A CAT abandoned on the streets to make way for a dog, has found his forever home in Loddiswell.

Les, a chocolate tortoiseshell cat thrown out of his home in Dartmouth to live rough in order to make way for a new girlfriend with a dog, was eventually taken to Country Hill Animal Shelter in Kingsbridge, where he became the poster boy for their New Year's Day advert in the Gazette.

Following the feature in the Gazette, Les was spotted by Loddiswell couple Sally and Shawn, who came to his rescue. ‘We lost our previous cat to a long illness over the summer and were really missing her,’ said Sally.

‘Although we weren’t planning on another cat we had to help because we knew we could offer him a much better life,’ she added. ‘Now, it’s like he’s never lived anywhere else. He’s completely made himself at home and you can’t sit down for long before he’s on your lap!’

Les and 12 other needy cats and kittens appealed for help in the feature which was kindly sponsored by local businesses across the South Hams.

‘We’re so grateful to Kim at the Gazette for coming up with the idea,’ said Jan Lemmy, administrator for the shelter based at Ranscombe near Kingsbridge. ‘We’re only a small local charity and without this kind of help, nobody would know about us and we’d struggle.’

‘The response we’ve had has been amazing. Tiger and our ‘golden oldie’, Chester, also featured, have found new homes, too. We can’t thank everybody enough.’

When asked how Les was settling in, Shawn laughed, ‘We’ve got a celebrity living with us now. What people don’t know is that he’s a little thief; you leave any food out and it will be gone!

‘He’s such a character though, and we’d recommend anyone who is able to adopt a pet to think about it. They’re great company and it’s really rewarding to be able to give them a second chance. Just make sure you keep an eye on your roast dinner!’

For more information on other cats for adoption and sponsorship, visit Country Hill’s website at www.countryhillanimalshelter.co.uk, or telephone 01548 853650 to arrange a visit.