Update From The Dogmobile

Although you haven’t heard from me for a while, the Dogmobile has still been hard at work motoring around the UK. We're trying to let as many people as possible see some of the lovely dogs that are up for rehoming at our centres.

Newcastle

Since my last post, we have been to Newcastle City Centre, St Albans, Nantwich, Devon, across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland and Aylesbury for the Bucks Show.

I have to say, after some really nice venues, the Nantwich Show turned out to be a bit tricky. When we arrived, there was another vehicle in our proposed pitch so we couldn't set up and nobody knew where the driver was.

It turns out they had sent our pitch allocations before they had actually measured the plots, then they found they hadn't quite got enough room for everybody. Eventually, after about 3 hours of waiting around, we were told the stand next to us would very kindly move, but wouldn't be able to do so until the following morning. So we left, expecting to have a clear pitch the following day, only to arrive in the morning that the stall next to us had moved, but in the meantime, an ice-cream van had parked there! So we waited another hour wait whilst they found the driver who had wandered off, and we were finally allowed to get in our pitch as the gates were opened to the public. Phew, hectic or what?!

Belfast City Hall

Thankfully, our trip to Northern Ireland ran like clockwork. No gales this year for the ferry over. No torrential rain. No floods whilst we were there. Just beautiful scenery, wonderful people and glorious weather (sort of).

I can’t wait to go again, especially as ‘Scooter’ the Terrier we had with us found a home from somebody seeing him on the Dogmobile.

Aaaah bless! That’s what makes all the hard work all the Dogs Trust staff put in worthwhile.

Maybe the Dogmobile will see you at a venue near where you live soon. If you do spot us, come and say hello, we’d love to have a chat! Bye for now.

Dogmobile Update - July 2013

Some of you may be familiar with our Dogmobile, two mobile units that travel the country, visiting county shows, town centres and supermarkets, showing people what great dogs rescue dogs are. The bright yellow Dogmobiles contain two comfy kennels for the dogs to lounge in for the day, (whilst looking for that perfect home), plus all sorts of other ‘doggy’ information leaflets and ‘goodies’ are on board.  Cathy, Dogmobile 1 Manager, is always here to keep you in the loop about all that is happening in the mobile unit world... :)

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Hi, Cathy here!

I’ve just touched base to drop you a line about the Kent County Show we’ve just been to with the Dogmobile.

We had a great time, with two out of the three days being the hottest days of the year so far! (A far cry from the washout last years show was).

 

Everybody was walking around smiling eating ice-creams or strawberries and cream, not having to carry brollies and raincoats for a change! It was so nice.

Dogs Trust Chairman Mr Philip Daubeny and Mr Tim Pearey another of our Trustees were enjoying the show with friends on the Sunday and they popped over to say hello.

Philip, John, Tim, Olivia, Stanley, Otis & Hebe!

Dogs Trust had a Free ‘Doggie Crèche’ at the showground this year. It was the first time we had done it, and it was a roaring success. We had plenty of hot, tired dogs getting a couple of hours well-earned rest and a cooling paddle in the paddling pools. They LOVED it!

Talking of the sun, it’s actually been around for a few of our events recently - Stirling Town Centre in Scotland, Cheshire Show, and the Norfolk Show where I met Jake Humphrey and couldn’t resist getting a photo with him!

Fudge at Stirling Town Centre

 

Amway, I’ll let the pictures do the talking. Here’s hoping the warm weather stays around for a few more months………. maybe till November??

Chipping at the Norfolk Show

Elsa at the Cheshire Show

 

Jake Humphrey

Otis at the Cheshire Show

Stirling Town Centre

Stirling Town Centre

 Thanks!

 

Waggy-Tailed West Calder Look-alikes

There is a unique situation happening at Dogs Trust West Calder!  The centre have had a flood of white dogs that have similar breeds, ages and characteristics.  Unfortunately these loving pooches aren't finding homes as quickly as we would hope.  The staff at the centre think that because they are so alike, they are being overlooked as a whole.

All these dogs are incredibly playful individuals who would love to find their loving forever homes. Below is some more information on each white, wag-tailed dog.

Diesel

Fun loving Diesel is a 2 year old English Bull Terrier cross, who loves nothing more than being outside as much as possible. He is an energetic, playful boy whose favourite thing is to go for long walks and roll in the grass, especially on sunny days. Diesel loves to explore new places and he travels very well in the car.

Although he enjoys his active lifestyle, he is a big fan of cuddles and loves attention. He would prefer to be the only pet in the home. Diesel needs an active, all adult home with owners that are able to keep up with him and who are able to settle him into a routine.

Find out more about Diesel on our website.

Buddy

 

Buddy is a 3 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross Lurcher. He is a happy lad who loves being the centre of attention. Buddy is very loving and he just adores getting his ears scratched. He is full of energy and loves playing with his ball - he would fetch it all day long!

Buddy is deaf and can get frustrated easily. He is looking for owners who have had some experience in dealing with deaf dogs before, or someone with time and patience to help teach and guide Buddy. He is fully house trained and is happy being left alone for short periods of time.

Deaf dogs can have a perfectly normal life and can be trained fairly easily once both the dog and the owner have got the hang of a few basic principles – the most important of which is that you have to train using hand signals instead of verbal commands. Here is a video of Buddy being trained to help explain: 

If you’re looking for a Buddy then visit our website to find out more him.

Jake

This handsome boy is Jake. He is a 3 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Jake has a very cheeky personality and can easily make you smile. This gorgeous lad is very happy and full of fun. His favourite thing to do it to play with his toys, he likes the squeaky ones the best! He also loves going for long walks to explore and adores trips away in the car.

Jake would prefer to be the only pet in the house as he likes having his owners all to himself. He is looking for an active, adult home who have had experience with SBT types. He can be easily distracted and needs someone who can allow him to settle at home and who can give him their undivided attention.

If you want more information on Jake then go to our website.

Maisie

Maisie, a 1½ year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross, is a very sweet and gentle girl who adores getting attention from people. She loves to roll on her back and have her belly rubbed. This beautiful lass loves to play catch, it’s her favourite game! She loves going for long walks and investigating new surroundings. Maisie thrives on human company and she will do her best to please you.

Maisie loves people so much that she occasionally forgets her manners and automatically thinks everybody loves her too, because of this she can be strong on her lead and sometimes finds it hard to concentrate on one thing at a time.  Maisie has lots of potential to learn and, with the right owners, will make a great family pet.

If you’re crazy about Maisie then find out more about her here.

Patch

This is Patch, a stunning 3 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Patch can be shy around new people but once he gets to know you, he wants you to be his friend. This playful boy’s favourite game is fetch. He will play all day long if you let him! Patch enjoys long walks and adores the water, he loves nothing more than to splash around and have fun.

Patch loves to be busy so he is looking for new owners who can keep up with his abundance of energy. Patch can sometimes lack confidence, so he is looking for a quiet adult only home with owners that can help him settle into a new routine.

Have you got a soft spot for Patch? Visit our website.

Tia

This gorgeous girl is Tia. She is a 4 year old crossbreed. Tia is very loving, loyal and full of energy. She loves playing with toys and loves it even more if you play with her! She enjoys her food, loves long walks and she travels very well in the car. Tia likes her energetic lifestyle but she is also a big softy, she loves her cuddles and being made a fuss of.

Tia has basic house training and is very clever so she has lots of potential. However, Tia can be nervous around new people so she is looking for an experienced new owner who has most of their day free. With the right owner, Tia can build her confidence and settle into a new home.

There is more information about Tia on our website

If you are interested in more dogs at Dogs Trust West Calder you can visit the centre during their opening hours, which are 12:00 - 16:00, every day but Tuesday. You can also get in touch by giving them a ring on 01506 873459.

If you don't live near West Calder, why not find a centre near you and check out the dogs available in your area? You can do this by searching your postcode on our website.

Seeing double!

Influx of inseparable best friends at Dogs Trust Merseyside

DogsTrust Merseyside is urging dog owners to double their love, and consider rehoming a pair of dogs instead of just one. The centre has had an influx of dogs that are best friends, and inseparable, and staff are concerned that they could be overlooked in favour of a single dog.  

Over the last month, the centre has seen 6 pairs of dogs come in together. In the fourteen years that the centre has been open, this number of pairs is unprecedented.

Georgina Lowery, centre manager at DogsTrust Merseyside says “Quite unusually, at the moment we have had 6 pairs of dogs that can’t be separated. They are all looking for families with big hearts who can take them both on.

Rehoming a pair of dogs can be incredibly rewarding, especially if it means you’re helping to keep a friendship together. The two dogs can also keep eachother company in the home. We're appealing to anyone who thinks that they can offer a pair of dogs a home together, to please get in touch.”

Pairs of dogs looking for a home are:

Jet and Midnight

Jet, 13 years old and Midnight, 14 years old are adorable Labrador siblings who are looking for a lovely family, with children over the age of 14 to love them. Jet and Midnight both have failing sight, and so are very dependent on each other but still do like getting out and about on walks.

Sky and Shadow

Sky is a 2 year old Husky, who loves nothing more than playing fetch and having a bath. She is totally inseparable from her best friend Shadow, and they do everything together from sleeping, to eating to watching television! Sky can be nervous of loud noises and some situations, and relies on Shadow for her confidence. Shadow is a 3 year old Northern Inuit, who loves spending her days looking after Shadow. She is very intelligent and enjoys playing fetch with her toys.

Bonnie and Milly

Bonny and Milly are crossbreed sisters, aged 4, and have done everything together their entire lives. Bonny is very affectionate and loves a belly rub and lots of fuss! Milly loves nothing more than a tug of way with her sister, but isn’t particularly fond of walks in the rain! They are very attached to each other and must be rehomed together.

If you think you can give any of our pairs a home please contact DogsTrust Merseyside on 0151 480 0660 or drop into the centre at Whiston Lane Liverpool L36 6HP, United Kingdom

Another update from the Dogmobile - 2013

Some of you may be familiar with our Dogmobile, two mobile units that travel the country, visiting county shows, town centres and supermarkets, showing people what great dogs rescue dogs are. The bright yellow Dogmobiles contain two comfy kennels for the dogs to lounge in for the day, (whilst looking for that perfect home), plus all sorts of other ‘doggy’ information leaflets and ‘goodies’ are on board.  Cathy, Dogmobile 1 Manager, is always here to keep you in the loop about all that is happening in the mobile unit world... :)

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SUN...

I can’t quite remember when it was now but it wasn’t that long ago…

I distinctly remember sitting outside the unit at Asda Sittingbourne, Kent, with a beautiful Lurcher called ‘Axel’, we were relaxing and enjoying the lovely warm day. We were even in our short sleeves it was that warm!!

Axel

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen much of it since again. In fact it feels like winter today!

We did however manage to nearly get away with a completely dry East Anglian Game Fair this year which was great, It certainly brought the crowds out this year. We had ‘Rebel’ a lovely Greyhound looking for a home. He loved all the fuss he was getting, not letting some people leave as he was leaning on them so much. Talk about ‘pushy’!

East Anglian Game Fair

 

We’ve also been to a completely new show this year, called the Cowpie Show which was near Dorking, Surrey. I was a bit concerned when I first drove to the show to put the Dogmobile in, as all the roads were literally ‘lanes’ with twists and turns and small bridges to cross. Not the easiest of roads to negotiate in the unit I can tell you! The roads just kept getting smaller and smaller until suddenly I turned into this road and saw a field full of stalls and a fairground being erected. Goodness knows how most of their trucks got there, but there they were!! It was kind of surreal to be one moment driving round these beautiful country lanes, and the next, turning into a field in the middle of nowhere, bustling with activity with trucks, stands being erected, fairground music blaring and lots of people coming and going!

It was a great day though, and for once the sun shone all day until the last half hour, when the heavens opened and cleared the showground pretty swiftly. 

Everybody seemed to have a great day out and I even saw a Police Dog on a Tricycle!! (Not a real one obviously, but the kids didn’t know that). 

If you are planning on visiting any of the shows we are attending this summer, please pack some sunshine in your bags :)

Many thanks

Cathy

Playful pugs find new home

Two former Kenilworth residents, pugs Rose and Ellie (now known as Nellie) were rehomed in April by Ian and Rebecca Watson.

Recently, the Watsons sent us some photos to show how well the two pugs are doing alongside their new friend and fellow pug, Pugsley (see image left).

The Watsons said, "They are getting on superbly well, and have become very close with our other pug, Pugsley.

"Rosie has come right out of her shell the more she has felt at home and is a real Mummy's girl, while Nellie has been her cheeky little self since day one. She took no time whatsoever to settle in and is Daddy's shadow!

"Thank-you so much for all your help with the process of rehoming the two of them. We're absolutely thrilled with the way it has worked out.Keep up the fantastic work!"

You might remember these gals from a video we posted on our YouTube page:

Thank you to Ian and Rebecca for supporting Dogs Trust and rehoming the two playful pugs!




















To find out more about the Kenilworth centre, please click here