The dog was seconds away from being put to sleep, then the vet saw her phone

Pumpkin was abandoned by his owners and was about to be euthanized

The dog was rescued at the eleventh hour after the vet agreed to take him in.

A pocket tyrant named Pumpkin was callously abandoned by his owner and tied to the gate of the councilor’s dog pound, where his life was soon to end. He was about to be put down after vets suspected he had cancer – but luckily for him, his rescuer drove five hours to save him.

Under the care of the kennels, Pumpkin inexplicably and rapidly lost weight – he was 30 kilos and within a few months he was down to just 15.

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Veterinarian Dr. Sharon Williams, founder of Celandine Wood Animal Rescue (CWAR), said the kennel staff “suspected he had cancer” and due to the cost of care, he was due to be put down.

Sharon had previously agreed to rescue another dog to be euthanized from the same kennel. She got a message from the staff to ask if she could take Pumpkin too. She said: “I called the woman and said yes, we can take Pumpkin. But she said, ‘oh, you’re late’. They’ve just sedated him and now they’re putting him to sleep.”

Sharon said she felt sick knowing she couldn’t save him. She added: “I was out cleaning my yard when I texted about saving Pumpkin. My heart sank knowing that if I had seen that text just a few minutes earlier, he would still be alive.”

But then Sharon’s phone rang again and the vet told her “we can’t find a vein” and asked “can you still take him?” Sharon and CWAR volunteer Paul hopped in her car and drove five hours to pick up Pumpkin.

Sharon said: “He was wearing a little pumpkin jumper, that’s where we got the name from because his name was actually George. Although he was completely emaciated and looked tired and sad and sick, he was wagging his tail when he saw us, you could just tell he wanted to be loved.”

Under Sharon’s care, Pumkin had blood tests and a special ultrasound scan that ruled out cancer. Suspecting that he might have a food allergy, she put him on a special hypoallergenic diet and he soon began to gain weight. Within weeks of being on the special diet, he was like a different dog. Sharon added: “He was thriving and full of life.”

Sharon said Pumpkin has now been adopted by new owners who have fallen in love with him. Sharon said: “One of our dog walkers took a liking to him and wanted to foster him, then decided to keep him. His new owners take him for long walks in nature which he loves. He even has a wife, a miniature dachshund Ginny. He just loves people and he’s always happy snuggling up on the couch.”

Sadly, CWAR is facing closure unless £500,000 is raised to set up new premises. He must leave his hideout by June 14 because the owner of the land is selling. The Wirral-based rescue center currently has 50 dogs in its care and also takes in cats and wildlife from across the region.

CWAR was founded after the owner, Sharon, started bringing home animals that had been brought in for euthanasia for no good reason. He plans to build a facility that will quadruple the amount of rescue space so they can save many more animals.

She said: “Pumpkin was one of the lucky ones. But the reality is that the UK’s rescue system is at breaking point. I get about 10 requests a day to rescue desperate animals in need and we have to say no because we are full. Most rescues after the whole country is full to bursting, so so many animals have nowhere to go.

“Celandine is run entirely by volunteers who juggle rescue work with their jobs and family commitments. We are all so heartbroken when we have to say no and we are all excited to see the rescue grow. We want to be able to say yes to every animal that we have to save.”

Sharon is appealing to people to help expand the rescue. She said: “We fundraise, but then with tests, medication and food, one dog can often cost thousands and that wipes out our funds. We really need people who care for animals to help us so we can help them.”

To donate to CWAR, visit GoFundMe here.

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