A severely neglected Saint Bernard dog needs to have his ears amputated after years of bullying by other dogs.

Boris and Petal were part of a welfare case of multiple Saint Bernards needing urgent assistance, having lived all their lives in a garden with a large group.

Their story touched the hearts of Eileen Mellis and her partner, Kerri Eilertsen-Feeney, who run Cinque Ports Rescue in Meryl Gardens, Deal, so they chose to help.

Ms Mellis said: “Boris is nine years old and has been neglected his whole life.

“He was emaciated, weighing less than half he should, with heavily thickened and scarred ears after years of bullying from the other dogs he was left in a garden with.

“He had horrendous ear infections, nails that were long and curved causing him pain, and a matted and dead coat from never having been groomed.

“He has never known love, affection, kind words or treats and yet he is the sweetest boy.

“Petal is around seven years old and also been neglected her whole life. She is very shut down, but trusted us as we made her more comfortable and clean.”

The dogs received a full makeover from The Groom Room and Pets at Home at Whitfield, which also donated new collars and leads.

Now work has begun to improve their condition, but the cost is not cheap, especially for the rescue, which is used to taking in smaller dogs.

Ms Mellis said: “Boris is doing extremely well and has put on enough weight to undergo surgery on his ears.

“Unfortunately, he is going to have to have them amputated.

“Both ears are so thickened by scar tissue. They are a dead weight and extremely uncomfortable for him, as well as being a high risk of injury as he has no feeling in them. His surgery is booked in for next week.”

Petal is also doing well and there are hopes she will be ready for rehoming in about a fortnight’s time.

Ms Mellis added: “Boris in particular is going to need lots of medical care, so if you would like to contribute to Boris and Petal’s veterinary needs please visit our donation page.”

Donations can be made to help the pair.

To follow Boris and Petal’s progress in pictures visit ‘Cinque Ports Rescue’ on Facebook.

The rescue also has a number of small dogs already available for rehoming and fostering.