Fifi the Petit Spaniel, one of 84 dogs rescued from appalling conditions in a house covered from floor to ceiling in faeces and dirt several inches thick, has begun a new life in the North East with her new owner, Keira Kirkup.
The RSPCA, police, and the local authority rescued 80 Springer Spaniels and four Patterdale Terriers following reports of concern for their welfare. Most of the dogs appeared never to have been walked on a lead and had to be carried to waiting vehicles by rescuers on April 18 last year before being transferred to rehabilitation centres across the UK.
From Fear to Forever Home
Fifi, along with Fig, Flora and Annie, was described as "petrified" when she first arrived at the RSPCA's Felledge Animal and Equine Centre, near Chester-le-Street. Keira Kirkup, an Animal Care Assistant at the centre who has now adopted Fifi, recalled their initial state: "I can still picture Fifi, Fig, Flora and Annie as they were being brought out from the van, they looked petrified and just froze. At first they would stay in their outdoor enclosures but they wouldn’t go into the kennels."
Kirkup explained that Fifi's anxiety caused her to scrape her paws until they bled, so staff placed bath mats down for her to walk on before taking her outside. To help Fifi decompress in a home environment, Kirkup decided to foster her with the aim of preparing her for a forever home, but she "fell in love" with Fifi and adopted her.
Progress and New Beginnings
Kirkup added: "I fell in love with her. At first she'd hide under the bed, she saw it as her safe space, but it didn’t take her long to settle in and start coming onto the sofa for a fuss. She still has anxious moments and isn’t keen on certain things, like saucepans being brought out of a cupboard. She’ll also try and eat any bits of rubbish she sees lying on the floor."
Like many of the spaniels, it took months for the yellow urine staining to grow out of Fifi's fur, but Kirkup noted she has made significant progress: "Physically and mentally she’s made so much progress and she has me in stitches with some of her endearing little ways. The dogs we looked after at Felledge all came round a lot quicker than we thought - they just needed time, patience and lots of love."
Earlier this month, Kirkup completed the Great North Run to raise money for Felledge, which also found loving new homes for Fig, Flora and Annie. Elsewhere, Polly, who was only three months old and one of the youngest dogs rescued, is now settling into a new life in Hull.
Adoption and Legal Outcome
Lisa Marchant, Senior Administrator at RSPCA's Hull & East Riding Branch, adopted Polly. She said: "I had a big spaniel-shaped hole in my heart after losing my previous dog. When one of my colleagues said five spaniels had arrived from a large incident I was almost too nervous to go and have a look. Polly came over to me in the kennel straight away and it’s moments like that when you relate to dogs you’ve loved and lost. I would describe Polly as high on life, everything is wonderful to her. She’s such a smart girl and is absolutely bonkers for a ball. She’s brilliant with my children, our cat, Joy, and everyone who meets her."
Marchant added that Polly loves her walks and hikes, having climbed Pen-y-ghent this year, and that the yellow urine staining on her white tail and paws took a while to go: "It was the last reminder to me of what she’d been through. She’s come such a long way and is definitely making up for lost time now."
Three people from Doncaster will be sentenced on December 9 for their neglect of the animals following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA.
