Cadbury, a 7-year-old Boxer cross, was discovered abandoned at a residence in Adelaide’s northern suburbs by a real estate property manager in early October 2021.
The property’s lease had expired, and the dog had been locked inside a shed. He had no food or drink when he was discovered and was critically underweight. He was also flea-infested, and his teeth were decaying from untreated dental illness.
Cadbury’s life altered dramatically once he was taken into the care of the RSPCA of South Australia. He gained weight and became the attractive dog he should have been all along thanks to a rigorous feeding regimen. Cadbury, most importantly, has now found a loving family. He is nothing like the dog he was when he was found alone and malnourished in that shed in terms of appearance and demeanor.
The road back to health
Inspector Cheryl quickly took Cadbury into her custody and brought him to the RSPCA SA Lonsdale shelter for medical assistance.
On top of Cadbury’s emaciation and dental concerns, our dedicated veterinarians created a complete treatment plan for him to rule out any underlying ailment he might be suffering from.
Cadbury was desexed and had all of his decaying teeth removed once he had achieved a healthy weight. Cadbury’s oral condition had deteriorated to the point where he needed two procedures to remove all of his decayed teeth.
Cadbury’s weight increase was a top priority, so our dog-care team followed a rigorous feeding schedule and fed him small, healthy meals throughout the day. Cadbury’s body began to change from skeleton to a healthy shape and weight over time.
Cadbury was stealing the hearts of everyone.
Cadbury surprised our dog caretakers with his perfect manners and gentle disposition when in the company of other dogs throughout his time with us. He was content to wait and watch the other dogs play when he was off the leash.
Cadbury’s health was significantly improved after over two months in our care, and he had acquired enough weight to be declared adoptable.
It didn’t take long for Danielle and Jacob from Mount Barker to notice him after his profile was posted on our adoption website.
“We both knew that adopting him was the proper thing to do when we saw him at the Lonsdale shelter,” Danielle says.
Cadbury approached Danielle and Jacob at their first meeting and immediately felt at ease.
Cadbury and his new family were a marriage made in heaven.
Danielle and Jacob had both grown up with dogs and had been wanting to adopt one for a long time – it was just a matter of finding the right one.
They decided to adopt an older dog since older canines are usually calmer and easier to handle than puppies and younger pets. Danielle also wanted to adopt an older dog because she understands they are more difficult to find homes for than puppies.
The couple had only previously had fish as pets until adopting Cadbury. We are grateful that Danielle and Jacob opted to adopt Cadbury, and we are confident that Cadbury is grateful as well.
Everyone gets a happy ending!
Cadbury has only been with his new family for a month, but he has already made himself at home. Because Daniel works from home, he always has someone to lavish attention and treats on him.
Cadbury helps Danielle with her ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), she told us.
“He helps me emotionally as well as adding structure to my day,” she explained.
Cadbury’s new life is ideal for him. He enjoys his regular walks and receiving cuddles from his new family, and he has shown to be a natural at learning new instructions.
Cadbury has also grown much more weight and is at the right size for his breed! It’s difficult to imagine he’s the same puppy we adopted in October 2021.
