A Doberman puppy named Angus, who was the victim of a hit-and-run and had undergone illegal ear cropping and tail docking, has found a forever home after being rescued by a veterinary clinic in Pinner, London.
Dr Reena Patel, co-owner and partner at Medivet Pinner, received an emergency call on a Friday evening about a puppy found on the side of the road in shock with a visibly broken leg. The clinic dispatched its nursing team in an ambulance to collect Angus, who was around six months old at the time.
Working late into the night and over the weekend, Dr Patel and her team, along with a surgeon, performed surgery to repair Angus's injured leg. After the successful operation, Angus was fitted with a cast and stayed at the clinic for two weeks to monitor his recovery. When the team contacted his owners, they said they could no longer care for him.
Dr Patel then introduced Angus to Mark, the father of one of the nurses. Mark and his wife instantly bonded with the puppy. Mark said: 'When we first met Angus, he bounded into the room and headed straight for my wife, and then came over to me. That was it, for us. Job done.'
Mark noted that Angus had cropped ears and a docked tail, procedures that are illegal in the UK under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and are linked to serious welfare concerns. Despite this, Mark said: 'Absolutely none of this changed how we felt about him - within seconds we knew he was coming home with us.'
Now eight months old, Angus is recovering well and enjoys slow walks and cuddles with his new family. Dr Patel said: 'Watching Angus go from being so unwell to now living with a family that completely adore him – that’s a real love story.'
