Sheffield puppy: Police rescue pup bought as 'toy' to 'entertain' 17 people living in one Sheffield house

Claire Lewis
By Claire Lewis
Published 20th Oct 2022, 16:38 BST
Updated 20th Oct 2022, 16:38 BST
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A puppy bought to ‘entertain' the 17 occupants of a house in Sheffield has been offered a fresh start in life after being rescued by the police

The 12-week-old pup, now named Ella, was found in an overcrowded house in Pitsmoor after concerns for the dog’s welfare were raised.

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South Yorkshire Police said they found the pup in a two-bedroom house which was occupied by 17 people.

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Ella was found in a house with 17 occupants in Sheffield. She had been bought as a 'toy'.Ella was found in a house with 17 occupants in Sheffield. She had been bought as a 'toy'.
Ella was found in a house with 17 occupants in Sheffield. She had been bought as a 'toy'.

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PC Paul Jameson said: “Firstly it’s important to note that we do not remove good, safe animals from responsible families. We also do not destroy safe, manageable dogs. Our team are here to reduce risk, fatalities and injury.

“We removed Ella from the property she was living in as she was not being cared for in a responsible way. She had been bought as a ‘toy’ and was not being respected as a dog, including being given space and room for herself. During the process of removing Ella, we explained to the family that changes would need to be made and the likelihood was that they wouldn’t receive Ella back until she was much older. They didn’t want her back at an older age so signed her over to be re-homed.”

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Ella was rescued by South Yorkshire Police and has now been re-homed in the countryElla was rescued by South Yorkshire Police and has now been re-homed in the country
Ella was rescued by South Yorkshire Police and has now been re-homed in the country

Ella has been re-homed and now lives in the countryside with another dog.

PC Jameson added: “We have already re-homed 34 dogs this year. We want the best outcome for dogs and families. We want responsible owners to have decent dogs, in a safe environment and that’s why it is important that anyone looking to buy a dog does so from a reputable breeder or re-homes a dog from a rescue centre.”