Cassie was about to be "slaughtered, skinned and skewered" when she was rescued by Christine Barker, 61, Daily Star reported.

The pup is now living with his new owner Christine Barker.

Christine, 61, told Chronicle Live: "All Cassie has ever known is abuse and being forced to have puppies.

"She's only about two-years-old, but she was forced to have litter after litter and then she was sold to a butcher," she said.

"When she arrived at our home she was a bit timid and scared, but when we enticed her out of her carrier with some food she started to settle in immediately," she said.

"She finished her food and went straight over to my husband Kevin and rolled onto her back for a stroke, it was almost like she was thanking us for rescuing her,'' she said.