Angela Popham and Ruby (3 years old)
“The name Ruby was chosen by my daughter. Her nicknames are Ruby-roo or Rubes. We have an elderly black lab called Lola who has accepted Ruby very well. Ruby would love to play with her, but unfortunately Lola just wants to doze and watch the world go by.
A recent DNA test showed Border Collie/Labrador Retriever/Chow Chow, but she is so very tiny so we are.not convinced!
She is incredibly affectionate, lively, energetic, totally adorable, soft and very very cuddly. Her favourite treat is my homemade oat and cheese nibbles. Her favourite walk is along a footpath which leads around fields and into woods very close to us and her preferred place to chill out is our bed.
We wanted a medium to small dog who was female. And as soon as I saw her picture on the website and learnt about her story I fell in love with her. She was apparently abandoned and found in a cemetery looking frightened. She was very hungry and a bit dirty.
The adoption process was amazing. All the BMDR volunteers are so supportive and informative. We reserved Ruby and had a home check which went smoothly, and the home checker was very reassuring about the adoption. Everything to do with the adoption process was carried out online and my coordinator was lovely. I had a lot of questions and she put my mind at rest at every turn.
It was such an efficient process. Once all the preliminaries had been confirmed we were asked to pay the money towards her adoption, she was then put on the list for the next transport to the UK. Once Ruby was on the transport from Romania we had updates and photos. It was a very exciting time and we were counting the days until she arrived.
We fell in love with her literally at first sight. She clung to us as if she knew that she was now safe and in her forever home. The day she arrived coincided with family arriving for Christmas, so we had two young children in the house and great excitement. She loved the children and because she is so small she spent hours sitting on their laps being stroked and cuddled. She ate well and after a few nights she was able to take up her permanent place in the same room as our elderly black lab. She settled so well and was perfectly happy with the transfer.
The first few months were delightful. She has bought a new energy into the house and we all adore her. One of the main reasons for wanting another dog was to get us out walking and we are loving it. She keeps us on our toes and is such a happy little girl. It has been so rewarding to see her blossom and become so confident.
She has become very attached to me and is so obedient. The most significant milestone is that she is now able to walk off lead which is just brilliant. Her recall is good and for the most part she doesn't leave my side. She listens to any commands. She learned quickly that when they are eating at the table she has to go to her bed or sit on a chair and she does that without asking now. We are proud of her.
Adopting a dog through BMDR has been a wonderful experience. It has put me in touch with other adoptees and it is great fun exchanging photos and seeing how the other dogs are getting on. So I would say that all in all it is a win-win situation. The whole process of adopting is run so well and you always know that there is support. Of course, the biggest and most important aspect is knowing that you have helped an animal and the rewards are many. Obviously one doesn't know if things will work out well, but it would be exactly the same if you were to buy a puppy. You never quite know. We have been extremely lucky with Ruby and she is an easy dog. You have to be prepared to put in the time and all the love you give is returned 1000 times over.”