Springer spaniel Jax, rescued from a house in Tickhill near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, where he lived in 'appalling' conditions with 83 other dogs and two cats, has been rehomed and is now thriving with a kind-hearted owner who prioritises his needs.
Since his rescue in April 2025, Jax has been recovering physically and mentally from the neglect he suffered. Nine RSPCA officers, accompanied by police and local authority representatives, removed 84 dogs and two cats from the property. Many rooms were covered from floor to ceiling in faeces and dirt several inches thick, with more than 30 spaniels found crowded together on the stairs and landing.
Recovery and rehoming
A vet who examined 46 of the dogs found 14 were emaciated, while others had untreated injuries and ear infections. One spaniel had a broken front leg that was later successfully treated.
On TikTok, his new owner, who posts under the username @jaxthespaniel, said: "He lived his first full year of life in these awful conditions. Now, September 2026 he is the happiest, healthiest and most loving dog on the planet. His life is now full of love and cuddles, just as he has always deserved."
New life and achievements
One year after his rescue, his owner entered him into a dog show, where he proudly won first place for 'Best Rescue' and second place for 'Waggiest Tail'. Now, when he's not outside running around or exploring on a walk, he is snuggled up on the sofa with his owner or playing with his toys and chews.
Jax is among the 83 dogs and two cats who have since been successfully rehomed by the RSPCA, with all but one of the rescued animals finding new homes. Sadly, one spaniel was put to sleep to prevent further suffering due to health issues. The majority of the animals were rehomed through the charity's network of branch-run centres across the north of England.
Public reaction
Commenting on Jax's transformation, one TikTok user said: "I have been so upset over these dogs wanting to know if they are ok. I'm so happy this came on my for you page. Do you know if any of the others also have happy homes now? The life long trauma these poor little souls have had inflicted upon them by those evil people breaks my heart."
Another user added: "I love how all of the rescues go from unwillingly being dirty to willingly getting themselves dirty." A third user said: "Spaniels are just so pure, all that trauma and neglect and they're still wagging their tails as soon a human's there."
