A DOG so traumatised by abuse that she would cry, cower and moult at a human’s approach became a surrogate mum to a litter of orphaned puppies.

Missy the springer spaniel was left for dead when she was taken to Crofters Kennels, in Rayleigh, with two broken legs and was so petrified of people she would wet herself and shed great clumps of hair.

But the two-year-old still had plenty of love left in her and raised a litter of puppies orphaned after their mum died five days after they were born.

Gill Lewis, owner of the rescue centre in Beke Hall Chase South, Rayleigh, said: “When the puppies arrived, Missy took one look at them and thought: ‘They are mine.’

“It was really moving to see.

“It has helped with her recovery and took the focus off her being so stressed.”

Missy’s previous owner took her to Benfleet Veterinary Surgery with a broken front left leg and asked for her to be put down.

The vet was able to fix the leg, but was reluctant to hand Missy back the owner so asked Crofters to step in. The rescue centre discovered her front right leg was also broken when she rolled over in the night and started howling. Missy had been a working gun dog and her previous owner may have felt she was no longer useful.

Gill said: “It was heartbreaking.

“She’s a lovely dog. To see a dog so frightened is just awful.”

Gill and her team spent four to five months calming Missy by massaging her face and ears, sitting with her talking and even singing to reassure her.

But then a woman came in with five bichon fries-cavalier King Charles spaniel cross puppies whose mother had died of a suspected heart defect five days after they were born. The desperate owner was struggling to bottle feed the litter.

Missy immediately took in the puppies and nurtured them as her own.

The puppies have now grown up and have been housed, but one was reunited with Missy at a dog sports day at the centre.

The woman who owned the litter raised £500 for the centre with a raffle at the Roslin Beach Hotel, Thorpe Bay, where she worked.

To home a dog or cat or to donate money, food or dog toys and blankets to Crofters call 01268 785350 or search Facebook for “Crofters Rescue”.