Meet Father and son duo, Bear and Dave, who came to Woodgreen following a family break-up.
Three-year-old Chihuahua, Bear, and his two-year-old son Dave, arrived at Woodgreen very weak and clearly in need of a lot of support. Our veterinary team ran several tests and found their blood count to be dangerously low and confirmed that they had anaemia.
Sparing no effort, the team carried out a blood transfusion which proved to be life-saving for the pair.
These two poorly pooches received constant attention, even during the early hours of the morning from our dedicated Protection and Welfare Team (PaWs), who stepped in to monitor them. The team were on hand providing medication, taking them on toilet walks and making sure they were comfortable. On one particular evening, Bear and Dave were spending some time with PaWs officer Stephanie in her warm office where she could keep a close eye on them. She ended up really bonding with them both and, in addition to her busy role caring for Woodgreen’s many pooches, she decided to foster them at home, so that she could continue caring for them.
"I wrapped them up in my fleece to keep them snug and immediately fell in love."
As Bear and Dave responded to treatment, they began to regain their energy and come out of their shells. Bear, the father, was definitely the one in charge and was becoming increasingly possessive over toys and food. He would also bark and lunge at other dogs whilst out on his walks. Despite being more reserved and generally very well-behaved, Dave would tend to copy Bear’s behaviour towards other dogs. This raised concerns over their suitability to be rehomed together.
Stephanie decided it was best to take them out separately and provide plenty of distractions on their walks, which mainly consisted of food, which seemed to work very well! At home, she kept them occupied with an obstacle course and empty cardboard boxes, which gave them a great place to play and then curl up for a nap.
Once Dave and Bear were well enough for our rehoming team to find new owners for them, we took them to The Meeting Pen to introduce them to the Mell family and their small son Ollie, who was looking for a partner in crime to play with. But instead of running around and playing, Bear and Dave just wanted cuddles and attention from the whole family instead. Although the whole family were clearly smitten, it was agreed that these laid back lapdogs weren’t quite right for them.
Since meeting Ollie and the family, Bear and Dave grew apart, so our team decided that they would be much happier living separately and we eventually found loving homes for both of them. Dave was successfully adopted and our own fostering super-star, Stephanie, fell in love with Bear’s feisty character so much that she decided to give him a permanent home. We’re delighted to have found forever homes for both father and son!
Does your dog often bark, lunge, growl, or pull on the lead? These are typical ‘reactive’ behaviours – and we can help. Join our Behaviour and Training Specialists for a workshop that will give you a deeper understanding of what causes this behaviour, and get expert advice on how you can prevent it.
Vinnie the Staffordshire Bull Terrier was found wandering the streets as a stray with a nasty tail injury. Find out how he got on in The Meeting Pen with Jess, a busy London florist.
Every pet we support needs time, care and attention before they can recover and find the right home. We need your support now more than ever. Thank you for helping ensure we can continue to be there for pets and their people when they need us.