Former ‘fighting’ dog looking for new home in Cambridgeshire after being rescued by the RSPCA

Four-year-old Bully XL Mrs D arrived at the RSPCA’s Block Fen Animal Centre, in Cambridgeshire, after being rescued in December 2020 from a cabin alongside five other dogs.

Kennel supervisor Tiffany Saunders has been taking care of them all. She said: “Some of the dogs were in cages inside the container while others were in outside kennels. They all had scarring so we fear they may have been used for fighting.

“Poor Mrs D had also had her ears cropped, something we often see in bully types to make them look more intimidating and scary.

“Her ears have now, thankfully, healed but she must have suffered severe discomfort when they were first cropped. Something we often see in cropped dogs is that they can struggle around other dogs (because they’ve lost one of their key communication tools) and Mrs D is no different. We’re currently working with her and helping her become more comfortable around other dogs.

“We really hope that her past and her appearance won’t put people off of her. She’s had such a tough start to life and she really deserves the best from her future.”

Ear cropping is a barbaric procedure that is illegal in the UK. It has absolutely no benefits for the dogs and is carried out purely for cosmetic reasons to make them appear tougher.

As well as cropped ears, Mrs D also had injuries to her face and old scarring on her body, suggesting she may have suffered injuries in dog fights and could have been used for fighting. It’s unsurprising, therefore, that she isn’t a fan around other dogs and staff had started muzzle training with her. Her carers would like to find her a new home in a rural, countryside location where she’ll be able to enjoy walks without encountering lots of other dogs.

“Mrs D is a big strong girl but was a little underweight when she first came into us,”Tiffany added. “Understandably she now loves her food so her new owners will need to make sure she can’t reach any tempting snacks on countertops or tables! She is on a special diet which we’d like to see continue in her new home and we’re happy to provide extra information about this.

“She absolutely loves going for long walks and, without distractions, walks nicely on the lead. She also enjoys pottering around in the garden but will need a secure space with at least 6ft fencing.

“We don’t know if Mrs D has ever experienced life in a home before and we think she’d benefit from initially having someone around most of the time to help her settle before introducing her to being left home alone. She’d be best in a pet-free home but could live with older children and would love to try out some training so she can learn lots of new things.

“Poor Mrs D has had such a difficult and traumatic start to life but she is really starting to come out of her shell and is such a lovely, smiley girl. We’d love to find her the right home where, with time, we’re sure she’ll continue to transform and will make a superb companion.”

Find out more about Mrs D by visiting her online profile or contact the team at Block Fen on 0300 123 0726 or [email protected]. To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals like Mrs D please donate by visiting www.rspca.org.uk/give.