Britain’s most unwanted dog, who is so lonely she only has soft toys to cuddle up to on her own every night, is looking for an owner.
The two-year-old lurcher, Bella, has spent almost all her life in kennels.
RSPCA staff first feared she would never find a home as she is scared of other dogs, gets lonely and suffers from anxiety.
The only comfort she gets is from her soft toys, with her favourite being Winnie the Pooh.
Poor Bella has been at the Ashley Heath Animal Centre in Ringwood, Hants for the entire Covid-19 pandemic.
She arrived there in February 2020 and only had a brief spell with another family but they couldn't cope with her.
Hannah Hawkins, behaviour and welfare advisor at the animal charity centre said: "It's people she really loves to be around.
"And, although we try to spend as much time with her as possible, we simply can't be with her all the time.
"And she has sought solace in her cuddly toys, especially Winnie the Pooh who she cuddles up with every night."
She added: "Bella was originally rehomed to a family from another charity.
"But they struggled to cope with her behaviour around other dogs and agreed to sign her over to the RSPCA for behavioural work.
"Bella is really worried by other dogs and lacks socialisation skills that she missed out on in her early, formative months.
"We believe that incorrect management has worsened this and she was incredibly frustrated when we first started working with her.
"But, thankfully, after months and months of intensive work we've started to see her making improvements.
"She's responded well to our training and has even made some doggy friends here at the centre."
An RSPCA spokesperson said: "Two-year-old Bella has spent almost her entire life in kennels and staff feel she is struggling to find her forever home as she's misunderstood by potential adopters.
"Bella is a friendly, affectionate dog who loves to spend time with people.
"She enjoys being groomed and loves nothing more than fuss and attention. She enjoys running off-lead, playing with her toys and splashing in the water.
"She has responded well to training and enjoys the treats she's given as rewards.
"She'll need time to get to know new dog friends and can be reactive to unknown dogs.
"So she'll need an experienced and confident adopter who can continue her training and be mindful when walking her.
"She'd like a large, enclosed garden as she really loves to run and play off-lead.
"We feel she'd be best-suited to an adult-only home in a quiet area where she can go for rural walks away from lots of other dogs.
As Bella has struggled with separation anxiety in the past, she will need owners who can initially spend lots of time with her, and slowly teach her that it’s okay to be left alone, they said.
