Dogsey

A British couple have described how an abandoned dog who had been chained up and left to die in a remote region of Spain, has found a new life with them in the UK. Chris and Bob Thornton were trekking in Mount Sagra, near Alicante when they discovered the dog on Christmas day last year. Tied to a gate outside a derelict cottage, the emaciated dog had been left with no food, water or shelter, was unable to reach a nearby stream, and was found with another dead dog chained next to her.

The couple said the dog, reported to be a German Shepherd, had been unlikely to survive another night. They managed to release her and gave her some water, returning the following day with leftover turkey, before leaving her.

However, the dog, who they named Noa, had other ideas.

“We drove off and it was dreadful leaving her,” explained Mrs Thornton. “We drove for quite a while down a number of tiny narrow lanes feeling quite upset. We went for a walk and three hours later when we came back she was by the car. It was absolutely amazing she found us. There were so many turn-offs and ways she could have gone, it's quite miraculous.”

The couple sought vet treatment for Noa, who had a large, raw neck wound caused by the chain cutting into her as she struggled, and she spent months in an animal rescue centre while the Thorntons returned to the UK to apply for an animal passport.