2nd January

Ninth Day of Christmas.

Saffy.

Saffy was a stray in the local council kennels.

Because she was the much sort after "Blue" colour and stunningly good looking she was attracting a lot of attention from people working there, everyone and their Mum wanted to adopt her!

She would jump up at her kennel door when you passed "Choose me, choose me!" But as soon as you walked into her kennel she would run to the back and hide, cowering on her belly. If you tried to walk her she would just lie down and refuse to move. She also showed aggression to other dogs.

She was in season and had recently had pups, by the look of her it was not her only litter, she had probably been used as a breeding machine to produce the very desirable blue coloured pups.

I was desperate to take her in to ensure she was Spayed before she was re-homed and to make sure she went to a responsible home else I could see that her life could get into a downward spiral of unsuitable homes and people who could not cope with her so she ended up being passed from home to home becoming a little more damaged in each until she was un-homeable, as happens to so many Staffords we come across in rescue.

Once home she would charge around the garden but only walk a little way on the lead. A dog trainer showed me how to handle that by walking on and not fussing her. I had poultry in the garden at that time and I shall never forget the first time I picked up the watering can to top up their water with Saffy sniffing nearby....she was gone! And would not come near me until I put the watering can down! One can only imagine what had happened to her!

I think I turned down more prospective homes for Saffy than any other dog. It had to be the right home and they had to be responsible!

Eventually Sally and Simon came along and they ticked all the boxes, not only that, they fell in love with her despite all her challenges.

They have turned out to be an excellent home and Saffy now walks happily on the lead, plays, at first with Sally's mother's dog and now with other dogs and they are currently fostering Bullseye for us too.

Thank you Sally and Simon for the patience you have shown Saffy and for helping her become the wonderful, well adjusted dog she is today.

Rescue dogs do not come to order. "We cannot knit you one," as Barbara Green from North West Rescue says, but with a little effort and a lot of patience they can become the dog of your dreams.