When we fostered Bramble 11 years ago, she was very frightened and shut down from her treatment at a puppy farm. She wouldn’t walk past me if I had boots on and would drop her head if you tried to pet her.
She’s so precious to us
I couldn’t get her to sit with me for months, so I arranged some cuddle time for a few days, and she eventually found her way back for more. And getting a kiss from her is rare, but she enjoys receiving them.
She’s so precious to us. It’s clear that Bramble has learned a lot from the way she’s now being treated, but we’ve learnt so much more from the love she gives back.
Mags is our Red Fox Labrador who came to us after a relative could no longer look after her. She's a crazy little bundle of energy who brightens every single day.
She’s given us a new lease of life
I've got generalised anxiety disorder and OCD and she's helped me cope and just let go of things. My partner was also recently made redundant, but she's given him a purpose to get out of bed in the morning. She's given us both a new lease of life.
She loves stealing toilet rolls and chewing books, and she loves a bubble bath. She's so funny and energetic and just a beautiful soul. She loves everyone, including other dogs. She chases leaves and chases her tail – she’s just a bundle of joy.
Poppy is a puppy farm rescue dog with a lot of physical and behavioural issues. Although she’s a bit crackers, that’s what makes us best friends. She’s the best secret keeper, hill walker and sofa snuggler on cold winter days – I’m so grateful to have her in my life.
Poppy never judges me. She just listens and loves me unconditionally
From injuries, surgeries and sickness to friendships, relationships, new jobs, holidays, and adventures, we’ve been through so much together. Poppy never judges me. She just listens and loves me unconditionally, and I love her more than I ever realised was possible – I don’t know where I’d be without her.
Chubbs is a black and white rescue dog, a Staffy Collie cross, who originally hailed from Ireland. His Mum was a stray, who was taken into MADRA, with a litter of eight puppies in August 2019.
Chubbs was originally rehomed to a lovely family but sadly their circumstances changed and a few months later they had to give him back. He was then transferred to Birmingham Dogs Home in Wolverhampton for rehoming in the UK, and his siblings went to homes in Galway, the Midlands and Dublin.
Our daughter works at BDH Wolverhampton and we’d spent a long time deciding whether getting a dog was right for us. One day we went to visit her at work and the rest, as they say, is history!
He’s made our world complete
There was this beautiful floof of a pup, sat looking goofy in his window. We walked past him several times and each time he caught our eye. We looked at lots of residents that day, but it was Chubbs that tugged our heartstrings the most. So, a week later, we drove home with our new family member.
I was intrigued to know more about him, and through the power of Facebook, I was also able to trace some of his siblings. We still exchange messages with their owners today!
He was called Chubbs as a pup, and though we toyed with other names, it didn’t seem quite right to change. He’s VERY food oriented, and as I always say, ‘Chubbs by name and nature’.
I said that Chubbs is a ‘rescue’, but what I didn’t make clear is that he also rescued us. He’s brought so much love and happiness into our lives. We now have a purpose – a reason to get up, a reason to go out in all weathers, a reason to explore new dog-friendly places and a reason to rush home as soon as we can for more love, fun and adventure. He’s made our world complete.
Esther is very clever and loving. When I was unwell and requiring chemo, she stayed by my side throughout the journey – keeping my feet warm and giving me lots of cuddles.
She stayed by my side
Now that I’m well, she’s enjoying her long walks with me again and loves meeting her little friends!
Skip is a rescued Spanish Galgo. We’ve had him for just over a year. He was found chained up in a derelict barn, with just bread rolls around him that he’d been eating. He was also missing the lower part of a back leg.
A charity took him on, but he was incredibly nervous and unsure around people. They think his leg had been caught in a snare trap – who knows how long he had been like that.
He walks on the new leg as if it was his own
The only options were to amputate the leg or have a prosthetic made. I’m a vet nurse and I work in canine rehabilitation, so we made the decision to try the prosthetic. It was made bespoke for Skip by an amazing company in America and he hasn’t looked back.
Now, he walks on the new leg all the time, as if it was his own. Though he’s still shy at times, he’s grown so much in confidence, and he helps us raise funds for the charity who rescued him.