A dog that was found buried alive has been adopted by one of the animal welfare officers who rescued him.
Border collie Jake was discovered by hillwalkers after being left for dead under a pile of rocks in the Highlands in November last year.
They alerted the Scottish SPCA who rescued him and took him to a vet.
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He had several skull and jaw fractures and was blind in one eye.
Jake shortly after he was rescued (Scottish SPCA)
Scottish SPCA inspector Yvonne Sloss said: “This was truly one of the worst cases I have ever experienced.
“When I first saw Jake I felt shock, sadness and disbelief that someone had deliberately done this to him.
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“His head was so swollen and he was in a terrible way. We didn’t think there was any way he would make it.
“He was in a comatose state when we arrived at the vet where he received emergency treatment.
“Miraculously, Jake survived the night. It was only when he was transferred to our Glasgow vet clinic that we found out how bad it actually was.
“Poor Jake was in need of a lot of care to help him recover both mentally and physically.”
Jake had several operations to remove the damaged eye and broken teeth.
After just under six weeks of treatment at around Christmas, Ms Sloss’s colleague, inspector Mark Greener, who took part in the rescue, decided to take him home.
Mr Greener said: “When Jake came home with me, he was still incredibly fragile. His fractures hadn’t completely healed and he was unable to close his jaw.
“Jake required specialist care and it took time for him to come round and really heal. It took him a while to trust me but now that he does, we’re bonded forever.
“We are always outside and Jake loves to play. I really couldn’t imagine life without him now. I’m so thankful to the passers-by who found Jake. Without them he may not have survived that day.”
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