Nicola was originally referred to Our Special Friends (OSF) in 2020 because she needed help transporting her dog, Duke, to the vets.
We also made financial contributions towards Duke’s veterinary care and organised emergency foster care for him when Nicola was admitted to hospital. At that time, Nicola told us “I was very lost and didn’t know who to turn to. It made a big difference because the vets said I could hand him over [for rehoming] because of the vet bills, but you have helped me keep my dog and helped my mental health. I think you have done everything perfect. You eased my nerves and anxious, because my dog is all I have … I would have been lost without you”.
Sadly, Duke had to be euthanised in November 2022, and within a month Nicola had filled the void with a new puppy, Mowgli. When OSF called to check on Nicola, she told us that Mowgli’s behaviour was challenging, and that she was finding this was negatively impacting her mental health. OSF advised Nicola to speak to her vet about his behaviour because she was considering rehoming him. A few weeks later, although Mowgli was still disruptive, Nicola had made positive changes in her life: she had contacted her family from whom she had been estranged for 30 years and was looking for a place in rehabilitation after using drugs all her adult life. Nicola asked if OSF might be able to foster Mowgli while she was in rehab for about three months, because the thought of having him to come home to would aid her recovery.
One of our volunteer assessors, Lucie, who has vet nursing and dog training experience, visited Nicola and Mowgli with a view to identifying what would be needed from a foster home. Lucie also gave Nicola advice on how to discourage Mowgli’s boisterous behaviour. While we looked for a long-term foster home, Lucie continued to help Nicola with training and advice – and on one visit found Nicola very unwell, which resulted in an emergency admission to hospital. OSF was able to find a short-term foster home for Mowgli for a week while Nicola was in hospital, and Lucie kindly dropped him off. Although clearly stressed initially, Mowgli soon settled in to his foster home, albeit with significant behavioural challenges, and was responding well to training.
When Nicola was discharged from hospital, she was keen to have Mowgli back that day. While OSF had reservations about her ability to provide appropriate care for a boisterous and challenging puppy, it was important for Nicola’s mental health that she was empowered to draw that conclusion herself. Thankfully for all parties, soon after being returned to her, Nicola decided that Mowgli was too much for her and it would be in everyone’s best interests for him to rehomed. OSF supported Nicola to formally transfer ownership of Mowgli to us, and his previous fosterer was happy to have him back for a few more days but was not able to take him on permanently. Through our network, OSF identified a potential permanent new home for Mowgli. Once again Lucie helped by introducing Mowgli to the new owners and their existing dogs, which went well, and a formal adoption was completed.
OSF continued to support Nicola, with Lucie visiting with her dogs to give Nicola some canine companionship until her place at rehab became available. We also discussed the possibility of her adopting a dog after rehab, which gave Nicola an important sense of hope. Once discharged from rehab, Lucie managed to find a small rescue dog, Munchkin, who was the perfect match for Nicola. Lucie continued to support the pair, providing training advice which helped increase Nicola’s confidence and enhanced the human-canine relationship. OSF also facilitated some veterinary care for Munchkin and provided Nicola with information about foodbanks and other support. Nicola fed back: “[OSF] have supported me with everything … in helping me with my pets and emotional wellbeing … I am really grateful for all their help”.
