Nellie the Staffie dumped at our gates
Sweet Staffie Nellie was abandoned outside our centre in the middle of the night.
Thankfully, our Welfare team spotted her on CCTV and immediately sprang into action to bring her safely inside. They managed to coax her out from her hiding place in a small wooded area next to our entrance. Once close enough to put on a lead, they then moved her to our kennels. Understandably, poor Nellie was incredibly stressed. So, the team stayed with her in the kennel for some time to give her fuss and attention.
We don’t know why Nellie was left in this way. Sadly, we’re seeing more pets being left in similar circumstances as people are forced to make heartbreaking decisions following the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
As Nellie was so worried at first, we made sure her kennel was in a quiet location. Our Dog team filled it with comfy bedding and toys to create a safe space for this sensitive sweetheart. Her carers introduced activities to help calm her, including a snuffle matt toy where she had to seek out hidden treats. We were delighted when she started to come out of her shell and soon became firm friends with her main handlers.
As with all pets when they first arrive, Nellie had a thorough check-over with our Veterinary team. From the condition of her stomach, we could tell that she’d recently had puppies. A patch of red skin on her tummy turned out to be skin fold dermatitis – very common in certain breeds, including Staffies. Luckily, her skin healed well after a few days of cleaning the area with medicated wipes and baths using an antibacterial shampoo. Some minor eye discharge also cleared swiftly by bathing the eye in salt water.
We were concerned the two-year-old had some lameness in her back legs. When we took a closer look, her back legs were fine, but her right elbow seemed slightly painful. So, we carried out an X-ray during her spay operation to see what was going on. Our vets noticed Nellie had a rather wide gap in her right elbow joint, which had likely caused some discomfort. With pain relief and rest, though, the discomfort disappeared and Nellie was back on her paws. Fortunately, we don’t expect her to have any long-term issues.
Nellie's happy ending
Little more than a week after stepping through our doors Nellie went to live as a temporary guest with one of our staff fosterers. This lovely girl blossomed and her confidence went from strength-to-strength. And, just five days later, she found her happy ending with new owner Alex, who tells us: “Nellie has settled in very well at home and enjoys a snooze in our office whilst we work. She loves her food and we have taught her to do ‘paw’. She’s very cuddly and affectionate, and has been polite and happy to meet visitors.”
Help us be there for more abandoned pets like Nellie
We're seeing a heartbreaking 46% increase in the number of strays arriving at Woodgreen.