A blind puppy has escaped a breeder’s “death sentence” after a concerned veterinary nurse brought her to an animal charity.

A woman who breeds puppies brought Bea, a tiny five-week-old Yorkshire Terrier, to be euthanised after she found out the dog was blind and would not “sell”.

The nurse "refused to write her off" and brought her to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. 

Battersea's head vet, Shaun Opperman, assessed Bea and found although she has very limited vision she will be able to live a full and happy life.

Mr Opperman said: "Bea copes really well with her disability - she quickly maps out the room she's in and is soon hopping around happily.

“Like any puppy, she loves to play and you often see her running around the room carrying a tennis ball that's even bigger than she is. We don't expect her to be here very long once she's ready to go to a new home.”

He described the world of dog breeding and puppy sales as “unscrupulous” adding: “Dogs are not commodities - just because they may not sell for much money doesn't mean they should just be written off.”

The head vet encouraged breeders who do not want to care for a dog to bring it in rather than putting it to sleep.

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