One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Helmand

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He still barked, but it was less aggressive and more inquisitive. But he’s a big dog, and we had to appreciate some people passing will misunderstand him, so we protect him from them rather than the other way around. People will misunderstand their behaviour – their problem, not yours Lesson 4

I joined the wonderful 1 Dog at a Time Family in March 17. A simple share on Facebook and my application to adopt Annabel Amber and Jessie was successful. They couldn’t be more different – Jaimie is more nervous but so smart and knows how to get a treat when an action is requested. Kammi is obviously in charge of the 3 of us and likes to set the pace and direction! She is also quite reactive to other dogs, and so we don’t let dogs approach us, which can be difficult with some off lead dogs and not so helpful dog owners! But she is getting better all the time. Nothing really prepared us for Raffles. From day 1 he was so loving, would really lean in like he wanted you to wrap him up and snuggle forever. It’s a good job, as after his initial settling in, he certainly found his feet, and I will not lie, he was a little bit of a challenge.

Phillipa Esling with Aimee

We also have a monthly auction on our Facebook Group where you can bid on a wide variety of items. All proceeds raise money for us. Aimee loves her home, but the outside world can still be a scary place. We have had great advice from the behaviourists at 1 Dog, and Aimee has done so well in our work together to overcome many aspects of her nervousness. Sharon kindly put me in touch with the owner of Aimee’s Mum, and we have compared notes to find that they are very much like mother like daughter. In the year 2020, the decision was made we were going to get another Romanian puppy, but this time from 1 Dog At A Time Rescue UK. And what a great decision that was. We filled in the adoption forms and chose Rupert from the available dogs.

Rescue has always been my first love; right from the moment I could walk, I was rescuing. My first recollection was saving butterflies and fish from my brother’s nets, and like so many before me, I insisted my parents stop the car to rescue hedgehogs from the side of the road. As a child, I was always bringing home wounded animals and strays. I’ve grown up with dogs and have shared my happiest and saddest moments with a dog by my side. After a lot of consideration and planning with the 1 Dog Team we were then able to adopt Negrutu. Negrutu was a long stayer at Happy’s and missed Annabel, Amber and Jessie as he used to play out with them before they left. We built kennels for him as he was a very nervous dog and didn’t think that he would ever adapt to living leaving in a house. After just a week everything changed and Negrutu moved into the house. Having lost both our beloved dogs a little over two years ago, just five weeks between their passing, we came across 1 Dog At A Time Rescue UK on Facebook. Instantly the decision was made that now was the time to bring another dog into the family, and seeing all the dogs needing a new life; it was pretty much a no-brainer that we didn’t need to look anywhere else. It’s not easy getting a dog from 1 Dog At A Time Rescue. There were interviews; telephone conversations; videos, and we were not finally approved until we could prove that we had increased the height of our garden fence, as requested. That thoroughness and determination to ensure we were the right match for these special dogs is typical of this meticulously professional organisation. From that moment, we felt supported by a network of people for whom the best outcome for the dogs is of paramount importance. We have a healthy, very happy little dog who’s previous life was a nightmare, 1 Dog changed his life and ours so much for the better.

Nana is our first ever Romanian rescue, but almost certainly not the last. We chose to adopt and later also fostered another dog with 1 Dog and would thoroughly recommend them and can guarantee the support given all the way through was exceptional. I felt reassured with the organised, friendly and professional approach. I spoke at length with people with all my concerns and questions, and they were happy to help. The dogs are imported as soon as possible to ensure the new owners and dogs are united. Once the dogs arrive, they go straight to their forever home, where owners are guided by the charity into helping their new pet to settle into their new home. I did not imagine for one minute that all this was going to evolve when I started looking for an older dog (I love the oldies) In 2012 I had just joined Facebook and was mooching around when I saw an old boy who looked a little like my soul dog Dillie. He was from Romania and I had just missed out on adopting him. I had no idea about all the cruelty over there and the plight of the street dogs. I have seen many street dogs on my journeys around the world but none so obviously loathed and treated as vermin. I started to read and became completely determined to help one of these poor souls. Due to the war in the Ukraine, DEFRA temporarily suspended Romanian dogs entering the UK. This was put in place in April and has only just lifted. Lots of people told me to be very careful about Romanian rescue ‘charities’ and the types of dog they would be rehoming.