Moreton councillor steps in to rescue Tom Thumb and adopt the elderly dog at RSPCA

A tiny elderly dog, being held at the RSPCA, has become a social media sensation after an online campaign to find him a home.

Rescued With Love founder Kae Norman with one of her charges. Picture: Contributed

A tiny elderly dog has become a social media sensation after being handed in to the RSPCA.

Little Shih tzu “Tom Thumb” was taken to an RSPCA centre in Brisbane early this month but while waiting for his family to be found, he fetched a massive online following of prospective adotive families..

One Facebook post from animal welfare organisation Rescued With Love, clocked up more than 450 comments with followers expressing interest in giving the dog a friendly home.

Moreton Bay Regional councillor Yvonne Barlow also leapt to his rescue after seeing oen of the Facebook posts last week.

Cr Barlow contacted RSPCA Dakabin, which is in her electorate and where it was believed Tom Thumb was originally taken in more than 10 days ago.

Cr Barlow said the RSPCA had not contacted her about adopting the dog and she was now concerned about Tom Thumb’s future.

However it us understood the RSPCA has been in touch with the dog’s previous owners.

Moreton Bay Regional councillor Yvonne Barlow was prepared to adopt Tom Thumb and take him into her home with all costs paid. Picture: Supplied

“I lost my little dog, Tiggah, eight months ago and I am very happy to adopt Tom Thumb,” Cr Barlow said.

“His story moved me and I would be happy to give him a good life.

“He looks like a very sweet little thing.

“But I was later told that he was not up for adoption and the RSPCA was in contact with the owner and I know nothing more.”

Rescued With Love founder Kae Norman said RSPCA told her last week that Tom Thumb was still classified as a stray but the owners had been contacted.

She tried to find out about his status on a daily basis including as late as Tuesday morning.

Since then, representatives from the RSPCA have emailed her expressing their concern over the use of social media to highlight Tom Thumb’s situation.

Ms Norman said Cr Barlow had offered to become a foster carer and adopt Tom Thumb at no cost to RSPCA Qld but neither had heard back from the RSPCA since last week.

In an effort to find out what happened to Tom Thumb, Ms Norman wrote to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and asked her to intervene.

Tom Thumb.

In her email to the premier, Ms Norman said she had contacted RSPCA Qld last week and requested that Rescued With Love Inc be considered to take in the small, unkempt, stray dog.

“I have been met with stonewalling and silence in regard to this little dog,” she wrote in her email to the premier.

“It is now 10 days and the little dog is now property of RSPCA Qld, and the story of ‘talking to his owners’ continues to be their line of information.

“I cannot thank enough councillor Yvonne Barlow from Moreton Bay Regional Council who rang RSPCA Qld and asked that Tom Thumb not be euthanised, and told them she would be willing to adopt him.

“Now that he is ‘on hold’ with RSPCA Qld either at Dakabin Shelter or Wacol Shelter — they will not release any information — he is theirs to dispose of as they choose, which is to either start treatment with the idea of rehoming him, or euthanasia.”

Rescued With Love, based in Melbourne which currently cares for a range of dogs aged from 17 years down, was awarded the Victoria Organisation of the Year in 2010 for its community service.

RSPCA was contacted for this story.