KIZZIE... is our surprise Christmas present... an absolutely gorgeous GSD/collie x girl, supposedly about five years old but we think might be quite a bit younger.
We rescued Kizz from a dreadful situation. Her owner was well-known to the local police and RSPCA who say she was abusive to her dogs, but there was never quite enough evidence to remove them. A week before Christmas, however, Kizzie was found wondering around the streets and taken to the local dog pound who then called us to see if we could help.
Poor Kizzie was so scared she couldn’t even approach you and had the closed-off look of a dog that has learned to melt into the background to avoid trouble - trouble which, we’re told, included her “falling” out of a window. She has some lumps on her right flank which we think are due to trauma and we’ll get these checked out next week (they’re not ‘attached’ so we don’t think they’re anything too nasty).
Kizzie is being fostered with us and she has blossomed here. in the right hands and with some more good meals inside her (she is very thin at the moment) she will quickly put her horrible past behind her. Her many strengths include that she is very good and settled in the house; can be left with no fuss; is great in the car; very good off-lead (she doesn’t go far and keeps running back to check-in with you), is brilliant (and playful) with other dogs and loves people once she knows you mean her no harm. She will be a very loyal girl - bright too (she can open doors!)
Kizzie is not so great on a lead (and barks at other dogs when on-lead - although is fine off-lead) and is a little barky in the house at new people coming in; sudden movements, and if she hears noises outside (as part-GSD it’s in her genes of course!). She also runs about herding the other dogs when out - something little Tara finds a bit intimidating (although Kizzie means no harm).
Kizzie is being fostered here with us near Marlborough. She is not a novice dog because of her past, and it would be great to find a home with GSD experience. But she’s not a big project - she just needs a kind, understanding home that will relish restoring her confidence.
UPDATE 24/2/10
Rehomed! Gorgeous Kizzie has gone to live on beautiful Skye, what a lucky girl. Enormous thanks to James, Lesley and their son Rhoan for giving this lovely girl a badly-needed second chance. There’s some way to go in terms of ironing out her little issues, but Kizzie learns a little more every day and could not be more loved. Scroll down to the bottom for a pic of Kizzie in her new home! Wow!
