….And they lived happily ever after!

A Bullies In Need special

As you almost certainly know we have been running Bullies In Need since about March of this year and I have to say it has certainly snowballed during this short period of time! On the one hand this is good news as it means that people are aware of what we are trying to do and that can only be a plus, but on the downside it means that we are without doubt only seeing the tip of the iceberg with the amount of bullies that need help out there and that is a very depressing thought indeed. The vast majority of dogs we have helped have of course gone on to be very happy in their new homes (hence the above title), but like anything sometimes things do go wrong and a dog with a bad temperament, or mentally disturbed, sometimes cannot be helped and this is something that we do have to accept too. Thankfully we have only come across a very small handful of these dogs and the happy endings far out way the sad ones, but these dogs are always remembered.

I’ve been endeavouring to do some sort of write up on the all dogs we have either rehomed ourselves, or helped to rehome, for quite some time….but it is has taken a lot longer than expected as bullies in need just keep coming unfortunately, leaving less and less time for anything else. Below are short pieces about each dog and, where available, pictures of them happy in their new homes. They are not in any particular order of rehoming I’m afraid!

Jake

Jake is a very handsome, happy, typical bully boy. He had had 3 previous homes when he ended up back under Cathy’s wing through no fault of his own, and he was still only a young dog. He was fostered by Cathy’s sister, and neutered, whilst we looked for a new home for him.

Then along came the perfect couple – previous bully experience and heaps and heaps of love to give another one. Jake has certainly fell on his feet there and is totally adored by his new mum and dad.

Here he is now….first sleeping on his mum’s beanbag, a real favourite of his…..and then tucking into a tasty bone in his new garden.

Buster

Dear Buster found himself in a dog pound, no doubt very worried and very lonely. Just imagine your dog finding himself in a strange place with total strangers and probably cold and scared. He was under the care of Hereford and Worcester Animal Rescue until we offered to take Buster on. One of our volunteers, Sarah, transported Buster a huge distance, and once in his new foster home he settled in very quickly and soon made himself at home.

After being assessed for a good few weeks, vaccinated and neutered, a loving home for Buster was found to people who had previously lost their beloved bullie and had a lonely Staffie girl looking for a toy boy! So Steve and Tracy did an enormous round trip right from the north west down to Milton Keynes, and back again, and took Buster to his new life. He settled in very quickly and soon took up residence on the settee with his new friend Bonnie. Here they are hogging the furniture!

Tonka

Tonka was under the care of a regional Bull Terrier Club welfare and was becoming very depressed in kennels – he didn’t want to get out of his bed and had to be coaxed out for exercise. When I went along to see him I took some piccies of him and was determined to find him a home.

Here’s Tonka wanting to go home…..

A family who had previously lost their rescued Bull Terrier completed one of our questionnaires and I phoned them that morning to let them know about Tonka. I sent them some piccies and the rest, as they say, is history! A homecheck and quite a few phone calls later and they travelled down from the north to collect Tonka and take him home.

Here he is being adored as he should be…..

Buddy

Buddy it seems had a very sad start in life being passed from pillar to post and was already on his second home before he was a year old!

He was being kept outside alone until a relative of his owner decided to find a decent home for this lad. He got talking to Laurie one day and she ended up taking him home!! And thank God she did – what sort of life is it for one of our babes to be shut outside – no life that’s what!

Laurie contacted us to see if we could help and a family was soon found for Buddy, now known as Victor. He went to live with a lovely family and now pots plants all day with them (or more than likely un-pots plants LOL) at the garden nursery they own and is adored by all!

Here he is getting comfy on his seat…..

Sophie

A reputable breeder in the north contacted me as he had an ex-brood bitch that needed a new loving home. Obviously we don’t help rehome dogs for people selling their dogs but are willing to help out if a dog needs a home and we have people looking. Anyway after having spent a fair part of her life being kennelled outside (and well looked after I hasten to add) Sophie now resides at the other end of the country, spends most of her day pottering around the house and garden with her new mummy and shares the sofa with her mum and dad all evening. She’s one happy little girl.

Chucky

Chucky had a similar story in that he was an ex-stud dog and was looking for a comfy retirement home. Well we found him one…..and boy has he taken to it! He has an absolute life of luxury now – albeit shared with 3 cats who he would love to play with but who just about tolerate him, bless him! He has become the love of his new owners lives and is certainly enjoying his new life to the full.

Look at that grin and those eye patches…..and enjoying a good run!!

Evie

Evie’s story has been written up on the Bullies In Need website – one that I had managed to do! For those that have not read it she had been very, very badly treated by her abusive first owner and sustained terrible injuries at his hands, one of which was a broken rib that went untreated. Evie had been in an RSPCA shelter for several months when Joy contacted me to let us know she was there. A couple of weeks later Evie was receiving a ‘welcome home’ party as the whole village where she now lives turned out to see her arrive at her new home!

She has settled in so well her family can’t remember, or imagine, left without her. Never again will anyone ever hurt her and she has put her past behind her and lives a fantastic life in the countryside and beside the sea and is totally cherished and adored by her family.

Belle

Belle is an older girl whose luck certainly changed for the better! She was abandoned in a pound in Yorkshire due to the impending arrival of either children or grandchildren (we’re not sure of the true story I’m afraid). This is where she spent the following 2 days hanging her head in misery, not knowing why she had been so cruelly evicted from her home. On hearing her plight Vici drove an enormous distance to fetch her and hoped to keep her for herself, with Winnie and Pepi as companions for her. Unfortunately this was not to be and I contacted a couple who were on our waiting list and asked them if they would be interested in taking Belle on. After a short discussion between themselves they asked me when, and I said “This afternoon if possible!!”…….and it worked!! Vici drove Belle across to their house that afternoon and there Belle has stayed. She now enjoys warming her toes in front of their wood burner and spends her days pottering about at their office with them, interspersed with country walks and sleeping! Sheer bliss!

Here she is supervising her new dad doing some gardening from her land rover!

Cheeko

Cheeko is a lovely young chap who had to be parted from his original owners due to an unforeseen change in their circumstances. Their original idea was to put him in boarding kennels until they were able to have him home again but things didn’t work out to plan and Cheeko was in kennels for a good few months. He was quite happy as the kennel staff looked after him very well but of course this was no life for him. Anyway we managed to pair him up with a single dad (whose children visited) and they have never looked back!! He has settled in very well and has even got used to the rescue guinea pig!! He gets lots and lots of undivided attention and plenty of seaside walks. His original owners were very grateful that he had found such a new loving home. Cheeko is now known Taz.

Missy

Missy is another ex-brood bitch from a reputable breeder, who was ready to retire and be spoilt rotten! She has now gone to live with a lovely couple, who had tragically lost their previous girl at a very young age, and will be off to her first horse show soon.

Daisy

Daisy was featured in the last issue of the Bullie Run having a spent a good few months, happily, in foster care. There will be a special feature in this issue telling you how Daisy is getting on.

KC

KC was one of the first dogs we helped, really even before we got going!! A friend of Ann’s and myself got in touch to say that one of the pups she bred and rehomed several years previously was looking for a new home as his owners were out for most of the day and he was not doing well being on his own of course. Anyway we had been contacted by someone on the Bullie Bar looking for a dog and we put the two in touch and off he went to his new home. He is now known as Monkey!!!

Rosie

Rosie was another girl from a breeder who was looking for a new home. She had obviously been well looked after and cared for and along came another family with a bullie-sized hole in it!! Rosie fitted that hole perfectly and is adored and cherished by her new family. Here she is in a beautiful pose, bless her.

Zack

Zack was a very sad case indeed. He came to our attention by a very brave lady, who, although very wary of the breed, took it upon herself to rescue him from his so-called owners (who were neighbours of hers and Zack could be seen from one of her upstairs windows). She was absolutely horrified, and mentally tortured, by his condition and set about saving him from his fate. Zack was tied up outside 24:7, cold, thin, lonely, depressed with his head hung to the floor, covered in mange and riddled with worms that were slowly killing him.

Anyway she managed to obtain him from his owners (legally!) and he was transported to one of our much appreciated foster homes. Here his new life began. He lapped up the all the TLC and he went from strength to strength. His health problems were soon treated and he began to put on weight. Once Zack was back to full health a loving home was found and he eventually went off to live in a pub – every man’s dream!! He is now head barman I think!! (This picture was taken just before he went to his new home).

Rum

Rum is a 5 year old lad whose owner knew she could no look after him properly. Her and her partner had split, leaving her with Rum and 4 children, and now having to work full-time. Of course Rum was being left all day and was craving any attention – good or bad! His owner contacted us in the hope that we could find a loving permanent home were Rum would get everything he needed, but most of all the attention and fuss he deserved. So a family was found who lived very close to Rum and after several home visits, and the new family of course being homechecked and a vet reference obtained, Rum is now settling in with his new owners, one of whom is home all day with him, so he couldn’t be happier!!

Muddy

Muddy was under the care of a regional Bull Terrier club rescue and had been in kennels for quite a while. He was originally bought in by a member of that club after he was given Muddy by a man in a pub who no longer wanted him. Muddy was rather unkept and was quite thin. The kennel owner contacted me and within a few days a lovely couple was found and Muddy went off to his new life – and has never looked back!

Izzy

Izzy was a little white deaf bullie puppy being fostered by another rescue. They were finding it difficult to rehome him and had not had any suitable potential owners come along. Anyway a home was found (I’m afraid I can’t remember all the details now!) but Izzy went to live in rural Cambridgeshire with Simon and Fiona (and their big black cat who scared our Ted half to death when the homecheck was done!). He has a wonderful life and is very happy little chappy!

Bullseye

Bullseye was a resident of Battersea Dogs Home. I’m not quite sure how he ended up in there but we have a contact at Battersea and he lets me know when they get any bullies in. Bullseye was a dog with a nice temperament and full of life – he was rather boisterous and needed a home with no young children and preferably someone with experience of bull breeds. Anyway I contacted a suitable person who had been waiting patiently on our potential adopters list – he contacted Battersea straight away, fell in love with Bullseye – went through Battersea’s homecheck procedure – and Bullseye went off happily to his new home.

Buster

Buster was another dog who we helped right at the beginning of BIN. He turned up in a council dog pound in the north west of England and had just 7 days to find a home! Mel, from Fireside Bull Breed Rescue, contacted me and we set about getting Buster into a foster home. Cathy’s friend Jen volunteered and Buster was transported down to Buckinghamshire via a chain of people. Originally he was only meant to stay with Jen until a permanent home could be found but after Jen had lavished so much TLC on Buster and got him through his original health problems of course she couldn’t bear to be parted from him! So…….he stayed!! He adores Jen, and him her, so that was a match made in heaven.

Troy

Troy came from a home where he was not receiving enough attention and although kept outside in a kennel was desperate to be part of the family. Along came a family desperate for a Bull Terrier, after the loss of their previous dog a while earlier, and Troy fitted straight in. Here he is all snuggled up. He is such a well behaved boy, adores all the fuss and love he is given and has even managed to win over the resident cat, Jake!

Kim

Kim was recently a resident at a dogs home having been given up by her owners at the age of 7. We saw her on their website and after a phone call to one of the people on our waiting list, a visit was arranged and they went to see Kim. Any, yep, you’ve guessed it – Kim went home with them that day and is much loved and very well cared for. She is a very soppy girl and apparently likes to sit on her new mum’s lap whilst she tries to use the PC!!

Here she is before she was rehomed….

Tess

As I type this Tess is being transported to her new life!! Tess is a 6 year old deaf white girl whose owner’s are apparently emigrating to Australia without her. She has been totally confused as to why she has ended up in kennels…..cold and alone in her already silent world. I was contacted by a kind volunteer who visits these RSPCA kennels, in the Midlands, and also by the main Bull Terrier Club Welfare, and asked if we could help. I rang the kennels to get a summary of Tess’s temperament etc so I could hopefully match her up with suitable people from our waiting list. Tess had also been advertised in the local paper by the centre, to try to find her a suitable home, but they had not had any response from the public…(this is the only picture we have of Tess so far)….

One of our helpers, Sarah, also very kindly went down to the kennels to spent some time with Tess and to give us a bit more of an idea of what she was like. Of course, Sarah fell in love with her!! But Tess is wary of large dogs so would not have loved Sarah’s boy, Stan, quite as much! Anyway the potential couple travelled down from Yorkshire to the kennels and they fell in love with Tess too as she is such a loving girl. They passed their RSPCA homecheck with flying colours and should be collecting Tess today (04.12.04). They are very excited at the prospect of having another bullie girl, having lost their dog to old age recently. Tess will be going to a rural home where she will be loved and cherished as she should be, will get lots of nice walks, plenty of attention and even get to go to stay in a caravan at the beach some weekends, perhaps never having seen the sea before!! The couple who have taken Tess on have promised to keep a diary, logging Tess’s progress and the challenges they may face with taking on a deaf dog. I for one can’t wait to read it!!

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Hopefully we can make this section a permanent feature of the Bullie Run and can share the happy endings of some of the dogs we have helped. None of this can be done without donations, and subscriptions, from you the public and we and the dogs are eternally grateful to everyone who has been so generous with either their time or money, or both!

Jo, Ann and Cathy
(on behalf of all the team at Bullies In Need)

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