Have you ever heard of dogs networking? Neither had we until we discovered that it’s a technique sometimes used by the RSPCA to help dogs who in are desperate need of a new home.
Meet Bruce and Rebel the Lurchers whose rehoming story will warm your heart on the coldest of days.
Their story contains a few twists and turns and (spoiler alert!) they ended up being adopted together. They were rescued from a nasty situation of neglect which had them in an empty house, only coming into contact with a human every few days. The RSPCA stepped in and took them to a South Godstone Centre in Surrey.
It was here that the RSPCA realised that these two gorgeous pooches were the greatest of pals, whose trials and neglect had only brought them closer. They were inseparable, playing and sleeping together. If one of them got up to greet a visitor, the other wouldn’t be far behind.
Heartbreakingly, the RSPCA medical team discovered that Rebel had an incurable sight problem, which would deteriorate over time and eventually leave him completely blind.
Whilst the rescue centre staff originally planned to find separate homes for Rebel and Bruce, as this was deemed easier, even though it would have been heartbreaking to separate them, Rebel’s impending blindness meant that it was more important than ever that they stay together. Rebel’s dying eyes turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
It was then that the idea of networking was floated. The concept is fairly simple – dogs get stressed by rescue kennels’ noisy and cramped environment, and sometimes get overlooked because of their breed, so moving them to a new rescue centre can help. And that’s exactly what happened. Bruce and Rebel were moved to Millbrook Animal centre with the hope a family with plenty of space might like to adopt the pair together.
Thanks to the compassion and care shown to Rebel and Bruce by the RSPCA, they’re now happily living together with their new family – together forever!