A cheeky little Westie who has been left hairless due to skin and allergy problems is hoping to find a new home with owners who can look past his strange appearance.

Nine-year-old Jay arrived at the RSPCA's Macclesfield, SE Cheshire and Buxton branch in January after being taken in by the charity's Leicester branch when his elderly owner, who doted on him since he was a puppy, became ill and could no longer take care of him.

Carmen Cole, from the Macclesfield branch, said: "Jay has been well cared for his whole life but, sadly, due to skin problems and allergies has been left fur-less!

"Unfortunately, these can be common issues in West Highland Terriers and, despite being closely monitored and managed by vets, Jay has lost almost all of his fur - except for some tufts on his ears and some fluff around his muzzle."

Jay has been enjoying settling into life in his new foster home, but staff desperately hope to find him a forever home to live out his years.

He will need ongoing care and management of his skin and allergy problems, as well as eye drops for 'dry eye'. He sometimes needs steroids and antibiotics and has special cream rubbed into his skin daily, which he enjoys. He is partially-sighted so his new owners will also need to bear this in mind.

Dust mites irritate his skin, so the charity believes he'd be best going to a home with hard flooring instead of carpet, which can worsen his itchiness. He also has a special diet to help with his skin.

Jay is looking for a home without cats and with an owner who will be around for most of the day. He occasionally has accidents in the home so will need regular walks and toilet breaks in the garden to manage this.

"Jay is a true Westie; cheeky, bold, affectionate, and a real character, despite being small in stature!" Carmen added. "He's quite chatty and can be loud sometimes as he likes to demand your attention. He's a real softie with his own quirks and that's what makes him so charming and lovable.

"He is an absolute sweetheart and will make such a wonderful pet or companion for the right person.

"As an older gent with some ongoing health problems he'll need new owners who are prepared to manage these for the rest of his life, and they need to be aware that there is a cost associated with these treatments.

"We just hope that prospective adopters won't be put off by his rather unusual appearance. He really is such a lovely lad and has found it really hard being separated from his beloved owner so we'd love to get him into a new home where he'll get all of the love and cuddles he's used to!"

Find out more about Jay from his online profile or contact the branch rehoming coordinator on [email protected] or 01625 669620.