Abandoned puppies named after Santa's reindeer get new homes in time for Christmas, as Derbyshire families come to the rescue

Betsy, who was then called Cupid, first came into the care of the RSPCA with eight other three-week old puppies who were believed to have been bred for sale as Christmas presents.

The puppies and their mum, Olive, were taken in by the RSPCA Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford and District branch a year ago.

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Each puppy was then named after one of Santa's reindeers - Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph

And in January, the puppies and their mum were finally rehomed and will be spending their first Christmas in their forever homes this year.

And Betsy was rehomed to Christine Allen from Glossop in Derbyshire, who had had dogs all her life but fell in love with the puppy at first sight.

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Christine said: “She’s the best thing in the whole world. I still can’t believe how lucky I was. I’d circled her in the group picture of all the puppies and I was so surprised that she was still there. I love her to bits!

“She’s such a lovely dog and so well socialised, she loves everybody and everything, absolutely nothing phases her, which is a credit to the staff at RSPCA Halifax.

"She’s quite independent and will happily play on her own in the garden but she also loves being with people, she can be so nosey!"

RSPCA Halifax said other puppies have all been adopted by families in Sheffield, South Derbyshire and Birkenhead, among others.

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