A GERMAN Shepherd who almost died after he was neglected by his owner has finally been rehomed.

The RSPCA’s west Cumbrian branch took care of Rocco after he was taken away from the care of his owner last year.

And the charity’s Whitehaven shop had also launched an appeal to rehome him and two other German Shephards, Bailey and Denver, and Golden Retriever Mia, who were rescued at the same time. Their former owner, Richard Blair-Forster, was later jailed.

The dogs were said to be “miracle dogs” by the RSPCA after they survived the abuse. And now Rocco is the last one of the group to finally find a loving family.

Martyn Fletcher, the RSPCA inspector who saved the dog, said: “This is the best part of the job. You never really know what dogs have been through and how they will react to changes. But he’s taken it in his stride, he’s been through a lot and he’s finally found the right place for him, he found the right people who understand him and want to help him trough this process.”

When Rocco and the other three dogs were rescued by Mr Fletcher, they were found to be considerably underweight, with muscle loss and suffering from dehydration.

Victoria Temple, the vet who assessed the dogs initially, said she estimated the neglect to have taken place for about two months.

Mr Fletcher said: “Rocco’s rehab was quite lengthy, he had a few behavioural issues and it’s taken a while to get that addressed because of what he’s been through.

“We’ve found the ideal family for him, he’s doing well. I’m keeping in touch with the family, who are doing a great job, they are able to take him places and give him experiences he’s never had before.”

Blair-Forster, 22, of Walker Road in Salterbeck, Workington, was jailed for 16 weeks in November. He was also banned from keeping any animal for 15 years.