A happy ending for Muffin the Border Collie thanks to generous lottery players
When three-year-old Muffin the Border Collie arrived at Dogs Trust Shoreham in May last year, after being transferred from Ireland, little was known about her background. She found the world quite overwhelming and was very nervous around noises and new people. It took six weeks for staff members to even be able to clip a lead to her collar to take her for walks.
Luckily for Muffin, she formed a close bond with one of the dedicated staff members who was caring for her, Alan Campbell, Dog Welfare Assistant at Dogs Trust. He became her carer, and together they were able to build trust at Muffin’s steady pace. He helped her build her confidence, slowly introduced her to gentle training and eventually she became comfortable with handling for grooming and visits to the vet.
After weeks of hard work from both Muffin and Alan, she reached a huge milestone when she allowed him to clip her on a lead and take her for a walk for the first time since arriving at the centre. Alan said, “It was so lovely to watch her see grass for the first time in several months!”. Thankfully, Muffin found her forever home on in December and has been settling in nicely ever since.
Dogs Trust has been able to help dogs like Muffin thanks to the generous support of Postcode Lottery players who have raised over £30 million for the charity, helping care for over 125,000 dogs since funding began in 2014.
The charity is celebrating reaching this milestone fundraising total after 12 years of support which has helped provide essential daily care for dogs cared for at 21 rehoming centres across the UK. As well as helping dogs find a new home, funding from Postcode Lottery players has helped Dogs Trust’s dedicated teams including training, behaviour and welfare specialists, fostering and volunteer co-ordinators, and many more to help thousands of dogs find their forever homes.
Kirsty Hayward, Manager at Dogs Trust Shoreham said, “The updates we’ve received from Muffin’s adopter since she went off to her forever home are so heartwarming. She’s settling in beautifully, growing in confidence every day and is now able to enjoy life rather than being afraid all the time. It's thanks to support from Postcode Lottery players who have raised such an incredible amount over the years, that we are able to continue caring for dogs like Muffin. We couldn’t achieve what we do without you."
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at Postcode Lottery said, “It’s amazing that players have raised over £30 million for Dogs Trust. This funding has transformed the lives of thousands of dogs just like Muffin who are now happy and safe in their forever homes thanks to the Dogs Trust team. Their incredible work continues to give pups in need a second chance at the love and care they deserve."