Long term resident Evie finds a home through the Internet

Dogs Trust Ballymena had become the home of a beautiful Collie called Evie for almost a year. Having been abandoned at the Northern Ireland centre last Christmas Eve, Evie was not best suited to the kennel environment, and struggled to show off her best qualities. She became withdrawn, and since Dogs Trust never put a healthy dog down, we were committed to trying everything to find her a home.

Then the Internet came to the rescue! Elizabeth Forsyth was scanning the Dogs Trust website, and came across Evie's picture. Looking at it now, it's not hard to see why she fell in love. However, Elizabeth lives across the Irish Sea from Ballymena in Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders. Being an experienced Collie owner, Elizabeth was sure she and Evie were a perfect match. All she had to do was convince Dogs Trust that she was right.

That she did, in consultation with staff at both Ballymena and her nearest centre, West Calder; it is rare that we move a dog from centre to centre but if there is a good chance of them finding the right home by doing so (and they have been at the existing centre for some time without luck) then it could be considered. West Calder carried out the necessary home check, and only then was Evie taken over to Scotland to meet Elizabeth. The rest, as they say, is history!

Elizabeth explained:

"As soon as I saw Evie on the screen, I knew that she was the one. I had been looking for a Collie her age since I lost my last dog in July. Evie has settled in so well, loves the garden and sleeps all night in her cosy bed. It is a joy to see her running happy and free in the woods. I could not have picked a better gentle and kind companion."

Staff at Ballymena found parting with the lovely Evie sad, but are overjoyed that she has found the right home for life. We will never give up on a dog no matter how long it takes for the right home to be found, and as a web person I'm also glad to see that the website is doing its job and helping to match homes to dogs. As an organisation we can only do what we do because of committed owners like Elizabeth, so thank you for giving Evie a well-deserved second chance.