Abandoned And Malnourished Welsh Rescue Dog Given A New Chance At Happiness

Betty, a six-year-old Boxer, has found her forever home with the help of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, after she was abandoned with serious health issues and left to suffer.

Hope Rescue in South Wales was recently awarded a grant of £7,500 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust to help them rehome dogs like Betty.

Betty was found by Rhondda Cynon Taf Borough Council pound as a stray and was given to Hope Rescue in order to help her recover and to give her another chance at happiness with a new owner.

When Betty first arrived at the charity, she was very underweight, with infections in her ears, eyes, nose and mouth. She had a terrible skin condition, with weeping sores on her back legs. Betty was also found to have lumps on her mammary glands – which were tested and luckily came back all clear – and she was later operated on to remove the tumour. It was likely that Betty was abandoned due to her health issues, but this is not known.

Just over a month after she was taken in by Hope Rescue, Betty found her forever home with Michelle Bellingham from Caerphilly. Hope Rescue shared Betty’s story on their Facebook page soon after she was brought in, which piqued interest from Michelle and her husband who immediately fell in love with her. The pair met on 7th April and clicked straight away, and Betty even made fast friends with the family dog Ralph, a three-year-old Rottweiler. Although they had to wait until she had the all clear from her lump biopsy, Betty was able to join the family five weeks later.

Speaking about how Betty has settled into her new home, new owner Michelle said: “Betty has settled in brilliantly – she's an absolute joy to have in our little family! She brings so much happiness and she makes us laugh with her funny little ways. We're just glad we can make her feel special and loved in her twilight years.”

Hope Rescue are a small charity supporting the welfare of dogs, irrespective of their breed, age or medical condition.

Co-founder and Chair of Trustees at Hope Rescue, Vanessa Waddon said: “Despite her many health issues Betty had the most wonderful temperament and settled very well in her foster home.”

The Kennel Club Charitable Trust (registered charity no. 327802) has recently given Hope Rescue a grant of £7,500 to assist with its work helping vulnerable dogs like Betty find their forever homes. The Trust has donated more than £10 million to help improve the lives of dogs since it was established in 1987.

The Trust awards grants to welfare organisations which make a difference to dogs’ lives, such as Hope Rescue, and also provides financial support to canine scientific research and support charities.