A resilient Springer Spaniel who couldn’t lift his head after being starved has found a loving new home.
Blue was close to death when he was rushed to a vet after being rescued by the RSPCA.
The 11-month-old was covered in fleas, severely dehydrated and weighed just 10.1kg — half what he should have weighed.
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He was so weak that vets had to wrap him in bubble wrap to prevent him from losing heat and injuring himself.
For four days, Blue couldn’t even hold up his head and staff feared he wouldn’t survive.
When RSPCA officers and police visited the home of Blue’s owners — Martin John-Mills Fitzgerald, 49, and Louise Fitzgerald, 48, from Barrow, Cumbria — they were met with a “strong smell of ammonia” and filthy, rubbish-strewn rooms.
Inside were four flea-infested adult cats, seven guinea pigs kept in cages filled with faeces, and three kittens, one already dead.
One guinea pig enclosure had no bedding and inches of slick, wet faeces coating the floor, while another had an empty, dry water bottle.
A baby guinea pig, who later died, was found shaking and barely moving.
All surviving animals were removed and treated by vets in June last year, as reported by Need to Know.
Blue was in veterinary care for nearly two weeks before being transferred to the RSPCA’s East Lancashire Branch to begin his long rehabilitation.
When he arrived, he was still unable to walk and too frightened to move.
Staff placed him in a padded kennel to prevent him from falling and injuring himself, while a volunteer foster carer helped him regain strength and confidence.
Blue learned to walk again and slowly began to rebuild his confidence.
In February this year, a new family came forward and adopted him.
This summer, he even went on his first family holiday and took part in the RSPCA East Lancs “Mutt Strutt” charity walk to raise money for other rescue animals.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “This was a tragic case where a large number of pets had been caused to suffer through Martin and Louise Fitzgerald’s failure to properly meet the needs of the animals in their care.
“Much of this suffering could have been avoided with very basic veterinary intervention, and the ten year ban reflects the seriousness of what happened.
“Thankfully the majority of the animals recovered and have found loving homes.
“The photos of Blue enjoying life with his new owners after he so nearly lost his life are wonderful to see.
“I’d like to say a huge thank you to Wild Side vets for everything they did to save him, and to our team at Lancashire East Branch for providing many months of ongoing care and rehabilitation.”
The couple were later found guilty of animal welfare offences at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court on October 17, and banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
They were also each fined £300 and ordered to pay a £120 victim surcharge.
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