A GIANT puppy who is struggling to find a new home because he is so big is spearheading a Christmas collection campaign supported by a veterinary surgery in Altrincham.

Standing at more than five feet two inches tall on his hind legs, Max, described by his carers as ‘Akita cross Kangeroo’ has only just reached the tender age of one and has already won many hearts with his loveable, bouncy personality and large ears.

He is one of the many needy animals who are set to benefit from the second year of Willows Veterinary Group’s Pawsome Pets Christmas Appeal which aims to help as many abandoned, unwanted and unloved animals as possible over the festive period.

Max was sold to his former owner as a Labrador cross and they later realised they had got a lot more dog than they had bargained for. Unable to manage his lively behaviour and concerned by how quickly he was growing, they passed him in to the care of the team at Warrington Animal Welfare.

Willows Veterinary Group, which owns Clarendon Veterinary Surgery in Clarendon Avenue, Altrincham, has a network of 25 small animal practices, a referral veterinary hospital, equine centres and a seven-office farm practice, located across Cheshire, Greater Manchester, North Wales, the Wirral and Staffordshire.

Pet lovers in Altrincham are being urged to bring in unopened pet food, new toys and blankets for animals of all types to any of the Willows surgeries in the group by Monday December 18 including Clarendon Veterinary Surgery.

The collection will be distributed to various animal rescue charities across the region.

David Crane, Willows Veterinary Group marketing manager, came up with the original idea. He said: “We started the Christmas collection last year and had a phenomenal response from our clients. There were literally trolley loads of food, blankets, bedding and toys donated across our group of surgeries and we were quite bowled over with the generosity.

“We found a grateful home for all of it and we have decided to do it again this year because our partner animal rescue charities across the region were so pleased to receive it."