'Very weak' Rottweiler Bailey 'hours from collapsing' rescued by police from Basingstoke house and found new owners

Bailey was found ‘emaciated’ by officers executing a search warrant during a drugs investigation.

The pooch was found in a locked bathroom at a property Winklebury Centre, Basingstoke, with only water from the toilet to drink.

Dog handler PC Stacy Beale said: ‘When the Rottweiler cross, who has now been named Bailey, was found he was very weak and emaciated with just toilet water to drink and no food.

‘We believe he had been there for at least three weeks and was slowly starving.

‘He was taken straight to our police kennels and then to the emergency vets.

‘He was assessed as having a body score of 1 out of 9, with vets stating he was probably hours from collapsing.’

Police raided the house on December 20, 2021.

Officers had to act quickly to save Bailey’s life, with the choice being to let him pass away in his sleep, or to fight to keep him alive.

PC Stacy Beale did everything to save the Rottweiler, and made contact with Rottie Rehab, a rehabilitation centre for mistreated dogs.

By the following morning, a foster placement was secured for Bailey, where the pooch was nursed 24 hours a day.

After being contacted by police, it transpired the registered owner gave Bailey to a friend, as he couldn’t care for him.

Once the owner heard about this cruelty, Bailey was surrendered for rehoming.

PC Stacy Beale, said it was ‘touch and go’ for the dog, but he has since recovered and is loving life with his new family.

She added: ‘There was no owner available so I had to make the call.

‘This was an easy decision as this dog only had to look at you, his eyes were still sparkling and he had not given up yet, despite the cruelty he had suffered.

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‘Due to his critical condition and long term intensive care required, contact was made with a lovely lady called Georgie at Rottie Rehab.

‘With four hourly feeds, Bailey started to respond and gain weight and condition.

‘Over the following weeks he went from strength to strength and started to play and come out of his shell.

‘He has now been rehomed and is loving life with his new family.’