Little Little Rex
After a decade of companionship, Little Little Rex’s poorly owner had to say an emotional farewell to him.
Little dog, big personality
Little Little Rex’s owner had been suffering with serious health issues in hospital and was sadly unable to continue caring for the ten-year-old Jack Russell cross, as well as his two brothers (all called Rex).
With a heavy heart he turned to Woodgreen to find this gorgeous golden oldie and his siblings a new home.
Everyone who looked after him agreedthat Little Little Rex had a big, big personality and he instantly won the team’s hearts – especially that of his main carer and biggest fan, Dave: “This dog was an absolute dream and such a chilled-out dude!”
This old gent of a dog was on the mature side of life, so finding him a home wouldn’t be a walk in the park. Although he must have been so confused to leave his home and family, he seemed to take it all in his stride.
He enjoyed lots of walks around the site with Dave, who also spent time getting to know him in his kennel. We call this ‘kennel comforting’, and it can do the world of good in helping dogs to relax and feel safe. Dave could see he really enjoyed the company of people. So, with that in mind, Little Little Rex was invited to hang out in the office with the rest of the team now and then to help keep him relaxed.
Our surgery team snapped into action
Whilst Little Little Rex seemed to be happy and settling in well, we had some big concerns about his health. A full check-up with our vet team found that he was in great shape for his age, but he had severe dental disease. Many of his teeth were missing and the remaining ones were in very poor condition. It was agonising for him to eat and he’d really have to take his time over every meal.
Before his operation, the vet team ran tests to make sure it was safe to put him under anaesthetic. Thankfully the results looked good and they went ahead, removing ten of his teeth. He was then handed over to Woodgreen fosterer Carol and her husband, who helped him recover from his surgery in their quiet family home.
“Poor old Rexie had gum recession and some tooth roots were probably exposed. We immediately booked him into surgery so he could eat without any pain.”
Some much-needed R&R with our incredible fosterers
Little Little Rex absolutely loved having Carol’s undivided attention and some extra room to potter about in a comfy home. Meanwhile, the search started for a new owner who could give him the easy-going life he needed in his winter years.
After looking through our long list of hopeful dog owners, it was clear he ticked a lot of people’s boxes in what you’d want in a dog! And that was just the case for retirees Sylvia, Simon and their pampered little dog, Gucci. These devoted pet parents were looking for an older canine companion who would get on with their four-legged friend.
Would Little Little Rex win over exacting Gucci?
From the moment Little Little Rex trotted into the famous Meeting Pen, we could see that it wasn’t the people he would have to win over, but Gucci! The pair were introduced and Little Little Rex was super excited to make a new friend, while Gucci didn’t seem as enthusiastic – even letting off a few annoyed woofs.
But a walk around the site together helped Gucci relax with her new friend and Sylvia seemed very confident that they would hit it off. And she could see that Gucci could learn a thing or two about good manners from Little Little Rex!
Before long, Sylvia and Simon made it official and adopted him. She marked the beginning of his fresh start with a new name – Little Mix – as it was similar but still less of a mouthful than his original name. Not long after Sylvia and Simon adopted Little Mix, we received this wonderful update and it was music to our ears!
“Little Mix has really settled in well and has helped Gucci. He demands, and gets, loads of love and attention. I couldn’t be happier with the lovely old guy you found for us.”
Help more old timers like Little Little Rex
We all fell in love with Rexie whilst he was with us, but none of the care, surgery or rehoming would have been possible without support. So a huge thank you to our expert team and our family of supporters.
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