A dog who was found abandoned, dehydrated and hurt near Denbigh has now found a new home.
Anwen and Keith Bellis were approached by a four-year-old dog as they drove along a country lane near Llansannan in September.
The little terrier cross, who has now been named Fenton, was badly injured, exhausted and struggling with open, bleeding wounds on the side of his face and neck.
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Anwen, who lives near Mold, said: “We actually thought he was a very old dog at first as he was disoriented and wobbly on his feet.
“His fur was matted, he smelt awful and he just looked utterly exhausted.
“When he came up to me, he rested his head on my leg because he was so weak; it was absolutely heartbreaking to see a dog in such an appalling condition.
The couple wrapped him in a towel belonging to their own down and contacted the RSPCA, who recommended they take Fenton to the charity’s Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre in Colwyn Bay.
Deputy centre manager Rachel Gibbs was heartbroken to see Fenton in such a poor state but not surprised, as the RSPCA dealt with 3,004 abandoned animals in England and Wales last winter.
She met the couple in the centre’s car park later that afternoon, and said: “As I approached the car I could see immediately that Fenton was in an incredibly bad way.
“He was just lying on his side, almost lifeless in the footwell of the car.
"He had a lot of infected wounds and was covered in thick dirt and unable to lift his head.
“We knew that he needed to be seen by a vet straight away, so our animal care assistant Callum Bartley took him to our fantastic emergency vet, Vets Now, as there really was no time to lose.”
Fenton was struggling with weeping and infected old wounds, possibly caused by bites.
The skin on his toes had been ripped from the underlying tissue which made the RSPCA staff think he had been hit by a car.
After staying overnight at the vets, he returned to Bryn-y-Maen in the morning, still incredibly weak.
Anwen said: “We visited Fenton at the animal centre and to see him running around after the near collapsed state he was in was wonderful.
“We’re over the moon that he’s found a lovely home after everything he’s been through.”
Fenton was adopted on 27 November by Philip and Wendy Hammond from Northwich in Cheshire, who say he has settled in well since arriving home and is keeping them on their toes.
Wendy said: “He’s an absolute bundle of energy and it’s lovely having another dog in the house again after we lost our 14-year-old Parson Russell Terrier a couple of months ago.
“We’ve noticed Fenton likes picking things up - my slippers have disappeared a couple of times - so we’re having to put a few things away.
“We’ve got a canal boat, which we’re hoping to take Fenton on next summer, so he’s got lots of nice things to look forward to.
“He’s a cheeky little character and he’ll never again have to go through the awful experiences he endured.”
The RSPCA’s Rachel Gibbs added: “Looking at Fenton now, it’s hard to imagine he was so poorly, and it’s heartbreaking to think he was probably like that for quite some time.
“We are so grateful to our vets, to Anwen and Keith for their care and compassion that day, and to Phillip and Wendy for offering Fenton a forever home.
“He’s been on quite a journey and we are all absolutely delighted that it’s resulted in a happy ending for this gorgeous little dog.”
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