Can you give Duke his forever home?

The Rainbow Rehoming Centre said that like ‘Duke,’ many of the dogs the centre is being contacted about, and taken from the pound, over recent times have been unwanted Collie-type dogs.

As an unwanted pet ‘Duke’ came into the care of Rainbow Rehoming Centre almost two years ago, and since arriving has seen around 700 dogs come and go.

A Rainbow spokesperson said: “Each one of those dogs deserved their new beginning and we think it’s time our special boy ‘Duke’ had his.

“When ‘Duke’ first arrived at the Centre he was petrified and found the kennel life stressful, but in the months that followed the staff that cared for him daily gained his trust. Today, ‘Duke’ is our dearest friend. He is a loyal and intelligent dog who has also captured the hearts of some of our more experienced volunteer dog walkers. And although he is an affectionate and loving dog around those he knows and trusts, initially with strangers he is extremely unsure. We recently acquired the services of Robert Duddy at Drumagore Dog Training to ensure that we were doing everything possible to make ‘Duke’s’ centre life as stress free as possible. It’s been a real team effort with ‘Duke,’ the staff and volunteers working extremely hard. We hope that this is the first steps to finding ‘Duke’ his forever home.”

‘Duke’ seeks an experienced owner who will be committed to gaining his trust. He would be most suited to someone with an active lifestyle and a home with no children or other dogs. If interested, contact or visit the centre from 12pm to 4pm Tuesday to Sunday, telephone 028 71812882.

UNWANTED PETS

Jemma Heath, Rainbow Rehoming Centre Manager said the problem of people taking on pets without thinking about the care required was an ongoing on.

“We find many pets end up unwanted because of the time commitment they need or the costs of looking after them, in particular emergency treatment if required.

“In recent months we’ve had two unwanted pet dogs come into our care, both dogs had been involved in road traffic accidents and both of them sadly had to have a leg amputated.

“Another increasing common reason of rehoming is because of behavioural issues caused by the lack of socialisation or basic training. In this case many owners chose to give up on their pet choosing the easy option of re-homing instead of seeking advice from a trainer or behaviourist.

“Many don’t know that free training advice is available on the Dogs Trust website www.dogstrust.org.uk

“If only those unwanted pet owners had done their research on responsible dog ownership, the time commitment involved, the financial responsibility and the needs of the breed, dogs like Duke would not be appealing desperately for their second chance.”