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A ‘miracle’ puppy, who was the only survivor of her litter, has found herself a ‘forever home’ in time for Christmas.

Little Tippy was hand-reared by RSPCA deputy chief inspector Sara Jordan after she was found abandoned as part of a litter of 11 back in June.

The finders rushed the litter of puppies to a local vet who checked them all over and estimated that they were just a few hours old and still had their umbilical cords attached. Sara collected them and took them into RSPCA care while an investigation was launched to find the person responsible.

Experienced staff and experts, including a veterinary nurse and staff from RSPCA Doncaster, Rotherham and District branch each fostered a pup.  All needed round-the-clock care to be hand reared and Sara also took one of the litter to her South Yorkshire home and named her new addition Tippy – as she has a white tip on her tail.

Heartbreakingly, the rest of the litter had congenital defects or serious infections and all passed away over the following days despite receiving such dedicated care.

However, thankfully for Sara – who nursed the pup while carrying out her RSPCA duties – Tippy made a miraculous recovery and is now loving life with her new owners Lis Parker, 38, and husband Richard, 44, along with their son Finlay,7, in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. 

This week Tippy met up with her handrear mum for the first time since she was adopted in September and clearly recognised Sara, who was delighted to be reunited with her.

A tearful Sara said: “It is amazing to see Tippy looking so well and happy and she has grown so much! It was very hard to let go of her as we had formed a close bond during the early days – but I am delighted she has found such a fantastic family to now enjoy her life with.

“It really was touch and go with her as she had urine infections and at one point the vet told me she wasn’t feeding and wouldn’t survive. So I went home and tried her on some more milk which she took from me and then she just got stronger by the day.

“Initially she had to be fed every 90 minutes so I was up in the night quite a lot and I had to take her everywhere with me to keep a very close eye on her. I juggled it with my work as an RSPCA inspector so it was very tiring but absolutely worth all the effort as she is so adorable and it is great to see her happy and healthy now.”

Lis said Tippy – an Akita Rottweiler cross – has settled in really well and loves nothing more than curling up and cuddling or playing with her son Finlay.

She said: “When Tippy saw Sara this week on a visit to the RSPCA centre which helped save her – she immediately knew who she was. She was so happy, her tail was wagging and she was giving Sara lots of kisses – she must have remembered her. The pair had such a strong bond I am so glad we can keep in touch and Sara can see Tippy’s amazing progress.”

Liz said the family were considering having a dog when they read of Tippy’s plight and they couldn’t stop thinking about her so they adopted her.

She added: “She is so good with everyone, especially children. She is very playful so we are taking her to dog training classes and she is eager to learn and to please. 

“She will be getting spoiled this Christmas and we already have some dog toy presents arranged for her to unwrap.

“We are also supporting the RSPCA’s Christmas campaign which aims to raise money to help other abandoned pets like Tippy.”

The RSPCA believes this kind of abandonment is on the increase and has seen a shocking 25 per cent rise in the number of abandonment incidents along with a 13 per cent rise in neglect incidents being dealt with by rescue teams.  The charity’s most recent figures show that to October 2022, RSPCA rescuers dealt with 13,159 incidents of abandonment. This has risen from 10,519 for the same time period the previous year. 

The incidents of neglect being dealt with by teams has also risen, with 30,500 by the end of October 2022, compared to 27,521 over the same period in 2021.

The animal rescue charity believes the cost of living crisis is leading to more people dumping or neglecting their pets and fear this will become much worse. In response, they have launched their Christmas campaign to help raise funds so they can continue their vital work. The person responsible for dumping Tippy and her siblings has not been traced. 

For pet owners who are worried about the cost of living crisis, the RSPCA has opened a telephone helpline to support callers and a dedicated Cost of Living Hub with practical help and advice on the website.

To Join the Winter Rescue and help rescuers be there for the animals in need, you can visit their web page here.

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