Obese dog given one year to live

Patrick has lost 25% of his body weight

An obese dog, which had been given a year to live, has lost almost 25% of its body weight in a bid to survive.

Patrick, a Jack Russell Corgi cross, weighed in at 20kg (3.1 stone), when Dani Halfpenny from Cockermouth, Cumbria, adopted him a year ago.

The nine-year-old pet's previous owner was elderly and unable to properly exercise him.

Now, after using a special diet produced with help from the RSPCA, the pet has lost 6kg (13 pounds).

Miss Halfpenny, 16, said she hoped Patrick could now look forward to a healthier life.

Dragging stomach

She said: "Patrick had been eating lots of treats, and hadn't been getting much exercise.

"He was so big he could hardly walk and his stomach dragged on the ground. If he rolled onto his back, he couldn't get up.

"When the vet said Patrick only had a year to live, we had to try and do something about it."

She said his food was striclty rationed, and he now has two hours of exercise a day.

"I'm amazed at the change in his body shape, and he has a new lease of life," she added.

The RSPCA has said pet obesity is a growing problem in the UK.