The police have made an unusual appeal for a home, for a puppy, after officers cared for it for some days and helped it recover from illness.

The police Police Community and Media Relations Unit (CMRU) has reported on Facebook how on June 29, one of its members - named only as WPS 280 - was anonymously informed that a puppy might have been abandoned in the Zabbar/Xghajra area.  

She searched the area but the dog could not be found.  

She then posted an appeal on the facebook page Rubs Puppy Love asking for anyone who might have seen the puppy to contact her.

A few days later a woman contacted her, informing her that she found a puppy that could possibly be the one she was searching for. In the meantime, another woman offered to foster the puppy until a home was found. 

In the meantime, another woman offered to foster the puppy until a home was found. 

The sergeant picked up the puppy, now called Chase, and handed it to the prospective foster carer at Police Headquarters.

But a check-up at the vet showed that the three-month old puppy tested positive for parvo, a contagious virus and since the foster carer had other dogs at home, she had to take Chase back to police headquarters.

A constable offered o give him shelter until he recovered enough to go back to his foster carer.

"In between Police week commitments, shift duties and our personal commitments, our colleagues managed to make themselves available during their free time to take Chase to the vet every morning and pick him up again during the afternoon for the following six days," the CMRU said.

After having been abandoned, Chase refused to sleep alone, so PC 1249 slept next to him every night, until last Monday when the vet confirmed he had recovered.  

He is now being temporarily cared for by the foster carer, but anyone wishing to adopt him can contact the CMRU by private message on Facebook.