An adorable dog who has been coined "part kangaroo" is desperately searching for a new home after being abandoned. The poor pooch, named Jeannie, has been living in foster care in East Sussex after being taken in by Blind Dog Rescue UK, a charity dedicated to rehoming the "most vulnerable dogs who have been subjected to the worst of humanity".
She was picked up in Bosnia and flown over to the UK for a second chance at life - but she has sadly been unable to win over an owner who can keep her for the long haul. Her foster carer said: "She has such tremendous potential and the lucky people who are the right fit for her will have a very loyal and loving friend.
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"She will make someone a fantastic companion - sadly that isn’t us."
Jeannie, who is around four to five-years-old, is a medium-sized crossbreed with "quite a lot of hound in her". She has been described as "part kangaroo" because she can jump really high.
"Jeannie is a little shy at first but responds to calm and steady interactions. When she first arrived we took it in turns to just sit near her and let her get used to having company," the foster carer said.
"She always rolls over for tummy rubs but from submission not desire. If you calmly ignore her tummy and continue with what you are doing she relaxes and then genuine affection is possible.
"Jeannie has not been off lead while with us as she has a very strong prey drive, is stubborn and we don’t trust her to come back."
The misunderstood dog can become "too enthusiastic" when playing with other dogs and needs to be given time to calm down and compose herself as a result.
The foster carer added: "She is a lover of tennis balls and it’s a joy to see her starting to play with them although she loses interest quite quickly. Jeannie is fond of yak chews, deer antlers and food in general.
"She is too boisterous for our dog, Rex, and needs a bigger garden to romp around in, preferably in the company of one or more dogs of similar size to her.
"Jeannie was described as medium energy by the rescuers in Bosnia but she can really sprint and also has tremendous stamina.
"Long walks that she can use her amazing sense of smell on would be heaven for her. She would possibly enjoy flyball for example but needs basic training first."
While Jeannie doesn't bark excessively, she has a tendency to use her voice to alert her care givers to movements around the neighbourhood.
"Sadly the one area she truly struggles with is the 10-year-old grandchild of our immediate neighbour," the foster carer added.
"Jeannie finds her visits very stressful as the little one is very noisy and keeps coming up to the fence pretending to bark.
"We keep her indoors with music on until the child has gone home. On walks she tends to ignore other dogs, but is easily excited by squirrels and can be a handful to distract and lead away.
"Cats are also potential prey to her, or at least potentially a good game of chase, so a home without small furries of any kind is a must.
"We would suggest an adult-only home too as well as she can be unpredictable with her moods.
"She has not hurt anyone but she can be scary and intimidating – and has taken to using this behaviour with our adult granddaughter in particular.
"There is no clear cause for the sudden change in moods either which is what makes her intimidating.
"She stops immediately when she is corrected which is good but it does come across as aggression/aggressive intent and Jeannie needs experienced owners who are able to help her overcome this behaviour.
"Jeannie has not been left alone since arriving here so will doubtless need gentle training in this as well so that separation anxiety is prevented as much as possible."
While Jeannie is up for adoption with Blind Dog Rescue UK, she is fully sighted and does not have any known health issues. If you're interested in rehoming Jeannie, or any other dogs in Blind Dog Rescue UK's care, contact their team on info@bdruk.org.
Do you have a dog story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
