Boy reunited with beloved pup after full year apart

Lennon, 12, was ecstatic to get his dog back after having to give her up

A Dundee boy has been reunited with his dog after a year apart.

Rhonda and Lennon Jackson were forced to rehome their pet Benji after effectively being made homeless.

Rhonda, 44, had to walk away from a cottage on which she had been working on the outskirts of Dundee after the breakdown of a relationship.

This left her and son Lennon, 12, in temporary accommodation and they were told they had to get rid of Benji, who was around a year old at the time.

At first the beagle stayed with Rhonda’s stepmother, but that was in a flat and after a few weeks she was no longer able to look after him.

They then reluctantly made the decision to rehome Benji, which Rhonda described as an “absolute nightmare”.

She said: “Lennon had to leave his school so it was a tough time overall. Being told we couldn’t keep Benji was devastating for him.”

After eight months in temporary accommodation, Rhonda managed to get a place for them in Fintry. She messaged Benji’s new owners saying that if they ever had to get rid of her to get in touch but she did not hear back.

Last week Rhonda got a text message from the owner saying they couldn’t look after Benji any more.

Rhonda added: “I started crying instantly. Lennon has been the happiest I’ve seen him in a long time. We never thought we would see her again, never mind have her back.”

Arrangements were made and Rhonda picked Benji up on October 16.

“As soon as she saw me she recognised me,” Rhonda said.

“Lennon couldn’t sleep the night before we got her back for excitement.

“The new owners gave her a different name, but as soon as I called her Benji she remembered her name.

“I took her for a long walk in the country and let her off the lead. I was a little worried that she wouldn’t remember me well enough to come back but when I called out her name she came right back.

“She used to do this thing where she would turn her back to me and lay her back legs flat on the floor for me to massage them. I’d forgotten all about that, but in our first night with her she started doing it again.

“I was wondering what they hell she was doing for a while, but it suddenly came back to me that she wanted me to massage her legs. She remembered us.

“How many times does someone get their dog back after having to rehome them? It’s a slim chance, I imagine, so we are so happy to have her back.”

Picture: Kris Miller Lennon and Benji in their new home.