Abused Afghan dog Wylie found a new life and a loving owner in the UK

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Wylie was found in Kandahar in 2011 by a patrol of British soldiers
Had been beaten with wood, stabbed and had his muzzle cut open
Flown to the UK and adopted by Sarah Singleton, 35, from Yeovil
She says he is still very trusting and adores people, even men
Story has been turned into a book: Wylie: The Dog Who Never Gave Up

Published: 06:15 EST, 2 September 2014 | Updated: 11:00 EST, 2 September 2014

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Savagely beaten, stabbed and forced to participate in dog fights, the first four years of Wylie the Afghan mongrel's life were nothing short of hellish.

But after being picked up by a convoy of British soldiers on the streets of Kandahar, Afghanistan, Wylie was given the veterinary care he needed before being flown to the UK.

Now, two years after his arrival, he has found a loving new home, triumphed in the mongrel category at Crufts - and is the 'author' of his very own autobiography.

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Happy: Since arriving in Somerset, owner Sarah Singleton says he has been able to 'be a puppy again'

Happy: Wylie's new life in Somerset includes regular walks, lots of cuddles and a caring new owner

Thanks to the love of new owner Sarah Singleton, 35, Wylie, who was once beaten so badly vets thought he wouldn't survive, has been transformed into a happy, confident pet who loves to play.

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'His whole life has been about survival so he never really had a chance to play and be a puppy when he was one,' she explains. 'Now the puppy in him has come out.'

Born in Kandahar, Wylie, five, was just two years old when he first came to the attention of British servicemen patrolling the streets.

Rescued from a crowd intent on beating him with chunks of wood, he was taken back to base where he was patched up by an Australian medic.

But days after being sent back onto the streets, he was back after dog-fighters hacked off his ears, before cutting his muzzle open.

Brutalised: Wylie was so badly hurt when he was first picked up, vets didn't expect him to survive

In pain: Wylie, pictured immediately after his rescue, had been stabbed and had his ears lopped off

NOWZAD'S WORK EXPLAINED

Founded by Royal Marine Pen Farthing in 2006, NOWZAD, named after the first dog he ever rescued, specialises in rescuing and rehoming street dogs and cats in Afghanistan.

Their kennel in Kabul is the country's only dog shelter and the animals who are taken in are chipped and have blood samples taken as soon as they arrive.

If a home with a caring local family cannot be found, these samples are then passed on to the UK and US authorities before the animals are flown out to begin a four month quarantine period (30 days in the US).

Most go on to live with the soldiers who first found them with more than 650 servicemen reunited with their Afghan pets since the charity opened.

Along with the UK and US, pets have been rehomed in Germany, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands and South Africa.

Recent travellers include Goldi, a ginger cat sent to the US in February for a new life with the American soldier who found her, and Willy who was flown to the UK for adoption in January.

For more information, see nowzad.com

He was again patched up only to return with new injuries that included a stab wound to the chest and a severed tail.

Finally, after thugs threw him under a car, the Australian female soldier started planning to take him home, only to be denied a permit by the Canberra government.

Luckily, Royal Marine Pen Farthing, 44, the founder of NOWZAD, a charity that has so far sent more than 550 Afghan street dogs to loving new homes in the UK and US, was able to step in.

Months after being found beaten and bleeding in the streets of Kandahar, Wylie was flown to the UK and put into quarantine in a Somerset kennel.

And it was there that Wylie was first introduced to the woman who would later give him a home, NOWZAD volunteer, Ms Singleton.

'I wanted to see him mainly just because of his background,' she explains. 'But he was just so trusting and so lovely - it made me almost want to go and apologise for what had happened to him.'

By the time Wylie came home, he had been in quarantine for seven months and had fully recovered from his injuries - leaving him free to enjoy his new life of walks, cuddles and play with Ms Singlton's two other dogs.

'He loves sleeping and he likes jumping on tables, sitting in windows and watching the world go by - he loves being up high,' she smiles.

'He goes out for his walks and he even went to the Yeovil mayor's garden party the other day. He's a bit of a local celebrity and a lot of people come up in the street and say, "Oh, is that Wylie?"'

But with new book Wylie: The Brave Street Dog Who Wouldn't Give Up launched next week, Wylie's life is about to get busy - something Ms Singleton says she's happy to accept if it means more money for NOWZAD and more brutalised canines helped.

Wylie the mongrel named top Crufts dog

Trusting: Despite his horrendous experiences, Sarah says Wylie still adores people, in particular, men

Winning: Wylie also triumphed in in the mongrel category at Crufts and is the subject of a new book

Proud: Sarah says she is enormously proud of Wylie, seen here with his winner's rosette

She also wants to see more support for the work done on the ground in Afghanistan where, she says, NOWZAD are working to change local attitudes towards dogs.

'It's whole different culture,' she explains. 'It's completely different from here where we're brought up to care for animals.

'We find it shocking but to them it is normal. They're scared of rabies, the Taliban outlawed dogs and made it an offence to be nice to them and the dogs are also feral: they spread disease and stuff like that.

'NOWZAD are working hard to change that attitude and people are starting to pick up injured dogs and puppies and are bringing them into NOWZAD which never happened before.'

As for Wylie himself, Ms Singleton says he seems none the worse for his experiences, with the only hint of his past life being an unusually high tolerance for loud noises.

'There must be a lot going on in his head at times but outwardly, he's so trusting and you would never know what had happened,' she says.

'He's completely unfazed wherever he goes, bangs and fireworks don't bother him at all even though most other dog are terrified of them.

'He loves everyone and he loves men especially even though it was men who hurt him. He's really affectionate with everyone.'

Wylie also has a loving home for life. 'He's never going anywhere,' insists Ms Singleton. 'It was never meant to be permanent - I was supposed to foster him and give him a taste of normal life for three months - but I couldn't bear to be parted from him now.'

Wylie: The Brave Street Dog Who Never Gave Up by Pen Farthing is published by Hodder & Stoughton on the 11th September, priced at £14.99