A dog once dubbed as ‘Britain’s most unwanted’ has finally found a home after waiting 1,700 days at Dogs Trust Leeds.
Meet Jake, a lurcher that first arrived at Dogs Trust Leeds when he was just one year old back in 2015.
He was found a home, but sadly due to the owner’s circumstances changing he was returned in 2019.
After spending four years at the charity, Jake has now finally found his forever home as a couple from Keighley has welcomed him into their family.
Jake had been passed around many homes before arriving at the Dogs Trust centre in Leeds, and staff have said they are ‘delighted’ to see him finally find a home.
The charity said he lacked confidence around other dogs, but the team at Leeds Dogs Trust created a special training programme to help Jake socialise and build trust with others.
Veronica and Keith Johnson, Jake’s new parents, said they felt an instant connection with him after watching a video of him on a walk with one of his carers.
Veronica said: “I knew the moment that I saw the video of Jake on his holidays that I wanted him to come and live with us. He’d had a tough start to life and lacked in confidence, but it was clear from our first meeting that he was an affectionate and friendly dog who just needed someone to give him a chance.
“The introduction process was quite long, but it was important we moved at a pace Jake was happy with, and the staff at Dogs Trust Leeds supported us through it all. We love having Jake in our home. It feels like he’s been with us forever, and we couldn’t imagine life without him!”.
Kevin Johnson, one of the team at Dogs Trust Leeds added: “Four years is too long for any dog to be with us, and we were desperate to find him his forever home. Jake literally bounced out of the car, straight into his new home and on to the sofa.
“I’m not ashamed to say there was quite the lump in my throat. Seeing him happily and confidently standing at his new home front door with his family as we left was so emotional.”
Featured image – Dogs Trust Leeds
