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AFTER FIVE YEARS OF WAITING, RESCUE DOG SPENDS FIRST CHRISTMAS IN NEW HOME HAVING FOUND LOVE IN LOCKDOWN
Dogs Trust | Press Release • Dec 17, 2020
AFTER FIVE YEARS OF WAITING, RESCUE DOG SPENDS FIRST CHRISTMAS IN NEW HOME HAVING FOUND LOVE IN LOCKDOWN
A seven-year-old rescue dog is looking forward to spending her first Christmas in her new home after waiting five years for someone to fall in love with her.
This time last year Crossbreed, Muffin, was heading towards spending another Christmas with her two and four-legged friends at Dogs Trust Loughborough. But lockdown proved lucky for Muffin as that was when Catherine Connelly and Mike Lytwyniw welcomed her into their lives.
Catherine says:
“We’ve been wanting to get a dog for a long time and we definitely wanted to give a rescue dog a second chance.
“We read about Muffin on the website and thought she was a great match for us. The team obviously adored her but were totally honest with us and explained that she was anxious around new people and worried by new experiences, so we knew we’d have to take our time with her.
“We met her a few days later and she stole our hearts straight away, even though we couldn’t stroke her as we needed her to be comfortable around us before we got close to her. But we knew that however long it took, we just wanted to love her for the rest of her life. It was as simple as that!”
Whilst at Dogs Trust the team had worked tirelessly on preparing Muffin for life in a forever home, building up her confidence and getting her used to everyday things, including cars.
Celine Di Crocco, Dogs Trust Loughborough Manager, remembers:
“Muffin lived with a lot of other dogs in an outside shed when she was young and she wasn’t introduced to people or things we come across in daily life, so basically everything scared her, particularly cars.
“We spent many hours letting her watch cars come and go in our car park, so she got used to the noises, but we knew she’d have to be happy to get in a car if she was to ever head home, so we made her a step. The step became part of her playtime and she would be rewarded with a tasty treat for climbing onto it. We moved it to a car, and it was one of the best days ever when we watched her happily walk up it!
“We knew then she was ready to have great adventures with a new family and when Catherine and Mike came along, we knew they were a perfect match.”
Catherine and Mike, from Bidford on Avon, met Muffin at the rehoming centre many times before she headed home with them, slowly building a bond with her, until one day she decided to climb onto Catherine’s knee for a cuddle.
Catherine says:
“I will never forget that! We knew then that she trusted us, which was just beyond words.
“She now loves walks in the countryside, is cheeky, playful, affectionate, very loyal and loves meeting new people. She is such a brave girl and so trusting – she will happily jump into the car to go on her next adventure
“The work put in by the Dogs Trust staff made all the difference to her being able to come home with us and she is wonderful. We would definitely recommend adopting a rescue dog. We couldn’t be happier that she is going to be spending the first of many Christmases with us.”
Muffin is one of more than 300 lucky dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes at Dogs Trust Loughborough who have found loving homes since lockdown began in March.
But Dogs Trust fears that nationally up to 40,000 more dogs could be at risk of finding themselves without a home because of the fallout from the coronavirus crisis. (1)
Celine says:
“Sadly, we do expect to see more dogs finding themselves homeless in the coming months because of the pandemic, but we will be here to help. We will do everything we can to change the tale for them, making sure they all find a new forever family however long it takes, just like Muffin.”
Dogs Trust wants to change the tale for thousands of dogs who otherwise would have nowhere to turn, and wants to remind people that they are there to help wherever possible, so if anyone is struggling and needs to give up their dog, you can contact Dogs Trust on 0300 303 2188. Alternatively, please give what you can to help Dogs Trust change the tale for dogs like Muffin, by visiting www.dogstrust.org.uk/changethetale
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