Flash and her puppies

Every now and again we get wind of a really lovely, heart-warming, and blog-worthy story here at our head office. Well, today is one of those days! Samantha Davis, Supporter Relations Office for our Canterbury Centre, is going to tell you the touching story of Flash, the pooch in the spotlight with her 6 adorable puppies (picture above).

Take it away, Sam:

All dogs are amazing. We obviously think so… we do afterall work for Dogs Trust. However, sometimes a dog comes into our centre at Canterbury, with such an exceptional story, we have to share it.

On 9th December 2010 a very underweight black and white Collie approximately 3 years old was picked up in Northern Ireland by the dog warden and taken to a local veterinary clinic. She had been hit by a car and suffered several injuries as a result. She had a broken hind leg and a puncture wound to her abdomen. The Vets gave her all the necessary treatment for her injuries and cast up her leg. She had no microchip and nobody claimed her.

2 days after the accident she gave birth to 6 puppies and the clinic held onto her for just under 3 weeks. This was the best place for her in her condition and she gained weight and the puppies developed with few complications from the accident. In this time, the clinic tried desperately to find deserving homes for Mum and pups but struggled to find anyone suitable.

Their only option was to hand them over to a local animal organisation that in turn got in touch with us. An arrangement was made for Flash and pups to be brought over to us on 29th December so we could care for them and rehome them through our centre. Whilst a 20hour journey wasn’t ideal for the dogs, it meant that we could save them from an uncertain future, care for them whilst they were recovering and then rehome them to responsible new owners.

When Flash arrived we didn’t know what to expect. Having been through such an ordeal, we prepared for a dog that could be very nervous and apprehensive of new people and strange places. We thought particularly, around her puppies she could show signs of distress and maybe even aggression.

We couldn’t have been more wrong. She turned out to be the sweetest natured and most affectionate Mum we’ve ever had in. She has a wonderful temperament and copes amazingly well with her situation. Her leg is still in a cast and she continues to feed her pups. She can’t yet be separated from them; so much so that a trip to the vets for an X-ray and recast was a family affair and the puppies went along for the ride!

The puppies are now 4 weeks old and are doing well. We are slowly weaning them onto dry food and getting homes ready for when they can leave Flash at 8 weeks old. We already have a perfect home lined up for Flash where she can relax and enjoy herself.

Both Mum and Pups have captured the hearts of all the staff and volunteers at Canterbury. We shall be sorry to see them leave. We are confident however, that once rehomed, their ordeal will finally be over and they can enjoy their ‘forever’ homes, and be given all the love and care they deserve.

Dogs Trust Stray Dogs Report 2008: Eighteen stray dogs put to sleep every day

Dogs Trust's eleventh annual Stray Dogs Report¹ has revealed that an estimated 96,892 stray dogs were taken in by local councils in the UK last year, 6,710 of which were put to sleep for want of a home. In fact, on average, eighteen dogs are put to sleep every day².

Despite the sustained efforts of animal welfare organisations and local authorities, on average 11 stray and unwanted dogs are handled by local authorities every hour.

• Five are reunited with their owners
• Three are taken to welfare organisations
• One is rehomed by the local authority
• And every 80 minutes, a dog is put to sleep.

Please consider visiting your local rescue centre before splashing the cash on a rental Rover.

Dogs Trust's Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, explains that there is still much to be done:

"This is the first year that the number of stray dogs in the UK has dropped below 100,000. But this is still far too high a figure - it's 6,000 more than the number of seats at Wembley! For a nation of so-called animal lovers, it is unacceptable that pets are being treated as throwaway commodities. Dog ownership is a privilege, not a right.

"Dogs Trust is working closely with local authorities and runs extensive education, neutering and microchipping campaigns to help them tackle the issue. As a result the number of stray dogs has dropped gradually in the past ten years.

"However, the onus remains on owners to accept their responsibility. Get your dog neutered and microchipped and ensure he is wearing an ID tag so that if he is lost he can be reuinited with you more easily."

To learn more about adopting a dog from Dogs Trust, please visit our website.


¹Conducted by GfK NOP on behalf of Dogs Trust.
²Some of these will have been euthanised because of aggression or illness.