Cane corso Doug was signed over to RSPCA care in June when his owner was struggling to cope.

Animal rescue officer Lee Ricketts persuaded Doug’s former owner to hand him over when it was clear he was unable to meet his needs.  

He said: “When I first saw Doug, I was shocked that such a large dog could be so severely underweight.

Hungry - Doug was severely underweight when he first arrived in RSPCA care (Image: N/A)

“I discussed his diet with the owner and unfortunately, he had been feeding him his own food scraps and processed food that was not suitable for dogs.

“Doug was clearly unwell or had been given an unsuitable diet over a very long period.

“His eyes looked incredibly sore. I was informed by the owner that he had previously had cherry eye surgery, however, due to misinformation from a friend he was unaware if this condition reoccurs it can be operated on again.

“Any dogs which have previously had cherry eye should aim to get their eyes checked every six months.

Struggling - Doug previously had cherry eye surgery but was still struggling (Image: N/A)

“He'd left the dog suffering with this painful condition for a long time and even when we offered assistance, he was unwilling to get him the treatment he needed.”

Doug went into the care of the RSPCA Danaher Animal Home in Wethersfield where staff member Katie Shilling matched him with his new owner.

She said: “When Doug first came into our care he was in a bit of a sorry state and definitely needed some TLC.

“Despite all of this, Doug was affectionate and loving with his handlers straight away.

“He loved everyone he met and even enjoyed the occasional group dog walk where he was able to socialise. 

“Over time, Doug slowly began to put on weight as well as have surgery in both eyes and has since recovered well.

“It was a pleasure looking after Doug whilst he had his temporary stay with us and seeing the growth and change from when he first arrived to the day he went to his forever home.”

Doug has now landed on his paws as lorry driver Lee Topper has given him his forever home.

Puppy pal - Lee Topper and Doug (Image: N/A)

He said: “He's fantastic - what a lovely dog. I took him to a rugby match a couple of weeks ago, and he was having a great time, he’s so laid back. 

“He loves his food. He's not a problem. He's a good boy and is good company.

“Adopting through the RSPCA was fantastic, Katie made it so easy for us. She found the perfect match.”

How you can help

The RSPCA is currently facing a huge rehoming crisis in recent memory, leaving rescue centres and branches “full to bursting” with more unwanted animals coming into care than are being adopted.

To try and revive adoption rates, the RSPCA’s month-long Adoptober rehoming campaign launched this month, celebrating the wonder of rescue pets, and highlighting the many animals the charity has waiting to find their perfect match.

Visit the RSPCA’s Find A Pet to see all of the animals currently in the charity’s care who are looking for their paw-fect match, or help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming by donating online or calling their donation line on 0300 123 8181.