A dog described as a “walking skeleton” when found in Barnsley has undergone a huge transformation in RSPCA care and found a loving new home.
Luca was barely alive, terrified and couldn’t move when he was found by South Yorkshire Police in April 2023.
RSPCA inspector Ben Cottle-Shaw was sent to collect the Lurcher cross and despite dealing with hundreds of cases in a 16-year career, he was shocked when he saw the animal.
Mr Cottle-Shaw said: “He was the thinnest dog that I had ever seen which was still alive and on top of this he had an awful untreated skin condition which meant he was constantly scratching and had left him almost completely bald.
“I could tell by his demeanour and look in his eyes Luca had given up on life as he was so broken and withdrawn. It was heartbreaking to see.”
Luca had 98% fur loss due to an untreated skin condition and had a broken tail bone which was so badly infected that part of it had rotted completely off.
At the RSPCA Felledge Centre in County Durham he made a miraculous recovery and was ready to find a new home.
He was adopted by David and Gillian Hagan after only a few weeks.
Mr Hagan said: “We went to see him at Felledge and we just fell in love. He is such a lovely boy. At the time we didn’t know the circumstances of what had happened to him.
“I found the pictures of him when he was found so very hard to look at. Luca now has a beautiful, shiny coat.
“He loves running around in the fields nearby and generally just enjoys all the fuss and attention we give him. He really is a little star. You wouldn’t really be able to tell he had such a terrible experience as he is so trusting and loving.”
South Yorkshire Police were delighted when they were told about Luca’s new home thanks to their quick intervention.
PC Mark Winter said: “I will never forget the way that Luca looked back at me after we handed him over to the RSPCA as if to say ‘thank you’.”
In 2023, the RSPCA received 72,050 reports of neglect and abandonment, a three-year high.
Mr Cottle-Shaw was unable to trace the person responsible for dumping Luca and says he is still keen to hear from anyone with information.
He said: “I was terrified he wasn’t going to survive to see the vet. But he is a fighter and the staff at Felledge did an incredible job to bring him back to the boy he now is and living a great life with his new family.”
