A dog that an RSPCA branch manager had "more fleas that we have seen on a single animal" has been brought back to health. And he has found his forever home with the very same RSPCA manager.
Little Bobby - a 13-year-old terrier cross - was rescued by one of the charity's inspectors, Anthony Jones, after he was called to check on his welfare. Bobby was found with most of his fur missing thanks to a huge infestation of fleas.
He also had infected ears and eyes, as well as painful sores all over his body. The RSPCA said that his owner, from Birkenhead, could no longer look after him and was considering having him put to sleep.
But Anthony took him to the RSPCA's Chester and Wirral branch to see a vet and no he is living out his days in comfort, reports the Express.
Branch manager Kay Hawthorne said: "He was filthy and in quite a state, with more fleas than we have seen on a single animal. He had barely any fur from the waist down and you could just see thousands of black dots all over him - which were the fleas.
"He had dirty, infected, ears and was also struggling from untreated dry eyes; both were sore and infected. One of his nails was very overgrown and gnarled, while another had grown into a complete circle, piercing his pad and growing into it significantly.
"Staff got to work and gave him a good clean, where lots of fleas got washed off. He was treated for his fleas once he was dry. He was then wormed. His sore eyes were bathed and then we lubricated them.
"He then had his blocked ears cleaned out and we started him on a course of treatment to help clear the infection. We clipped his gnarled nail and removed the piercing one from the pad, then bathed the wound, enabling him to put his foot down and walk properly for the first time in a long time.
"While all this was taking place, he didn’t stop wagging his tail the whole time. That night he slept in a warm room on a clean, thick, plump bed—the best uninterrupted sleep he had had in a long time, without the discomfort of fleas making him itchy and restless. His ears and eyes weren’t bothering him and he was able to walk without the piercing pain of a nail in his foot."
Kay bonded with Bobby so much that she rehomed him with her other dogs: Frankie, a bulldog-cross aged one; Maisie, a West Highland White cross aged 12; Eva, a German Shepherd aged 12; and Toots, another Shih Tzu aged four.
She added: "He was just so sweet-natured and lovely, and I knew we would struggle to find him a home at such an elderly age, so I took him on. He now looks so happy and it just proves there is life in the old dog yet!"
Inspector Jones said he was delighted to see a transformed Bobby and is over the moon he is now enjoying a new chapter in life with Kay.
He said: "Poor Bobby really was in a bad way and it was so upsetting to think the owner was considering putting him to sleep, due to moving away and leaving him in the care of someone else who was struggling to cope. He should never have been left to get in such a state with veterinary assistance and charities around who would help in this situation.
"Thanks to RSPCA staff, he is transformed and is adorable. He has fallen on all four paws now he has been adopted by Kay too; I am thrilled."
The RSPCA has a telephone helpline to support pet owners worried about the cost of living crisis: 0300 123 0650 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm), as well as a dedicated Cost of Living Hub with practical help and advice.
