An emotional milestone has been reached after 65 "filthy" dogs were rescued from a flat earlier this year when their owner could no longer cope.
Most of the animals were taken in by the RSPCA branch in Cornwall after being rescued from a property in Newton Abbot in Devon. With 40 of the dogs, many "frightened and traumatised", in their care, the team has now rehomed the last two.
At the time, staff said the conditions were so terrible that some dogs, as young as two weeks old, required smelling salts.
Thomas and Tommy were among the dogs that arrived at RSPCA Cornwall Branch in St Columb, near Newquay. They included pregnant mums, mothers with tiny puppies, and dogs needing significant veterinary treatment and rehabilitation.
After months of care and patience, both Thomas and Tommy have been rehomed this week, meaning all the terriers from this intake have now found homes.
Tommy especially needed time to learn that the world did not have to be frightening. He could be nervous around unfamiliar people and situations, and required a calm, patient approach to build his confidence.
One of his biggest milestones was finding the courage to explore the centre's paddocks, something that had once felt overwhelming. Over the months, his confidence grew and the affectionate, loyal dog underneath began to emerge.
Thomas also completed his own rehabilitation journey, and this week both boys took the step everyone had been hoping for.
Margaret Green Animal Rescue took in a mix of chihuahuas, dachshunds and poodles from the property and treated them at centres in Tavistock and Wareham, Dorset.
The centre said at the time that the owner had become "completely overwhelmed by the number of animals in their care and was struggling to cope, so urgent action was needed to get the dogs to safety".
CEO Nigel Mason said: "People get a dog, they allow it to have puppies, and then it goes on and in the end you end up with 65 dogs and no way of being able to care for those dogs in the right way. But it's sad for everybody involved."
A spokesperson for RSPCA Cornwall Branch said this week: "Watching Thomas and Tommy leave this week has been incredibly emotional. When these dogs first arrived, our priority wasn't finding them homes as quickly as possible. It was giving each of them the time, care and rehabilitation they needed so that, when that day came, they had the best possible chance of succeeding.
"Thomas and Tommy were the final two terriers from this intake still waiting, so seeing them both begin their new lives in the same week feels like the end of a very special chapter."
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Joy as 65 Rescued Dogs Find Homes After Ordeal