28/04/19 – Lovely Ella has gone to her new home! Good luck Ella!
Ella is a 10-year-old chocloate Labrador who is in an Oldies Club foster home in Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway. She came into rescue as she wasn’t happy being around the children in her home.
Here is a short video of Ella for you to enjoy:
Settling well in foster care: Ella took about 3 weeks to settle in her foster home and gain confidence with the new noises, people and the resident dog. She showed her anxiety by barking and grumbling, but with patience and positive rewards she has made wonderful progress and now only barks in response to a knock on the door or a stranger coming into the home.
Loves to be around her people: Ella likes to be with you and will happily follow you around the home, but she always settles down on her bed nearby while you get on with your jobs, or she will potter about in the garden. It is thought that she could be left once confident in her new home, but she wouldn’t be suitable for full-time workers.
Good with dogs, particularly other Labs: Until she gained confidence, Ella was a little worried about other dogs when out and about. With reassurance she has made great progress and walks past them without a fuss now. Ella is living with another dog in foster and it took her a little while to gain her confidence with having another dog in the home. She is particularly comfortable around other Labs she has met out and about.
Unknown with cats: We aren’t sure whether Ella could live with cats as she hasn’t met any in foster.
Would be happiest in an adult home: Ella is very gentle, however we think she would be happiest in an adult-only home as she came from a home with young children and was feeling overwhelmed.
Loves her walks: Sniffs are Ella’s absolute favourite thing and she can get very excited if she finds a special one, twirling around it 360 degrees! She is learning to walk nicely on the lead, but she will pull if her nose finds something very interesting, and she is strong when she does (she weighs 24kg). She has only had a few minutes off the lead, and she does stay close, but she ignored being called when she found an interesting scent. This should improve with training. Ella is unable to walk long distances due to her arthritis. Currently she is having four x 15-minute walks per day, as recommended by her vet.
Very good in the car: Ella loves the car and will stop as you walk past it in the hope of going on a journey. She quietly lies down on the back seat in her harness, often snoozing as she travels along.
Ella’s favourite pastimes: Being given affection, watching you and being with you, sleeping and snoring, walks and sniffs, journeys in the car, exciting new places.
Ella’s dislikes: Raised voices on TV, and she is wary of the hoover.
Ella’s ideal home: An experienced, adult-only home with a laid-back resident dog. Ella is more suited to a quiet, rural home that will have a garden for her to enjoy due to her limited exercise routine.
Health notes: Ella is vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and flea-treated. She needs to be spayed at the appropriate time, 3 months after her next season. Oldies Club will cover the cost of Ella’s spay. She has arthritis in her right shoulder and will need pain relief and a joint supplement for the rest of her life. She is currently on Metacam and a green-lipped mussel supplement. She is recovering from an infection in her nose, muzzle and chin area and is currently having Surolan applied twice daily. There is still inflammation in her nose, particularly in one nostril, however the vet thinks that it will settle down with time.
Ella’s foster carer told us: “Ella is gentle, happy, affectionate and willing. She is a beautiful, happy dog and is so willing to learn; she is a clever girl. Once she settled into our home she blossomed and her lovely nature shone through. She is very well mannered around food and does not try to get on the furniture. She loves her treats which she takes very gently. Ella will make a wonderful companion for someone and I will miss her very much when she leaves for her forever home”.
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If you would like to offer Ella a permanent home, please read our Adoption Procedures for information about the adoption process. You can then contact an Oldies Club rehoming co-ordinator as follows:
Email: rehome@oldies.org.uk
Telephone: 0844 586 8656
Ella can be rehomed anywhere on the UK mainland, subject to a satisfactory home visit, but note that you will be required to travel to the foster home to meet her.
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If you would love to offer a home to an oldie but your circumstances aren’t suitable, perhaps you would be kind enough to sponsor one of the special oldies we are caring for that, due to health problems, are unlikely to be offered a permanent home.
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