A Wonderful Rescue Story Shared From TrustedHousesitters.com
Charlie was only meant to stay for one night before being taken to Enfield Dogs Rescue, but within a day Angela’s family knew he was part of the family and was there to stay!ily knew he was part of the family and was there to stay!
"I had a call from my sister desperately asking a favour… Could I please take a dog in for a day, or possibly one night? She runs a charitable service for unwanted dogs and cats, Enfield Dog Rescue, and on this occasion a dog was being thrown out by its owner after spending its life in a cage in their garage! The owner was willing to drop it off at my place, halfway to my sister in London. The dog was a five-year-old Yorkshire Terrier called ‘Charlie’, and I was concerned about accepting him as we already had two dogs plus numerous cats, chickens, geese and horses, but eventually relented as this was probably the only chance Charlie had for a new life.
Two days later, whilst making a cup of coffee at 7.00am there was an unexpected knock at the door and a man stood there saying he had Charlie in his van and he was in a hurry. I immediately went out with him to see the poor dog sitting in a cage at the back of his van, looking lost and visibly shaking with fear. I quickly opened the cage-door and put a lead on him, then took him to a nearby paddock and let him off while the soon-to-be-ex-owner watched, suddenly warning me that he didn’t come to call! Well dear little Charlie couldn’t believe his luck and ran about like a thing possessed, loving every minute. After a frenzied few minutes of blissful freedom I called him, and he came to me straight away. We all went back into the house with Charlie, the cage and some of his left-over dried food lumps in a bag. His ‘owner’ then promptly left, with no backward glance to the clinging and nervous Charlie.
Charlie was only meant to stay for one night before being taken to Enfield Dogs Rescue, but within a day Angela’s family knew he was part of the family and was there to stay!ily knew he was part of the family and was there to stay!
"I had a call from my sister desperately asking a favour… Could I please take a dog in for a day, or possibly one night? She runs a charitable service for unwanted dogs and cats, Enfield Dog Rescue, and on this occasion a dog was being thrown out by its owner after spending its life in a cage in their garage! The owner was willing to drop it off at my place, halfway to my sister in London. The dog was a five-year-old Yorkshire Terrier called ‘Charlie’, and I was concerned about accepting him as we already had two dogs plus numerous cats, chickens, geese and horses, but eventually relented as this was probably the only chance Charlie had for a new life.
Two days later, whilst making a cup of coffee at 7.00am there was an unexpected knock at the door and a man stood there saying he had Charlie in his van and he was in a hurry. I immediately went out with him to see the poor dog sitting in a cage at the back of his van, looking lost and visibly shaking with fear. I quickly opened the cage-door and put a lead on him, then took him to a nearby paddock and let him off while the soon-to-be-ex-owner watched, suddenly warning me that he didn’t come to call! Well dear little Charlie couldn’t believe his luck and ran about like a thing possessed, loving every minute. After a frenzied few minutes of blissful freedom I called him, and he came to me straight away. We all went back into the house with Charlie, the cage and some of his left-over dried food lumps in a bag. His ‘owner’ then promptly left, with no backward glance to the clinging and nervous Charlie.
Dinner Time
Given he was still expected in London however, Charlie spent the next two nights in his cage in the dining room and the days being slowly socialised with our other animals whilst safely on a lead. My husband, Andrew, took him everywhere in the garden, the paddocks and around the house, and together we introduced him to a menu of raw chicken and bone-mix which our other dogs love – and he ate like he had never eaten real food!
Then my sister called saying she had a problem with transporting him up to her in London… which was when I gingerly said I didn’t feel we could let him go now! Andrew and Charlie had by now become inseparable, our dogs didn’t really notice him and the cats had checked him out and already felt they were in charge. The chickens were another story – they attacked him, much to our shock, and we had to tell them he was here to stay and to leave him alone, and surprise, surprise it worked, they retreated.
That was over two years ago, and two sitters through TrustedHousesitters.com later Charlie is ‘family’ and we love him dearly.
Then my sister called saying she had a problem with transporting him up to her in London… which was when I gingerly said I didn’t feel we could let him go now! Andrew and Charlie had by now become inseparable, our dogs didn’t really notice him and the cats had checked him out and already felt they were in charge. The chickens were another story – they attacked him, much to our shock, and we had to tell them he was here to stay and to leave him alone, and surprise, surprise it worked, they retreated.
That was over two years ago, and two sitters through TrustedHousesitters.com later Charlie is ‘family’ and we love him dearly.
Angela with her beloved pets
