A dog who made a remarkable recovery after being forced to eat glass and batteries to survive is now looking for his forever home.
The bull breed cross, who was named Eric by veterinary staff, was so emaciated when he was discovered earlier this year in the garden of an empty council house in Accrington, Lancashire, that he was named ‘the thinnest dog alive’.
Now, six months later, Eric – who has since been called Walter – is happy and healthy; he has reached his optimum weight of 20kg and is a ‘sweet-natured, friendly boy who loves life,’ according to the RSPCA.
But he wasn’t always this way. When he was found by a member of the public on March 2, Walter was so weak he could not stand up or lift his head, and his ribs could be seen clearly poking through his fur.
His claws were so long and over-grown that they curled over, and his fur was covered in urine. Upon being rescued, the dog collapsed and he had to be wrapped in metallic thermal blankets to keep him warm.
RSPCA inspector Nina Small said at the time:
As well as being the thinnest dog I’ve ever seen alive, he had very overgrown nails and was absolutely covered in urine. His faeces had pieces of glass and metal as big as a 50 pence piece in it, and bits of batteries.
I believe poor Eric [Walter] has been confined somewhere out of sight, eating whatever he’s been able to get in his mouth, perhaps in a garage or a shed.
SWNSNow though, a spokesperson from RSPCA Lancashire East described Walter as ‘the picture of health’, as per Lancashire Live. He loves people (and food, obviously) and has a ‘wonderful, energetic personality’ with lots of character, according to a Facebook post from the organisation.
The dog has been in foster care since his rescue and has made a ‘remarkable recovery’ thanks to the care and dedication to his family. But he’s now ready to find his forever home.
In the Facebook post, RSPCA Lancashire East wrote:
At home he likes to keep you company and enjoys taking long naps cuddled up to you. He has been living with two cats therefore would be fine in a home with cats and he has also been living with another dog.
He is excitable and playful around other dogs and needs more socialisation with them so he becomes more confident. He has had a bad start in life and would benefit from an experienced owner that can continue training and provide a balanced home for him to adapt to.
SWNSBecause he’s so excitable and bouncy, the RSPCA have advised he would be most suited for an adult-only home or a family with older children.
Hopefully Walter will be able to find his forever home soon so he can carry on being his loving, excitable self.
If you’re interested in adopting Walter please contact the animal centre directly on 01254 231118.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).