Vet practice gives abandoned puppies second chance


Veterinary nurses at Stowe Veterinary Group, including former CCOAS students, have played a crucial role in helping to look after three puppies that were found abandoned just before Christmas.

The dogs were discovered in bushes near a lay-by in Colchester on 21 December 2023 by the driver of a broken-down lorry. The driver alerted the partner of a CCOAS student who was on placement at Moreton Hall Veterinary Centre in Bury St Edmunds. He let the practice know the puppies had been found and brought them straight in.

Nicola Rigden, the practice manager, said: “If the lorry hadn’t broken down, they might not have been found in time – it was very lucky!”

On arrival, the team at Moreton Hall Veterinary Centre could see the three puppies were cockerpoos, about eight weeks old, but they were in a terrible state. All three dogs were malnourished. One had lost most of her coat and her front legs were deformed through lack of vitamins. They all had extensive mange.

Nicola said: “It was so sad to see how badly the puppies had been treated by whoever abandoned them. It was so different to the cases we normally see. We were determined to do all we could to make them better and give them a fresh start, and immediately took them in.”

The nursing and veterinary team at Moreton Hall Veterinary Centre quickly got to work, diagnosing the type of mange and starting a programme of treatment and good nutrition.

The puppies spent Christmas at Stowe Veterinary Centre, sister practice to Moreton Hall Veterinary Centre, as the possibly contagious nature of the mange meant they could not be rehomed straight away. The veterinary nurses at the practice, led by head nurse and CCOAS-graduate Zoe Sedgwick, played a crucial role in looking after them over the festive period.

As soon as the all-clear was given, the three pups were given a temporary foster home by Martin and Lesley Barrow (a veterinary surgeon, and qualified veterinary nurse and dog groomer respectively). Together, they saw in the New Year with the family’s two other dogs.

After three weeks, skin samples were retaken and the team were delighted to find that all three puppies were free of mites.

Whenever an animal at the practice needs a forever home, the entire team sets to work asking colleagues, friends, and relatives whether they know anyone who would be a good match. It didn’t take long to find people willing to welcome the puppies into their home.

Martin and Lesley gave one of the puppies, named Ivy, a permanent home. Another of the puppies, called Lacy, was adopted by Chloe (a receptionist at the practice) and Alex. The third, named Missy (short for Mistletoe), was adopted by Zoe’s parents Andy and Ann.

Recently, the three puppies met up again for the first time since they moved in with their new families. Meeting at Ipswich Veterinary Centre, the three dogs had a great time running around the agility paddock. Although it’s hard to say if they recognised each other at the meet up, they all got on really well.

Lesley Barrow said: “Ivy has come along so much in the time we’ve had her. She loves running, playing, digging, chewing – and all the things you’d expect from a puppy. It is so nice to see that her legs are no longer bow shaped and she is in good health.

“The transformation has been remarkable and it just shows what can be done. We’re so pleased for all three puppies to have found loving forever homes. They are a bundle of joy and have made us very happy too.”