Jed, a seven-year-old Lurcher, has spent almost his entire life at the Dogs Trust shelter in Darlington, England. He arrived as a puppy in 2007 and has lived there ever since. His long-time residency at Dogs Trust has made him a celebrity of sorts: Thanks to numerous articles and news pieces, Jed has gotten the dubious honor of being known as “Britain’s Most Overlooked (or Rejected) Dog.” Much of the reporting has been hyperbolic and sensational. For instance, Jed has been described as spending the equivalent of 50 dog years in the shelter. (Dogster readers don’t need to be told how inaccurate this is, right?)
Thanks to Ian Woodcock and Elizabeth Marsh, that title may finally be passed on to someone else. The couple took Jed home from the shelter, and it looks like this time it’s for keeps. Woodcock told local paper The Northern Echo, “Jed is settling in really well, and we absolutely adore him, he is always by my side, and we already can’t imagine life without him.”
This isn’t the first time that Jed has been adopted, but for one reason or another, his new homes have never become forever homes. There seems to be no single, obvious reason for his repeated rejection, as with Bagheera, the dog who was said to have “demon eyes.” Of course, with every passing year, his muzzle gets a little bit more grey, and he becomes further away from the puppy he was when he first came to Dogs Trust. Age alone counts against a dog’s chances of getting adopted. And in the past, at least two families returned him because they said he was too energetic for their house.
Woodcock and Marsh seem very certain that they want Jed to stay as part of their family, and he seems to want to stay with them. Woodcock told the BBC that Jed is already developing routines and quirks at home. “His new favorite trick involves moving his duvet in front of the door and falling asleep so that we can’t leave the room,” he said. “We are really looking forward to the future with Jed. After so long without a home, we can’t wait to make 2015 as special as possible for him.”
For the staff at Dogs Trust, of course, sending Jed to a forever home is a personal victory. Assistant Manager Beverly Watson told The Northern Echo: “He is such a character, and we all became so attached to him in all the time he was with us, so it really is the best New Year present we could ask for to see how happy he is. I’ve worked in animal welfare for 10 years, and to see Jed get rehomed is undoubtedly one of the highlights.”
The articles, however sensational, no doubt helped with that. A lot of dogs in Jed’s situation just live out their lives in a shelter. People who go to shelters want puppies, and once a dog passes that limit, the chances of adoption dwindle.
For people in the United States (and especially the San Francisco area) who might be interested in finding their own version of Jed, we recommend checking out Muttville, which specializes in senior dogs who are looking for homes.
Via BBC and The Northern Echo
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