Every year, hundreds of dogs in Canterbury are impounded through no fault of their own, after being surrendered or abandoned by their owners. In this unfortunate situation, the fate for the majority is inevitably euthanasia.

But since 1982, many of those dogs have been given a second chance by a dedicated charity situated in Christchurch’s eastern suburbs.

During that time, Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust has rescued, retrained, and rehomed thousands of dogs, setting them - and their new owners - on a path to a life they truly deserve.

Of course, every dog rescued has its own unique story, far too many to share.

But the story of our beautiful big boy, Boss is one that has recently touched everyone’s hearts.

Boss

Boss’s story began for Dogwatch when he arrived on 28 July 2020, rescued from the Christchurch City Council Pound.

He was in our care for 788 Days. That’s two years, 8 months. That is over 14 human years to a dog! But Boss’s time at the shelter has finally come to an end. Congratulations on your adoption Boss!

When Boss arrived at the shelter there was nothing special about his entry, it was a typical case of being picked up by Animal Control and being taken to the Christchurch City Council Pound. There he waited, but nobody came… except Dogwatch of course.

When he arrived at the shelter, it was really clear that Boss, although a big solid boy, was actually a really anxious dog on the inside. Boss found it really hard meeting new people, he was particularly uneasy with people coming into his space, and he felt the need to protect his resources. Within his earliest assessments, we also found he had a HUGE fear of moving traffic, and during an assessment walk with one of our trainers, ended up in a paddock of bulls because he was so desperate to move away from the roadside!

Over time, our team began to see his beautiful, goofy nature shining through. His love of water, the spring in his step, and his absolute obsession with balls. He gained condition, he coped with being introduced to more of our team, and he engaged in his training with full enthusiasm. He started to trust. However, we could see that he was going to have some big challenges in the home. He also had complications with allergies the whole way through which caused him discomfort and meant that some days, his tolerance was lower and he needed more space, and that was okay. He cooperated with salt baths, ear drops, cream applications, with those of us he trusted. He continued to grow each and every day he was with us and formed a huge place in all of our hearts, even those that he wouldn’t let into his yard! We knew that we would find the right person for our Boss at one point or another, and two years 4 months later…. we did.

Boss’s new mum, Lisa, worked with us for 16 weeks on getting Boss into her life which involved integrating him into a household with her existing dog, managing him around her cat, learning how he is in every situation she may face (including the vets!) and most importantly, gaining his trust. The entire 16 weeks was spent setting both Lisa and Boss up for success by providing tools to manage him in the home and allowing Lisa to get to know Boss in every aspect. We could not be happier with the outcome.

We are so grateful to Lisa, for giving us 16-weeks of her time to ensure this would be a successful integration, and for also giving Boss a lifeline. We are also grateful to our staff and volunteers who contributed to Boss’s journey whether they interacted with him or not, because of the time they dedicate to Dogwatch. And we would also like to thank our supporters, without them we would not have the opportunity to find Boss (and every other dog) their safe oasis in this world. Your donations and our sponsors are what keep us running (as well as our volunteers of course!). This is such a proud moment to be part of Team Dogwatch, and we look forward to sharing more stories like these ones, when the rest of our long-termers find their special someone!

As a registered charity, Dogwatch welcomes financial donations and support to continue their work giving impounded dogs a second chance at the life they deserve. Donate or find out more at www.dogwatch.co.nz

© Scoop Media