Puppies’ ‘remarkable’ transformation hailed after roadside find

Three puppies that were dumped on a roadside have been reunited through the Suffolk veterinary practice group that cared for them after they were found.

Two of the cockapoos have now been adopted by staff from the Stowe Veterinary Group, having initially been taken to its Moreton Hall practice in Bury St Edmunds four days before Christmas last year.

All three puppies had extensive mange, a skin disease caused by mites, and were malnourished on arrival.

One was also found to have deformed front legs, due to a lack of vitamins, and had lost most of her coat.

Discovery

The puppies were discovered by a lorry driver whose vehicle had broken down. He then alerted the partner of an SVN at the practice, who took them in.

Practice manager Nicola Rigden said they were “very lucky” to have been found at all, adding: “It was so sad to see how badly the puppies had been treated by whoever abandoned them.”

Once the mange was cleared, following treatment at the group’s Stowe practice in Stowmarket, the puppies were temporarily fostered by Moreton Hall vet Martin Barrow and his wife Lesley, who is a dog groomer.

Adopted

They subsequently adopted one of the puppies, named Ivy. Another, Lacy, is now living with a practice receptionist, while the third, Missy, was adopted by the parents of the Stowe site’s head nurse.

Mrs Barrow said: “Ivy has come along so much in the time we’ve had her. She loves running, playing, digging, chewing – and all the things you’d expect from a puppy.

“It is so nice to see that her legs are no longer bow shaped and she is in good health.

“The transformation has been remarkable and it just shows what can be done.”