Elderly terrier who lost owner to coronavirus finds forever home
Bob Dylan came into the care of Dogs Trust staff in West Sussex
A 12-year-old terrier has been found a forever home by Dogs Trust staff in West Sussex after losing his owner to coronavirus.
Dylan found himself in the care of Shoreham Rehoming Centre in West Sussex, but only spend 25 days there before being adopted by new owners.
Adel Burnett, centre manager for Dogs Trust Shoreham, said Dylan arrived 'very shut down' following his sudden change in circumstances, but was able to adapt fairly quickly:
“Despite our best efforts to make him feel as comfortable as possible kennel life just wasn’t for him.
“Luckily we had just recruited a new foster carer to our Home from Home scheme called Andrea who was now working remotely and found herself in a position to be able to provide temporary care for our dogs.
“Dylan was Andrea’s first foster dog and he seemed to feel better almost as soon as he stepped his paws through the door – gobbling up his meals and playing with his toys.
“Once Dylan’s confident, cheeky and loving side started to show it took hardly any time at all for us to find a great new home for him."
Dylan is now living with Alison and her husband Leslie Gibbons, who have renamed him Bob Dylan.
Alison said:
“He’s now been living with us for a month and he’s settled really well. He’s a lovely dog.
“We had an elderly Jack Russell before who we adopted from Dogs Trust back in 2013 when he was also 12 years old. Cedric died two years ago and we missed him so much that we decided we wanted a bit of a gap to honour his memory.
“It’s lovely going out for long walks with Bob Dylan. He still has so much energy! We go four miles and he’s still go, go, go. He’s a really sharp little chap and knows where his home is.
“He’s very wilful and has a lot of spirit and strength of character, loves his food and being with you, preferably sitting on your knee!”
Last year Dogs Trust set up its 'Change the Tale' campaign to support pets and owners affected through the pandemic, either by illness or through a change in their financial situation which made it more difficult for them to keep a pet.
Between August 2020 and January 2021, visits to the charity's 'Giving up your dog' page increased by 41% compared to the previous six months.
Adel Burnett added:
“We know that the pandemic, and its economic repercussions, is having devastating effects on some people’s lives and their ability to care for their pets.
“Unfortunately, we believe the worst is yet to come and we will do all we can to help those dogs and owners in need of our support.”
More details about the Change the Tale campaign can be found on the Dogs Trust website.
If you would like to volunteer to become a foster carer please email HfHShoreham@dogstrust.org.uk.