After 30 years working in the RSPCA, I had seen animals in unimaginable conditions. I saw dogs who had been left unattended at home for so long they began chewing doors and drinking water out of toilet bowls. I saw animals who had been stamped, kicked and even stabbed. But nothing could prepare me for Boone’s situation.

Carson, the older of my two cocker spaniels, died in January. I could sense Bessie, an excitable bossy nine-year-old, was lonelier without him. They were both rescue animals. Carson was picked up by an RSPCA inspector and Bessie was abandoned at our local vet. Any dog I brought into our lives was a dog who needed a safe home.

When I contacted the RSPCA about adopting a dog, they told me about a case where more than 250 poodle-crosses were living in a neglected home. All had matted fur and were covered in dirt and faeces. The owners were vulnerable and had found themselves in a situation that completely spiralled out of control.

Bessie is the lady of the house and the decision to take Boone home was up to her. When we arrived at the centre where he was being treated, she immediately began playing with him. She had made her choice – Boone was ours.

Boone was rescued in January when he was about 18 months old but could not be released into our care until March, after his vaccinations and initial rehabilitation were completed. His coat had to be shaved due to extreme matting and he needed treatment for an eye and ear infection.

He wasn’t used to travelling in a car. He had never walked on a leash and would immediately lock his paws on to the ground. He wasn’t toilet trained and had a few accidents around the house.

Sofa comfort … Bessie (left) with Boone. Photograph: Courtesy of Dermot Murphy

While he wasn’t sure about humans yet, he was sure about Bessie. On his first night at home I prepared a crate for him but he fell asleep on a dog bed. The next morning I found him and Bessie curled up together on the sofa.

There was so much for Boone to learn. Even with my background working with animals, it was Bessie who trained him best. He learned to use the “toilet” by following Bessie into the garden. He began to tolerate his leash after watching Bessie happily accept hers, knowing that a walk awaited. He learned to play with balls by copying Bessie, a stark reminder that Boone had missed out on his puppy stages.

When he arrived, his tail didn’t wag much. Three months later, it moves non-stop as he follows Bessie around excitedly. His coat is growing in and he is steadily gaining weight.

Boone needed to be in a safe home but so did his previous owners. The cost of living and the growing mental health crisis means that there are more dogs out there like him. If you have the opportunity to rescue a dog, please do so. Taking him in was a wonderful lesson in patience and an opportunity to make my sassy older cocker spaniel feel like a puppy again.