Woodgreen mobilizes team to support lockdown puppies
As puppies acquired during lockdown reach their challenging adolescent stage, and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to leave many people struggling, Woodgreen Pets Charity has made extra provisions to be there for those in need.
Having extended its services for pet owners over the last three years, the charity’s support teams are ready to help puppy owners with any issues they may be facing, along with offering capacity both on site and across a network of foster homes if owners are no longer able to care for their puppy.
Huge numbers of people welcomed a new pet into their home over the past year, many of which are now living happily. For others, however, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. In the last three months of 2020, Woodgreen’s Behaviour & Training Specialists supported 53 people with dogs under two years old, around problems including aggression, anxiety, separation issues and resource guarding. In the same time period, Woodgreen was contacted by 32 owners wanting to hand over dogs under a year old for a combination of behavioural, medical and lifestyle reasons.
One distressed owner called the charity’s Pet Support team after her puppy, a Border Collie called Mabel, had bitten her vet through fear. As a first step, Mabel joined one of Woodgreen’s puppy training courses and the owner was given tailored advice to continue the training at home. At the end of the four-week course, Mabel’s behaviour still wasn’t where it needed to be, so one of Woodgreen’s experienced Dog Behaviour & Training Specialists (Sue, pictured above with her dog Reef) arranged a series of sessions with Mabel and her owner at a local nature reserve. This one-to-one support was completely free, and has transformed Mabel’s confidence and behaviour in social situations. Her owner is eternally grateful, and admits that without Woodgreen’s help she would probably have given up her beloved pet.
Whilst Woodgreen will do whatever it can to resolve any challenges faced by dog, cat and small pet owners, sometimes the owner decides the best option is to hand over their pet. This was the case for Teddy, a 12-week-old Shih Tzu x Norfolk Terrier (pictured above), who came into the charity’s care in December. He had an experienced and loving owner, who was devastated by the situation, but sadly his energetic presence was causing problems for another dog in the home. Woodgreen placed Teddy straight into a foster home, where he spent his first Christmas, and he was matched with new owners early in January.
Linda Cantle, Director of Pet & Owner Support Services at Woodgreen said: “Admitting that you need help, or can no longer care for a pet, is an incredibly difficult decision – but it should not be a source of shame or embarrassment. As much as we encourage people to do their research before getting a pet, there are often unforeseen challenges and sometimes it simply doesn’t work out.
“This is what we are here for, so we encourage anyone struggling with a pet to contact Woodgreen as soon as possible. We may be able to offer a solution through advice, behavioural support or financial support. If not, we have the facilities, the capacity and the expertise to find them a new home – whether they are on site, in a foster home or stay with their original owner during the rehoming process.”
Anyone considering giving up a pet can be reassured that every dog in Woodgreen’s care is given tailored medical and behavioural care to set them up for the best possible future, with lifelong support provided to their new owner as well.
However big or small your issue, talk to Woodgreen’s team on 0300 303 9333 or visit our website