Homes For Pups: Rottweiler abandoned in Burnley and saved from death looking for a new home

Pablo was overweight and dishevelled when a dog walker found him straying in the Netherwood area of Burnley in February. Pablo, who is around four or five years old, spent a week in Aspen Valley Kennels in Oswaldtwistle, but when his seven days were up, he was left unclaimed and faced euthanisation. No one could risk taking him in as he was acting aggressively. No one, until Lisa decided to throw him a lifeline and attempted to turn him around at her Reedley training hub, K9 Rehab. "Pablo had been abandoned. He'd been dumped. He was overweight, and his fur was a mess," said Lisa. "A friend of mine, Kelly, found him. She's a dog walker, and he jumped inside her van. She tried to get somebody to scan him, and because he was fearful, he was a little bit reactive, and she didn't know what to do." Kelly contacted Lisa and brought the dog to K9 Rehab at 6am that morning. They took him to the vets, who scanned his microchip and attempted to contact his owner in Blackburn, whose address was missing from his chip and who failed to answer their calls and emails.

Pablo then went to a kennel where he could stay for seven days. Dogs who remain unclaimed in UK pounds may be euthanised after one week. "His seven days were up, and because he was fearful there, he was reactive to them. He doesn't like people bending over him," said Lisa. "So Paula [Knowles] from Pendle Dogs got in touch with me and said, 'The dog that you scanned is about to be put to sleep. What shall we do?' "So I went and got him. He jumped straight back in the truck, came here, back in one of the kennels, and he's been good as gold." The rehab has been working with Pablo over the past five weeks, including obedience, agility, scent, and personal protection training. "He loves the ball, he loves the work, he loves jumping, he loves the agility, and the obedience is coming along nicely," said Lisa. She is now looking for a forever family for Pablo, saying: "He's good with kids, he's good with other dogs. He needs a good home. He's a cuddly dog but won't be content to sit on somebody's settee. He needs a little job. "He's just such a good boy. If nobody takes him, he's not going anywhere,” said Lisa, before adding: “You know, I can't fault him."

To inquire about adopting Pablo, search for K9 Rehab on Facebook.

Dogs are being abandoned in droves in Burnley and Pendle, and several animal rescues have told us that they are struggling to cope with the numbers, and the financial burden of caring for them. Follow our campaign, Homes For Pups, to find out more about the abandonment crisis, how you can adopt a dog in need, and how you can support a local rescue group.