Meet the stars
Jenny is just one of many dogs who've found their perfect match at Woodgreen. Why not get to know some of the other pooches who've found a fresh start during filming of The Dog House.
Get to know more pups
Meet Jenny
After a concerned member of the public came to the rescue of two stray dogs abandoned in an alleyway, they turned to Woodgreen for help – and we quickly brought the pair into safety.
Scared and shutdown, both girls were clearly traumatised by their experience when they arrived at our centre.
Found tied to a tree, we had no idea how long they’d been left alone in such a dangerous situation – at risk of starvation, dehydration, or even getting loose and running into the road.
When the pair, who we named Jenny and Dory, arrived at Woodgreen, our priority was to give them water, food and a full health check. Fortunately, both were in good condition without any serious health issues.
Shelter was just the start of their healing journey
They were in the right place to get back on their paws. But it can take some strays a long time to recover from the trauma they’ve been through.
For Jenny, things were looking good. Although she could still be hesitant around new people, her confidence was going from strength to strength! Sadly, Dory was still very nervous and this meant she was holding Jenny back.
It became increasingly clear the pair would need different types of homes. So, with their bests interests at heart we had to split them.
Separating them was ultimately the best decision for their rehoming, as well as allowing their unique personalities to blossom.
Jenny’s taste of a happier life
Because adapting to a home environment isn’t always straightforward for strays, Jenny went to stay with one of our foster carers.
Luckily, she took to the home like a duck to water. We could see she was ready to look for a new family, which she found during filming of The Dog House.
We introduced her to Rick and Tracey, who were hoping to bring some joy back into their lives after a terrible accident had left Rick paralysed.
Rick was instantly besotted with Jenny, gushing “I love her!”. Jenny soon jumped into Rick’s lap. Less than a minute later, they decided she was the pup for them.
A fresh, but bumpy, start
After going home, Jenny – now named Dottie – struggled with the coming and going of Rick’s carers, which she showed with lots of barking. Tracey and Rick were finding this hard to manage, so we arranged help with Woodgreen behaviourist Britt, who explains some of the things she recommended:
“I suggested making a positive association with the carers. This involved rewarding Dottie with high-value treats whenever she looked at the carers and disengaged without getting upset.
I also recommended crate training to give her the option of a ‘safe space’ when she needed it. Creating a predictable routine also helped reduce her anxiety by giving her a sense of what to expect.”
After Dottie and Rick’s lives were turned upside in different ways, we were delighted to have brought them together so they can both heal and enjoy a new lease of life.
This Christmas is surely set to be a special one for the whole family. As for Dottie’s old friend, Dory, she’ll have her time in the spotlight in the next series of The Dog House!
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Meet the handlers