A dog has been transported 270 miles by “relay” teams to his adoptive home in order for the journey to comply with Covid-19 restrictions.

Eight-year-old Pedro was transported from Merseyside to Weymouth by five different RSPCA staff members and volunteers, as lockdown restrictions meant pet transportation was limited to local areas.

“Lockdown rules meant our staff and volunteers were restricted to delivering pets to new homes in the local area only, so we knew we’d have to come up with a complex plan to get Pedro to Weymouth,” RSPCA inspector Pamela Bird said.

“Thankfully, we managed to pull together five parties, including inspectors, another animal centre, and a volunteer driver. We set up a relay and all had our own leg to run!”

Pedro was taken from Merseyside to the RSPCA’s Birmingham centre, then to Bristol, and finally on to his new home in Weymouth.

“The staff at Birmingham really loved him and gave him lots of TLC during his short stay, which also broke the journey up for him,” Ms Bird said.

She rescued Pedro in June 2020 when his owner could no longer take care of him.

She said: “Pedro had been waiting so long for the right home but potential adopters were struggling to look past his twilight years and his sheer size.

“He’d been becoming more sad and lonely as time went on and everyone was desperate to find him a forever home.

“When this couple got in touch and were the perfect match for him we knew we had to make it work; we didn’t know when he’d get another home that would be such a good fit for him.”

Pedro’s new owner, Peter Kerr, said: “Pedro is getting on really well; he’s full of life and, after only a couple of days, it seems like he’s been with us forever.”

The RSPCA’s centres remain closed to the public during England’s third lockdown, but staff have been processing applications, organising virtual home checks and delivering animals to their new homes.