A 'cowering' puppy that was stamped on, kicked and hit with a blunt object by her previous owner has now found a loving forever home.

An American bulldog, Kia, was found with visible injuries to her head, face and eyes after she was subject to a callous attack by her previous owner in Rochdale last year.

The 11-month-old pup could be heard yelping and a witness said they heard a man shouting at Kia, hitting her in the face, stamping on her and picking something up from the ground and hitting her twice in the head with it.

It was alleged the dog was subjected to the assault because she chewed the remote control for the TV.

Kia was fortunately rescued and came into the care of the RSPCA's Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in February last year where vets assessed her injuries.

Vets found Kia had a multitude of injuries, including a fractured tooth, swelling on the side of her face, bleeding cuts and a protruding left eye.

She also had bruising to the white area of her eye, inside her mouth and above her upper incisors.

Both of her eyes were red and bloodshot and she was further found with red marks on her face and ears as well as bruising on her chin and neck.

The ordeal left poor Kia "cowering" during her examination as the vets noted she exhibited some nervous behaviour.

However, despite the attack, she was still friendly with staff.

Kia was treated at the hospital for two nights before she was transferred to the RSPCA Preston branch for ongoing care.

RSPCA inspector Beth Fazackerley, who investigated the incident, said: “Poor Kia was subjected to blunt force trauma by her previous owner which left her with nasty facial injuries.

"Despite everything she had been through, even though she was clearly scared from the way she cowered before the vets, she showed no sign of aggression and was lovely and friendly towards me and the staff at the hospital.

"She must have known we were there to help her."

Ms Fazackerley announced the now-two-year-old dog has found a "loving forever home" with Emily and Seth Snape-Formley in Lancashire who are giving her a "second chance at happiness".

The couple, who have two children, initially fostered Kia but soon "fell in love with her" and adopted her in July last year.

Emily said: “We really love her, it feels like she’s always been part of our family."

The family said Kia was "wary" and "withdrawn" at first when she arrived, often flinching when people walked near her.

She said: "It was really sad to see and must have been because she'd been hit before.

“She wasn’t as nervous as we expected though considering what she has been through.

“Thankfully, she’s much more comfortable now.

"She’s really excitable and loves bounding around as though she’s still a puppy.

"She loves food, playing with balls and rope toys - basically anything we can throw so she can chase after it."

The RSPCA said cruelty like Kia's is seen all too often following a rise in puppy ownership since the pandemic.

In response, the charity has launched a Winter Appeal to help raise funds so it can continue its work.