20th May was National Dog Rescue Day. During the month of May, we have been sharing Second Chance stories. Today are Simba and Clover’s story as told by Sophie Smith.
We’re Sophie and Andrew; I work as a PA and Andrew is a Commercial Director. We live in London and both work mostly from home, which we love as we get to spend lots of time with our dogs throughout the day. We do sometimes have to head out to the office – we then tag team or use dog walkers or neighbours to help us.
We are fortunate to have a spacious home and a garden, however, we’ve found it’s not essential. Our dogs prefer to stay downstairs in the kitchen or curled up next to/under our desks. We tend to make far more use of our local parks than our garden! It’s a great reminder that what rescue dogs need most isn’t a perfect setup – it’s love, time, and patience.
We have two beautiful rescue dogs from Romania.
Simba is our first, a gorgeous St Bernard mix weighing around 37kg! People literally stop their cars to ask about him! He’s incredibly affectionate with those he knows and trusts and is completely obsessed with food … which makes him very easy to train. We adopted him when he was six months old, after he was found abandoned in a forest with his mum and three sisters. He’s now two and thriving. Amazingly, we’ve kept in touch with the families who adopted his siblings, all now happily rehomed across the UK.
Clover is our newest addition, a gentle little soul who joined us just eight weeks ago. She’s around seven months old and has become my little shadow, following me everywhere and curling up under my desk while I work. She was found alone on the street at just eight weeks old and is honestly one of the kindest, most loving dogs I’ve ever met. She’s also great with my one-year-old niece and wants to be friends with everybody she meets.
What made you decide to rescue?
I’ve always felt strongly about rescuing a dog for as long as I can remember. More so now, seeing all the different issues around the world and how dogs are abandoned and neglected. Social media certainly highlighted the amount of rescue dogs out there to me. I was a big Paul O’Grady fan and loved following his work with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
There’s a misconception that rescue dogs are “troubled”, but honestly, any dog can have behavioural challenges, whether adopted or bought from a breeder. Rescue dogs have such depth. Some of them have been through so much, and it’s a beautiful experience to show them love and watch them bloom. You’re not just saving one life- you’re saving two: the dog you bring home and the one who now has space in the shelter whilst they wait for their forever home. There’s also a rescue dog for every kind of home- from energetic puppies to wise older dogs. They all deserve a chance and can be matched to different families, some are great with younger kids and some prefer older, some like cats and other dogs and some prefer to be the only pet.
How did you choose your rescue dogs?
We spent about a year scrolling through rescue sites and social media, looking for the right fit and also waiting for the right time … we quickly learned there was never a right time! You have to just go for it and it all works out. One day, I saw Simba’s little puppy mugshot online and instantly knew he was ours. We applied, and within a week, he was home!
When it came time to find Simba a friend, we knew we wanted another Romanian rescue. Learning more about the dire conditions so many Romanian dogs face made us even more determined. That search led us to our sweet Clover – and we haven’t looked back.
Tell us about the rescues you adopted from
We found Simba by pure luck whilst looking online! He was in foster care with a wonderful woman, who fosters dogs from different rescues whilst they wait for their forever home, we were so lucky to find Simba. From this, we were introduced to Evermore Dog Rescue, a brilliant UK-based rescue that brings Romanian dogs to the UK – and it is through Evermore Rescue that we found Clover. We’re still very involved with their work — I currently sponsor a dog called Valentina, donating monthly to cover her food at a private Romanian shelter until she finds her forever home. A stranger did this for Clover before we found her, so we like to think by helping another dog we are giving back to the kindness that was shown to Clover before she found us.
Evermore also runs raffles and auctions to help fund ongoing care. Their dedication is just incredible.
How easy was it to adopt an overseas rescue?
Honestly? Much easier than we expected. We had fantastic experiences looking for a dog with both Evermore Rescueand Pennypaws Rescue. We ended up going with Clover from Evermore Rescue as she stole our hearts. Once we connected with Evermore rescue, everything moved quickly and smoothly. We had an online home check, discussed dogs looking for homes and chose our dog, and the rescue team took care of the rest – vaccinations, passports, quarantine in line with DEFRA regulations, and transport. We received regular updates and felt supported every step of the way. And that support continues even after your dog arrives.
We would highly recommend either of these rescues for their professionalism and love of dogs! We sponsor a dog through Pennypaws Rescue too – a GSD rescued from a kill shelter. You get to name them if you are their first sponsor, so I named him Niall, after Niall Harbison! As I met him the same day the dog was rescued, so I thought it was a great tribute to a great guy and the perfect name for a brave dog!
What was your experience with UK-based rescue like?
In our experience, it was a lot more difficult to adopt a dog from well-known rescues with dogs based in the UK. The process felt more restrictive, and it was hard to even get to the application stage. I completely admire those who successfully navigate it – we need people rescuing UK dogs too – but for us, international rescue was a better fit.
Romanian dogs hold a special place in our hearts. Their suffering is unimaginable, and we believe borders shouldn’t matter when it comes to saving lives. There are bad people in this world who don’t have any compassion for animals but there are far more good people, including those running private shelters in Romania, and they just need our help to get these dogs into loving homes. We, in the UK have the hearts and minds to be able to understand that we need to help internationally to rescue, educate and support to help stop animal cruelty for all animals all over the world and not just on our doorstep.
What did you think about rescue before adopting?
We assumed it would be easier to adopt locally and far more complex to adopt from overseas. In reality, it was the complete opposite! We are now so passionate about rescues, we actively support many different rescue charities. I am planning to head out to Romania this summer to help with the dogs, which will be a very emotional experience.
What do you think about rescue now?
We’re in awe of the rescue community and the work they do. If you’re thinking about adopting from Romania, we can’t recommend Evermore Rescue or Pennypaws Rescue highly enough. Gill (Pennypaws) and Marilyn (Evermore), the founders or the two separate rescues, are truly passionate, compassionate, and professional. There is also a wonderful rescue community in London, that we have recently discovered that’s to May and Teresa.
What’s your message to anyone thinking of rescuing a dog?
Be patient, be open-hearted, and be ready to adapt. Every dog is different… just like people -and your new companion might bark at the postman, chew a slipper, or dig up your flowerbed. But they’ll also love you fiercely, make you laugh every day, and change your life for the better.
What have you learned through rescuing?
I’ve changed so much. I used to be completely work-focused, but now I crave time at home with our dogs. I enjoy easy weekends with my dogs, the great thing is, you can take dogs almost everywhere now. Restaurants, shops, holiday … even the cinema!
Has adopting changed your perspective on rescue dogs?
Completely. I expected them to be hardened street dogs, but they’re actually incredibly soft, affectionate, and funny. And so smart! I’ve also gained a huge appreciation for the process that goes on behind the scenes – from saving dogs from kill shelters, to placing them in foster homes or carefully matched permanent homes. It’s an incredibly well-run, collaborative effort. The UK rescues go out to Romania and meet the dogs prior to the rehoming process, this is how they work out if they are suitable for rehoming or if they need to be fostered and rehabilitated beforehand.
What are your favourite things to do in London with your rescue dogs?
We love Battersea Park and the Power Station, wandering around the commons, heading to dog-friendly pubs… doggy meet ups! We also love escaping London and going away for countryside weekends or seaside breaks in Cornwall. Watching Simba and Clover run on the beach or enjoy a doggy ice cream is just the best. If we could have one wish, it would be for all dogs to be loved as much as we love ours.
Follow and support: If you are interested in finding out more about fostering or adopting a Romanian rescue @dogrescueukpennypaws @evermoredogrescue
Thank you, Sophie for sharing Simba and Clover’s story.
We met Sophie, Simba and Clover at one of our @RescueDogsofLondon meet-ups and it is so wonderful to see the various dogs from all over the world adapting to life in the UK.
Adopt, don’t shop. Over 75% of the world’s 900 million dogs roam the streets. There are animal charities around the world working endlessly to sterilise dogs to help curb the population growth. And there are shelters full to the brim with dogs who need a second chance. Please consider giving one of those stuck in shelters before buying a puppy.
