An abandoned dog left with fur so overgrown he was unable to open his eyes has had a remarkable transformation and got a new haircut and wardrobe of designer coats.
Pudding, a Shih Tzu cross, was found on Christmas Eve tied to a lamp post on a city centre street in freezing cold rain.
His coat was so matted around his legs and face he couldn’t see out of his right eye, his nails were overgrown and he was covered in fleas.
But after being nursed back to life by an animal shelter he has been adopted and given a new home by an animal-loving couple who are treating him like royalty.
Richard and Rachel Beakhouse, both 41, have given Pudding a full makeover and new wardrobe.
The couple, from Axminster, Devon, took him home from the RSPCA’s Little Valley animal centre where they also adopted a hamster called Gideon.
IT manager Rachel said: “We treat him like a king because that’s what he deserves after what he has been through.
“He’s got his own room in the house for when he needs ‘down time’ and he has his own wardrobe – I think he’s probably got more coats than me.”
She said: “We took him last month and he is such a little darling.
“He’s settled in great already and it’s amazing to see how much he has blossomed in such a short space of time.
“After what happened to him, naturally at first he seemed frightened to be left alone, even for a few minutes if you got up to leave a room, he would start barking, but he’s coming on leaps and bounds.
“He even does this little dance now and is so lively and happy when he sees us and just to see him behave like that is the ultimate reward.
“He may be an older boy now but I fully intend to give him the best final years of his life and show him what it really means to have a loving home.”
RSPCA Inspector Sarah Morris, who rescued Pudding, could not even recognise his breed when she found him in Plymouth, Devon.
She said: “The state Pudding was in when I first saw him was so sad, but it also made me so angry that someone had neglected him so much already, just to dump him on Christmas Eve,” she said.
“We had torrential rain during he night and he had just been left out in it, tied up and he was soaking wet.
“His coat was so matted around his legs and face that he couldn’t see out of his right eye. His nails were overgrown and he was covered in fleas.
“He must have been terrified, hungry and uncomfortable, just left out in the dark, wind and rain.”
