20th May is National Dog Rescue Day. During the month of May, we will share Second Chance stories. Today is Zuko’s story as told by Alvin Ramsamy.
I live in Ickenham, Greater West London. We live in a 4th floor flat near a station near lots of nice green spaces, pubs and other dog friendly amenities. I work for a Student’s Union at a University. Bryony now lives in Guildford, she is the co-founder of a marketing agency.
Zuko, originally Zuco, but I changed the spelling to be the same as Fire Lord Zuko (for those that know that character) as it was one of my names for a dog anyway. It’s a boy’s name, but she doesn’t know that!
Breed wise she is a mix, we don’t know what exactly, many people say she has Spaniel in her. The Ai on my phone says she is a Brittany, probably as her face has some similarities with them. Often people like to suggest some other breeds when looking at her! Beagle, and Kokoni (which I’d never heard of ) I don’t see many dogs that look like her in England, but I think it’s a more common look around Gran Canaria which is where she is from.
We only know a little bit about her backstory – that her and her brother were with a family but were left at a pound. They would have been put down but a lady who runs a charity out there saved them. We recently found out her brother is in Devon and we are toying with the idea of seeing if the owners would be interested in a visit. I’m not sure if it’s worse to re-introduce them separate them again – advice welcome!
She’s a polite, docile, clever and sassy little lady who loves the company of her favourite humans. She’s much more confident than when we first got her and is still growing in that area. She’s a massive introvert, which she tells me with her eyes and groans when I make her socialise with me! (Maybe that’s why I’m her second favourite human)
She has begun to be a bit more playful with other dogs, and we’re trying to encourage her to do that, hence why we joined the Rescue Dogs of London meet up!
What made you decide to rescue?
We liked the idea of giving a dog in need a home and it felt like the right thing to do. We didn’t want to do anything to encourage unnecessary breeding too. I think also having a dog that was a little older and more developed than a puppy seemed sensible given our circumstances.
How did you choose your rescue dog?
Bryony had always wanted a dog, but we were in a flat and small space so as time went on she started to look for dogs that would be appropriate for a flat. Bryony had been trying with the national charities and also looking at dogs for sale. I’d been keeping an eye on some smaller charities to see if they were all legit/ok. I’d been following Pet Pals for a while, and seeing how other adoptions had gone. They have a network of fosterers across the UK and whenever dogs are placed with them they are posted on their facebook page and you get in touch if you are interested.
Zuko stood out to me, as the description of her temperament, size and personality suited our lifestyle and living in a flat. She looked like the sort of dog Bryony would love, and her name was already very close to one of my dog names, so she immediately peaked my interest. She was also about an hour drive away, so after some consideration and knowing how much it meant to Bryony, I reached out.
Tell us about the rescue/shelter you adopted from.
Pet Pals -is run by one extremely passionate lady (Louise) in Gran Canaria, who picks up a variety of dogs, looks after them at her site, get’s them up to scratch with vets, and arranges for them to be placed with fosterers in the UK. Their mantra is a good home for every dog, and they are quite open with also taking old dogs, and dogs in need of some care – as well as perfectly healthy dogs.
Within a few weeks of messaging, I’d already had much more human contact than years of trying (by Bryony) with more established charities. Louise gave me some info and told me to get in touch with the fosterer, Liza. Which I did and then arranged for a local fosterer, Tara, to come over and asses us and our home.
There were no barriers given we were first time dog owners and lived in a flat, again they went back to their mantra (a good home for every dog). Plus our home suited the dog we were interested in. So after a check and looking into us, we were signed off and I arranged the visit.
Liza (the fosterer) explained that due to Zuko’s personality and temperament if we got on with her at the first visit we could take her, (whereas some other dogs may need a few more visit first). When we met Zuko came and sat next to me immediately, so I was sold! She also was so calm around Liza’s three other dogs who were so excited by two new people in the house. We took Zuko for a little walk, went over a few more details and took her to her new home.
How easy was it to get your rescue to the UK?How easy was it for you to adopt here in the UK?
Easy as it was all sorted by Louise and Pet Pals.
What did you think about rescues before adopting?
Thought it was disgusting people would abandon a dog, especially one of Zukos personality and temperament.
What do you think about rescues after adopting?
We got a little bit lucky with Zuko maybe, her biggest issues to work on were separation anxiety and the occasional dicky tummy. She’s obedient, clean and great around children and other animals, you might not now the full extent of a rescue’s personality, it also changes as they settle and realise their new place is their home.
But you don’t know peoples personal circumstances, so hopefully abandoning was a very last resort.
I’m so glad we did it though, she’s great. I’d like to think if and when I get another dog (I think that’s one for when I reach retirement) I’d rescue again.
What is your message to anyone who is thinking of getting a rescue?
Absolutely do it if you can and if you’re sure you are at a stage in your life when you want a dog. It’s obviously a different challenge than raising a puppy, and each dog will have it’s own things they need help with. It takes a little restraint and patience. I just wanted Zuko to be comfortable around me immediately, but it takes a while. She’d had a lot of upheaval and is still scarred from her previous life. And generally having a dog is a complete lifestyle change that I wasn’t ready for and took me a while to adjust.
Some people said to me they couldn’t rescue (whilst recognising it’s a good thing) as they love the bond you when you have them from a puppy. I can’t compare, but the bonds we have are strong, and it’s good to know she is having a better life and a second chance at one.
What have you learnt from rescuing your dog? Things about yourself? Has it changed your perspective about rescue dogs?
Most people are lot nicer to you when you have a dog, e.g. let you cross the road if they are in car, talk to you on a train etc.
About myself, hmm that’s a big question. I think it brought out some good and bad things in me, things around my concerns around germs and hygiene, but learning elements of looking/after raising a life and maybe a more caring side.
What are your favourite things to do in London with your rescue dog?
Anything to help socialise her, as well as the Rescue Dogs of London, the White Bear pub near me runs a monthly dog walk.
Dressing her up, shout out to the Halloween Dog Parage run by the organisers of Ruislip Duck Pond Market.
Dog friendly pubs and restaurants.
Thank you, Alvin for sharing Zuko’s story.
We met Alvin and Zuko at 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.
