Scared and injured dachshund found cowering in roadside looks set for a Happy Christmas

Scared and injured, the tiny dachshund was found cowering on the side of a road unable to walk, her legs dragging behind her, after being discarded like rubbish.

But she is now spending Christmas surrounded by love thanks to RSPCA staff in Nottinghamshire.

Delilah was abandoned in September after being used as a breeding bitch.

Thankfully, a kind-hearted jogger found her and took her to safety at the RSPCA’s Radcliffe Animal Centre, where staff set about providing her with care and veterinary support.

She was found to have nursed multiple litters, had a tumour-like mass beneath her and was unable to support her hind legs, due to damaged discs in her back.

Treatment

In the months that followed, she had extensive treatment involving scans, pain relief, crate rest, physiotherapy and massages.

She is now doing ‘amazingly well’, her mobility has returned and she can run short distances.

The swelling and compression of her spinal cord, causing paralysis resolved over 12 weeks of rehabilitation.

She can now increase her activities and move to the second stage of rehab.

Ella Carpenter, the centre’s manager fostering Delilah, said: “Our hearts broke when we first saw poor Delilah and realised how much she had been through.

“We were determined to give her a second chance.

“She is such a beautiful and gentle soul who needed to be cherished, we are devastated to think how she had been treated as a breeding machine.

"This is often the sad reality of puppy farming when breeding bitches are no longer considered of use.

“Delilah amazed us all with her happy little temperament and willingness to let us carry out all the daily physio she needed.

“Her rehabilitation is almost complete and in the New Year we will be looking to find her the most perfect forever home she truly deserves.

“She really is our little Christmas miracle, the sweetest soul. This Christmas, she is helping us deliver an important reminder that ‘dogs are not toys.’

"They require lifelong care and Delilah helps us highlight that animals like her are not thrown away when they are considered ‘broken’, but are given the care and respect they deserve throughout their lives.”

To support Delilah, see rspca-radcliffe.org.uk/donate-now

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