A DOG which was cruelly dumped in an East Renfrewshire street and left for dead is now thriving after being given a new home.

Officers at animal welfare charity the SSCPA were alerted after a concerned member of the public found shih tzu Penny in “a bad way” in September.

The pooch, who is thought to be around 13 years old, was taken to a rehoming centre for emergency care but had gone so long without proper medical attention that she had to have her eyes removed.

After the Barrhead News highlighted Penny’s plight, animal lover Louise Wilson contacted the SSPCA to offer her a new home.

And the 26-year-old telecommunications worker has told how her four-legged friend has settled in well.

Louise said: “Penny is a real diva and likes being carried about the house and sleeping on the bed. She also likes going to the beach.

“She definitely keeps me on my toes every day and I’m sure she has a few years left yet.”

The SSPCA are still investigating how Penny came to be abandoned in a Newton Mearns street.

Penny, whose eyes were crusted shut and damaged beyond repair, was microchipped but the details were out of date and she wasn’t wearing a collar.

“I burst into tears when I read she had no eyes,” said Louise, from South Ayrshire. “I contacted the rescue centre and went and met her the next day and was allowed to take her home after going through an application process.”

Anyone who has information about Penny’s previous owner is asked to call the SSPCA on 0300 099 9999.