‘Tis the season of love!
But when you’re a dog owner, cuddles, snuggles, and fighting back the cute aggression can make every day feel like Valentine’s Day (chewing up your new rug and tracking in mud aside…).
Sadly, not every dog has access to this kind of unconditional love. There are tens of thousands of dogs in rescue centres and shelters across the UK, all looking for a loving home.
Pooch & Mutt currently work with Woodgreen Pets Charity , a fantastic shelter that cares for many dogs who are yet to find their forever valentine. We do our bit by providing every dog at Woodgreen (unless on a medical diet) a Pooch & Mutt meal - ensuring happy tums and optimum health and wellbeing across the board.
But to really shine a light on just how rewarding adopting a rescue dog can be, we packed up our treats and headed over to Woodgreen to meet these pups face to face.
While there, we spoke to three Woodgreen members who’ve got their own ‘tails’ to share about how much their rescue pooch has brought love and light into their lives.
And rescue dog advocate, Pooch pal and our brand new ambassador, Pete Wicks , came along for the ride!
So read on for what Pete got up to, and explore some of the stories that truly stole our hearts.
Firstly, meet Pete Wicks - our newest ambassador
Pooch & Mutt have recently welcomed Pete Wicks into the pack!
A self-proclaimed dog lover and cheeky chappy, Pete’s as gaga for pooches as we are.
After the loss of his beloved rescue, Peggy the French Bulldog, Pete recently introduced Rodney into his home - the CUTEST rescue Rottweiler puppy.
Of course, Rodney isn’t there to take the place of Peggy. Anyone who’s lost a dog will know that it creates a hole that can never be filled. But in his passion for dogs, Pete wanted to give a home to another pooch and experience another kind of love.
With this kindness and passion for dogs being at the heart of everything he does, we couldn’t think of a better partner in crime for our latest Woodgreen visit.
So, with a truckload of Valentine’s dog treats and Pete by our side, we were on our way! Once there, we celebrated some of their most heart-warming rescue stories and showcased matches made in heaven that have blossomed from dog adoption.
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Current price: £3.99
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Loved & seen at Woodgreen
Spending so much time with the dogs in their care has meant eyes have met across the kennel, and love has sparked. So, it’s no surprise that many of the team members at Woodgreen have ended up adopting some of their residents.
Pete sat down with a few of Woodgreen’s team who’ve said ‘I do to rescue’.
They talked through exactly how it all came to be, the joy of adoption and how sometimes it can be not just a case of you saving the dog, but the dog saving you.
Meet Helen & Marley
Helen is a team member at Woodgreen, and her best friend is black Labrador, Marley.
Marley’s been with Helen for only two months, yet the bond between the two is undeniable.
Helen tells us that Marley was in Woodgreen’s care and became a foster as he was clearly struggling, and had medical conditions that required lots of hands-on attention.
As Helen unravels their tail of love, it appears that it wasn't exactly ‘written in the stars’ for this pair, with Marley not being ‘100% her type on paper’.
Helen revealed to Pete that she never imagined herself with a Labrador, a male dog, or even an older dog.
But as Helen says, as soon as their eyes met, the connection was there, and the pair have been inseparable ever since.
“I went down to meet him in kennels, and I just thought, I'll go and say hello, and that was when I fell in love with him.” “It just goes to show, doesn't it. It's just how you feel. It's the bond. It's the connection.”
Helen’s worked at Woodgreen for 17 years and has overseen many adoptions, and dogs finally finding their forever home.
A proud member of their matchmaking team, Helen stresses the importance of listening to the needs of the family, as well as the needs of the dog.
When it comes to adopting a dog, Helen’s top tip is that open-mindedness is key. When you think you know your type, a Marley will plod in and whisk you off your feet.
Meet Sue & Pixie
Having worked at Woodgreen for 36 years, Sue knows better than anyone the joy of adoption and coming face-to-face with your new best friend.
Before Pixie, Sue lived and breathed dog training - bringing lots of high-drive dog breeds, like Border Collies and Australian Shepherds, into her home. With a house full of zoomies, Sue’s nights and weekends were full to the brim with training sessions, competitions, and shows.
But sadly, life was flipped on its head after Sue lost her husband and, as years went by, the family of dogs they’d brought up together.
With that, Sue drew a line in the sand when it came to having a home full of high-energy dogs, unable to imagine feeling that type of love again.
That’s until she locked eyes with Pixie the Golden Retriever.
“She's so sweet and angelic, and completely different. I liken it to going from a Ferrari that always wants to go faster and do more, to a really comfortable Land Rover that's just happy to plod about.”
“She's just my friend.”
With Pixie being Sue’s seventh successful adoption, she knows a thing or two about pooch matchmaking. When asked why exactly someone should say ‘I do’ to rescue, she says that it takes out the ‘guesswork’ of getting a dog.
That’s because at a great shelter, like Woodgreen, will have staff sit down with you and not only make sure the dog’s the right fit for you, but you’re the right fit for the dog.
“It's about matching energy, matching personality, and looking at how much time a dog needs versus how much time a person or family might have to give.
It’s like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, but then that beautiful picture that you get at the end of it is really worth it.”
Meet Jo & Lily
Jo’s worked at Woodgreen for 11 years, and first met Lily the Spaniel four years ago when she’d been seized from a ‘breeding’ establishment. This meant, for the first half of Lily’s life, breeding litter after litter and the same four walls of her outdoor kennel was all she ever knew.
As soon as Jo brought Lily home, it was clear that Lily had never been in a normal home environment before.
“She was terrified of people. She wouldn't walk through doorways, and even the TV terrified her.” “For the first six months, she had frequent nightmares every night. She'd wake herself up howling. It was absolutely heartbreaking. You could see her visibly relax when she looked around and realised that she wasn't in that place anymore. That was really heartbreaking to see.”
But after 18 months of gradual exposure and living by Jo’s loving side, Lily began to come out of her shell.
And then one day, while out on a walk, Jo’s friend just so happened to throw a ball across the park - and Lily went running! All Jo could do was burst into happy tears. She thought she’d never see Lily look so free and so full of joy.
Jo & Lily’s story really demonstrates the power of successful dog adoption. Just like we saw in Lily’s story, it can give dogs a second chance at life.
Now Lily spends her life right next to Jo, going anywhere and everywhere together.
Recently, to make up for the eight years spent not experiencing life as she should, Lily and Jo visited every major forest in England - 34 of them to be exact. And in that time, Lily spent time romping and roaming forest floors surrounded by friends, family, and her newfound pooch mates. Exactly where she should be.
If all these ‘tails’ of love have you wanting to find your own perfect match, be sure to consider Woodgreen . Your dream pooch (or kitty, or small pet) could be just an appointment away, and you could help yet another pet find a forever, loving home.
If you’re looking to spread the love to your own pooch, there’s no better way to say ‘I love you’ than with our Lovestruck Lamb Meaty Treats .
Protein-rich and packed with flavour, these succulent Lamb and aromatic Thyme nuggets of love will, without a doubt, get your pooch feeling the love this Valentine’s Day.
Lovestruck Lamb Postbiotic Meaty Treats
Lamb dog treats for your four-legged valentine, packed with rich flavour and nourishing goodness. Tasty Lamb will capture their heart, Collagen supports healthy skin and a gorgeously glossy coat, and they're grain free too.
-
Limited edition
-
Puppy-friendly
-
Lamb with Collagen
Current price: £3.99
Lovestruck Lamb Postbiotic Meaty Treats
Have you said ‘I do to rescue’? Tell us your rescue success stories in the comments below, and give your beloved pooch the spotlight they deserve...