Please adopt Lottie (Lurcher)

Hi, my name is Lottie and I’ve been on quite the journey since I first arrived at Holly Hedge.  I was found as a stray and was terrified of people.  A guy brought me to Holly Hedge which was scary for me at first. There were new people I needed to make friends with, new smells and other dogs and I wasn’t sure what to make of it all. I was very much in survival mode and was very shutdown and scared. I was terrified of everything and didn’t trust anybody. The world was a very scary place for me!

However, the people at Holly Hedge were nice to me. They fed me, made sure I had toys, a comfy bed and lots of things to do. Then they started taking me on walks when I felt brave enough which is really fun too. They don’t speak the same language as me, so I can’t tell them about my past or why I’m so scared.  But they’ve worked really hard to understand me and to learn how to communicate with me so I feel safe. I know they understand because they are so patient and kind to me. As the days went by, I got braver and braver as I got to know them more. They take me on nice walks in the woods and in the field too where I get to do zoomies (it’s my favourite thing and I’m so speedy).

Since I arrived at Holly Hedge, I’ve always been very nervous about being touched. To help me with this, the staff have taught me loads of different things. I know a hand touch, both paws and a chin target. All these things allow me to initiate the contact and it’s helped me realise that it is fun to interact with people (not scary anymore) and I’m so much braver now. I’m still wary about being handled but once I’ve gotten to know someone and formed a relationship with them, I do enjoy a gentle fuss and love to snuggle up on the sofa in the staff room with my favourite humans.

The staff at Holly Hedge have also taken me offsite in the car for some nice walks away from kennels because I’ve been here for so long! The car was scary at first, but now it’s once of my favourite places and I get so excited to go out for car rides! I’ve been up on the Mendips, for walks round the forest and even on a trip to the beach. I find busy places very overwhelming so prefer going on walks in quieter places.  But I’m so much braver now. The staff say you wouldn’t recognise me as the scared dog that first arrived! My true character is finally coming out now which makes them so happy to see. They just love seeing my cheeky, playful, affectionate personality shine through!

The staff at Holly Hedge all love me and if they could, they’d take me home in a heartbeat. However, I’ve been waiting for my forever home for a long time now and I would love to find a kind, patient person with a Lottie sized hole in their heart. I’ve shown the staff that I’ve got a really fun, cheeky side too. Now I’m brave, I like to play bow to my carers when I’m doing zoomies in the field. And if you don’t pay me attention or give me a treat when I want one, I’ll paw at you to remind you I’m still there. I’m also super smart!

The staff have taught me how to file my own nails down using a scratch board as I’m too nervous for them to clip my nails. I love doing my nails and know so many tricks which I’d love to show you when you come to meet me!

I can be very shy at first but I hope that doesn’t put people off coming to see me. It will take a lot of meets for me to get used to another friend.  But my carers tell me that it’ll be worth it and that I’ll love it once I have a forever home. I’ve shown my carers what a wonderful girl I am and they’re desperate for me to find a home soon! If you give me your heart, I’ll give you mine and you’ll have a friend for life!

Do you think you have a Lottie sized hole in your heart?

To apply for Lottie, please email  [email protected]  stating your current situation & working hours and reasons for wanting to adopt her.  Please note, we can only accept applications that match her needs.  Therefore, please also consider if your work hours and situation will still be suitable on a long term basis.  Thank you.

See our other dogs here.