A pack of dogs found starving and abandoned on a Scots road have been nursed back to health and found their forever homes after hard work by animal welfare chiefs.
Winnie was one of nine labradoodles found dumped at the side of the A98 in the north-east last August with some of the dogs found trapped inside derelict buildings.
The animals were said to be in an 'appalling condition' with matted, filthy fur and were in an emaciated state.
Bosses at the Scottish SPCA rescued the pooches and they have now all been rehomed with the charity sharing the touching tale of Winnie.
She is now living with one of the charity's volunteers after being rehomed in Lanarkshire.
Lanarkshire centre manager, Gillian Boyle, said, “The public may remember Winnie coming in to our care in August 2020, after being found dumped at the side of the A98 with nine labradoodles.
“Some of the animals were roaming loose, while others had been shut in a derelict building.
“They were all in an appalling condition. Their coats were completely matted, and they were filthy and emaciated.
“The poor pups were so nervous and weak from malnourishment, and it was very clear they had not been socialised.
“Our devoted animal care staff worked so hard to give every one of these dogs the socialisation, training, and TLC that they deserved.
“After the amazing work of our teams, they have now all found their loving forever homes including Winnie, who was with us for four months before she was ready to start her new chapter.
“She found the perfect home with one of our volunteers, and we’re told she is doing fantastically well and is a total ray of sunshine!
“They think she is a dog in a million and are so grateful that she came in to their lives. They also had a DNA test which revealed she was in fact 100% a standard poodle all along!”
The charity has highlighted its work as part of Scottish Animal Week.
Scottish Animal Week will run from 13 to 19 September, and Gail Porter will help launch the week by asking the public to shine a light on the animals in their life.
A statement from the charity urged the public to take part with their amazing animal stories.
It read: "We are hoping to raise funds over the week by asking you to share how your pets have helped you through lockdown and the important role they play in your lives.
"Stories will then be displayed on our ‘hall of fame’ webpage, and be entered into a draw to win prizes including six-months-worth of pet food.
"We are very grateful to CALA Homes who will be matching Scottish Animal Week donations up to £5,000 as part of a £40,000 sponsorship pledge made to the charity in 2020.
"We have continued to rescue and care for animals throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and since March last year we have cared for 7,325 domestic animals across our nine animal rescue and rehoming centres and 12,013 wild animals at our dedicated National Wildlife Rescue Centre.
"We were successfully able to remove 2,038 animals from situations where they were being mistreated or neglected, and found loving forever homes for 4,769 animals like poodle, Winnie."
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