Support us from £6 a month
It costs us £63,000 every day to continue the work that animals across Scotland depend on. Our work is only possible because of the generosity of people like you.
Starving, trafficked and losing hope
24 tiny cockapoo and cavapoo puppies had the worst start to life.
Alerted to cries coming from a lorry at Cairnryan Ferry Port one freezing night, Scottish SPCA got there just in time. We found them trembling and crammed into cardboard boxes under a lorry, clinging on to life.
But thanks to thorough health checks, treatment, rehabilitation, one life-saving heart operation and one prosecution, all 24 puppies are now settled into their forever homes with loving families.
A life on the line
One of the puppies, Piper, was undergoing her first health check by the Scottish SPCA team when vets detected a loud heart murmur. Without treatment, most puppies with this symptom die from heart failure within one year – she required a specialist operation urgently before any permanent damage had been done to her heart.
Piper was referred to one of the few centres in Scotland, CrumPets, who could perform a further scan and surgery. A surgery like this is only carried out on puppies 3-5 times a year and Dr Chris Parratt at CrumPets generously performed it free of charge, as well as offering free aftercare at his partner practice, Emergency Vets Glasgow.
Follow-up examinations and an ultrasound scan revealed that the operation was a complete success.
CrumPets saved the day
“It has been several months since Piper’s operation, and we are overjoyed to hear that she is thriving.
Her resilience and the exceptional teamwork between CrumPets Vet Clinical Support and Emergency Vets Glasgow have made it possible for her to enjoy a normal, healthy life.
We are deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to make such a significant impact on her life. Her journey is a testament to what can be achieved when we come together with a shared purpose and dedication to animal welfare.
Thank you to the Scottish SPCA for rescuing Piper and for entrusting us with her care. We look forward to seeing Piper flourish and live her life to the fullest.”
Dr Chris Parratt MRCVS, CrumPets Vet Clinical Support & Emergency Vets Glasgow.
Now living her best life
Six months on from her live saving operation, Piper was rehomed and renamed Skye.
Jemma and Ryan from Linlithgow fell in love with her and she has made a great companion for their three sons – Finlay, Lochlan and Brodie.
Skye’s day is filled with plenty of cuddles, walks, trips to the beach and the occasional stop at a café for a doggy ice cream. The boys love teaching her new tricks and she has regular play dates with her new four-legged friends.
We’re thrilled to hear that when Jemma took Skye for a check-up at their vets, they said that she was in full health and her heart was functioning fine.
DonateWe can’t rescue without donations
As Scotland’s only all-animal emergency service, we’re here 365 days a year when animals desperately look to us in their time of need. Stories like Skye’s unfortunately happen more often that you’d think.
For every happy ending, the next story is only beginning…
Support the next puppies in need from £6 a month
It costs us £63,000 every day to continue the work that animals across Scotland depend on. Our work is only possible because of the generosity of people like you.
The worst entanglement case we’ve ever had
When we found Ariel the seal with a life-threatening neck injury on a beach in Montrose, she was getting weaker by the second and in severe pain.
Entangled in fishing gear, her wounds were shockingly deep and getting deeper as the gear got tighter and tighter – almost decapitating her. We believed that she had been dealing with her injury for 3 weeks already, meaning the wounds had become infected and were bleeding heavily.
A common occurrence
“Ariel was the worst entanglement case we’ve ever had to deal with. It was heartbreaking to see the extent of her injuries, all of which could have been avoided.
Seals are particularly vulnerable to becoming entangled in fishing lines, nets and other debris. Once trapped, they often suffer slow, painful deaths as the gear tightens around their necks and bodies. The vast majority of anglers are responsible and take care to clear away their equipment after they’ve used it, there is a minority of people who fish and don’t respect the environment and the wildlife that inhabits it.”
Caitlin Ganley, Wildlife Assistant
Taken to the best place
At only around a year old, we didn’t want her life to end there. We knew that she needed round-the-clock care at our National Wildlife Rescue Centre. The team immediately removed the fishing gear from Ariel’s neck before beginning the complex process of cleaning and treating her wounds. She needed a strict regime of antibiotics and continuous cleaning and dressing of the wounds to prevent any further infection.
Understandably due to her injuries, she was refusing to eat on her own and required assistance from our team.
It was touch and go, but through determination and plenty of TLC, after several months Ariel had recovered, had reached a healthy 56kg weight and was ready to be released back into the wild.
A happy ending
There’s nothing better than watching an animal be released back into the wild, especially when they’re overcome such pain and a long recovery.
The team were thrilled and emotional as they watched Ariel swim off, fully healed and ready to resume life in the sea where she belongs.
“We put so much of ourselves into her recovery and watching her swim away, knowing she has a second chance makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Caitlin Ganley, Wildlife Assistant
We can’t rescue without donations
As Scotland’s only all-animal emergency service, we’re here 365 days a year when animals desperately look to us in their time of need. Without us, Ariel wouldn’t have found her happy ending.
For every happy ending, the next story is only beginning…
Support animals like Ariel from £6 a month
It costs us £63,000 every day to continue the work that animals across Scotland depend on. Our work is only possible because of the generosity of people like you.
