Curtis is a 4 year old male Cross-Breed. He is fostered in Norwich Norfolk. We met Curtis on our trip to Romania in March this year.
Curtis was a favourite with the vet there as she’d known him back when he had an owner before he was dumped in the public shelter. Curtis was suffering very badly at the shelter.
Curtis was used to being with a family and every day in the filthy crowded pen was a far cry from family life. Additionally, Curtis had an extremely painful ear infection that wasn’t being treated there.
Curtis had shaken his head so much and so hard that he had popped the blood vessels in them leaving him with permanent cauliflower ears.
It was clear to us that he was in pain but his joy at seeing us and spending time out of the pen overrode the pain and he showed us nothing but love. As soon as we were able we brought Curtis to the UK and the very first thing we did is take him to the vet.
The ear canals were so swollen that the vet couldn’t even see down them so he was put on a week’s course of steroids, anti-inflammatories and pain relief. He was instantly more comfortable and so much happier. He is now completely cured and very much ready for a new home.
Curtis is a super friendly and cuddly lap dog. He has passed his cat test but is quite jealous over food and attention so would prefer to be the only dog in the home or just one other calm dog so that he knows there’s enough attention to go around. Curtis would be fine to live with children aged ten and over.
The amount of pain this poor boy must have suffered over several months in a deeply unfriendly environment can only be imagined but yet he’s still emerged from it with such a deep love for humans.
Curtis loves his walks but can pull a little at first and is a joy to have around the home.
When you adopt a Safe Rescue dog, you MUST use a slip lead. This will keep your dog safe: your new dog will be nervous and will not trust you, and you will not know which situations might upset your dog.
If your dog panics, then a slip lead is the only way to prevent your dog from escaping (many dogs can escape from a collar and/or harness). It will take AT LEAST 3-6 months for your dog to settle in and for you to know your dog fully (longer for nervous dogs). The slip lead must ALWAYS be used during this settling-in period.
Even after your dog is settled, it is safest to use the slip lead in situations where your dog may become scared (e.g. visiting new places, around unfamiliar people, at the vet), and in situations where unexpected triggers might happen (e.g. around bonfire night). Nervous dogs may always need to wear a slip-lead as a backup safety measure.
The slip lead is a safety device and must NEVER be used as a training tool. Using the lead to apply pressure to the dog’s neck is damaging. If your dog pulls on the lead, then we can advise you on training methods that avoid harm.
Once your dog is settled, you may want to consider using a harness (together with the slip lead) if your dog is comfortable with being handled when it is fitted. Most harnesses are not escape-proof, but harnesses with a strap behind the ribcage (e.g. Ruffwear Webmaster or Perfect Fit Harnesses) are safer. Retractable/extendable leads must never be used on our dogs.
Adopted dogs must be collected from the rescue and transported straight home in a crate.
