Rover

This is Rover. He came to us in November 2010. One of our inspectors rescued him when his owners failed to provide him with proper veterinary care, leaving poor Rover to suffer.

 

Once Rover was rehabilitated it became clear that he is a loving and loyal dog, who loves to play football, despite his age, and spend time with people.

Rover deserved a better life than the one he’d had previously, so we set about finding him a special owner. One who would be able to provide the pain relief he needed for his older dog aches and pains.

Waiting for a home

This poor chap spent a total of 199 days in kennels patiently waiting for the right owner to come and find him. But it was worth the wait and he now has a new life with his adopter Ms K O' Malley. He’s even found youth again in his new home!

Ms O’Malley, from Middlesbrough, told us that she visited her local branch in June 2011 originally looking to home two guinea pigs.
 

I looked around the dogs whilst I was there and spotted Rover. He’d been at the centre for seven months and apparently nobody had really shown any interest in him.

I asked lots of questions, and I kept thinking there must be some reason why I can’t take this dog home but they told me he’s great with children, cats and other dogs.

So I thought well, he needs a home, I’ve got a home I can give him so I decided to take him on.

 

Settling in to a new life

It took a few weeks for Rover to adjust to his new home. At first he wanted to be outside all the time but now he’s settled in he has turned into a loving, loyal family pet.

He’s by my side all the time! He still has some injuries which means he can’t walk very far so you have to be careful with that. But he’s so gentle and placid - he’s a lovely dog!

I'd recommend people rehoming a dog from the RSPCA, and don’t just walk past the older dogs. You do worry about the experiences they’ve had and how it’ll affect their behaviour but you do with any dog. They need a chance.

Rover is a credit to himself, I’m over the moon with him.

Could you give an older dog a home?

Often older animals, through no fault of their own, are overlooked by potential owners and as a result may spend some time in our care.

Find your perfect pet

If you think you could give an older animal a home take a look at our Elderly Animals Rehoming Scheme.

Browse our special appeals to see more animals in our care waiting to find a new home.