It was the end of November 2024, and there was snow on a Smethwick street. Among the piles of dumped rubbish, a passer-by spotted something that shouldn’t have been there: a tiny puppy trying to shelter from the cold.
Left with the rubbish
The puppy was a young Staffordshire bull terrier cross. She was found near Vittoria Street in Smethwick, West Midlands, left amongst snow-covered scrap and fly-tipped rubbish in freezing conditions.
“It was so lucky she was spotted as she was trying to shelter under some rubbish in the snow or I dread to think what would have happened to her,” said RSPCA animal rescuer Charlotte Holder, who attended the scene.
The person who found her could see an injury on her stomach, and reported it to the RSPCA.
Urgent treatment
The puppy was rushed to the RSPCA Birmingham Animal Hospital for urgent treatment. Her rescuers named her Merry.
Vets found she had a lump on her stomach and blood in her urine. The RSPCA believe this was possibly the reason she was abandoned.
She was treated with antibiotics and, following specialist care, she made a full recovery.
Charlotte described the situation as deeply upsetting. She went back to the site to check whether any other animals had been dumped there too. Luckily, none were found.
“We were unable to find the person responsible,” she said, “but I am so glad we were able to bring Nellie to safety.”
A family who had lost their dog
In Redditch, Jo Williams was looking to adopt. She had lost her previous dog, Daisy, only weeks earlier.
“I had lost my previous dog Daisy weeks before and had never been without a dog so I was looking for a rescue,” Jo said. “Then I saw her story and told my partner he said – ‘well you have to get her’.”
There was one important condition. The family have three cats, so their new dog had to be cat friendly. They knew she was.
“We were so saddened to hear how she had been dumped in those freezing conditions and knew she deserved a lovely home,” Jo said.
They applied to the RSPCA. Plenty of other people had applied too.
“We applied to the RSPCA and know they were inundated with applications so we were thrilled when we were picked,” Jo said.
A new name and a new home
Just over a year after she was rescued, the puppy was rehomed with Jo, her partner Simon and their 11-year-old daughter Lily in Redditch. The family renamed her Nellie.
And Nellie has settled right in.
“She is doing so well – she is a boisterous and loving girl,” Jo said. “She loves snuggles and fuss.”
Lily agrees. She says Nellie is “very loving and always wants attention”.
“She’s very boisterous, very playful, she’s a really good dog,” Lily said.
Best friends with a cat
The three cats were never going to be a problem. In fact, Nellie loves playing with them, and the cats love a game of chase too.
One cat in particular has become her closest companion.
“She even sleeps with one of the cats at night – called Bella – who seems to be her best friend and the pair of them are often found laid together on our bed with their toys scattered around them,” Jo said.
Nellie loves being around other dogs as well, and she goes out with Redditch Dog Walkers. Because she’s now quite large, the family have to be careful she doesn’t bump into other dogs when playing.
“She loves children,” Jo added.
From tiny to “absolutely massive”
Charlotte, who rescued Nellie, was delighted to see how she had grown.
“When I last saw her she was a tiny little puppy in arms so it’s really good to see that she’s got a lovely, loving family and that she’s grown up to be absolutely massive,” she said.
Nellie spent the festive season with her new family.
“She had a lovely Christmas and I really hope she doesn’t remember any of what happened and just has happy memories now,” Jo said.
A wider problem
Nellie’s story has a happy ending, but the RSPCA says many animals are not so lucky. The charity said abandonments are at a five-year high, with 27,964 reports of abandoned animals in 2025, a 19% increase on the previous year.
“We are dealing with a surge in abandonments at the moment,” Charlotte said. “We really need the public’s support more than ever to help us save more pets like Nellie.”
For one little puppy found in the snow, that help made all the difference. ❤️
Story retold from public reporting. Credit: Express & Star (https://www.expressandstar.com/news/sandwell/smethwick/neglected-puppy-found-fly-tipped-in-the-snow-on-smethwick-street-finds-loving-new-home-5644617), BBC News, Birmingham Mail / RSPCA. Photos are reference only; usage rights are pending and images will appear only once permission is granted.
