Saved from Thai smugglers now Miracle’s a show star
HE was a Thai street dog set to be cruelly slaughtered and served up as dinner.
But after being rescued by a Scots family, aptly-named pet Miracle will instead be taking centre stage at Crufts.
The prestigious dog show is a world away from the truck in Thailand where he was found almost strangled, having tried to escape from a crate. He had been taken by smugglers for the dog meat trade.
Luckily a picture taken by the woman who rescued him was seen by Amanda Leask 6,000 miles away in Strathglass, near Inverness.
She had him flown to the UK and took him home to the Highlands where he formed an extraordinary bond with her six-year-old son Kyle, who has cerebral palsy and autism. Following this, he was chosen for the final of the Friends for Life competition at Crufts.
Mrs Leask, 45, said: ‘I cannot believe this little, insignificant street dog, who no one cared about and was going to be someone’s meal, is now going to be at Crufts.
‘He has been through so much. At first when we got him he had a terrible fear of men. Whenever my husband would put on a hat, it must have given him flashbacks because he was jumping over furniture to escape.
‘He has been to hell and back but, despite it all, he has always been the most loving dog.’
Miracle was headed for slaughter with almost 1,300 other dogs when an animal rescue volunteer stopped the truck. During a frantic bid for freedom, the dog had trapped his leg and head and was hanging out of the crate.
His rescuer thought he was dead, but when she took a photograph as evidence, the camera
‘Skin them alive or blowtorch them’
flash made him open one eye. That ensured his life was saved.
Mrs Leask, a jewellery designer, saw the image on a Facebook site and was determined to help.
She said: ‘I could not believe the dog from that photograph was still alive. It was a miracle and so the name just stuck for him. I
knew I had to bring him here, I had to make sure he was safe.’
After nine months of treatment in Bangkok, he was flown to Britain and travelled north on the night bus from London with Mrs Leask.
‘He slept quietly, but from 2.30am he was sleeping on my chest,’ she said.
‘Despite the fact that he has seen the worst of human nature, he adores people and is the most gentle and loving dog we could hope for.’
On getting home last April, Mrs Leask was quick to introduce the crossbreed to Kyle.
‘He has such a close bond with Kyle, who cannot speak and who can struggle to communicate with people, but Miracle understands him and they are so close to one another,’ she said.
Mrs Leask and her restaurant owner husband Tobias have 40 dogs in total and race huskies, but see their latest addition as something special.
His new owner, who campaigns against animal cruelty in Thailand, said: ‘ The people slaughtering dogs believe the more they torture an animal, the better the meat is. They believe it makes a man more virile.
‘We know they can beat a dog senseless for three or four hours, can skin them alive or blowtorch them to death. I know it would’ve happened to Miracle.’
Caroline Kisko, secretary of the Kennel Club, which runs Crufts, said: ‘I am delighted Miracle, after everything he has been through, has been nominated for the Eukanuba Friends for Life award and will be celebrated on the world’s most famous dog stage.’