A PUPPY left bald by parasites and discarded to die in a Sports Direct bag for life has found a temporary home on her road to recovery.

The neglected ten-week-old pup was discovered in woodland, starving and thirsty, with her furless skin covered in scabs and sores from severe mange.

She was rescued by a couple walking in woods near Lowfields Avenue, Ingleby Barwick, at around 12.30pm on December 28, when temperatures had plummeted to minus two degrees Celsius.

The puppy was taken to Jacqui Paterson’s Veterinary Clinic in Stockton where she was named Eleven after the character from the Netflix series Stranger Things, who was also found in woodland.

Jenny Walker, practice manager at the surgery, said: “It was very lucky that she was found when she was because she would have died if she had been left outside for much longer.

“When she came to us, she had mange and mites that she will have had for a long time so she had no fur and a lot of scabs – it would have been very itchy and uncomfortable for her.

“She came in on Thursday last week and we treated her with antibiotics and anti-parasitic treatments and one of our nurses fostered her over the weekend where she had a bath.

“Her skin is beginning to improve and the scabs have gone, so we hope that her fur will also begin to grow back soon.

“She’s doing really well and we expect her to make a full recovery.”

Following on from being cared for over the weekend, El has been fostered this week by Claire and Rob Neal, the couple who found her in the Sports Direct bag that contained the puppy, an old curtain and glitter from Christmas decorations.

Miss Walker added: “She’s currently with the people who found her and they were as keen as mustard to foster her and take her on.

“She might not stay there forever, but we’re sure she’ll find a home whatever happens.”

The RSPCA were contacted when El was found, with RSPCA inspectors raising concerns for the rest of the litter that are believed to be Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Anyone with information on the litter is asked to contact the RSPCA by calling 0300-123-8018.