At 9.30pm on December 14th, my brother James was accepting a grocery delivery. The driver was very concerned about a ‘very skinny’ dog that had tried to get in his van. My brother went out and was met with an emaciated Staffy that was indeed trying to get into any open car or home.

He was repeatedly pushed back out onto the street and James secured him, fed him and gave me a call. I drove 16 miles in my pyjamas and we put the very tired dog in my car whilst we tried to find help.

There was no help. The police and the RSPCA advised that the only option was the Dog Warden, which only operates in working hours.

My brother and his girlfriend, Hannah, secured their own dog upstairs so that this little boy would not spend another night on the streets. He was fed and settled very quickly with my brother, who slept with him in his arms.

The next day, James took the dog to the vet and discovered he was microchipped. He was called ’Marley’ and had not been reported lost or stolen. The telephone number just rang out and the vet’s opinion was that judging by the severe, emaciated state of the dog, the amount of time it would take to get to that state and the lack of lost or stolen status, that he was most likely adandoned.

The vet doubted whether Marley would survive the conditions of the pound and recommended finding a rescue or foster home. An official letter was sent by the vet to the registered owners and we have shared his details on national pet search agencies and social media groups.

Unfortunately, we could not find a rescue space, possibly due to the time of year and I have decided to try to foster him whilst we try to get him back to full health. We have hurdles, we have three indoor cats, we have no rescue support and no insurance company will cover the medical attention he needs.

We have decided to call this sweet soul Monty. He is so loving and wears himself out trying to give very passionate kisses. The vet advised he is fed a small meal every four hours and he is constantly ravenous. He has to wear jumpers to help him maintain his body temperature.

To get Monty on the road to health he is going to need a full medical assessment, neutering, vaccinations and parasite prevention. If tests reveal issues, those will of course need treatment. Lots of puppy food, jumpers, coats and warm blankets and beds will also need to be a permanent fixture in his little life for the next few months.

He has very chapped ears and tail from the conditions he was in, his feet and elbows are very sore and his nails are very broken and splintered. We dont know what has happened to this boy, but with your help we would like to try and change his life.

Please note that donations will only be used to contribute to Monty’s medical needs. His other needs will fully be met by us.