A North Kent mum came home to a shock when she found a hulking seven stone dog sitting in her living room after her daughter adopted him for free online without her knowledge.

Bruising Simba, a seven-year-old Tibetan mastiff, was casually sitting in the woman's house earlier this month - much to her dismay.

The huge canine was given away to her teenage daughter without her knowing, after being posted on the Pets4Homes site because his previous owner could no longer care for him.

Simba had a matted coat and needed a haircut and groom, plus he also had an abscess that he is being treated by a vet.

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The pooch is actually underweight - as adult male Tibetan mastiffs should be even bigger and weigh around 10st - so he has been put on a special diet to help him gain even more weight.

Simba was collected by the RSPCA where he is now being cared for, the charity said.  

He will also be neutered and, once he's been given the all-clear by vets, will start the search for a new home.

The RSPCA yesterday (Wed) urged families who are struggling to care for their pets not to rehome them online but to seek help from reputable charities and rescue centres.

The warning comes as charities brace for more and more families to give-up their pets as they struggle to cope in the wake of the pandemic.

Kirsten Ormerod, the RSPCA inspector who went to collect Simba on February 6, said Simba was advertised on a pet rehoming website.

She said: "We were contacted by a woman over the weekend after she returned from work on the Friday evening to find all 45kgs of Simba in her living room.

"Simba had been advertised on Pets4Homes as 'free to a good home' by his previous owners when they could no longer keep him.

"The previous owner rehomed him to a teenage girl who inquired about him without her mum's knowledge.

"He's microchipped so I managed to trace his original owners and advised them that they should have sought help from a reputable charity to ensure a good home for Simba.

"They signed him over into our care and we've now taken him into our rescue centre in Kent."

Kirsten added that advertising pets for free can lead to them falling into the hands of people who may abuse them.

She said: "Simba is such a laid-back, gentle and sweet lad. He really is an absolute joy to be around and it doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened to him as a result of him being offered 'free to a good home' online."

Dr Samantha Gaines, a RSPCA pet welfare expert, said animal charities are worried about a spike in dogs needing to be rehomed due to the pandemic.

She said: "We're really concerned about the possible surge in the number of dogs being rehomed over coming months as a result of coronavirus.

"We fear that families may be forced to make heart-breaking decisions due to financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic and may end up in a situation where they need to relinquish their pet to a rescue charity or may even feel they have no choice but to abandon their pet.

"We also have serious concerns about all of the 'pandemic pets' that have been brought during lockdown while families were based at home and had more time on their hands.

"We fear that as life begins to return to normal and people return to work they may feel they no longer have time for their pets or cannot cope with behavioural issues that arise out of a change in routine and we may see more animals being relinquished, abandoned or given away online.

"We understand that circumstances change and, sometimes, families are forced to make difficult decisions for their pets.

"If you need to rehome your pet we'd urge you never to advertise them 'free to a good home' online but, instead, to seek help or support from a reputable charity or rescue centre who can help guarantee that your pet finds a new home that meets their needs."