a number of malnourished dogs, which he started to bring food to and share videos of online in the hope they could be rescued. 

After his videos began attracting worldwide attention, he began feeding and vaccinating as many dogs as he could - but quickly became aware that sterilisation would be the only way to fix the problem in the long-term. 

In 2023, Niall travelled to Europe, the United States and Dubai to organise a series of dog walks, where animal lovers could meet one another. 

After thousands of people turned up, one lucky shelter dog was even able to be rescued. 

Since then, Niall's tireless work has seen him able to secure a plot of land for a dog sanctuary, which gives the most sick and vulnerable animals a much-needed space to recover in before they can be tended to. 

Speaking to MailOnline in 2023 about his incredible journey, Niall said: 'I started the mission after ending up in ICU in hospital. I nearly drank myself to death because I suffered from anxiety and depression. 

'I spent three days there and when nearly dying I vowed to change my life and do something meaningful.'

Discussing his ongoing battle to stay sober, he added: 'That’s not easy and I share that openly. I do that purely to hopefully help somebody somewhere who needs it.

'I’ll never stop talking about that because it’s still got huge stigma attached and seen as a weakness in society.'