Old dog finds happiness and love after being saved from a terrible fate.

The story of Spillo, the elderly dog found dumped in a rubbish bag in Rome, shocked animal-lovers in the capital during the summer.

The little dog was sealed in a refuse bag and dumped by the bins on the side of the road in the S. Basilio suburb in the outskirts of Rome in July, reports Italian newspaper La Stampa.

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Luckily for Spillo he was able to pierce the bag, avoiding suffocation, and his cries for help were heard by passersby who came to his assistance and called the police.

The traumatised dog, weighing five kilos and aged around 14, was taken in by Animalisti Italiani volunteers who launched an adoption appeal on social media.

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The campaign to help "sweet Spillo" find a loving home for life was successful after the little dog was adopted by a family in Fiumicino near Rome.

Domenico and Giulia along with their daughters Alessandra and Clara have helped Spillo to leave his terrible past behind him and he now has his own special place on their sofa.

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The family says that: "From today Spillo will live loved and respected in the company of two other beautiful dogs named Pinin and Bella and with a cat called Mirto."