A THREE-legged dog who spent almost a year in kennels at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has finally found a loving new home with a St Albans family,

The three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross named Steven took part in a novel rehoming event at Metro Bank in Borehamwood after coming into Battersea as a stray and spending 352 days in kennels.

His luck changed when he joined other Battersea dogs for Metro Bank’s regular Dogs Rule! Weekend and was spotted by the Gough family from St Albans.

New owner Cheryl Gough said: “When we met Steven at Metro Bank we all fell in love with him. He’s so sweet and full of fun. We applied to foster Steven and our whole family, including our two dogs, had to meet him before we could take him home.

“Needless to say we all became very attached to Steven and decided to give him a permanent place in our home.”

Cheryl went on: “Steven’s a great example of his breed – he’s loving, affectionate and such a softie. He seems to be enjoying life in St Albans and loves his walks to the local parks. Taking Steven into our lives has been so rewarding, we can’t imagine life without him now.”

Steven arrived at the the world-famous animal charity in November 2010 and because he wasn’t wearing a collar and tag or microchipped, Battersea was unable to find his owner. Potential owners showed little interest in him while he was at Battersea, and because of a medical condition he had to have one of his legs removed.

Philip Heron, Battersea’s operations manager says: “Steven is a great dog and was really popular with staff and volunteers at Battersea.

“Some dogs can stay with us for a long time, but there’s no time limit on how long we’ll care for them. The important thing is finding them the right home, and Steven’s wait has certainly paid off.”