On the streets of Birmingham, just days before Christmas last year, an elderly German shepherd-mastiff mix was found abandoned, hungry, and heartbroken. Luckily, this story has a happy ending just in time for this year’s Christmas Day.
The 10-year-old dog, named Molly-Moo, was picked up by West Midlands Police and delivered to the RSPCA. Inspector Steven Lee launched an investigation.
“Poor Molly-Moo was in such a sorry state and looked so sad,“ he said. ”When you looked in her eyes she seemed broken, like she'd given up hope. It was devastating.
“Molly was wandering along a busy, dangerous road and I believe she'd been dumped there by someone like rubbish,“ he added. ”She was incredibly emaciated with bones protruding and had a bad, untreated skin condition.”
Although Molly-Moo was microchipped and police tracked down the owners, it turns out she was stolen from their garden six years earlier, and they were no longer in a position to take her back.
It didn’t take long for the RSPCA to find a candidate. Fabricator welder John Bebbington from Leicester and his wife Joanne spotted Molly-Moo online and right away knew they wanted to provide her the home she deserved.
“We lost our Staffie after 13 years together and we weren’t really looking for another dog but, one day, we came across Molly-Moo’s photo online and we were all smitten,” said John. “Her face just looked so sad and her story was heartbreaking.
“I’m glad she can’t talk because I don’t think I could face hearing what she’s been through. Our previous dog had 13 years of bliss and we felt we wanted to give Molly a good end of life.”
In June, the family adopted Molly-Moo, and at first found her to be a handful, as she was so nervous and confused after enduring so much trauma.
“Her skin was tough and rough like elephant skin, she stank and there were chunks of fur coming off all over the house,” he said.
It was a toilsome undertaking, John said. They had to bathe her every day and keep on top of her medication. They shampooed her, cleaned her ears, and cleaned up after her as all her scabs fell off and fur came out.
“There were times when we thought: ‘What have we done?’ But then we remember what someone had done to her and how she deserved a happy and healthy life,” added John.
Today, Molly-Moo is like a totally different dog, John added. Her fur’s grown back and her ears have healed. Now, her skin is soft, and she’s also much happier.
“We can let her off the lead and she toddles around the park socializing with other dogs,” the owner said. “She’s really turned a corner and is very happy, sweet-natured, and well-behaved.
“She’s an older girl but it doesn’t stop her bounding around through the grass; it’s an absolute joy to see. She never goes far though; she won’t leave my side. I’ve definitely found a best friend for life; and she has too!”
