Terrified matted dog Nero who had never been groomed rescued by the RSPCA

Two-year-old Nero arrived in the RSPCA’s care in January - just a few weeks after Christmas - having been signed over by his previous owner who was struggling to cope.

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Hannah Williams, who rescued him, said: “Nero had been living with a large number of dogs and was very stressed by the environment.

“When he arrived here approximately 80 per cent of his coat was matted and he had a large build-up of poo clumped into balls of fur.

“He’d not been groomed for a long time so we had to cut and shave a lot of his coat to free him of painful tangles.”

She added: “He'd had little exposure to the outside world and was completely overwhelmed and terrified by most things, including cars, roads, and other outdoor sounds.

“He had never worn a harness or a collar so we don’t believe he’d ever been out for a walk.”

The RSPCA Leeds & Wakefield team set about introducing Pomeranian Nero to new sights and sounds, taught him to wear a collar and walk on a lead, and also showed him that getting in the car was fun.

Animal Care Manager Meggan Rattray said: “When Nero first arrived he was so frightened and a bit frantic - you could see the stress on his face and how he didn't understand what was going on.

“He was a ball of matted fur and quite smelly, it must have been so painful for him.

“It took some time but he soon settled into a routine with us and started to trust us more.”

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Due to the condition of his matted fur which was twisting and pulling on his skin and making it sore the vet had to sedate him so they could shave his fur off safely and with as little discomfort as possible.

Once the matted fur was taken off, Nero was like a completely different dog - full of energy and incredibly affectionate with everyone he met.

He now lives with his new owner Cheryl Kelly, her partner and her son in Lancashire.

Cheryl had been thinking about getting a dog for company for some time when she spotted Nero’s face on the RSPCA’s Find A Pet search.

She said: “I felt there was something missing from our home and I’d wanted a little dog to keep me company for some time but I’d had a bad hip which had affected my mobility so I didn’t think it was fair to take on a dog.

“After I had my hip replacement and could get out more I knew I needed a little best friend to come out with me.

“When I saw his little face online I instantly fell in love with him. I applied but didn’t think I stood a chance so when the team called and asked me to go and meet him I was over the moon. He covered me in licks as soon as we met and I knew he was the one for us.

“He’s had a little pamper day and we’ve even taken him to a few local dog shows where he’s won rosettes and medals.

“Recently he got second place in the best rescue class - although he’s always the winner in our eyes.

“He comes everywhere with me, even to Slimming World. He loves meeting everyone and always showers them in wags and licks.”

Right now, too many animals are facing the worst times of their lives.

Over the Christmas period, the RSPCA receive over 25,000 reports of animal suffering – including more than 700 on Christmas Day.

To join the RSPCA’s Christmas Rescue and to make a donation click HERE.