A two-year blind dog that was found abandoned in a ditch is getting ready to spend Christmas in her new home at the heart of her loving family, thanks to Dogs Trust Bridgend.
Dixie the Dachshund was found by a member of the public in September 2020, wandering around in a ditch behind in pub in Newport. Not knowing how long she had been straying.
Dixie was rescued by the dog warden and was found in extremely poor condition with dirty ears and was very underweight. She has multiple sight defects, which are likely to have been present since birth, that have left her virtually blind.
Staff at Dogs Trust Bridgend have changed the tale for Dixie, lavishing her with love and nursed her back to health until she was ready to find her forever home.
Angela Wetherall, Manager at Dogs Trust Bridgend, said: “It was heart breaking to see Dixie when she first arrived. She was underweight and had clearly been through a bit of an ordeal. But we believe we have really changed the tale here, as the outcome could have been so different. With lots of TLC she came on in leaps and bounds which was so lovely to see, and then it was time to find here a forever home. That was when the Chant family got in touch, who turned out to be a perfect match.”
Dixie has now landed on her paws with Lucy Chant and her parents from Port Talbot who have recently welcomed her into their home after saying it was love at first site when they spotted her on the Dogs Trust website.
Lucy-Ann says: “No one likes to think of their dog being found in such horrendous circumstances but we’re so lucky that we have been given the chance to adopt her. We had seen Dixie on the website, and she stole our hearts, she is a very special girl and certainly doesn’t let the fact that she is virtually blind stop her, she’s very inquisitive!
“Now she is home with us and has settled in a treat. She is an absolute star, full of fun and we’re determined to give her the best of everything after her traumatic experience. We would definitely recommend adopting a dog. A dog is for life and we thought long and hard about getting one, but the time was right for us and she has proved to be the best company ever in this unusual year. We are so happy that Dixie is going to be spending the first of many Christmases as part of our family.”
Dixie is one of many dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes that Dogs Trust Bridgend is changing the tale for, and who have found loving homes since lockdown began in March, but Dogs Trust fears that nationally up to 40,000 more dogs could be at risk of abandonment as a result of the fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
Angela Wetherall said: “We’re delighted that Dixie will be spending her first Christmas with Lucy-Ann and her parents, getting all the love and affection she deserves. Seeing our dogs go to their new homes is why we do the job we do, and we are all absolutely delighted for Dixie.
“Sadly, we do expect to see more dogs finding themselves homeless in the coming months as a result of the pandemic, but we will be here to help. We will do everything we can to change the tale for them, making sure they all find a new forever family.”
Dogs Trust Bridgend is not open for public browsing, but you can still make an appointment to adopt or bring a dog to us. The centre has set up new processes which include social distancing measures to help keep staff and visitors safe.
