A rescue centre’s oldest-ever pair of dogs with a combined age of 34 have finally found their forever home after they were previously overlooked for being too elderly.
Collie crosses, Sheba and Teddy, both aged 17, were taken into the care of the Dogs Trust in Evesham, Worcs, after their owner died in November last year.
However, nobody came forward to give the adorable pooches the retirement home they needed after they were repeatedly turned down due to their age.
The veteran mutts – believed to be the oldest doggy duo ever cared for by the charity – faced an uncertain future until Dogs Trust volunteer Sue Lewis stepped in.
Sue, 69, of Redditch, Worcs, said she couldn’t bear the thought of them not finding their final forever home after a lifetime of being looked after as beloved pets.
She said: “I became a volunteer dog walker at the Evesham rehoming centre in September last year, as I had a huge dog-shaped hole in my life since losing my last dog, Muttley, a year previously.
“My husband Pete wasn’t quite ready to welcome another four-legged friend into our lives so I decided to get my dog-fix by volunteering.
“I’ve walked dozens of dogs since I started but I fell in love with Sheba and Teddy instantly after I went out on a walk with them and one of their carers, Callum.
“He was telling me all about how they were being overlooked by potential adopters due to the fact they are an older pair and my heart broke.
“I said, ‘do you think they’d like to come and live with me’ and the rest is history.”
Sue’s previous dog Muttley was found as an abandoned stray as a puppy and lived to the grand old age of 16 and she also had other dogs which lived to 17.
She said she knew the time was right to get another dog and wanted to rescue a dog who needed a second chance.Sue added: “It’s so nice to be greeted by a waggy tail again after so long.
“Sheba and Teddy have settled in amazingly well, you can tell they were much-loved pets and used to their home comforts.
“They are so bonded with one another but do have different personalities, Teddy is definitely the more confident of the two.
“I’m just so happy I was able to keep them together in their twilight years to live out their lives with us.”
Chris Slight, rehoming centre manager at Dogs Trust Evesham, said: “Sheba and Teddy’s world was turned upside down when their owner died.
“We were all eager to find them a home together – which was proving difficult due to their age and because we were looking for an owner to take on a pair.
“Luckily Sue fell in love with them and it’s been the ideal outcome for everyone.
“We know they’ll be very happy with Sue and Pete who will make sure they have everything they could hope for in their final forever home.”
The charity said it also wanted to remind potential adopters of the benefits of taking in an older dog.
Chris added: “Older dogs often don’t need quite as much exercise and although they can be a little less energetic, senior canines can be just as fun and playful.
“Older dogs are more likely to be fully house-trained and, as they are older and wiser, they usually know other training basics too, but you can certainly still teach an old dog new tricks.
“They can also make the perfect napping partner and enjoy a good snooze and a snuggle in the evening”.
Anyone wanting to offer a home to an older dog, or any of the residents at Dogs Trust, can visit: www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming.
