A STUDLEY dog which was kept in appalling conditions and used only to breed puppies has been recognised for her courage.
Lucy was presented with the Most Heroic Hound award at the National Pet Show in Birmingham.
The courageous Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was originally adopted from a rescue centre by her owner Lisa Garner in 2013 after reading about her ordeal online.
The owner of online dog boutique Little Pooches said Lucy had come from a puppy farm where she had been used to breed pedigree puppies in horrendous conditions.
She said: “When I went to meet Lucy for the first time, her fosterer had for-warned me that Lucy was tiny, but nothing could of prepared me for the shell of a Cavalier that I would meet.
“Lucy didn’t even resemble the breed, she was a tiny 3.75kg, skin and bones with bald patches to her fur, stained feet from being kept on a urine covered floor, and a severely arched back, from a distance she looked like a small puppy.
“When I first held her it broke my heart as Lucy just wanted to get down and back into her bed.”
But 18 months later the pooch has transformed into an affectionate and outgoing dog who has a Facebook page with more than 2,000 followers to raise awareness of puppy farms.
Although she suffers from some health issues as a result of her appalling treatment, she is now happy at home.
And her story touched the hearts of the SuperDogs Live judges who picked the pet to be presented with the award at the NEC.
As part of the day the pair were interviewed by Ben Fogle and Channel 4’s Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick, while Lucy received a goody bag and a holiday.
