29 January 2023 , 20:10
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A pair of loveable mutts with a combined age of 34 who are the oldest ever to be looked after at their rescue centre have finally found their forever home - after they were previously overlooked for being too elderly.
Sheba and Teddy, both 17-year-old Collie crosses, were taken into care after their owner sadly passed away in November last year.
The adorable pair arrived at the Dogs Trust in Evesham, Worcestershire but nobody came forward to give them a retirement home they needed and they were repeatedly turned down due to their age.
The veteran mutts - believed to be the oldest doggy duo ever cared for by the charity - faced an uncertain future until Dogs Trust volunteer Sue Lewis stepped in.
Sue, 69, of Redditch, Worcestershire, said: "I became a volunteer dog walker at the Evesham rehoming centre in September last year, as I had a huge dog-shaped hole in my life since losing my last dog, Muttley, a year previously.
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"My husband Pete wasn’t quite ready to welcome another four-legged friend into our lives so I decided to get my dog-fix by volunteering.
"I’ve walked dozens of dogs since I started but I fell in love with Sheba and Teddy instantly after I went out on a walk with them and one of their carers, Callum.
"He was telling me all about how they were being overlooked by potential adopters due to the fact they are an older pair and my heart broke.
"I said, ‘do you think they’d like to come and live with me’ and the rest is history."
Sue Lewis, with Teddy (R) & Sheba (L) (Dogs Trust / SWNS)
The adoption was 'the ideal outcome for everyone' (Dogs Trust / SWNS)Sue said she couldn’t bear the thought of them not finding their final forever home, after a lifetime of being looked after as beloved pets.
And now she is enjoying coming home to be greeted "by a waggy tail" ever since she took the veteran pair into her home and the pair have settled in "amazingly well."
Chris Slight, rehoming centre manager at Dogs Trust Evesham, said: "Sheba and Teddy’s world was turned upside down when their owner died.
"We were all eager to find them a home together – which was proving difficult due to their age and because we were looking for an owner to take on a pair.
"Luckily Sue fell in love with them and it’s been the ideal outcome for everyone.
"We know they’ll be very happy with Sue and Pete who will make sure they have everything they could hope for in their final forever home."
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The two dogs have very different personalities and Teddy is said to be the more confident of the two.
Some people are reluctant to take older dogs into care as they may not be around for a long time. Chris added that older dogs can still make great pets.
He added: "Older dogs often don’t need quite as much exercise and although they can be a little less energetic, senior canines can be just as fun and playful.
"Older dogs are more likely to be fully house-trained and, as they are older and wiser, they usually know other training basics too, but you can certainly still teach an old dog new tricks.
"They can also make the perfect napping partner and enjoy a good snooze and a snuggle in the evening."