He has now been rehomed and the abusive owner has been prosecuted according to the RSPCA
A London dog has been rescued from its abusive owner after it was brutally assaulted and left with serious head wounds. An RSPCA inspector responded to reports that a man had attempted to strangle a dog in the garden.
No one answered the door when Inspector Shanaz Ahmad attended the home, yet when she peered through the letterbox, she could see Nelson, the dog, in the hallway with obvious injuries.
Nelson’s owner returned home and eventually agreed to the inspectors checking on the dog after initially threatening them. The animal was found with swelling on its head, an open wound on its back leg and scabs on its body.
Inspector Shanaz Ahmad said: “Nelson was clearly terrified of the owner. When I was looking through the letterbox before he arrived, he was wagging his tail towards me. As soon as the man went through the door he had taken himself to the back of the hallway and was shaking and cowering.
“I have not seen any dog so terrified as this. As well as the obvious injuries across his body, he just looked broken – it was awful.
“I knew I had to get him emergency vet treatment, and fortunately, although he was terrified, he still had enough trust for me to get him out. He didn’t seem frightened of me, and he walked nicely to my van.”
Nelson was then rushed to the RSPCA Finsbury Park animal hospital following the rescue in July 2024. During his examination he was found with two fractures on his skull, and multiple non-accidental injuries all over his body, including his spine.
After spending a year in rehabilitation while legal proceedings to prosecute the owner were underway, Nelson was rehomed with Donna Batchelor in Chelmsford, Essex.
Donna said: “I had recently lost my previous dog and also lost my husband so I was down, obviously. My daughter Sophie Berry saw Nelson on the RSPCA website and saw he had had it rough, which appealed to her – and the fact we could help – and she knew it would appeal to me. So we contacted the branch and went to see him.
“We knew about the fact he’d had a bad start and had been around violence but I am comfortable with big dogs and wanted to help him. When I first saw him I just bonded instantly – he was so gentle and sweet natured. He was just adorable and wanted love.”
