A puppy was abandoned and left tied to a bench in the capital before it was rescued by a member of the public and taken to Edinburgh’s Dog and Cat Home (EDCH).
Simon, who is a bulldog mix, was only five months old when he was recovered on April 18 after he was abandoned along with a Primark bag that contained a food bowl, toy and a lead at Wester Hailes Park.
EDCH have previously reported that they have seen a spike in people handing in their pets as people struggle to make ends meet in the midst of a cost of living crisis.
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Those at EDCH are now looking to rehome Simon and hope that they will be able to find a forever home for him.
“Simon was handed in to us on April 18 after being found tied up in the early hours of the morning in Wester Hailes Park,” EDCH said.
“He had a Primark bag full of his belongings and was very scared and anxious.
“We put him into one of our quiet units until he settled, he was a bit underweight for his age and was showing signs of not getting the correct nutrition for a five-month-old dog.
“He saw Bridget our vet that morning and received his first vaccine/worming and flea treatments.
“We realised he didn’t like being left alone in his pen so we gave him full access to the unit.
“Jess, our assistant kennel manager, fostered him for a couple of nights to see how he would cope in a home environment, and he did really well.
“As his confidence has grown he is now showing his cheeky personality like stealing things out of your pockets and undoing your laces.
“He now loves his hugs although he is still a little wary of strangers, especially men.
“Simon will require an experienced owner who may have had an anxious dog before and has the time and commitment to work on his confidence and ongoing training.
“He has now gained 4kgs in weight and is in much better condition and is looking for his forever home.
“Simon has unfortunately had a difficult start to life and his new owners must be fully committed to providing the necessary training and socialisation which he needs to become a confident dog.
“He is very noise sensitive and will require a calm home environment in a quiet area away from the city centre.
“Simon becomes stressed when left alone and finds being confined difficult, so he will require a lot of company while he works on this.
“Simon has become a firm favourite with all the staff, they know that with the right training and understanding, this amazing boy can grow into a wonderful companion.”
They added: “We don’t know the circumstances surrounding his abandonment, it could well have been due to the cost of living crisis, a change in personal circumstances, a relationship breakdown or due to behavioural issues.
“There are many reasons why people abandon their pets but we do not have any background to this case.
“It is fairly clear that the cost of living crisis is obviously making a difference and when people come to us and ask us about surrendering, we ask them for the reason behind it.
“And since the cost of living crisis we have added new criteria which are due to financial reasons and people are ticking that box more frequently.”
You can enquire about adopting Simon through their website here.
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