HARRY... regulars will know that I find it very hard to resist dogs that look like they’ve been wrongly accused and just look at the eyes on this lad.
As you can see, Harry is VERY handsome and the poor boy was absolutely terrified when he was surrendered to Dundalk Pound about 10 days ago. He had reason to be - his owners said he had twice bitten a child. The warden at Dundalk can be tough and with a full pound, they could easily have simply put him to sleep. But the warden took a shine to Harry, decided he deserved a chance and so did we.
Harry has been in an experienced foster home in Ireland for the past few days and is playing beautifully with the two resident females (a Dogue de Bordeaux and a terrier) and has shown absolutely no aggression towards people. He’s very sweet and is desperate to be loved. We suspect that he has been abused and if he has bitten, it was out of fear.
More pix and info to come on but please pass the word on about this lad as he’s not our usual type and people looking for a big (but not huge), beautiful, shaggy brown boy might not think to look here!
UPDATE 19/7/09
Harry has settled very well in his foster home in Ireland and is a very affectionate boy who given half a chance will sneak in and jump on the sofa (he’s being kenneled outside). He loves to lie at your feet and shows every sign of being a very loyal boy. He has behaved perfectly with his foster dad’s children (both under 10) and shows absolutely no aggression towards them or fear of them. He is scared of strange dogs, though, and reacts if he meets them when on a lead so will be looking for a home that will help socialise him and build his confidence. Once he realises the other dog is not a threat, he quickly settles down and is a playful boy with dogs he knows.
UPDATE 22/7/09
Well Harry is coming along a treat - a big (but not too big!) , lovable softie who is desperate for someone to trust. He has had a poor start but is growing in confidence every day. He loves his foster dad, Eamon, and will be such a loyal boy. He keeps his kennel very clean so we think he is house-trained.
Harry is still unsure of himself around new dogs (fine with ones he knows, though) and will need a little bit of help to overcome this, but he’s not aggressive; just fearful that they are going to hurt him. This should quickly ease in the right environment.
We are now VERY urgent for a UK foster home for Harry and can’t bring him over until we find one. Could you help?
UPDATE 9/8/09
Poor Harry has had to go into kennels as his Irish foster home is away. He’s safe, but it’s a real knock-back for poor Harry and he’s miserable. We know we’re asking a lot for this lad as he’s not our usual fare, but we believe Harry has fantastic potential. Again, please spread the word about this lad whose life we’re trying to save. We promise to give lots of support to any foster home willing to offer him temporary refuge - and believe the reward will be seeing Harry blossom.
UPDATE 18/9/09
Still no takers for Harry, who is back with his Irish foster home (who he was over the moon to see). Unfortunately he can’t stay there for much longer so we remain desperate for someone to come forward to take this lad, even if just on a temporary basis. Can anyone help...? Time is running out for this lovely boy...
UPDATE 17/10/09
Yay! Harry has landed! And bless this boy... he’s a little unsure of himself, but just gorgeous as you can see from the new pix. A huge thank you to Nicola, Simon and family who have taken Harry under their wing in Bournemouth and who are doing some wonderful work with him.
Harry has had something horrible happen to him at some point as his default is to not trust. But given half a chance, he’s a very sweet, unassuming, affectionate boy and he is improving every day - increasingly confident with strangers, particularly. He’s also proved to be pretty good with cats!
The main issue with Harry at the moment is that other dogs make him spook. He’s great with the gals once he’s been introduced - respectful and playful. But he is very anxious around males - leaping and lunging at them - so this is the area we’re now concentrating on. It’s not impossible to deal with as although Harry is a big fellow, he’s lightly-built underneath that shaggy coat and actually we don’t think he’s aggressive, just lacking in confidence and socialisation, although we’re not taking any chances as it’s very important that Harry’s encounters with dogs are a nice experience.
As Harry is so very young (less than 18 months we reckon) we feel confident that we will crack this issue, but are taking it slowly...
If you are interested in Handsome Harry, please email info@blackretrieverx.co.uk asap.
There is a minimum adoption fee of £125 for Harry, which includes the £65 it costs to transport him from Ireland.
