Looking for Rescue Space
Learning Flyball
Loving life
|
In March 2015 Georgie found herself in the pound. She was very bewildered and upset as for 4 years she had been part of a family and she could not understand what had happened. She has greyhound in her DNA so is naturally slim but stress caused her to lose weight and she became emaciated. Some of the people who try to help abandoned dogs get to a new home contacted BABS to say she has a wonderful nature and could we help.
BABS appealed for a foster home and although it took time did eventually find one, and Georgie was then safe from being destroyed at the pound. She was collected and went to Sarah for an overnight stay before being spayed, and Sarah was shocked at how thin she was. She has a big Staffie based head (with a bit of boxer broadness thrown in) and the size of it on her underweight body made her look like a lollipop. Georgie went into the vet who thought she may already be spayed. He checked her chip details and spoke to her previous vet who confirmed she had been and that her old family did not want her back. Georgie had been booked in with a lovely lady named Cath to recuperate after her spay so she travelled to Birmingham to stay even though she had not needed the operation. Cath’s own boxer loves puppies but not big, bouncy dogs so Cath had arranged for him to stay with a friend as nobody else was available to help Georgie for the first few days. This is the sort of thing people in rescue do to save lives! Georgie began to eat properly and relax, she stole Cath’s heart then she made the long trek to Wales where a fosterer was waiting for her. Georgie can grumble when she has a toy and another dog is around, and unfortunately the Golden Retriever at the foster home took exception to this on her first night. It took two people to pull him off her. After a phone call one of the BABS Committee who lives in Wales went to collect her the next morning and Georgie stayed with her for a week. She grumbled at the four resident dogs indoors and in the garden but ran and chased happily with them in a secure field at lunchtimes. Georgie was offered a foster home in Manchester. She loves people of all ages however the young boy there is autistic, so the Committee member made the 8 hour round trip and stayed with the family a couple of hours to be sure she was not phased if he made sudden noises or movements. She just brought him a toy! All went well for a couple of weeks, BABS got lots of pictures of Georgie in her new harness and lead - then the fosterer announced out of blue that she could no longer stay there. Georgie had done nothing wrong. The situation became urgent and there were no fosterers available. Rescues have to work hard to raise funds and kennelling a large dog can be around £15 per day! Luckily Mick and Angie at Clwb Boarding Kennels (the kennels the Welsh Committee member uses for her own dogs) heard of Georgie’s situation and offered to let her stay at their kennels at a very discounted rate. Not all kennel owners are in it simply for the money - a lot help rescues to help dogs. Georgie made the long trek back to Wales. The Committee member and her partner were there to meet her and she was thrilled to see them. Georgie did not have her fancy new harness and collar with her. After a few weeks Georgie was offered a new foster home - on the opposite side of the UK! The Committee member had been invited to a party near there so Georgie made the long trip with them. She showed a bit of strange behaviour on the way - becoming obsessed with trees on the rest breaks. She had not done this on her stay with them so it was put down to all the upheaval she had been through. Unfortunately the behaviour continued in her foster home but the family worked with a trainer (another expense rescues have to fundraise to cover) to stop it. Georgie had not shown it before going to Manchester, even when being walked in the forest. Georgie stayed with the family just over 2 months. She was attacked by another dog on a walk but kept it away from the children. The family started the adoption process so would officially be their dog but a sudden unexpected turn of events mean they had to stop the process and Georgie was again looking for a foster home. She was offered one in a different part of Essex and arrangements were made to transport her. Bear in mind that BABS stands for Boxer and Bully Saviours and that this is the type of dog we work with. Georgie is the same height as and much slimmer than a fully grown male boxer. She has also been proved to have a fantastic temperament with people of all ages in all situations. The new “fosterer” took one look at her and said she was frightened. Georgie was not walked for a week while she stayed there. The Committee member told her partner what was going on. As by then they had moved to a new house he suggested Georgie came to them as she had been messed around far too much. There was now enough space to segregate the dogs until she could mix with them properly and she would not be moved again until a permanent home came along. So Georgie made the long, long trip from the East Coast of England to the West Coast of Wales. She was delighted to see familiar faces again. She quickly learned that if she grumbled at the resident dogs she would get told off, and if she did it again she would be taken out of the room and ignored. Outside the garden was far bigger than before and she mixed happily with them out there from day one. When she stayed with them at the old place Georgie was fixated on the chickens but with so much more space for her to play in she quickly ignored them at the new one. She learned that the cats are not to be chased, but that is still a work in progress as sometimes the temptation is too great. The Committee member’s partner had only ever had calm labradors before meeting her, but had survived the introduction to mad bullbreeds. He was adamant that Georgie would stay with them until the perfect home was found, and that after all the let downs she had been through any potential family would have to visit her at least twice before she went home with them. When she went to the vet due to a cyst appearing he insisted on going with her. Needless to say he has now adopted her! After 1218 miles and over 6 months Georgie is home. |