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Watch: Meet the dog starring in the RSPCA's Christmas advert this year

Baby the golden retriever, who features in this year's Christmas advert for the RSPCA <i>(Image: RSPCA)</i>
Baby the golden retriever, who features in this year's Christmas advert for the RSPCA (Image: RSPCA)

A charity music video has featured Brighton’s next up-and-coming acting star... a five-year-old Golden retriever.

Baby, who was previously rescued from cruelty when he was just a few weeks old, has starred in the new advert raising awareness of the RSCPA’s Christmas campaign.

The advert, which was shot in Hove and features some of the charity’s staff, also features a cover of Blondie’s Heart of Glass by Gabrielle Aplin.

The singer previously shot to fame after featuring in the John Lewis Christmas advert with her cover of The Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

One of the staff members in the video, Julie Parsons, was reunited with Baby after first rescuing him in 2017.

Julie, an animal rescue officer, said: “It was lovely to see Baby again when we filmed in Brighton. I was over the moon to see him looking so happy and healthy.

“We see such horrendous cruelty, abuse and neglect. Having the chance to be reunited with an animal you’ve rescued makes it all worthwhile.

“On the frontline, we are so focused on rescuing as many animals as we can, we sometimes don’t have the chance to find out what’s happened to them once they’ve been brought to safety.

"As such, having the chance to see Baby, and for us both to feature in this year’s Christmas film, was such a treat.”

The Christmas advert, titled Heart, features Baby as an injured dog who looks after an abandoned kitten near Hove Beach Huts. Both animals are then taken in by the RSPCA.

The video was shot by a small in-house production team including Lewis Jones, who Baby now lives with.

Singer Gabrielle Aplin, whose music features in the video, said: "I love animals and have had pets my whole life so it was a no brainer when I was asked to record a song for the RSPCA’s Christmas film.

“I would do anything for the dogs! I hope the animals love the tune and more importantly hope that families and their beloved pets have the support they need during the cost-of-living crisis."

RSPCA broadcast manager Alan Laxton added: “We hope to inspire people to ‘Join the Rescue’ and be there for animals at a time they desperately need our help.

“As the current cost of living crisis engulfs the nation, vulnerable animals risk being overlooked. Sadly we expect to see many more animals abandoned this Christmas.

“We wanted to remind people of the cold reality faced by unwanted pets by sharing the stories of abandonment and neglect faced by those like the dog and cat in our film.”

The Argus: Baby with animal rescue officer Julie Parsons
The Argus: Baby with animal rescue officer Julie Parsons

Baby with animal rescue officer Julie Parsons (Image: RSPCA)

Since the start of the year, the RSPCA say that the number of abandonment incidents has risen by 25 per cent.

Many pet owners have been struggling to care for their pets as the cost-of-living crisis puts more pressure on people’s pockets. According to the RSPCA, 70 per cent of owners are concerned about how they will afford to feed their pets.

The charity have released the video as part of their Christmas Rescue campaign.