Sheffield rescue dogs: Overweight Popcorn the pug desperate for foster as South Yorkshire shelter makes appeal

Rotherham-based animal charity Helping Yorkshire Poundies has made a desperate appeal to find four-year-old Popcorn the pug a “patient” foster home to help him shift a few extra pounds.

An adorable photo of cheeky Popcorn has been shared by the charity, who described him as a “lovely, friendly boy”. The little man has been unknowingly put on a diet to help tackle his weight problem, but he needs a foster home so he can undergo a special type of surgery, called Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS), to improve his breathing.

The charity said: “He's very overweight at the moment (don't tell him, but he's on a diet) … his breathing is also terrible - he’s in desperate need of BOAS surgery once he's slimmed down a little to help him breathe more easily. We need to get him into a home as soon as possible for this!

“It's a sad fact that we are seeing so many dogs who struggle to breathe, that it's become an everyday occurrence and no longer shocks us to see a dog gasping for breath.

“But we'll ALWAYS do all we can to help them live the healthiest, happiest life they can (which yep, you guessed it, costs a huge amount in vet bills!!).”

Popcorn is described by the charity as an “excitable and a cheeky little character” who cannot currently manage a lot of exercise. It is hoped that his weight loss will help him exercise on a healthier level, but the charity said “he’ll never be a marathon runner”. 

He will need a patient home as he scent marks in the home which will “take time to improve”, and cannot be neutered until he loses weight. He will need direct access to a secure garden, and he could live with a neutered female dog, possibly a cat, and children aged seven and older. 

Popcorn is just one of a number of dogs Helping Yorkshire Poundies is trying to find a foster for, and rehome. For more information about Popcorn and the other dogs up for foster or adoption through the charity, which relies on donations to keep running, visit: https://helpingyorkshirepoundies.co.uk/.