When Ian Fox and his family adopted Bentley from Freshfields Wales in 2013, he literally had no idea how to play. Ian says:
‘If we threw a ball for him, he didn’t know what to do, and was just confused. We persevered of course, and after I bought him a flashing ball it seemed to spark his interest. Since then, he’s been unstoppable! He has transitioned from a scared hound to a big ball of excitement, and is constantly running around after his large collection of toys.
He is still spooked by loud noises, and occasionally gets nervous, but this boy is nearly always to be found constantly joyously playing. He is a loving and playful boy and is often teasing either me, Jaime or Penny and our cat and trying to get us to play with him. At the end of the evening he likes to lie across me and place his head against my chest and listen to my heart – this is always my favourite part of the day.
Bentley loves his sister, Penny, or Lady Penelope Fox to give her her full title! Penny is also a rescue dog from Freshfields, and she was a nervous wreck when we first got her. It was over a month at home before we could get a lead on her…then followed weeks of coaxing her out of the front door of the house. She was in a terrible condition at first, recovering from broken ribs and too scared to even look up.
The transformation of Penny is nothing short of remarkable. She is now very much The Boss of the pack of animals in our home! She loves to sit watching the river from her position on the sofa, and when we return each year to Cornwall she comes alive on the beach. She is naturally a bit reserved; she is always excited and pleased to get some attention, but does love to escape to her own little space for peace and quiet. She is an absolute lady and has made such great progress since those early days’.
These 2 adorable dogs would not have had the chance to enjoy a life of love and joy without wonderful people like Ian and his family, who are ready to take a chance and adopt animals who would otherwise be without a home. Thank you to all our adopters; past, present and future!
If you’re ready to open your heart and home to a companion animal, please check out the animals looking for a home in ‘The Animals’ section of the website.
