A beautiful two-year-old lurcher/whippet is now living the best life – after she was found a loving long term foster home by an Alsager charity following a heart wrenching start in life.

Poppy was so thin when she was rescued that the RSPCA feared she might not survive the night. However after months of care by Alsager Animals in Need, she is now with a Church Lawton couple.

Poppy has made a remarkable recovery

The two-year-old lurcher/whippet cross was covered in lesions and so underweight that a vet who examined her said an injury to the tip of her tail could have been caused by her eating it due to extreme hunger.

Cheshire-based charity Alsager Animals in Need had been caring for Poppy since January and but now she is with her forever family, after being well enough to leave the charity's care.

Poppy's new owners are retired retail worker, Julie Sweeney and husband Dave, a retired storeman, in Lawton Gate.

Julie said: "It broke our hearts to hear about what Poppy had been through. We knew we had to help.

"We have had rescue dogs before and we're so happy with Poppy. She is a wonderful dog -so friendly and loving."

"We love her to bits and she has settled in so well," said Dave. "She's such a good dog."

Alsager Animals in Need say they cannot believe how quickly Poppy has settled into her new home.

"Julie and Dave are doing such an amazing job with her and we're so lucky to have them," said Hilary Baxter, Alsager Animals in Need's animal welfare co-ordinator.

Poppy has been given a clean bill of health by the vets

"She's settled in so much better than we could ever have imagined."

Lisa Williams, assistant animal co-ordinator at Alsager Animals in Need, said: "Poppy was given a body score of one out of nine by the vet who treated her and we were very concerned that she wouldn't make it through the night when she first came into our care - she could barely put one foot in front of the other.

"She's a very brave girl and has battled a long list of other health issues since. It's been a long road to recovery for her but the light is finally back in her eyes."