A starved and beaten dog which was saved by animal welfare volunteers has been given a new home in the United States after its story touched the hearts of people across the Atlantic.
The case of two-year-old Lurcher greyhound Lily was described as one of the worst cases Limerick Animal Welfare had come across when she was found abandoned five months ago close to the Limerick border near Charleville, Co Cork, last September.
At the time volunteers feared the dog, which had lost nearly all its hair and was ravaged with disease and infection, would not survive.
"It was definitely one of the worst cases we have ever come across," said Niamh Allen of Limerick Animal Welfare.
"Thousands of greyhounds are bred for racing in Ireland every year and those that don't make the grade are either put to sleep or abandoned."
She said they believed that Lily was used for hunting "but was dumped by her owners after contracting mange, which is very easy to treat".
According to Ms Allen, the dog made an amazing recovery thanks to the care she received from her "foster mother" Rosemary Warren.
Last weekend Lily was flown by Limerick Animal Welfare to her new home and owner in New Jersey.
"Her story, which was picked up by a lot of newspapers and posted on our website, touched the hearts of people across the world and Elizabeth Rush, an American lady who helps us rehouse Lurchers, said she had found the perfect home for her in New Jersey," said Ms Allen.
"She was flown to New York last weekend and is now living in a fantastic new home with an American writer."