The Stray Pets Rescue Club is our monthly profile of animals in and around the Harrogate district, in desperate need of a loving home. Could you help these three dogs find a new family? 

George – Retriever Cross

Age: Approximately four

George’s story: George was found by a Romanian rescue, who asked Miss Mollies Rescue to give him a second chance. He has been with Mollies for about four weeks.

Temperament: George is incredibly energetic and has a very lively personality. He gets on well with other dogs, and loves people.

Ideal home: George will need a very active home, preferably with adults or older teenagers because he is so lively. He will also need a home where he will have company most of the time.

If your family has space for George, contact Miss Mollie’s Rescue. 

Rupert – Coonhound

Age: 13

Rupert’s story: Rupert came to the RSPCA York, Harrogate and District Branch after his previous owner sadly died. He was devoted to his owner, and has struggled to come to terms with his loss.

Temperament: Rupert struggles to trust people he doesn’t know, so adopters will need to do more than one meet and greet before adopting him. Once he knows you, his true cheeky character starts to shine through.

Ideal home: Rupert will need experienced adopters who have the time and patience to help him settle and feel space. He can feel intimidated in small, confined spaces. He will need an adult only home where he is the only pet.

For Rupert to become part of your family, visit the RSPCA York, Harrogate and District website.

Biggie – Chihuahua

Age: Five to seven

Biggie’s story: Biggie was found in a very bad state, underweight and suffering with a painful skin condition. With the help of Dogs Trust Leeds, he’s bounced back brilliantly.

Temperament: Because of his skin problems, Biggie doesn’t like too much handling, especially around his ears and neck. So instead of snuggling on your knee he will show his love for you in other ways like playtime. He likes chasing a ball and really enjoys his walks.

Ideal home: Biggie will need patient owners who will let him slowly settle into his new life. He will need a secure garden and may need a little refresher for housetraining. Biggie is fine around other dogs but isn’t really interested in them, so doesn’t want to share his home with other pets.

To find out more about Biggie and the adoption process, visit Dogs Trust Leeds.

Read More:

• Stray Pets Rescue Club: The dog, cats and rabbits hoping you’ll be their new family
• Stray Pets Rescue Club: Ernie, Toby and Amber are looking for a loving home

Businesses on Harrogate’s Commercial Street are to host a dog-friendly day a week on Saturday.

The street initiative will see shops put matching water bowls outside to show they are dog-friendly and some local pet-related businesses will run stalls throughout the day.

From 10:30 until 3:30, businesses, including The Harrogate Vet, Peach and Pooch and Miss Mollie’s Rescue will have stalls on the street.

They will offer goods such as dog treats and goodie bags and host competitions for people to take part in.

Read more

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The event will take place the day after national Take Your Dog to Work Day on June 25.

Commercial Street is home to over 22 independent businesses, with 20 being members of the retailer group that organises community events.

Organisers will soon be placing dog-friendly logos against businesses on its website so people can see the full list of participants.

This column is written for the Stray Ferret by Kimberley Metcalfe. Kimberley has an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare. Her company Pooches Galore is based in Harrogate and specialises in dog training and resolving canine behavioural problems.

We’ve all heard the saying “a dog is for life, not just for Christmas” and it is one I wholeheartedly believe in. As someone who did get their first-ever dog as a Christmas present after 13 years of begging, a well thought out Christmas present can bring many years of joy and a dog can be both for Christmas and for life.

For many, getting a puppy at any time of the year has taken a lot of forethought whether a Christmas present or not. My job as a trainer is to help you ensure that when your puppy comes home with you, there are many happy years ahead. I have two top tips for a happy life with your puppy:

Management

Management is my number one tip when you bring home a new puppy. If you don’t want them to eat your shoes… put them away! Want them to toilet outside? Watch them like a hawk. Don’t want your new sofa chewing? Shut the door. It is impossible for anyone to train their puppy for every eventuality, so to prevent unwanted behaviours we need to manage situations by setting things up before problems arise.

Training

Secondly you are going to have to invest in a significant amount of training. As a dog trainer, of course I am going to say this! You have to teach your puppy to live in a human world. They don’t know that they can’t toilet in the kitchen and they have to go outside. They don’t know that biting isn’t the best way to get you to engage with them. They don’t know how to walk on a lead. There is such a long list of things to teach them, so work out what is a priority for you.

We also want to train our dogs in a specific way, known as positive reinforcement. This means that we reward the behaviours we like so we see them more and more. Rewarding them for toileting outside, coming back when called, and walking nicely on a lead will encourage all these behaviours. What we don’t want to do is punish our puppies, as they don’t know they are doing something wrong; this will only break down the relationship between you and your new puppy.

My biggest tip for a long and happy life with your puppy is to ask for help from a qualified APDT dog trainer before your problems become too challenging for you. Whether that is someone with you from day one or someone you bring in when you have problems – it is what we are here for!

This column is written for the Stray Ferret by Kimberley Metcalfe. Kimberley has an MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare. Her company Pooches Galore is based in Harrogate and specialises in dog training and resolving canine behavioural problems.

After seeing Gracie on the Stray Pets Rescue Club my heart went out to her. Although I don’t know about Gracie’s situation personally sometimes rehoming ex-breeding bitches can be challenging.

Gracie, if you haven’t read about her, had been used for breeding to make money and was abandoned after reaching the maximum age for reproducing. She’d given birth to around 30 puppies in her lifetime – as a result she has been left with a large caesarean scar. She was featured in the Stray Pets Rescue Club seeking a new owner.

Often dogs who are kept purely for breeding haven’t had the same start in life as other dogs. They haven’t had the same life experiences and so don’t have the same expectations.

Although there is a great divide between bitches who are family pets, loved and treated like queens while they are pregnant and beyond, there is a darker side to breeding where dogs are kept as commodities. Used purely to make money from the puppies, once they have made the owners enough money they are discarded.

This latter group of dogs often struggle in new homes. They often haven’t lived in a family home before, they haven’t even had a comfortable bed to sleep in, so everything is new to them. It does take them some time to settle in to this new, luxurious life.

There are a number of things to consider when you take on an ex breeding bitch, all of which can be overcome with patience and love.

Often these dogs are not housetrained, having never lived in a house before so they have no understanding that there are areas that they can toilet and areas that they cannot.

They may never have been on a walk. Going out on a lead and collar is completely alien to them, as is the big outside world. This can be very overwhelming: the sights, smells and textures that they experience for the first time. I remember working with a standard poodle who had been used as a breeding bitch in a puppy farm who had never walked on grass before, the joy that it brought not only her but me also when she was leaping about was one of the best moments of my career!

Sometimes they are just shut down, they don’t know what to expect, that people can be kind to them, that they are safe as this not been the case in the past.

But I promise it is not all doom and gloom. Bringing home such a dog to live with you is one of the most rewarding experiences. All they need is some time and space to feel safe and to feel loved and they make the most loyal and caring of dogs.

We are delighted that Kimberley is to become a regular monthly columnist for The Stray Ferret. If you have any doggy questions please contact her by email on kim@poochesgalore.co.uk For more information on Pooches Galore click here.

Fireworks displays in the Harrogate district may have been cancelled this year but a local vet and the RSPCA have warned it could still be the worst period for pets in decades.

The absence of large organised events is expected to lead to an increase in backyard firework displays, bringing noise much closer to pets at home. 

Katy Bell, a vet at the Rae, Bean & Partners practice in Boroughbridge told the Stray Ferret: 

“A big display will be organised on a certain date, at a certain time, so pet owners can be prepared for that event.

“However, if home-organised events can be a lot more spread out over an evening, and have a bigger negative impact on the animal.” 

Ms Bell encourages worried pet owners to start preparing now: she advised playing firework training CDs to pets in the run-up to November 5, starting at a low volume and increasing as necessary. 

On Bonfire Night itself, Ms Bell recommends not leaving your pet alone, and ensuring it has somewhere safe and dark to hide.

A RSPCA spokesperson said this fireworks season could be the worst for animals in decades. 

The charity advised pet owners to close windows and curtains to muffle noise, and bring smaller pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs inside.

Around 62% of dogs and 54% of cats in the UK show signs of anxiety when they hear fireworks, according to the RSPCA. 

Read more: 

• Harrogate Cat Rescue urges owners to neuter pets
• Six-foot boa finds a home in Markington

Fire services’ advice

Station manager Tony Peel, from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said bonfire night was usually a quiet one for fire services in the county “and we’d love it to be the same this year”. He added:

“Please follow our safety tips if you are planning a display at home and help reduce the pressure not only on the fire service, but also on our colleagues in the ambulance service and police.

“Some people and animals are scared by firework noise so if you’re planning to let off fireworks please tell your neighbours and avoid buying really noisy ones.”

Mr Peel said anyone planning a home display should ensure it finishes before 11pm, always light the firework at arms length and only buy fireworks that carry the CE mark.