Stanley: male dog to adopt

Stanley is a small to medium sized crossbreed, he is probably around nine years old. Stanley came into our care four years ago from the Botosani public shelter in Romania. He had been extremely picked on in the shelter and was very underweight due to other dogs not allowing him to eat. Far from being grateful to us for stepping in and saving him from impending doom, it’s fair to say that Stanley has never really been a “people person”. After years of hardship at the hands of humans we never really blamed him. So we’ve been ticking along for four years feeding him, picking up his pooh and receiving nothing in gratitude but dirty looks. All that mattered was that he was out of the shelter and happy and safe in his foster home. For the duration of his stay with us he’s really not been any trouble at all. He blends into the background for the most part. Will tolerate me bathing and grooming him without a fuss when needed. He’s just never really shown any sign of wanting any further interaction. Recently I have felt a change in him, I would even go as far as to say that he almost forgot himself yesterday and enjoyed a groom and a fuss! When he rested his head on my knee and dozed off I suddenly realised that actually he’s really a senior now and he deserves a quieter and more relaxed environment for his retirement. Obviously he needs a very special kind of person to offer him a home. It is still potentially going to be a case of what you can do for him and not what love he’s going to give back to you.….. but just maybe in a more one to one environment he can be more than a “blend into the background” dog. In the meantime rewards will be from offering comfort and peace to a stoic old boy who just wants to use you for food!! Stanley needs another dog in residence and can be playful when he thinks nobody is looking, he has no issues with cats. He has been in a foster home with children of eight plus, he ignores them and they ignore him and that situation works for all involved. He will go for walks and enjoys them initially but gets belligerent after about twenty minutes, especially if you opt to go in a direction which displeases him. I just think that you can see in the eyes of this dog that he’s seen and endured way more than any dog should, and he should therefore not be judged for his standoffish approach to humans. During grooming sessions I’ve seen the scars hidden by his thick coat, and they are many.

Stanley fostered Norwich Norfolk.

If you are interested please message or call between 9am to 5pm Mon – Fri or 9am to 4pm Sat. Tel 07788251197 / 07899844524.

From 1st June 2025 our adoption fees are Puppies £500 with £100 rebate on spay proof provided, Adult neutered dogs and bitches £400, Seniors over 10 reduced fees £100-250.

Adoption Policy

When you adopt a Safe Rescue dog, you MUST use a slip lead. This will keep your dog safe: your new dog will be nervous and will not trust you, and you will not know which situations might upset your dog. If your dog panics, then a slip lead is the only way to prevent your dog from escaping (many dogs can escape from a collar and/or harness). It will take AT LEAST 3-6 months for your dog to settle-in and for you to know your dog fully (longer for nervous dogs). The slip lead must ALWAYS be used during this settling-in period.

Even after your dog is settled, it is safest to use the slip lead in situations where your dog may become scared (e.g. visiting new places, around unfamiliar people, at the vet), and it situations where unexpected triggers might happen (e.g. around bonfire night). Nervous dogs may always need to wear a slip-lead as a back-up safety measure.

The slip lead is a safety device and must NEVER be used as a training tool. Using the lead to apply pressure to the dog’s neck is damaging. If your dog pulls on the lead, then we can advise you on training methods that avoid harm.

Once your dog is settled, you may want to consider using a harness (together with the slip lead) if your dog is comfortable with being handled when it is fitted. Most harnesses are not escape-proof, but harnesses with a strap behind the ribcage (e.g. Ruffwear Webmaster or Perfect Fit Harnesses) are safer.

Retractable / extendable leads must never be used on our dogs.

Adopted dogs must be collected from the rescue and transported straight home in a crate.

Fences and gates must be 5ft min & secure. All dogs are vaccinated, microchipped and neutered (unless the dog is too young to be neutered).