Happy ending to shaggy tale of saddest dog

Two-year old Scooby was the longest-serving resident in Scottish SPCA care after spending 15 months – more than half his life – in kennels.

Staff at the charity’s Aberdeenshire Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre said the Staffordshire bull terrier had been snubbed in favour of “cute, fluffy” dogs so often that he was “dying of depression”.

An urgent nationwide appeal was answered by more than 200 people, and dog lovers David and Anne Prokipczyn made the 220-mile round trip to give the dog a home.

David, 60, a retired Lothian and Borders Police dog handler, said: “Anne and I have always had dogs but one of our favourites was our old brindle Staffy, Cassie. Scooby reminded us so much of her.

“We’ve been married 40 years and never been long without a dog. Our last was a great dog, an old drug sniffer spaniel called Buzz. He died two years ago, and the house has felt empty since. It just seemed like fate to read about Scooby.

“He’s been a very sad dog. When he was put back in his kennel at the end of our visit, he looked miserable. But we knew we wanted him.”

Retired hairdresser Anne, 59, added: “When I saw Scooby’s picture I just felt it was meant to be.”