Dog rescued from house fire dies in South Yorkshire shortly after losing owner

Rain Rescue, an animal charity based in Rotherham, shared the sad story of Baby, who had to be put down after suffering the effects of smoke inhalation and developing cancer.

“Baby came to us last week from boarding kennels after her owner had sadly passed away. We didn’t know much about her history, just that she was 16 years old and has been very well loved,” said Jacquie Neilson, the charity’s founder and CEO.

"She greeted everyone she met with wiggles and fusses and wanted so badly to play.

“Unfortunately as we got to know Baby it was clear that something wasn’t right. Even when she was resting, every breath was a struggle. She couldn’t walk more than a few steps without stumbling, and had trouble keeping food down.

“As her appetite continued to get worse, Baby was rushed to the vets to be checked over as soon as possible. After some fishing into her vet history, the pieces started to come together.

“Baby was rescued from a house fire a few months back and was suffering badly from smoke inhalation. On top of this, the vets found that her chest was covered in cancerous lumps - although Baby was so sweet and loving, she was suffering and the vets advised that the kindest thing to do was to let her go.

“As heartbreaking as it is, Baby came to the right place and was given the care she deserved. She spent her last few days enjoying gentle sniffs in the field and knowing nothing but love, and when she told us she was suffering, we listened.”

Ms Neilson said the charity was currently ‘overloaded’ and was looking after many ‘horrifically poorly’ cats, with its vets bill heading towards £10,000 for the month.

It has urged people to make sure they can afford the vet bills associated with having a pet, and to take out insurance if needed.

You can help the charity by supporting its Buy a Christmas Dinner fundraising campaign here: https://rainrescue.co.uk/christmas.