Britain's loneliest dog has finally found a home after spending almost five years in an RSPCA animal shelter. Lurcher Albie was rescued by RSPCA inspectors as part of an investigation just before Christmas in 2017 and remained in the charity’s care while the case progressed.
But once it concluded and he became available for rehoming, the Covid pandemic hit and staff at Southridge Animal Centre, in Hertfordshire, found it difficult to find the right home for him. Albie was rescued from Wales by the RSPCA's Special Operations Unit where he'd been used for hunting and wildlife crimes.
Manager Anna White said: "Sadly, Albie was a victim of Covid. He became available for rehoming just before the country was plunged into lockdown and that meant we had to close our doors to the public to adhere to the restrictions.
"If someone had come in looking for a dog in person they’d be sure to fall in love with him as he's such a lovely boy when you meet him.
"But we had to rely on advertising our animals online and, sadly, we found he was constantly overlooked and we had barely any enquiries about him."
But the team refused to give up on him. And when Grace Ho, from West London, spotted his profile online, she wanted to give him a chance.
She said: "I lost my dog in April and had finally come around to the idea of volunteering or rehoming a dog. In my mind I wanted a small Staffie or a spaniel, I really didn’t have a dog like Albie in mind at all.
"But when I saw his profile that said no one wanted him it broke my heart. I think most people see him as this scary dog because he’s missing part of his nose and has lots of scars and so never even gave him a chance.
"I spoke to the centre and asked if I could go and meet him, take him for walks, and see how we got on. I spent around two months walking him and getting to know him. I learned all about his quirks and his reactivity towards other dogs and I felt like I could manage that effectively.
"Albie is so lovely. He's a real gentle soul with humans, and smiles. There's obviously a lot to work on but I know I can handle it, and he's already made some good progress.”
Albie went home with Grace in September and is settling in well. Grace added: "He loves his food, cuddling on the sofa and going for walks."
Although he's reactive with other dogs and wears a muzzle while out and about, Grace doesn’t let that deter her.
She added: "We enjoy walks at the quiet park near our house and then, at the weekends, we go to busier parks where I know we'll have to meet other dogs and I’m working hard to desensitise him as much as possible. He's already made friends with two greyhounds who he's happy to walk with.
"At home, he's such a good boy. He doesn’t ask for much. He just wants a cosy bed and a full tummy.
"He’ll jump up onto the sofa next to me when I’m working and stuff his head behind my back; he just likes to be close to me."
Anna and the rest of the Southridge team are thrilled that Albie has finally found his happy ending after such a tough life and so much time in kennels.
Anna added: "It just shows that there is a home out there for every dog."
The RSPCA has launched its annual Adoptober rehoming drive to shine a light on rescue animals and encourage more people to consider taking on a rescue pet - just like Albie.
The charity’s released new figures that show rehoming has dropped eight per cent while animal intake is up 8.4 per cent year-on-year, meaning dogs like Albie are spending longer waiting for their homes.
Do you have a dog story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
