Puppy 'Angel' abandoned in Ellesmere Port Asda on Boxing Day

Caroline Cohen, 43, from Ellesmere Port, and her family were out Boxing Day shopping when they decided to pop into Asda to get some milk.

Speaking to the Globe, Caroline said: "We got up Boxing Day morning and we were going to go to Cheshire Oaks but everywhere we wanted to go was shut.

"We decided to then go to M&S which was also shut, so we were going to go to Morrisons but my husband missed the turning so we ended up going to Asda."

When Caroline's husband Kevin Mansell, 44, went to the store's toilets he saw that staff members had found a puppy under a pile of clothes.

"We didn't know if she'd been dumped there on Christmas Eve, or had been put there early Boxing Day morning", Caroline added.

No CCTV evidence showed how or when the puppy got into the store, or who left her there.

Rare skin condition

One of the security staff who knew Caroline knew that she had rescued and cared for several dogs and animals being a big animal lover, so the staff let her and Kevin take the puppy home.

After realising the puppy had a cut on her head and would cut herself regularly, Caroline got her medical attention and found out that she had an extremely rare skin condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).

Angel has to wear special clothes to protect her skin (Image: Caroline Cohen)

Caroline said: "We took her to the vets and found out it is extremely rare in dogs in the UK. If she plays too rough with other dogs or knocks herself she can literally tear her skin open.

"There is no cure, it's more about prevention so we have tried to find clothes to protect her."

Caroline and Kevin named the puppy Angel, after the Asda baby range 'Little Angels'.

When they picked her up, the vets examined Angel and said she was around eight-weeks-old, so she is now approaching around five months old. 

There are three other Japanese Chins in the house Angel can play with, but she has become best friends with the boy, Bonsai, who she plays with every day.

Angel and Bonsai (Image: Caroline Cohen)

The family has planned a trip to Cornwall soon so Angel can experience playing in the sand.

Caroline said: "It was fate. I just feel like we were supposed to go to Asda that day and find her."

Last Saturday (March 18), Caroline took Angel back to Asda to see all of the staff members again.

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