I was eating breakfast at home in Hampshire in March this year, scrolling through social media on my phone, when a story caught my eye. It was about a nine-year-old dog, Charlie, dubbed the loneliest in Britain. He had been in an RSPCA rescue centre in Somerset for more than 500 days.
For some reason, nobody wanted to adopt him. I clicked on the link and straight away these huge, sad eyes stared back at me. I was smitten. I turned to my husband, Sam, and said: “We’ve got to have him.” He read the article over my shoulder and felt exactly the same way. We wanted to give Charlie a happy home and a new lease of life.
Over the past few years we have tried to adopt a few different dogs, but we haven’t had any luck – we were never top of the list. Sam and I got used to filling in forms and not hearing anything. We’d almost given up hope.
But Charlie is an older dog and we felt we’d be suited – even older dogs have a lot of love left to offer. So we took our time with the application, sent photographs of our house and garden. We explained why Charlie would be happy with us, then forgot all about it.
A few days later we received an email from Brent Knoll animal centre, saying we’d been shortlisted. We were gobsmacked and thrilled. They asked us to visit Charlie to be interviewed and to see if he liked us.
When we arrived we were taken to the staff room. We didn’t know what to expect. We hadn’t been told much about Charlie’s circumstances, but as he had been given up for adoption and hadn’t been placed with a new owner for so long, we thought there might be issues. But the dog that bounded in was full of joy and charisma.
He came straight over to us, all inquisitive. We had been told he was wary of men, but as soon as he saw Sam, he jumped on his lap as if they’d been best friends for ever.
That day, we gave him treats and played ball. The centre wanted us to come back the next day, when the final decision would be made. When we returned, Charlie jumped up and wagged his tail. We were delighted when they said we could take him home. The staff at the centre became teary when it was time to say goodbye. They had looked after him brilliantly for almost two years.
The drive back took a few hours, and I don’t think Charlie had ever been in a car for that long. He was well behaved, if a little queasy. We thought he might feel nervous in a new environment, but as soon as he got to our house he immediately made himself at home. He went into each room, had a good old sniff, then jumped into an armchair.
Charlie is a dog who knows exactly what he wants – and that’s to be with us all the time. That first night he jumped on our bed and slept between us. That’s become his habit. He’s so warm-hearted. He has none of the trauma you might expect after spending so long in a rescue centre.
Charlie has short legs like a corgi, a big body like a staffie and the lovely head of a beagle. He’s very affectionate. Our daughter is in love with him as well. She brings him presents every time she comes round. We’ve had dogs, cats and horses in the past, but no pets for a long time before him.
If you give a dog love, they’ll give you a bundle of wonderful things in return. Charlie gets two walks a day and is getting better at walking on a lead: when we first got him, he pulled a lot. He’s a bit antisocial at the local park, always up for a fight. He thinks he can take on more than his match.
We feel proud that we’ve given Charlie a new home and a second chance. He’s done the same for us. Now we get out every day on walks and we’re more active. He’s always so happy to see us when we come through the door. He’s spoiled and we enjoy him so much.
It’s important for people to adopt animals, especially older ones. People often go for puppies or trendy breeds, so it was good to take on a dog who was a bit older and had been unwanted for so long. Charlie was once the loneliest dog in Britain. But he’s not alone any more.
• As told to Sophie Haydock
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