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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Paige Freshwater

Dog obsessed with tennis balls is searching for home ahead of Wimbledon final

He loves nothing more than playing with tennis balls - but doesn't have an owner who shares his interests.

Ball-mad Benny has been taken in by the Dogs Trust's Shoreham Centre in Sussex - but wants to secure a new home before the Wimbledon finals.

The collie cross has been honing his tennis skills with the centre's maintenance operative, Ryan Hawkins, who struggles to "resist Benny's big brown eyes when he fancies a game of fetch".

A spokesperson said: "Three-year-old Benny is a playful, loyal and loving companion if you give him the time he needs to get to know you.

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Benny with Ryan Hawkins (Dogs Trust)
He would like to live in a multi-person household (Dogs Trust)

"Benny's perfect match would be an active family who have plenty of time to dedicate just to him and treat him like the top dog he is.

"Whilst he may already be a canine champion with his ball skills, he is hoping for a family who can continue reward-based training to help him gain some confidence, as well as building up his skillset."

He would like a multi-person household so that there's always someone around to keep him company, and he would prefer to be the only pet in the home so he can be the main focus of his family.

He is able to live with children aged fourteen and over. A garden of his own is essential, so he has a place to play, game, set and fetch.

The Dog Trust's fee for adopting an adult dog is £205 in England, Wales and Scotland, and £192.50 in Northern Ireland, due to the extra dog licence fees owners will need to pay.

A statement reads: "All the dogs in our care are thoroughly assessed by our behaviour experts to determine their ideal home.

"Some will be able to live with another dog, and some won’t. It will say on a dog’s profile if they’d be comfortable in a home with other pets.

"If we match you with a dog, we’ll ask you to bring your other dog to the rehoming centre for them to meet, so we can be sure that they will be happy to live together.

"Every dog we rehome is vaccinated, microchipped and neutered or we’ll give you a neutering voucher if they haven't yet been neutered.

"We'll also give you a new Dogs Trust lead and collar, starter pack of food, and 4 weeks’ free insurance from our partner Petplan."

If you're interested in rehoming Benny, or any other animals at the Dogs Trust, complete an application form or contact their team on 0303 003 0000.

Do you have a dog story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.

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