Lovable rescue dogs Ronnie and Patch had never been stroked or taken for a walk when they were found by horrified RSPCA workers.
Now the inseparable pair are searching for a forever home where they can become happy pampered pooches.
Ronnie, a Jack Russell-chihuahua cross, and Patch, a pomeranian, were kept inside the same four walls for the first six years of their lives and were terrified of humans.
They were found in a house in the north of England with around 50 other dogs.
Dedicated RSPCA staff spent months patiently helping them overcome their fear of people and the outside world.
Ronnie also had to have almost all his teeth removed because he had been so badly neglected.
But Sue Abraham, a fostering coordinator for the charity, said they “are now becoming happier around people and making friends a lot faster”.
Despite a number of appeals for new owners, Ronnie and Patch are still living at the rescue centre in Huncoat near Accrington, Lancs.
They have been there since March last year and are the longest serving residents.
Sue, from the Lancashire East Branch of the RSPCA, said: “Ronnie and Patch had received next to no socialisation or training in the first six years of their lives.
“They had never been outside, had a harness put on or been for a walk, so they were quite a challenging pair for our centre to take on.
“It’s taken a lot of time, care, patience and countless amounts of treats for them to let their guard down and to bond with the staff that care for them here.”
She said they now need a calm, adult-only home with no other pets and “patient, committed owners”.
“They are still very timid and they are definitely not dogs for first-time owners” she said.
“We need people who can provide an environment where no expectation or pressure is going to be placed on them, with patient, committed owners who will understand that they’re not going to get cuddles from Ronnie and Patch for many weeks, if not months.
“We understand taking on two nervous dogs is not for everybody, but the bond you build up with them is so rewarding and our team will be on hand to provide full training and support.
“It’s been a very long journey for them both, but after everything they’ve been through these two little dogs definitely deserve a home to call their own.”
They are comfortable having outside access where they can be together to come and go as they please, so the RSPCA is ideally looking for people who live on a smallholding or farm or have a conservatory or warm outbuilding.
Potential adopters will also need to make multiple trips to the centre to get to know them.
