A DOG which was repeatedly kicked by its owner is settling into life at a new home.

Rottweiler Blade was taken in by the RSPCA after being beaten by 19-year-old Steven Parry during a vicious attack in February last year.

Magistrates heard Blade, who was on a dog lead attached to Parry's bicycle, got caught up in the wheels, causing Parry to fall off his bike.

Neighbours said Parry lashed out and kicked Blade so hard the dog "cried like a child".

His new owners, Carl Underwood and Sylvia Kelly, said they were shocked when they read about Blade's story in The Sentinel.

But when the couple visited the Brookhouse RSPCA Kennels, in Brookhouse Lane, Bucknall, to see Blade, they knew it was love at first sight.

Carl, a 43-year-old full-time carer who lives in Chell, said: "We had just lost a rottweiler called Lady who died at the age of 12 and we had started to look for another dog when we saw an appeal in the paper to find Blade a new home.

"We were pretty shocked when we read what had happened to him because no dog deserves to be put through that.

"From the photos, Blade looked like a nice, friendly dog so we thought we would go up to the kennels to see him.

"When we saw Blade we thought he was brilliant. He came over to us straight away to say hello so we knew he was the dog for us."

Sylvia, aged 41, added: "Blade has settled in really well so far.

"We took our 14-month-old granddaughter up to see him at the kennel to make sure he was good around children and he was. The two of them have been getting on really well.

"A lot of people have negative stereotypes of rottweilers but they are lovely dogs. It's all about how you bring them up."

Parry, from Blurton, was sentenced to 10 weeks in jail in December, suspended for 18 months, after being found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and subjecting the animal to physical trauma. He was also disqualified from owning, keeping, dealing or transporting any type of animal for 10 years, and told he must attend anger management sessions.

The father-of-two has since withdrawn an appeal he launched against his conviction and sentence.

Julie Lyons, RSPCA inspector for Stoke-on-Trent, looked after Blade following the attack.

She said: "Blade is now in the hands of a very nice couple who treat him like part of the family and take him for lots of walks so we're really pleased.

"After Blade's story appeared in The Sentinel, we had about a dozen people come forward who were interested in re-homing him which was really pleasing.

"On the back of that, we have managed to re-home a further three rottweilers which we had at the kennels."