A Jack Russell adopted from Dogs Trust Bridgend is joining her Pontypridd owner on his training runs as he prepares to take on the Cardiff half marathon later this year to raise money for the charity and support other dogs to find their forever homes.
Rosie, now three, was a very anxious pup who was finding it difficult to adjust to life at Dogs Trust when she first met Hamish Belding and his wife Natasha at the rehoming centre in 2020. But almost three years on from being adopted, the energetic youngster is loving life and now Hamish is determined to go the distance for the dogs still waiting to find their ideal families, despite having not taken on a running challenge for more than 20 years.
Hamish says: “I am 43 now and haven’t done any running for such a long time, so I have started training well in advance, but I’m determined to do it for the dogs. Rosie is proof that every dog really can find their forever home. Three years on from us adopting her, she’s a very happy dog and we can’t imagine life without her.”
Rosie arrived at Dogs Trust Bridgend in the summer of 2020 at the age of just one, along with her brother Jim, after a change in their family’s circumstances meant they could no longer care for them. Jim soon found a forever home, but Rosie found kennel life very stressful, and the team urgently wanted to find her a family of her own.
Dogs Trust Manager, Angela Wetherall, said: “We were really concerned about Rosie. She was very anxious so it was such a relief when Hamish and Natasha said they would like to see if they could help her. Initially she went to them as a foster dog to give her some respite from kennel life, but thanks to their patience, dedication and love, Rosie came on in leaps and bounds. After two months they decided they couldn’t let her go and to our delight, adopted her.”
As well as enjoying all her home comforts and adventurous day trips, Rosie now also accompanies Hamish on short training runs and he is hoping that she will cross the finishing line with him on the big day – Sunday 1 October.
Hamish says: “Seeing how content she is now, it’s difficult to think back to the time when she first came home. She would spin a lot, had lots of energy she didn’t know what to do with and we had to leave all the doors in the house open as she got very stressed if she was in a room alone.
“The Dogs Trust Behaviour Team gave us lots of advice and after a few weeks there was a huge turning point when one day I sat next to her and she stayed perfectly relaxed. It was wonderful. From then on, she seemed to understand we were here to care for her and give her a great life.
“Now she loves long walks, especially by the coast, and she gives us so much love. We have all been on this journey together, and she is my motivation so I really hope that on the day we can cross the finishing line together and help other dogs whilst they are waiting to find their forever homes.”
If you would like to support Hamish in helping raise money for Dogs Trust, please go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rosierunscardiff
