Don’t ever abandon me again!
One year on, emotional scars STILL raw for dog left at railway station with case of belongings
With case packed, the dog dumped at railway station...
IT is exactly one year since Kai, the Shar Pei, was left at a railway station with his belongings in a suitcase by his side.
The lovable rescue dog touched hearts around the world, with thousands of people volunteering to take him in.
He later found a new home, with engineer Ian Russell, but Kai has not lost his anxiety about being abandoned again.
Mr Russell, 53, takes the dog to work in his van, to the pub and even, as a keen hill walker, to the tops of Munros including Ben Nevis and Ben Lomond.
He said: ‘He gets a bit upset if he’s left alone, even now. As soon as I put my aftershave on to go out without him, he knows what is happening.
‘He stays right beside me doing his big puppy eyes, then he follows me to the door.
‘As soon as the key is in the door when I get back, his paws are bouncing off the door. I have been told that for dogs being left alone by an owner and not seeing them again can be a real shock. I think what happened has made him a bit more insecure than other dogs.’
Kai was found abandoned at Ayr railway station on January 2, 2015, in a tale reminiscent of the story of Paddington Bear. Tied to railings, the Shar Pei was left alone sitting next to a suitcase containing a toy, bowl, food and a pillow.
When animal charity the SSPCA launched a public appeal to find him a new home, his sad story brought offers from dog lovers as far away as Peru, the Philippines and Canada.
But it was Mr Russell, from Newton Mearns in Renfrewshire, who was chosen to take him in.
The dog lover said: ‘I never intended to take him. I felt sorry for the little lad when I saw the picture of him at the train station – it was a very sad story.
‘I had offered to give money for the eye operation he needed but then I ended up filling out a form for him. I had never even met Kai when I found out I had him, but as soon as he came home with me he was bouncing all over the place.’
The two-year-old dog was slightly reserved with his new owner for the first few months, perhaps because
Daily Mail, January 7, 2015 of his past experience. He was advertised by his previous owner for sale on listings website Gumtree but then abandoned by the woman who bought him.
She claimed he was not the same animal pictured in the advert and was in a poor state of health.
Mr Russell said: ‘He does not like being left on his own, so I try not to leave him for more than a few hours. From 5am, when I get up for work, he is with me, and he travels in the front of my van.
‘When I go to building sites and farms to fix machinery, they all know Kai and have biscuits for him. I take him to the shops and to the pub, although not to the cinema or restaurants. Then he has the television on to keep him company.’
The friendly dog hardly struggles for company, however, as wherever the pair go he gets recognised from making the news when he was abandoned.
He loves the attention and is happy to oblige dog lovers with a friendly paw or a high five – which his new owner taught him to do.
He does not leave his master’s side even when he is climbing hills and Kai has now bagged nine Munros. Next April, Mr Russell is even hoping to take him with him to do the London Marathon, to raise money for the SSPCA, which currently has around 900 other pets in its rescue and rehoming centres.
A spokesman for the animal charity said: ‘It is absolutely fantastic that we were able to find Kai his forever home with Ian, who clearly adores him. We really don’t think we could have found a better home for this very special dog.’
Mr Russell added: ‘In the last few months, we have developed a real bond. If I am lying on the sofa, Kai just throws himself on top of me.
‘I have been very lucky with this dog and to have him in my life is amazing.’