A dog who was in a “heartbreaking” condition has “blossomed” after being rescued.
Amore arrived at Battersea in January after being found wandering the streets of north London.
The two-year-old dog was severely emaciated and only weighed around half what she should be.
She was also covered in scars across her body and rescuers feared she had been used as a bait dog in illegal fighting.
Amore was completely shut down, but she soon came out of her shell after some TLC.
She spent two months in foster care where she put on weight and built up her confidence.
Foster carer Sherry said: “Amore arrived at our house unable to trust most people and dogs.
“After sleeping alone in the kitchen for three nights, by night four she had decided she was ready to accept people and came up to our room to sleep.
“From then on, she started to trust in others as she slowly began to steal our hearts.
“Two weeks later she was a different dog to the sad, troubled-looking pup that first arrived.
“Every day she grew in confidence, wagging her tail on walks, greeting people at the door, allowing pets from strangers and playing with other dogs.
“Seeing her do ‘zoomies’ in the house for the first time was a wonderful feeling.
“Although she was still a nervous dog at times, she left our home with an ability to trust again.
“Being able to show nervous animals that there are loving people in the world is one reason we foster.
“Although agonising to say goodbye, watching her blossom into a confident dog was so incredibly rewarding.”
Amore has now been adopted and is settling in well with new owner Michael in Kent.
He said: “Amore has been absolutely fantastic. We haven’t stopped smiling since we brought her home. She has settled in as if she has been with us for months. We are so lucky.”
Battersea rehoming and welfare manager Sarah Hughes said it was “heartbreaking” to see Amore when she first arrived at the charity.
She said: “At Battersea, stories of dogs and cats arriving at our doors who have suffered at the hands of humans are sadly all too common.
“Amore was undoubtedly at the most extreme end of the spectrum, and it was truly heartbreaking for our staff to see an animal arrive in such a terrible condition – clearly having been subjected to the very worst of human nature.
“Cases like these are a powerful example of why robust animal cruelty sentencing is so vital. It’s only by ensuring that punishments fit the atrocity of the crime that we can effectively deter future offenders.”
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