Sheffield RSPCA: Staffie dog found cruelly tied up and abandoned in Firth Park seeks new home

A dog was nearly strangled to death after being cruelly tied up with rope and abandoned in Sheffield.

Tetley, a five-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, is now seeking a new home after being rescued by the RSPCA.

She has been left permanently scarred from the deep lacerations to her neck after she was found tethered and struggling for breath in the Firth Park area of Sheffield on June 1.

Tetley was taken to the vets after being spotted by a kind passer-by, and examinations revealed a deep wound and signs of strangulation caused by her desperate efforts to free herself.

She was transferred to the RSPCA's Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford before being moved to the charity's rehoming centre at Great Ayton in North Yorkshire to continue her recovery. Only now, after more than three months of treatment and rehabilitation has she finally been given the all-clear by a vet to be rehomed.

Emma Cosby, the centre’s dog behaviour welfare advisor, who has worked closely with Tetley, said: "Up until a month ago, we couldn’t put a collar on her because of the injuries to her neck. When she got excited or exercised she’d become breathless and she had to put in a lot of effort just to breathe, so we’ve had to keep her as calm as possible and take things very slowly.

"She's had x-rays on her throat and thankfully there have been no bony changes and her breathing is almost back to normal now, although she will always have scars from the damage."

Despite what she has endured, Tetley is described by the RSPCA as a 'friendly, loving dog who is full of life and a bundle of energy'. Staff say she walks well on the lead and is friendly with most dogs she meets but is not coping well in kennels and needs to begin a new life in her own home as soon as possible.

Her previous medical conditions mean she still struggles with breathing from time to time, mostly when she gets excited, and the RSPCA is seeking a home where she is the only pet and preferably where there are no children.

Due to her previous medical conditions, she still struggles with her breathing from time to time - mostly when she gets excited - so the centre is looking to rehome her as the only pet and an adult-only home is preferred.

She needs someone who is around all of the time, at least to begin with, and understanding owners to support her through the transistion to a new home.

The RSPCA is still investigating what happened to Tetley and has asked anyone with information to call the charity on 0300 123 8018. 

Tetley's shocking story is one of more than 11,782 cases of animals being abandoned which were reported to the RSPCA's emergency line during the first seven months of 2023 - a rise of more than 11 per cent from the same period last year.

For more information about how to apply to adopt Tetley, visit: https://www.rspca.org.uk/local/great-ayton-animal-centre/findapet/details/TETLEY/245305/rehome.