Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has a long history of caring for dogs which have been abandoned or whose owners were unable to cope.
Unfortunately many dogs at Battersea arrived because their previous owners only considered what they wanted their dog to look like – not its background and behaviour patterns.
As a result Battersea has seen a rise in the number of pure breed dogs it receives as well as a rise in the number of dogs that need country homes.
The most popular dogs purchased by misinformed town dwellers are, incredibly, Border Collies. These dogs love mental and physical stimulation – they are literally bored silly in the city and need space and air and things to chase.
Other breeds unhappy with life in the city are Jack Russell Terriers (miniature whirlwinds), Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers (both have endless reserves of energy and stamina), Springer Spaniels (originally bred for retrieving they have energy and stamina reserves to rival the Labradors and Golden Retrievers) and Lurchers (a very strong chase instinct coupled with very bad recall means a three legged Lurcher in the city).
Battersea has also lately seen a rise in Japanese and American Akitas. These awe inspiring dogs were originally used as hunters in Japan, therefore they have a very low tolerance of other dogs and so need to move to an area with a low dog population.
These are examples of some of the breeds which are unhappy in the city, and over the next few months dogs like these will be looking for places to live where they are more at home, with loving owners who can give them the attention they need.
This month, the dogs needing immediate housing are Troika and Billy.
Troika (07/21048)
Female
13-14 years old
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Trioka is an elderly lady who still enjoys walks and playing
Troika was left tied up at our front gates; her owner phoned to say she was unable to care for her anymore.
Troika is a lovely old lady desperate for some company and she is very loving and affectionate. She can be a little demanding for attention, but who can blame her having been left in this situation at her age.
She is an active lady for her age and still enjoys her walks and a little play but is best kept on lead when out and about as her eyesight is not great anymore.
She’s a really great girl who hates being in kennels and really needs a very special, loving home to spend her twilight years.
Ideally she needs someone at home with her for company, but could be left for up to four hours but no longer. She also needs a garden to potter in, but children and other dogs would be too much for her at this stage in her life.
Big Beautiful Billy (07/20626)
Male
2- 3 years old
Lurcher / Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross
Billy is a real escape artist so a potential owner would need a secure garden for him to play inBilly is a white and black, male neutered, 2-3 year old Lurcher/Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross. He is an extremely loving, large, strong boy with good basic manners. He can be a real escape artist and is very athletic so potential new owners would need a home visit to ensure the security of their garden. He could live with a mature female dog and would be fine with teenage children. He cannot be left alone at this stage, so will need people prepared to work through his separation issues.
Both these dogs are at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Old Windsor. If you are interested in rehoming any of them, please come down for an interview or call our rehoming line on 01784 494443, quoting their reference numbers.
