3 pets looking for a home in Derry

Catherine Magill, from SCARR, outlined three in particular who are looking to find the perfect sofa.

“Toby is a 11 month old whippet/lurcher type male dog looking for a new home, through no fault of his own.

“An affectionate fella who just wants to be near you, he bonds quickly and loves the company of humans. He also enjoys the company of other dogs, although he is still learning how to play and interact with them appropriately. When given correction by one of the other dogs in his foster home, he accepts it without rancour and backs down every time. Neither his previous owners, nor his foster home, have seen any sign of aggression in Toby, in fact his foster mum would describe him as being a bit ‘yellow’ and backs down every time he gets a telling off by another dog - regardless of their size, or the circumstances.

“Since he was an eight week old pup, Toby was raised in a house with four children, so he could be rehomed to a family with dog-savvy kids. But he does like to jump up for a cuddle, so he may not be suitable for families with small children or grandchildren.

“Toby is used to cats and kittens and it was not unusual for him to curl up for a snooze with one of the family cats. But when one of them took off, his typical sight hound temperament would kick in and he would give chase.

“He walks reasonably well on a lead, though he can pull sometimes when he is excited. His new owners will need to build on his lead manners. Like most dogs, he will benefit from some good basic training.

“As is typical of his breed, he is happiest when cuddling up next to you on the sofa. He is also very vocal, and has entire ‘conversations’ with you, especially when you are giving him attention, cuddles, or scratching behind his ears.

“He is quite food orientated - and will ‘counter surf’ if he gets a chance - and if allowed the opportunity would quite happily eat from your plate at the dinner table. Although, ironically, he is not that greedy for food when he gets it.

“His recall has been tested in an enclosed dog park and there were no problems getting him to come to you when called. But, like with any new dog - his recall should be faultless before he is exercised somewhere that is not fully enclosed - and his new owners should keep in mind that Toby is a sight hound and his nature will be to chase anything small, furry and fast moving!

“In a very short time he has bonded hard with his foster mum and others who regularly visit the house. So the sooner he is in his forever home, the better for Toby! This dog needs consistency, security and affection and, when he gets it, will be a total loving, sticking plaster to his new family. His foster mum says the best first birthday present Toby could have is to find his forever family!

“Toby is chipped, vaccinated and booked to be neutered this week. He is housetrained although please consider when a new dog comes into a new home there may be some accidents due to a change in routine and environment.

“One year old Barney the Beagle is also looking for a furever family. He was found straying and, after a couple of weeks of searching for his owner, both through the relevant authorities and on social media, he has come into our care to find a new home.

“Barney is a brilliant boy, he loves a good carry on with the dogs in his foster home so could live with another friendly and playful dog that would match his energy. We would ideally be looking for breed experience. Barney needs an active home with patience and time to help him settle after so much upheaval.

“Barney is housetrained, chipped, neutered, vaccinated, worm and flea treated to date.

“Plum the cat is still waiting for her furever home. This shy girl came into our care when she turned up at someone’s home with her kittens. They all went into foster and while her kittens were homed quickly, Plum remained. She is a young cat approximately one or two years of age. She has grown in confidence but would be best suited to a home without young kids or other pets.

“Plum has been with us for such a long time and we would love to see her in a forever loving home. She is spayed, chipped, vaccinated and litter trained. She is worm and flea treated to date.”

Peggy isn’t ready for a new home just yet as she has just been taken into care but after she gets some vet work done, she will be available for adoption.

Catherine said: “This wee frosted face girl joined us recently and is thought to be around 11 years of age. She is such a sweet friendly little lady and has been no trouble at all in her foster home.

“This wee dote needs surgery this week to remove a mammary lump and get spayed. It looks as though she will need a dental too.”

To enquire about any of these pets or check what other pets are available for adoption, contact St Columb’s Animal Rescue & Rehoming (SCARR) on Facebook.