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An adorable pup that was the first to be left at a rescue in 2018 has found a happy ending after being inundated with adoption offers.  

Eight-week-old mongrel Ronnie was left at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London on January 2 after he was given as a Christmas present.

The poor pup was dropped off at the rescue so far this year after his owner lost their home and was unable to look after him.

Since posting online about the pooch social media has gone wild for little Ronnie, with plenty of offers to adopt him being made.

Eight-week-old mongrel Ronnie was left at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in south London on January 2 after he was given as a Christmas present 

Commenters on Facebook wished they could take the adorable pooch themselves, and put themselves forward to take him

The poor pup became the first unwanted pet to be dropped off at the rescue so far this year, after his owner lost their home and was unable to look after him

Battersea Cats and Dogs Home's Facebook page had plenty of commenters inquiring about whether or not the pup was still available last night.

Ronnie is undergoing medical checks, with Battersea telling MailOnline that the pup is currently staying with staff member Alice Holt, but could be ready for rehoming by next week. 

It is not yet known which lucky household will take him, but Battersea have said there is a 'long list' of potential future homes.

In the process of rehoming Ronnie, the team at Battersea will search through every applicant who registered to adopt him to make sure the dog and the home are a perfect match.

They look into things such as the personality of Ronnie, whether or not the home has any other animals (and if his personality will clash with their pets), and if they have any children.

Once they match Ronnie with a home, Battersea will organise for the potential owners to meet the pooch. They might meet several times before an adoption happens, or just the once, but if it all goes well Ronnie will be heading off to his new forever home sooner rather than later.

Ms Holt told MailOnline: 'Ronnie has only been at home with me for one night but he is settling in so well.

'He's so affectionate, even with new people, and loves a cuddle and a fuss. He also loves playing with toys and running around the kitchen. He's such a sweet boy.'

Home intake manager Steven Craddock said: 'It doesn't shock any of us that the first dog through our doors in 2018 was bought online.

'Ronnie is just one of many thousands of dogs who will be bought off an unregulated website in the coming months and end up in a home where the owner is unprepared and unable to take proper care of them.

'His new owner did the right thing by bringing him into us where we can look after him and find him a loving new home, which we doubt will take long as he's such a lovely boy.

'However, this doesn't change the fact that he never should have been sold online in the first place.

'We believe he may have been taken from his mother far too young and likely sold by a breeder with absolutely no regard for his welfare.

One individual expressed their confusion as to how anyone could ever let Ronnie go, but unfortunately his owner had to make the tough decision to take him to Battersea after becoming homeless

Dr Daniel Allen, an animal geographer, got more than 1,200 retweets when he posted about Ronnie's 'dubious honour'

Ronnie is now undergoing assessment at Battersea and will be vaccinated and microchipped before he is ready to go to a loving new home

Ronnie's adorable face might have even converted one Twitter user into a dog person, while another reiterates that a dog is for life not just for Christmas

'It's so easy to sell a dog online and this is one of the biggest challenges that Battersea faces today.' 

Many Twitter users tweeting about Ronnie have been using the hashtag #AdoptDontShop to encourage others to consider adopting some of the other animals left at rescue centres rather than buying online.

It comes as Battersea launched their In From The Cold fundraising campaign in order to help stray pets this winter.

Over 20,000 pets in the UK will be abandoned over the course of this winter, with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home looking after 550 dogs at any given time. 

Mr Craddock added: 'I'd encourage anyone thinking of welcoming a new pet into their lives to consider rescue over shopping online.'

Ronnie is now undergoing assessment at Battersea and will be vaccinated and microchipped before he is ready to go to a loving new home.

The New Year luck has rubbed off on plenty of pets searching for a home at Battersea - including Charlotte the British shorthair.

Charlotte was the first cat to arrive at the London Battersea site on New Year’s Day. The five-month-old was sadly being advertised for free online until her owners bought her to the animal shelter.

Luckily, the adorable moggie has a new home lined up already after Battersea posted about her online. 

Since New Year's Day Battersea Cats and Dogs Home have rehomed 27 dogs and 13 cats across their three sites in London, Windsor and Brands Hatch in Kent. 

Charlotte, a British Shorthair, was the first cat to arrive at the London Battersea site on New Year’s Day, but luckily she now has a home lined up

Meet the lovable dogs and cats looking for a home in 2018

Dogs and cats walk in and out of the Battersea centre everyday, with 2018 proving to be yet another busy for the team in south London.

In fact, 899 Staffies alone were left at Battersea in 2016 - 53 per cent more than the next most left breed, mongrels, at 425.

Since New Year's Day, the Battersea team have welcomed four more additions - one of which is the young pup Ronnie. 

Lexi (left) is three-year-old Beagle which arrived at Battersea's sister site in Brands Hatch on Wednesday. Buddy Bear (right), a Bengal cat, arrived at the Battersea site on January 2, after his owner could no longer look after him due to having a baby

Buddy Bear, a Bengal cat, arrived at the London Battersea site the next day, after his owner could no longer look after him due to having a baby. He is still available.

And then there is Lexi, a three-year-old Beagle which arrived at Battersea's sister site in Brands Hatch on Wednesday.

His owners separated and could no longer find the time to look after him. He is is undergoing assessment and medical checks before finding a new home.

How you can take a dog or cat home from Battersea

Finding the perfect owners for dogs at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home is just like running a dating agency, with computer profiling used to matchmake happy-ever-after relationships.

In order to take a pet home, Battersea first insists that potential owners register their details, including proof of ID and address.

The team then might ask to carry out a home visit, for example if it wants to check the house has a garden big enough to accommodate an energetic dog.

The work of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home features heavily in the ITV show Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs

After this stage is completed, potential owners are finally allowed to suggest taking on a particular dog.

The rehoming team will then look to see if the person's file matches that of the pet's personality. If the match is deemed successful, a meet can be arranged.

Battersea insists that all members of a household including any other pets, attend the meeting, to make sure that everyone who would be living with the animal is comfortable. 

At this point, the team may invite the family to pay a rehoming fee of £135, over £165 for puppies under six months.

Hundreds of dogs walk in and out of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home every year (stock)