A father and son dog duo are in search of a loving new home after the pair’s adorable online ad warmed the nation’s hearts.
Bruiser, a six-year-old Chi, Poodle and Pug cross, and Chip, his seven-year-old father, arrived at Hope Rescue centre in Llanharan, South Wales, on July 8.
Adoption and Fostering manager, Lyndsey Smith told TeamDogs : “They came to us after their owners were struggling to manage.
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"It was quite a busy household with quite a lot of young children, so they were just finding it a little bit too much.”
Describing Bruiser, who is tan, as a fan of “squeaky toys” while his father Chip (black) “prefers cuddles”, Smith says the dogs are just two of an increasing number of animals being rescued by shelters following 18 months of lockdown.
Hope Rescue also noted an upward trend when it comes to dogs suffering from separation anxiety following a period that saw many families working from home.
“During the first lockdown, our intake went a little bit quiet compared to usual numbers, but our stray numbers, they are just really climbing now.
"“The strays that we're getting in, most of them have either got some kind of behavioural issue or some kind of quite severe medical issue.”
Noting a recent influx in older dogs alongside puppies aged between eight and 18 months, the 27-year-old says many are now suffering from “resource guarding” where they become worried about toys and food being taken from them, while others are feeling the effects of a lack of dog-to-dog socialisation.
Bruiser and Chip both 'love to get their noses to the ground' and joint rehoming is necessary as the father and son duo are really attached and noting both get quite distressed if they’re separated.
It’s a rehoming process that has taken longer than expected after Bruiser was found to have a grade four heart murmur.
“Heart murmurs are graded between one to six, so for quite a young dog that is on the higher side,” says Lyndsey.
However, despite the rescue centre’s initial worries, further tests revealed the condition was unlikely to cause issues until later on in life, meaning the pair are now ready to find a new home and family.
“While yes, they can see that he’s got a heart murmur, he doesn't need any kind of ongoing treatment at the moment,” says Smith. “It may in the future as he gets older, then deteriorates. So it's just looking for an owner that will be able to support him if he does need to start medication.”
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