Ms Bottomley, who used to be a kennel supervisor but now primarily works in fundraising, said the rescue first heard about Patch when they received a hand-in form from his previous owner “saying he was aggressive, unpredictable and that they ‘wanted rid of the wretched dog’.”
Describing the charity’s first impression of Patch, Ms Bottomley said: “He was morbidly obese with bad skin, bald patches and a wound on his neck, maybe where a collar had been too small.
“He looked depressed; he wanted to get up but couldn’t.”
Once he was in the rescue’s care, he was booked in with a vet and started on flea treatment, steroids and antibiotics.
“The vet couldn’t hide how mortified she was. He was so well-behaved for her and she even welled up,” Ms Bottomley added.