When Alistair first met Annie, a three-year-old Terrier cross, she was incredibly nervous.
"She was quite independent and a little anxious," he explains. "However in the week she has spent at home she has really come out of her shell."
The Glasgow pet lover has been overjoyed to see the progress Annie made in just a few short weeks, since she was brought to him as part of Dogs Trust’s fostering scheme, called Home from Home.
He said: “Annie loves nothing more than a game of fetch with a ball, which really helped us build up a bond with her and now she enjoys getting lots of cuddles.
Alistair says: “This is our second time fostering during the recent lockdown and we’ve found the process really easy and enjoyable."
Currently Dogs Trust Glasgow volunteers aren’t able to help out at the rehoming centre, but volunteer foster carers have been keeping busy doing their bit to help dogs most in need in amidst the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
There are 25 foster carers signed up to help provide temporary homes to dogs that come into the care of the rehoming centre but would benefit from continuing to enjoy home comforts until they find their forever family.
There are currently 14 dogs in foster homes locally - the youngest is a nine-week-old Jack Russell Terrier puppy while the oldest of the group is a 13-year-old Pug cross.
There's also a mixture of breeds currently enjoying plenty of love and attention in their new temporary homes: from a Chihuahua cross to a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a German Shepherd.
Dogs Trust Glasgow is still closed to walk-in members of the public. However, recent changes in the government guidance means that from June 1 the team can now book appointments for those dogs who can’t be rehomed using our new ‘handover at home’ process.
Potential new owners will be able to meet the dog they are interested in rehoming at the centre in an outside play area, or in a spacious area that is separate from the main rehoming centre such as a training barn, whilst adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Zoe James, Home from Home co-ordinator at Dogs Trust Glasgow, says: “Dogs that go into the loving homes of our foster carers are usually only there for a short time, revelling in their home comforts until they can find their forever homes.
“But because of the current situation, they have been there for a while longer than anticipated and we want to say a huge thank you to our dedicated foster carers who have continued to give them all the love and care they need."
This week (1-7 June) is Volunteers’ Week, and Dogs Trust Glasgow is saying a big thank you to its volunteer doggy foster carers who have continued to go the extra mile for their four-legged friends in recent months.
The charity has been overwhelmed recently with members of the dog-loving public offering to become foster carers. As a result, the centre has temporarily paused applications.
If you would like to support Dogs Trust in other ways please visit HERE.
