Partially blind rescue dog Billy is the star of the show in Hipperholme

The performance, which took place this week, saw William take centre stage as Annie’s dog Sandy, to perform alongside his proud owner Karen Ballantine and pupils from Hipperholme’s junior and senior schools.

William, known as Billy at home, was initially rescued by Tia Greyhound and Lurcher Rescue after he had been starved, tied up in a yard and beaten, causing him to go blind in one eye.

Read: All aboard for charity steam train fun in aid of Nick Smith FoundationWhen he was found, Billy weighed just 10kg and was close to death.

Since being rehomed with music teacher Mrs Ballantine and her husband, he has flourished, weighing in at a healthy 25kg.

He recently completed his first off-road marathon and is currently training for the Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze Award.

The audience was captivated by the engaging performances of all the cast and the wonderful renditions of catchy tunes.

This was the first time the Senior School and Junior school pupils have worked together to put on a show which was a resounding success. Niamh Sibley, from year eight, played the leading role of Annie.

Read: How a Halifax man got his life back on track after he hit rock bottomMrs Ballantine said: “Seeing Billy perform in the show really brought home how far he has come since his rescue.

“Casting him was a great way to educate our pupils about the importance of kindness and care, and I am so proud of all of them for continued affection towards him.”

For more information on the performance visit www.hgsf.org.uk