Sam – 3 year old male Lurcher

Sam is a 3 year old Lurcher, which means he was once a greyhound crossed with another breed, and in this case his face reveals it was a staffie. Sam is medium sized dog with the most gentle, polite nature you could ever wish to meet, which is all the more remarkable when you learn that his life involved being kept outdoors with little attention and only going out to ‘hunt’ small, wild animals. When the RSPCA inspector investigated the complaint they found Sam with a companion with no food or water and both distinctly underweight. Sam just blows us away with how gentle and loving he is. We confess he is a favourite. All he wants to do is be close to you. He is aware of your presence and where you are at all times and will even walk next to us when he is in the enclosed paddock. Sam won’t think twice to flop down next to you for tummy tickles and whilst he loves affection he is not demanding of it and instead is very content with just sitting next to you, being close to you. Sam really is a very sweet natured dog who is feeling insecure and just needs his confidence developing a little. He does have a bouncy playful side to him but it takes a bit of gentle coaxing and then what you see is a quick playful dash about (just like a greyhound0 and then he flops down!

Sam came in with another dog and has been separated from his companion to improve both their chances of being rehomed. We do think a lot of his insecurity is down to the loss of his companion, so we do think that he needs a home with another dog or with someone who won’t leave him alone for more than very short periods at a time. Sam is currently walked on a harness and is very good until he sees small furry creatures. He is so very responsive to birds, squirrels, rabbits that he most definitely cannot be rehomed with cats etc.

It is quite easy to shift his focus back to you with reward based treats, but nonetheless we cannot envisage him ever being off lead without a muzzle, and having developed a very good attachment to his new owner (so he responds to calls). We have no doubt that Sam would make a brilliant family dog because he is so easy going, so much so that we can’t help but think he has Labrador in him. However, we are looking for experienced, committed dog owners to adopt him but will consider families with young children as he is not a giddy dog.

Willow – 6-7 month old female Great Dane

Willow first came to our attention when she was just 6-7 months old. Sadly her owners were not able to comply with the inspector’s advice and at 12 month’s of age she has now been signed over to our care. Willow was very underweight when she arrived, and whilst she is weight gaining there is still a bit to go. Willow also had terrible ear mites, which she is still undergoing treatment for with Canural. She was also having a phantom pregnancy on arrival so is yet to be neutered (but this will be done prior to rehoming).

Willow is a typical Great Dane with the most wonderfully loving disposition. She is ever so people orientated and desperate to be your loyal companion and we just love this big, soppy giant! Willow is a big clumsy puppy who bounds around and wags her tail with abandon (and without a thought to what or whom she whacks in the process!). We call her ‘clunky Clara’ because she is such a big Gullah and whilst she is fine with other dogs she is very playful and so not all dogs appreciate something the size of a horse pouncing on them!

Willow loves interacting with people, loves cuddles and fusses and loves her tummy tickles too. If she could, Willow would get on your lap and snuggle down with you! As far as training goes Willow needs to be taken to puppy classes. She is willing to learn and we have addressed her jumping up, but on the whole she is not quick to learn and requires small, repetitive teaching. She does respond well to positive training techniques and sits beautifully for a treat.

Willow is currently walked on a Gencon and requires an effective control aid to manage her because she is very strong and has not had ample lead training. As you walk her she has a tendency to lean into you and half the time you end up walking on the verge! Willow needs an experienced large dog owner who is both physically strong and able to manage her firmly but fairly.

When Willow first arrived in kennels she was quite timid and whilst her confidence is building she can still be timid around new people. She has only ever taken a disliking to one person and that is an older gentlemen (but what the trigger is we just can’t tell) but generally she has a preference for women. Willow is a big softie who is all the more loveable because of her vulnerable, insecure side of her.

Anyone considering adopting her must be aware of the increased cost involved with caring for a very large dog e.g. food costs, vet bills etc, there must be children under 10 in the home and she must not be left for longer than 4-5 hours a day.

Ruben – 1 year old male Cross-Breed

At just one year of age, and through no fault of his own, Ruben found himself homeless. His owner suddenly and tragically died and was left behind with an ailing grandmother with Alzheimer’s. Whatever his experiences were in his formative months they have indelibly marked themselves on his personality and he is now incredibly nervous of strangers, but get past this and he is really the most incredible dog you could wish to meet.

Ruben is a genuine cross breed; we really cannot tell what he has in him. He runs around like a whippet but has a fluffy exterior! Ruben’s foster mum describes him as “a cheeky, loveable imp who adores affection and cuddles and is a true lap dog. He gives you licks and kisses and if you stop stroking him he will paw at you for more.”

Ruben is looking for a very special new home in the local area because it will require several introductions to his new owner and new home before he will be able to make the transition from his foster home to his forever home. Ruben’s nervousness around strangers is really quite random; although what we can say is that he is especially frightened of men and needs several weeks to learn to trust a man but often only a day or two to trust a woman.

The patience and perseverance of his foster parents has really paid off and now Ruben is a very happy, confident and adorable little boy who has really blossomed. Whenever he greets his foster parents he gets so giddy and excited that he picks up a toy and does ’50mph’ laps around the house with joy! We know that he whoever adopts him will eventually enjoy the same fun loving dog but it will just take a little time and patience to achieve.

Ruben is fully house trained and can be left for up to 4 hours at a time and is a very keen guard dog, though he only ever barks for a reason e.g. the doorbell ringing, people arriving etc. Ruben is incredibly playful and loves all toys, but especially trashing teddies. Ruben loves to play fetch with you and to run around the garden at top speed and get very giddy indeed! Ruben enjoys nice long walks every day and he has plenty of energy and really needs an active home. He walks beautifully on the lead and lives very happily with his foster parents other dogs.

The key things for adopting Ruben are:

* His primary carer must be female

* There must be no children in the home or children visiting the home

* There must be no cats, small furries or chickens in the home as he likes to chase them

* His adopters must be fit and active home and take him out for long walks and give him lots of play time

* The garden fencing must be 6ft tall or higher because he can scale gates and walls effortlessly

* Any potential adopter must be willing to work with us to introduce him gradually to them and their home.

Ruben really is an incredibly loveable dog who loves a fuss and to be groomed too.

Matt – 15 month old male Collie Cross

Matt is a very striking looking collie cross, who is very tall and leggy. He is only around 15 months old and is a water-babe! Matt is a favourite amongst staff because he has the most infectious exuberance. On horrid, rain soaked days Matt lifts our spirits as he bounces around in the paddock, beaming from ear to ear no matter what life throws at him. He is ever so funny to watch, as he runs around in his seemingly unco-ordinated, legs akimbo way, but we cannot help but chuckle and love him for his funny ways.

Matt is a very loving and affectionate dog who really enjoys the company of humans. He takes great pleasure from his contact with the staff and loves to play with you, please you and enjoys learning new things; Matt really is a very intelligent dog.

Like all younger collie’s Matt has a lot of energy and because we cannot consistently give him the large amount of exercise he actually needs, we take him for a hydrotherapy fun swim every week to keep him stimulated and in good condition. Matt absolutely adores the swimming and fetch games he plays in the pool and has double the stamina of any other dog and doesn’t seem to tire, even after 30 minutes, and a 10 minute swim is equivalent to a 10 mile walk!

We all take such great pleasure in watching Matt swim and as a team we have worked really hard to help him overcome some of the damage that has been done by his former home but sadly he still has some issues, which with the right home can be worked through, but it is only right that we share them in full detail with you.

Matt’s former owner couldn’t cope with his collie-puppy like ways and worked long hours so he dealt with it by keeping him kennelled for long hours in an indoor crate. He was barely, if ever, walked and not house trained. When Matt turned one year old, and he was still an unmanageable handful, his owner signed him over to our care because he simply could not cope with what he had created.

For the last 3 months our staff have been working hard to undo the damage the lack of socialising and training has done to Matt and he has come a long way but we cannot take him onto the next stage now because he really needs to be in a home.

Matt has matured a lot in the time we have had him and is a much calmer dog than the loopy puppy that arrived. He has learnt basic commands now such as sit, leave, down. He also knows his name and will come when called, although if his attention goes elsewhere you can forget it! We are also slowly but steadily making progress with walking him on a lead using a combination of control aids. He is good with most dogs but doesn’t seem to pick up on their cues telling him to ‘back off’ so if he is to be rehomed with another dog it would have to be a very special one!

Matt will be handful and will need someone with a strong, firm approach and an iron will to continue with the work we have done. This dog has been deprived of basic socialisation and training in his formative years and this experience has sadly affected him but because he is so young, intelligent and keen to learn, we know that a highly experience dog owner who is consistent with their training and management of him will be able to bring him on in no time.

Matt’s number one fan says, “It is so hard to put into words what you get out of Matt, and he is going to be a handful, but with the love you put into him you get repaid threefold because he wants to please so desperately. People need to meet him to see what we mean but he really is a wonderful dog that just needs a chance.”

Moragh – 7 year old female Sheltie Cross

Moragh is a 7 year old sheltie cross. Moragh was in a very poor state of neglect when we took her into our care. Her owner had called the RSPCA because he knew he was not caring for her properly, due to his ill health. It has taken us 3 months to get her to where she is now. Moragh is an absolute diamond and is loved by us all. Similarly she has grown an attachment to everyone here and loves us all just as much. She really is a cracking little dog and whoever ends up adopting Moragh will not be disappointed but firstly we must share more about her health. When Moragh arrived she was underweight and significantly balding and had chronic ear infection/ear mites. She has had many weeks of twice-weekly maloseb baths and the hair loss has now been restored. Moragh will continue to require weekly bathing with maloseb shampoo, but she is good as gold when you bath and dry her and she loves rolling around in front of the fire on the carpet! Moragh continues to have issues with her right ear, which is currently under investigation. A polyp has been found and it is being monitored to assess whether it is growing and/or is the cause of the irritation. She is in receipt of daily ear drops to help alleviate the irritation. The situation will be reviewed by our vet shortly and we will take any remedial action needed. Any prospective owner needs to be aware though that Moragh may have on-going issues with her ears because of the state they were in when she came to us.

Moragh is a lively, bright and playful dog that really enjoys squeakies and playing ball – you will tire of throwing balls long before she does! Moragh is ever so affectionate and adores cuddles (and licking your face) and will jump on your lap without warning to show you just how much she loves you! Moragh has settled into the kennels very well, which bodes very well for her relocation to her forever home and adjusting to her new life. She loves sitting in her bed and snuggling down amongst the blankets but now we have got her health to this point we really want to get her the new home she deserves and longs for. Moragh has a wonderfully cheeky side to her, which includes selective deafness when she doesn’t want to listen! And her zest for life is quite simply infectious. Moragh loves her food and treats, and whilst she is not ‘food possessive’ we wouldn’t recommend her for children under 10 because we wouldn’t past her greedy-highness to snaffle a swinging butty or biccy off a child. Nonetheless we would recommend Moragh being rehomed with a family because she would enjoy the company and stimulation that multiple persons can offer. Lastly, Moragh walks well on a harness and loves her long walks, and whilst she is fine with older, mature dogs she is not tolerant to young whipper snappers.