Emaciated dog ‘barely alive’ when found in Barnsley by RSPCA rescuer is now loving life in new home

From death’s door to zoomies around the garden, a Barnsley dog has undergone an amazing transformation in RSPCA care and now has a loving new home.

Luca was barely alive when he was found by South Yorkshire Police officers in Huddersfield Road, Barnsley, on April 20 last year. He was described at the time as a ‘walking skeleton’, and could barely move as he was so weak.

PCs Malloy, Gillott, Goodwin and Child had found him freezing cold and tied to a lamppost while working their night shift and knew they needed to act fast to save his life.

RSPCA inspector Ben Cottle-Shaw was sent to collect the poor dog, and although he has come across many awful cases of neglect in his career, he said this was the most emaciated dog he had seen which was still alive.

Ben said: "I was really shocked when I first saw him. I could tell by his demeanour and look in his eyes Luca had given up on life as he was so broken and withdrawn. It was heart-breaking to see.

"He was the thinnest dog that I had ever seen which was still alive and on top of this he had an awful untreated skin condition which meant he was constantly scratching and had left him almost completely bald."

Get the latest headlines, straight to your inbox, with The Star’s free emails

Luca was rushed for veterinary treatment where he was found to be suffering from a "horrific case" of sarcoptic mange. 

A bandage which had been placed around the tip of his tail was removed by vets, and it was found his tail bone was broken and he had been left with an open wound. The wound had become so infected that the end of the tail dropped off as the bandage was taken off.

A microchip revealed he was originally called Lucas but his ownership details had not been kept up-to-date and so his owner could not be traced.

After receiving emergency veterinary treatment, Luca was transferred into the care of the RSPCA Felledge Centre in County Durham where he was given his new name and against the odds he made a remarkable recovery.

Then, just a few weeks into his rehabilitation, Luca was put up for adoption and is now loving life with new owners David Hagan and his wife Gillian, and enjoys regular visits from their 16-year-old granddaughter Freya Blenkiron. The RSPCA is sharing Luca’s story as it highlights the charity’s 200th birthday this year.

David, aged 67, said: "We had a lurcher called Elsa who sadly passed away about four weeks before we came across Luca. We saw he was looking for a home and he just seemed such a sweetheart we couldn’t wait to meet him.

"We went to see him at Felledge and we just fell in love - he is such a lovely boy. At the time we didn't know the circumstances of how he was found but we have since discovered what had happened to him.

"I found the pictures of him when he was found so very hard to look at. Luca now has a beautiful, shiny coat now and has increased his weight. He loves running around in the fields nearby and generally just enjoys all the fuss and attention we give him. He really is a little star and just such a happy boy. You wouldn’t really be able to tell he had such a terrible experience as he is so trusting and loving."

Luka Atkinson, animal centre deputy manager, said: "He is such a sweetheart and we are delighted that Luca is now living his best life with David and Gillian. All the staff loved him and so it is nice to see his happy ending."

This year the RSPCA is celebrating its 200th birthday and to mark this special anniversary the animal welfare charity wants to inspire one million people to join their movement to improve animals' lives. To find out more, visit: www.rspca.org.uk/200.