Five Lurchers were rescued after being abandoned in a van that was dumped following a police stop.
Alice, Bob, Reggie, Syd and Zoe were rescued by Essex Police last month, in Harlow, after being discovered in the van when the driver ran off having been pulled over by officers.
The dogs arrived at the RSPCA’s Essex South, Southend and District Branch in June and staff are now trying to find them new homes.
Dog coordinator Kathy Butler said: “These poor dogs must have been very confused when their owner ran off after being pulled over by police. They were lucky to have been found when they were as the vehicle was towed away by police. They’re all lovely dogs and have a high chase instinct as well as lots of scars and scrapes, so we suspect they may have been used in the past for hare coursing or something similar.
“They’re aged between one and four, and can often be found snoozing, all lined up in a row with their heads resting on each other. It’s adorable. We do feel, however that they’d be best going off to homes individually, so they have the time and space to grow as individuals.”
The dogs are looking for new homes with no other small animals and they get on so well that they could be rehomed with other dogs.
Zoe (cream and tan) is the eldest at around four and vets believe she has been used for breeding. She’s calm and loves spending time with people and loves to sit for strokes and affection.
Reggie (tan and white) is the youngest at around one and is very lively and quite cheeky. He can be a little boisterous with other dogs but he’s really soppy with people and is a total goofball.
Alice (black and white) is two and a lovely, friendly and affectionate girl. She’s confident around people and is very playful. Bob (cream) is an older boy and is very nervous. He startles easily and can be shy when being touched. He’s slowly coming out of his shell and starting to show his cheeky side, but he’ll need a patient owner.
And Syd (tan/red wire-hired) is a young adult male who had his coat badly clipped and a scar between his shoulders where staff suspect he may have had a microchip removed.
Kathy continued: “We suspect someone may have been trying to conceal Syd’s identity. I’ve searched all of the sites like DogLost to see if I can see any Lurchers that match his description, but I’ve had no luck.
“Syd is the most traumatised and startles extremely easily. He has screamed out in terror a couple of times in anticipation of something unpleasant happening. He is a total sweetie though, quietly affectionate, and even has a playful side in the right circumstances. Thankfully he’s been reserved and we’re sure he’ll come on leaps and bounds in the right home.”
Alice and Zoe have both been spayed and all dogs have been vaccinated and microchipped ready for rehoming.
Kathy added: “We’ve had these wonderful dogs in our care for a few weeks now and we’ve had absolutely no interest in the four remaining Lurchers. We really hope we can find them new homes so they can start new lives and put all this behind them.”
For more information about this group, you can visit their profile online or call the branch on 07749 175023.
