Dog dumped with fly-tipped rubbish finds new home

A puppy that was found dumped alongside fly-tipped rubbish in the snow has found a permanent home, a year after she was rescued.

Nellie, a Staffordshire bull terrier cross, was discovered by a passerby near Vittoria Street in Smethwick, West Midlands, in November 2024.

After being rescued by the RSPCA and receiving urgent medical treatment at Birmingham Animal Hospital, the dog has now found a new home with a family in Worcestershire.

The animal welfare charity said the number of animals being abandoned was at a five-year high.

Nellie was found with a lump on her stomach and blood in her urine, which the RSPCA believe was possibly the reason she was abandoned.

After recovering, she was rehomed with Jo and Simon from Redditch, who were looking for a new dog.

"I don't understand why anyone would dump a dog, or any animal for that matter," Jo said.

"She's very loving, she's outgoing, she loves going with Redditch Dog Walkers. She lives with three cats, and she loves children."

Their 11-year-old daughter said Nellie was "very loving and always wants attention".

"She's very boisterous, very playful, she's a really good dog."

Nellie was rescued by Charlotte Holder, RSPCA animal rescue officer, who said: "When I last saw her she was a tiny little puppy in arms so it's really good to see that she's got a lovely, loving family and that she's grown up to be absolutely massive."

Holder said the animal charity was seeing a "dramatic increase" in pet abandonment amid the cost-of-living crisis.

"We are asking that people kind of do their research, look into charities that they can help," she said.

"We're doing the Big Give Back To Animals campaign so if anyone can offer anything, that's amazing to us. It will help us save more animals like Nellie."

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