A "frightened" dog that had just given birth was left abandoned tied to a fence.
A passer-by saw the Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross breed alone on a busy road in Wavertree and immediately took her to a local rescue centre. But microchip details simply came up as "Puppy Number 9", meaning she had likely never had a loving home.
Seemingly abandoned after just having puppies, she has been renamed as Mabel. The 18-month-old is now being cared for at Freshfields Animal Rescue in Sefton.
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Deb Hughes, Communications Officer, said: "Poor Mable was left alone and frightened, tied to a railing on a busy road. Luckily, a kind member of the public found her and brought her into our rescue.
"We scanned her to see if she was microchipped, as we always do. It was heart-breaking when her chip came back as ‘Puppy Number 9’. It seems that this lovely dog has never had a name or a loving home. She has one of those now, as we’ve named her Mabel.
"We’re now looking for the forever home that she deserves after her sad start in life. It looks like Mabel has been used for breeding, then abandoned after just having puppies."
Since she’s been at Freshfields, Mabel has blossomed into a very friendly and affectionate girl who loves to snuggle up on the sofa and has been spending the last couple of weeks in a foster home with a member of the Kennels team.
Deb added: "Mabel can be a bit over-enthusiastic and a little mouthy when she is playing, which is quite typical of the breed. An ideal home for Mable would be one where any children in the home are aged 16 plus.
"She does try to chase cats so we would need her home to be cat-free. We would consider a home with another dog, providing introductions go well at the rescue."
More information about Mabel can be found here or call the rescue on 0151 931 1604 or contact kennels@freshfields.org.uk.
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