MEET THE TEAM NEWS CONTACT US RICKY TO THE RESCUE! Meet Me! Finn is a fine looking fella Clive Tagg looking for his special someone, and is at our West London rehoming centre. Meet him here. Photos: WATCH IT! Job title: Manager, Dogs Trust Dog Schools How long have you worked at Dogs Trust? Two and a half years. I joined in 2014 to open the brand new rehoming centre in I’ve got an adult dog, is he too old for Ricky the Jack Russell, and former Dogs Trust West London Ricky refused to budge from the man’s side. Seeing no other Basildon before becoming manager of Dog School? resident, proved to be a proper little hero when he saved a choice, Raymond dragged the man into his home and called our new Dog School in summer 2016. No - never too old! We run three man’s life. for an ambulance. Sadly the man had attempted to kill himself, The delicious Biscuit is looking What is your favourite part of the job? different classes depending on what and Raymond believes that as it was such a cold night that for love, and is at our West kind of dog you have - puppies, adults His owner, Raymond Stockwell, let Ricky out into the garden Ricky staying by his side may well have saved his life. The I love seeing the transformation in Calder centre. Meet her here and rescue dogs. So if you have an adult the owners and dogs who attend our for his late night pee, when Ricky shot off into waste ground man recovered in hospital and left a few days later. and he’s a rescue dog he should come to WATCH IT! classes, from their first class to the last. behind the garden. Raymond called and called for Ricky but our rescue dog classes. To see their confidence increase and see he didn’t return, which was most out of character. He then Says Raymond, how fun-based training can build up Funniest moment? went searching for his errant terrier, only to discover him ‘The wasteland behind my garden has long grass and ditches, and sitting in the long grass beside a person who was naked and nobody ever goes over there. It was sheer luck that Ricky must their bond with each other and improve When I worked at our Basildon centre, their quality of life, is absolutely the looked to be asleep. have caught the scent, zoomed off and then refused to leave the for our Christmas fair we decorated man’s side until someone came out there. I am so proud of him.’ reason why everyone involved in Dog a Santa’s grotto so that dogs could School loves coming to work every day. come and meet Father Christmas. The What is Dog School all about? following week I returned from my holiday and walked into my office… We created Dog School because of the the team had turned it into Santa’s thousands of calls we receive from BICHONS grotto, complete with a stuffed Father owners unable to cope with their dog’s Christmas working away at my desk! behaviour, and the sad fact is that OF HONOUR thousands of dogs become abandoned Benji and Jack, two Bichons Frises, were the and put to sleep in council pounds each ‘pagedogs’ at the recent wedding of their year, and many for behavioural reasons. FIND your nearest Dogs Trust Dog Find Dogs Trust at: doting owners Colin and Richard. Benji I believe that if we can support owners School at dogstrust.org.uk/dog- was rehomed from our Manchester centre so that they can understand their dog school or call 0303 003 0000. around two years ago. The dogs, kitted out in tailored kilt-style coats to match their dads’, and his training needs, then fewer dogs A five week course costs £50, and Phone: 0303 003 0000 are a huge part of Colin and Richard’s lives. would be abandoned and destroyed we run courses tailored for puppies, Email: [email protected] each year. adults or rescue dogs! Says Colin, ‘Of course we had to have the boys there on our big day! We remember that Benji was Editor: Deana Selby Readers’ Dogs: [email protected] High-res Jpegs only please! so timid when we first rehomed him. Seeing Front cover: Paper cut illustration by Sarah Dennis, represented by New Era him run like crazy down the beach with his Designed by: Anthony Oram anthonyoram.com Print by: Eclipse Colour Print, managed by Red Mist beaming smile is a million miles from the little boy who would barely come to us when we Editorial address: A dog is for life, Reg charity nos. Dogs Trust, Clarissa Baldwin House, 227523 (England and Wales) SC037843 first met him.’ ® 17 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7RQ not just for Christmas (Scotland) 20057978 (Ireland) 02 Spring 2017 www.dogstrust.org.uk 03 Spring 2017 www.dogstrust.org.uk Long Stay Residents Find Love! There is someone out there for every dog - as these patient pooches prove! Photos: Julie Broadfoot Gavin and Sarah: ‘We feel privileged to have Max’ Woody Keeps On Trucking ‘Just one of the lads’ says Mark Rose, when asked to describe his new dog, Woody. This chilled out Staffie might be one of the lads, but he is also a hard working dog, accompanying Mark each day to work in his job as a removals lorry driver. Farmer Max Woody very quickly became Mark’s best mate, after having They say that all good things come to he who waits, spent four years in the care of our Evesham rehoming centre. something which in Max’s case could not be truer. After He originally came to us as a stray in 2012, and was briefly four and a half years, Max the German shepherd recently rehomed but returned later that same year. Staff loved swapped Dogs Trust Glasgow for life on a 380 acre farm - Woody, and reckon he was overlooked by literally thousands and is as happy as Larry with his new rural lifestyle. of visitors over the years simply because he was a male, brindle Staffie. Arriving as a handover with his daughter five years ago, ‘He loves people so much, Max was a seriously under- confident chap. His daughter, Says Mark, and people seem to love him!’ Lola, was rehomed after just two weeks, however Max just ‘He sits beside me in the cab, with his Dogs Trust harness on, a stayed and stayed. bag of snacks, and he doesn’t leave my side. He’s done about 5,000 miles so far, we’ve been to the Isle of Skye and Devon, and Canine carer Tara really fell for Max, taking him home everywhere in between. He loves people so much, and people for occasional weekend sleepovers so that he could get love him. He’s with me all day at work, then he comes to the a break from the stresses of kennel life. Tara and the pub with me and the lads in the evening – we’re rarely apart. Glasgow team worked hard to find Max a new owner, The thing with Woody is he just makes everyone smile.’ yet despite their best efforts no visitors paid him any attention. That is until Gavin and Sarah came along Woody’s carers at our Evesham centre adored him, and looking for a dog to join them on their dairy farm in crucially never gave up hope that some day, Woody’s Mr Stirlingshire. or Ms Right would walk through the door. Says Gavin, Says Sarah Fortey, our Home From Home foster care ‘He is so affectionate, such a wonderful dog. We feel co-ordinator, privileged to have him. Sarah and I just can’t believe that ‘It was heart-breaking to see Woody get overlooked so many nobody wanted him for so long. I feel bad that we didn’t find times by families searching for a dog to adopt. All of the staff him sooner. The team at Glasgow could not have been more were ecstatic when Mr Rose fell in love with Woody and offered helpful, they were first class.’ him a forever home! We’ll all miss our Woody snuggles but couldn’t be happier for the little chap.’ According to Gavin, Max spends his days roaming around his land, rolling in smelly muck and each evening comes Photos: Larrie Barlow into the farmhouse for a warm shower and his tea. As his Photos: Julie Broadfoot delighted new owner says, ‘It’s paradise for Max.’ 04 Spring 2017 www.dogstrust.org.uk 05 Spring 2017 www.dogstrust.org.uk NEWS Stan’d By Me Stanley (aka the Salisbury Slobberer) has gone to a fabulous new home at last! His friends at Dogs Trust Salisbury bade a fond farewell to their jowelly pal in October. Stanley, renowned for his droolly chops and friendly nature, was in our care for 20 months. During Stanley’s stay he enjoyed regular hydrotherapy sessions, going for woodland walks with his favourite Stanley and best mate Becs Delivering Hope volunteer, Jacquie, and hanging out with his great chum, training and behaviour advisor Becs. Becs Oh that beautiful face! Here’s Tyson adored Stanley, even taking him home on Bonfire Night receiving his first Dogs Trust Hope so she could comfort him during all the noise. Project Christmas parcel. Tyson and owner Billy were staying at St Mungo’s Happily, John and Julia, Wag readers from Birmingham, hostel over the Christmas period, spotted him on the Dogs Trust website, saying, which is just one of 289 homelessness organisations which partner our Hope ‘How could I not fall in love with him? He is lovely and deserved Project.