Rescue Success Stories

	Alfie the Irish Twerphound Although the alarm clock had gone off at 6.30am, it was a lovely day for an agility show. The sun was peeping above the horizon to light an azure sky, the birds were twittering ready to start feasting on all the ripe berries and fruit on the trees. A gentle breeze was rustling the leaves and Richard and Sheila Partridge were off to Paws in the Park, usually a very nice, relaxed show at the Hop Farm which is part of a large open-to-the-public Show. It had all the makings of a perfect day, but little did they know...
Photo: Agility Photography UK	Alfie the Pint-Sized Powerhouse In July 2019 Deb Lunnon was volunteering for a rescue charity when she was called to collect a nine-month-old black pug who was in a very bad way. He had demodectic mange and secondary skin infections which meant he smelt awful. A lot of his fur was missing, and he was in a sorry state. Not only that, he had not been socialised and had had zero training. His behaviour was feral. The first thing she did was change his name to Alfie. And that was the start of a very special relationship.
	Backstreet Bonnie When Yvonne Goode first saw Bonnie, she looked more like a discarded dirty rag than a dog. She cowered at back of the pen at the rescue home - her black and white coat more yellow and brown, but through it all her huge eyes glowed. Now Bonnie is the Canine Survivor of the Year 2003.
	Caddie Once Caddie (Fourpaws Caddie Shack) got her first clear round at Shrewsbury, she and her handler Mike Walker never looked back. She started quite steadily but once the confidence came, so did the speed! She won out of Grade 3 at the end of the summer that year. And now they are Agilitynet Rescue Dog of the Year
	Casey's Story From the start Casey was very difficult. Before Lesley and Colin Harpley brought her home from Chilterns Dog Rescue Society, she showed signs of nervous aggression to people and dogs, while at the same time being quite dominant. Lesley explains how they got over the problem.
	Cassie - An Utter Nutter Junior handler Gina Graham got her 'little freak' as company for her crossbreed Dizzy who had been in training for about five months. And what a dog she got! This is Cassie's story - a fruit 'n nut case makes good!
	Chloe Chloe was due to be PTS for behavioural issues. Then she started agility training with Lucy King and within six weeks, they were out competing at UKA shows. Agility helped to turn her life around.
	Daisy the Romanian Dog - How agility helped an agoraphobic dog Imogen Edwards had always wanted a dog. Due to her disability, she was looking for a small one that wouldn't need much exercise and one that did not shed as she is allergic to a lot of breeds. Then she saw a group of dogs rescued from Romania on the Little Rescue Facebook group. When Imogen first met Daisy, she was pressed flat against the wall, but she had a pretty face, so Imogen scooped her up and they just sat together for ages. That's when Imogen knew that Daisy was the dog for her. What she didn't know was that Daisy was afraid to go outside. (03/08/24)
	Dogs Reunited Border Collie litter sisters Lassie and Smudge were handed in to Battersea for rehoming in 2001. Almost six years later they met up... where else but at an agility show!
	Dylan's Diary 2003 Having seen young Dylan on the Rescue Me page of Agilitynet and umming and ahrring for about three days, Mandy Melville-Love finally picked up the phone and called Sarah at Wiccaweys Rescue. Mandy has agreed to keep a doggie diary of his progress for all his new friends
	Dylan's Diary 2004... Continued The next gripping instalments in the continuing story of a Dylan, a young rescue dog as he starts out in his agility life with Mandy Melville-Love. (21/03/04)
	The Flying Flynn Flynn is a rescue collie who had a very bad start in life. Agility has given him a sense of purpose and helped him bond with his Guv'nor Rob White. While he might never get out of Starters, his rosettes actually outnumber the scars from the earlier part of his life. Like most collies, he has a wicked sense of humour...
	Hearing Dogs for Agility Collie-cross pup Gimili and mongrel Rizzo are two very special dogs who have gone from rescue pups to trainee hearing dogs, and now very promising agility dogs!
	Holly's Story Holly was three years old when Clive Bayliss adopted her from The Border Collie Trust in August 2010. He only had limited information about her early years, except that she had spent her first two years on a farm in Wales, and was presumably a failed working farm dog. She was rehomed and then rehomed again seven months later. It was clear from the start that this little lass had a few issues. With the help of the trainers at Dog Learning Zone and a lot of patience, Clive has helped to progress Holly towards a happier doggie life.
	It's Magic Daniel Millwood is not professing to be an expert in agility training. This is just his story about him, his first dog Magic, and how agility has changed his life.
	Jack Be Nimble of Valgray Jack Be Nimble of Valgray came into rescue as a puppy and was only there for a few days before he was snapped up by Ann Young. Sometimes she admits it was hard work, but she has done well with him. He ended up with 1844 point in the Valgray Rescue Dog of the Year league, so we asked her to write something about her clever little boy who was the 2012 winner, without much help from her... or so she says.
	Jack's Story Samantha Carter's Jack (Ajax Jester) is a very special dog. His journey to where he is now has been long and difficult, but it is not yet over. Here is his story.
	Kratu the Romanian Rescue Kratu went viral after his performance at Crufts. He was representing Woodgreen Animal Charity for the third year in a fun display for rescue dogs meant to show how owners and their dogs can enjoy an activity together by doing agility but, much to the delight of the audience, things did not go according to plan. He stole the hearts of hundreds of spectators at Crufts and millions of views on-line with his own free style interpretation of the agility course. His owner Tess Wolfe says there is so much more to this Romanian rescue dog however than just clowning in the ring.
	The Magic of Merlin He's deaf not stupid. If you have ever watched Lisanne Steen guide her WSD Merlin around an agility course, you would be surprised to learn that Merlin was born deaf. How on earth was he trained to be a good companion and agility dog?
	Merlin's Diary The best dogs are not necessarily those who set the agility world on fire. They are the ones who make everybody smile. Just ask Helen Jones who saw a post on the Agilitynet Rescue page about a bright, active collie pup looking for a home. Since she picked up Merlin, there has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but what an interesting journey she's had with this handsome joker. Following in the pawprints of his canine idol, Lou Cadman's Paddy, here is Merlin's version...
	Mongrel Madness Ruby Shorrock (17) prefers mixed breeds to pedigrees and says that her favourite breed is ‘rescued.' She has vowed that throughout her life she will only ever have rescued dogs and what's more, she loves agility.
	Nieve Jan Lockwood talks about her little rescue dog Nieve and the SupaDog DARL League.
	Ouja Fink Introducing Diva, the 2007 Agilitynet Rescue Dog of the Year. Barrie James fell in love with this little dog with the big ears. Now she's Grade 5 and only two years old. What a success story!
	Penny Black Holly Davies always wanted a dog. She dreamt of the day when she be at Crufts with her own dog, but she was never allowed to have one - and that was that! So she took up horse riding, but it wasn't as good because you can't take a horse home! When a lady at the stables announced that her dog was having puppies, Holly couldn't believe it. She went to see them when they were only one day old. 'All sold - sorry,' the owner said 'but the little girl one. We want to find her a better home.' And they did.
	Pip - The Story So Far Mandy Colbourne kind of fell into agility by accident in 2017 when she asked about some mini agility jumps she saw in a friend's field. Thinking of her rescue Border Collie Pip, she commented that maybe they should take up Agility. It was a tongue in cheek remark that was about to change her life. Mandy explains how one man's failed sheepdog became another one's agility star.
	Shannon The trials, tribulations and successes of a BSD rescue by Louise Downing.
	Shep's Sad Story Shep is a lovely little dog who has really been to hell and back. He has suffered severe cruelty and abuse, but thanks to the courage and bravery of two elderly ladies, this young lad now has the opportunity to have the life he deserves. This is his sad story.
	Sparky - Third Time Lucky When Jo Davidson-Poston finished uni, she decided that she must have a dog. She decided that she wanted another Papillion. On meeting the breeder, she was told about Sparticus (Sparky for short.) He was 18 months old - the perfect age to start agility training. Seeing him run round the garden in a figure of eight and then stopping to pee up her sister's leg, confirmed that he was the dog for her.
	Spud's Story Spud (Golden Wunda Spud Noworries) was picked up as a stay in Southern Ireland. When Linda Cummings saw him on Agilitynet, it was love at first sight. In 2009 Spud won the DARL Agilitynet Rescue Me Award with a stunning 2577 points - 56% more than the 2nd place dog.
	Spy's Story (Part 1) One Friday Claire Hayes was surfing Agilitynet when she saw Spike (now Spy) on the Rescue Me page of Agilitynet. It was love at first sight.
	Spy's Story (Part 2) Claire Haynes never thought that training rescue dog Spy (formerly Spike) would be so difficult.
	Super Sasha Trudie didn't get truly addicted to agility until she got Super Sasha of Valgrays who really showed her owner what agility was really about - time, patience and lots of fun.

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