Paddington dog Kai finds a home in East Ren

Shar pei crossbreed Kai was rescued by the Scottish SPCA from Ayr train station last month — and out of the hundreds of people who applied to give him a new home, 52-year-old Ian Russell, from Newton Mearns, was chosen.

Ian said: “It feels like fate that I’ve been able to rehome Kai and I’m not usually a believer in things like that. I’m over the moon and very shocked that I was chosen out of everyone who wanted him.

“My Dalmation Mica passed away just before Christmas and I was left heartbroken. I had her for 15 years and she was the apple of my eye.

“When I heard about Kai I knew the little guy needed a break but I never thought in a million years I’d get him. Fast forward a few weeks and I was taking him home.”

Kai will join Ian — a self-employed hydraulic engineer — in his work van, and has already made a friend in Ivor Lough, a partner at southside Pets ‘n’ Vets, who reports that the shar pei is in good health.

Alan Grant, senior animal care assistant at Scottish SPCA, added: “We were overwhelmed by offers of new homes for Kai from places as far away as New York, Los Angeles, France, Spain and even the Philippines.

“His story was really sad and many people likened him to Paddington Bear given he was found alone at a railway station with his suitcase.

“It was really important for us to select an owner who wanted Kai for all the right reasons and had really thought through their decision to take on a rescue dog. We know Kai will have a fantastic new life with Ian and we couldn’t be happier for him.”

An SPCA inspector added that an investigation into the incident is ongoing, although information suggests that Kai was abandoned after an internet sale went wrong.