Dog finds new home in Maidstone after being thrown from vehicle travelling at 50mph

A terrier who was 'lucky to survive' after being thrown out of a car which was travelling at 50mph in Kent, has been rehomed.

Freya, now renamed Bella, was abandoned in Yalding in January. Witnesses rushed the 18-month-old to a vet, where she was found underweight and covered in fleas.

The incident was reported to the RSPCA which says calls reporting cruelty rise over the summer months.

This comes after a report revealing a 15% increase in abandoned pets in Sussex in the first six months of this year, and a 50% rise in Kent due to the cost of living crisis.

Inspector Kirsten Ormerod said: “Freya was incredibly lucky to survive after being hurled from the moving vehicle at such a high speed and vets were incredibly concerned that she may have suffered internal bleeding so performed surgery immediately. 

“Witnesses described her being thrown with such force that she landed on the opposite side of the road, and the vehicle didn’t stop or even slow down.”

After being discharged from the vets, she was taken in by the RSPCA to be looked after.

Gill, from Maidstone, was heartbroken when she heard about Freya’s story and decided to adopt her.

Gill said: “As soon as I met her I could see she was lively but I wanted to give her a chance!

"Freya is really happy here and is always wagging her tail. She loves to. She can be a bit naughty and play bites a lot but we love her just the way she is.

"We have a trainer coming to help us as she is very scared around men and finds it difficult meeting other dogs. But she’s been through so much that we know it’ll take her some time to understand that she’s safe now.”

RSPCA figures show that 92,244 dogs were reported to the charity last year as being victims of cruelty (2021). It is equivalent to 253 a day or more than 10 an hour.