Puppy dog undergoes amazing transformation after being starved by former owner
Nala became so skinny that her ribs could clearly be seen through her fur.
A dog who was so weak she couldn’t stand up for longer than half a minute because she was starved by her former owner has made a remarkable recovery.
Nala, an 11-month-old American bulldog, was found emaciated in a cage at a home in Gateshead by police last August.
Her former owner, Toni Rowland, 26, was banned from keeping animals for five years for the way she treated her.
At one point Nala became so skinny that her ribs could clearly be seen through her fur.
RSPCA inspector Kirsty Keogh-Laws, who investigated the case, described Nala as the thinnest dog she had ever seen alive during her 14-year career.
After she was found, Nala was looked after at Vets Now in Chester-le-Street but has now found a new forever home with Beth Atkinson, 27 and has been renamed Penny.
Beth said: ‘She’s my world. I couldn’t have asked for a better companion, she is always happy and wagging her tail.
‘She has brought so much joy and laughter to my life.
‘When I first adopted her she’d eat her food in about one mouthful, probably wondering where the next meal was coming from.
‘She’s definitely slowed down now, knowing she’ll be fed again.
‘She absolutely loves going to the dog park, the beach and out for long walks. She has two cat friends too, who she loves.
‘She’s the sweetest girl in the world, she adores everyone she meets, including other dogs.
‘About 8pm she settles on the sofa and waits to go up to bed to sleep, and there’s nothing better than seeing her wagging tail in the morning when I wake up.’
In court Rowland admitted two animal welfare offences and was sentenced on April 9.
Inspector Keogh-Laws said in her evidence: ‘She was desperately skinny and I was able to see every bone in her body.
‘Her rib cage was visibly protruding from her body and I could count the bones along her spine.
A vet said: ‘Her body condition would lead me to think she hadn’t been fed appropriately and suffered from hunger for weeks to months.’
Inspector Keogh-Laws added: ‘Without a doubt, she was the thinnest dog I have ever seen alive.
‘If it hadn’t been for the quick actions of the police officers who found her, she wouldn’t have survived much longer.
‘To see her now in her new home, transformed and living her best life with Beth, is just incredible.’
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