Adopting a Dog... Our Story

In Ireland there is presently a huge issue surrounding homeless dogs. Rescues are overflowing and crying out for more resources and foster homes for thousands of dogs. These rescues are doing a fantastic job and it is frightening to say that if nobody did their work, thousands more dogs would be put to sleep in pounds around the country each week.

When our late dog Gizmo passed away in April 2013, we waited 6 months before deciding to get a new companion for our other dog Charlie. We decided that we were eager to adopt a dog from a rescue. Sure, it is tempting to go on Done Deal and buy a brand new pedigree puppy from a breeder; however, we decided we would like to give another dog a second chance at life.

This led us to Oscar (who is currently featured on the PetGreets.com homepage). Oscar, a 2 year old Yorkshire Terrier Cross, had started his life in a puppy farm and was rescued from a pound. He then was taken in by Cork Dog Action Welfare Group (www.dogactionwelfaregroup.ie). He was then placed in the hands of an amazing foster mum, who looked after him for over a year. Oscar was very timid and had trust issues. He spent most of the day hiding; he didn’t like cuddles and would flinch at sudden noises and movements. I won’t lie, when we met Oscar he really didn’t sell himself as he hid under the bed for most of our visit. But, we decided we would love to offer him his forever home and take on the challenge of socialising him.

We now have Oscar 6 months and the change in him has been phenomenal. He loves sitting on the couch with his family and getting rubbed and cuddled all day long. He enjoys playing with his sister Charlie and has a new passion for teddy bears. He is not happy unless he has at least 5 of them in his bed at one time. He recently went on his holidays to Dublin for a weekend and was a good boy for the whole 3 hour car journey. He is a very friendly, funny and extremely sociable dog. It just took time and effort to teach him that he didn’t need to be scared. Now he totally trusts us and is beginning to trust visitors that come into the house also. Oscar had a big milestone before Easter, he had his very first trip to the Dog Groomers. Thanks to Gabby & Miley’s Grooming Studio in Cork, Ireland for doing an amazing job with Oscar and for taking great care of him as he was very nervous for his first grooming session (https://www.facebook.com/GabbyAndMileys)

The message here is don’t shy away from adopting a dog, it is very rewarding as you are giving a lovely animal a second chance at life after a tough start. If the dog is nervous or shy, don’t be put off. Once they settle into a home environment and become familiar with their new family and surroundings, they won’t be long relaxing and starting to enjoy life again.

If anyone has questions about adopting a dog, please post a comment and we would be happy to discuss what we know from our experience. Similarly, if you have a good experience of adopting a dog/cat/pet we would love to hear you story.

---