26th November 2007

Dumped Pup Crowned Top Dog

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A blind dog that was dumped when he was just five months old has been voted the nation's RSPCA Dog of the Year.

Bullmastiff Oliver fought off stiff competition from five other rescue dogs in the RSPCA Dog of the Year final stealing an impressive 23 per cent of people's votes.

Oliver was thrown out onto the street by an unscrupulous dog breeder when he was a puppy simply because he had an eye infection. He was found by a dog warden just before Christmas 2005 - thin, distressed and in severe pain from his eye.

Bullmastiff Rescue came to his aid but despite urgent veterinary treatment the infection spread and Oliver ended up losing his sight, and one of his eyes was actually removed. But his luck changed when, after reading his distressing story in the local paper, Julie Harkess and her family decided to give him a chance of happiness and offer him a home.

Now aged two, Oliver has overcome his disability and lives a fulfilling life with the Harkess family and their other dog Simba. He even has a special artificial implant in his one remaining eye to give him a normal appearance, even though he cannot actually see through it.

Julie, 38, said, "I can't believe that Oliver has won the competition! He's a true inspiration and clearly the rest of the country thinks he is too. We're so proud of him. Oliver has been through so much but he's made such good progress that we forget he's blind. No matter how down we might feel Oliver always lifts our spirits.

"I just can't believe that he lost his eyesight simply because his previous owner didn't want to spend the money on vet's fees. He's a huge dog now, weighing 50 kilos, and he's a huge part of our family. He really deserves to be the RSPCA's Dog of the Year."

Oliver will receive a whole host of prizes including a year's supply of dog food from Butcher's Pet Care, RSPCA pet insurance cover for one year and he will get to star on the front cover of leading dog magazine Dogs Today, plus much more.

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