Emaciated dog saved from abandoned home

Engineers found Tilly surrounded by rubbish and her own waste

A dog found emaciated and starving in an abandoned home is now "thriving" after she was rescued by workers.

Tilly was discovered surrounded by rubbish and her own waste when engineers for Utilita Energy were sent to check the property in Stoke, Staffordshire, in April.

Shaun Dollamore, who was the manager on call for the firm at the time, has since adopted her and said she had made a "remarkable recovery".

"That picture of her, when she first put her head through the door - those eyes were pleading for help," Mr Dollamore, from Gosport, Hampshire, explained.

He said engineers reported hearing whimpering before finding Tilly behind a door, "knee-deep in rubbish", stained and starving.

She was taken a local vets where they said she weighed 3st 3lb (21kg) and could have been alone "for weeks".

Mr Dollamore said Tilly was at risk of being euthanised if she failed to make it through the night on a drip.

"That night I tossed and turned. My heart took over, I thought 'I have to do something...' and decided I was going to adopt her," he said.

Tilly was rescued almost three months ago but has made a "remarkable recovery"

The team at Utilita raised more than £600 towards vet bills and Tilly started to get stronger.

Mr Dollamore said the RSPCA was contacted and there was a police investigation but the outcome was not disclosed to him.

He continued: "As a field engineer we go out to all sorts of places and the things we come across in real life can be heartbreaking. Tilly is an example of that.

"The vets named her Zara to start with, but as soon as I decided I was going to rescue her she became Tilly, which is abbreviated from Utilita."

Shaun Dollamore said Tilly had a "gentle heart" and was thriving in her new home

She is believed to be between four and nine years old and a mix of a boxer, Staffordshire bull terrier and American bulldog.

She is now living with Mr Dollamore and his wife, as well as their 12-year-old dog Toby.

"I can't thank the guys at work enough," Mr Dollamore added.

"She has absolutely captured our hearts. I know I've absolutely done the right thing."