Sickly puppy Chilli goes from car boot sale to therapy dog with her brother Bean

A tiny puppy who was found tied to a van at a car boot sale has found a new lease of life as a therapy dog with her sibling.

Chilli the Shih Tzu was only six weeks old and too young to be away from her mother when she was put up for sale in the Midlands last year.

After members of the public alerted the authorities to her poor condition, Chilli and another cross-breed puppy she was tied up with were rescued by the RSPCA.

Dermot Murphy, who leads the RSPCA frontline rescue teams, said: ‘We’ve sadly seen a shocking rise in the number of incidents of animal abandonment and neglect our rescuers are dealing with.

‘My fear is that we’ll see increasing cases of animals neglected and abandoned this Christmas as families struggle with soaring bills.’

Chilli was taken to the charity’s Hillfield Animal Home in Staffordshire where she was treated for anaemia, fleas, worms and dental disease.

Her brother, Bean, joined her after he was also found thanks to an investigation, and the pair were fostered and later adopted by proud owner, Julia Sanders.

Thanks to the siblings’ gentle and sweet temperaments, Julia thought they’d both make great therapy dogs, and had them qualified as a Pets As Therapy (PAT) pooches.

Now, the two sweeties are regular visitors at the Charlotte James Care Home in Burton upon Trent, and the Thomas Russell Infants’ School in Barton under Needwood.

Julia said: ‘Both dogs are soft little balls of fluff with very gentle natures and they have a huge impact on the people they visit. It’s lovely to see the relationships they build up with the children and care home residents.

‘When they see Chilli and Bean they will often sit up and smile and the dogs will jump up on their laps for a cuddle. The families of the residents often say to me how wonderful it is to see how their loved ones react. 

‘Bean’s visits to the school are just as eagerly anticipated by the children. They don’t stop talking after they’ve seen him and he brings great comfort to pupils who may be anxious or dealing with other issues in their lives. 

‘I don’t think you can underestimate the difference a therapy dog can make to peoples’ wellbeing. After their difficult start in life it’s heart-warming to see how Chilli and Bean are lighting up peoples’ lives and I hope to extend their visits to local hospitals and hospices in the future.’

Jess Piper, manager at Charlotte James Care Home, said: ‘We can’t thank Julia, Chilli and Bean enough for our weekly visits. The residents and staff enjoy spending time with both of the dogs and really look forward to it.

‘For some of our residents it brings back memories of when they owned a pet and it brings them so much happiness.’

Pets as Therapy volunteers and their temperament-assessed pets also visit places like hospitals, hospices and prisons.

Clare Davis, CEO of PAT, said: ‘We are incredibly proud of Chilli and Bean – two amazing dogs that have found their perfect home in PAT Volunteer Julia.

‘As many times as these unfortunate stories come about, we never fail to be amazed by the powerful ability that these dogs have to not only forgive their past, but also their willingness to keep giving back, no matter what.’

Nurture lead at Thomas Russell Infants’ School, Marie Warner, said: ‘Bean is so popular with the children who attend our nurture group, and he’s really helped the pupils with their self-esteem and confidence.

‘He has such a calming influence, and it’s just lovely watching the joy on their faces when he arrives for his weekly visit.’

You can donate to the RSPCA’s Christmas campaign to support call staff, frontline rescuers, and centre and branch staff.

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