County’s loneliest dog finally finds her family
LEICESTERSHIRE’S loneliest dog has finally found a home, after spending five years waiting in a shelter for the perfect family.
Seven-year-old Muffin, a crossbreed, has spent most of her life in a shelter after being rescued from a life of living outside with lots of other dogs, when she was not acclimatised to the outside world.
Staff at Dogs Trust Loughborough, where she has spent the past five years, spent many hours helping her overcome her anxiety about the outside world – particularly with cars.
Celine Di Crocco, Dogs Trust Loughborough manager, said: “When she was young she wasn’t introduced to people or things we come across in daily life, so basically everything scared her, particularly cars.
“We spent many hours letting her watch cars come and go in our car park, so she got used to the noises, but we knew she’d have to be happy to get in a car if she was to ever head home.”
To help Muffin overcome her worries, the staff made her a step to get into and out of a car. It worked.
Celine said: “The step became part of her playtime and she would be rewarded with a tasty treat for climbing on to it.
“We moved it to a car and it was one of the best days when we watched her happily walk up it.”
All Muffin’s hard work paid off, and after reading about her on the shelter’s website, Catherine Connelly and Mike Lytwyniw met Muffin at the rehoming centre.
Catherine said “We’ve been wanting to get a dog for a long time and we definitely wanted to give a rescue dog a second chance.
“We read about Muffin on the website and thought she was a great match for us. The team obviously adored her but were totally honest with us and explained she was anxious around new people and worried by new experiences, so we knew we’d have to take our time with her.”
The couple, from Bidford on Avon in Warwickshire, visited Muffin many times before she headed home with them, slowly building a bond with her, until one day she decided to climb on to Catherine’s knee for a cuddle.
Catherine said: “I will never forget that. We knew then she trusted us, which was just beyond words.
“She now loves walks in the countryside, is cheeky, playful, affectionate, very loyal and loves meeting people. She is such a brave girl and so trusting.”
Muffin is one of more than 300 dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes at Dogs Trust Loughborough which have found loving homes since lockdown began in March.