logo
Dog finally finds her forever home after spending more than four years in Scots charity's kennels

Dog finally finds her forever home after spending more than four years in Scots charity's kennels

Daily Recorda day ago
Skye is living life to the full after finding her forever home after more than 1,500 days in Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre's kennels.
A lucky dog has now found her forever home – after more than four years in the care of a Scots charity.

Skye had spent 1,548 days in kennels at Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre.

But she has finally been rehomed and living her life to the full.

Staff at the centre, which is at Dovecotewells near Glencaple, said they had been 'dreaming' for years about sharing news that Skye had found a home.

The team also shared a post on Facebook from Skye's new family, who said that rescuing Skye had been 'the highlight of our year'.
The post said: 'We were looking for a new rescue and just by chance I stumbled across the Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre website, where I was greeted by the beautiful, smiley face of Skye and instantly fell in love.
'Despite not meeting all of her criteria I knew she was meant for us, so reached out to the centre and asked if they would consider us, and thankfully they were willing to listen. We live a very long way away, but once we'd met her and she accepted us, the staff were brilliant at expediting their processes, without cutting any corners to make sure we were genuinely what Skye needed.

'Skye is a testament to the dedication, care and love of all the staff, volunteers, and trustees of DGCRC. Many rescues would have washed their hands of a dog like Skye, or, at best, accepted that she was going to be a lifelong resident.

'But the team at DGCRC never, ever gave up hope for Skye and did everything they could to help her. From organising specialist training and behaviour support, to hearing and pain control tests. They helped her thrive, and most importantly, kept believing that somewhere, somehow, her forever home was waiting for her.
'Skye definitely has a lot of challenges to overcome, but we already know that she's going to be worth every single second of effort. She's such a sunny and happy girl, and we're so glad that she's part of our family. She's here to stay.
'If you are thinking of rescuing a dog, please don't overlook the long term residents. They're just as deserving of a sofa to call their own, and will repay your efforts many times over with love, loyalty and cuddles. And remember, if you rescue one dog, you're actually changing the lives of two - the one you welcome into your family, and the lucky dog who takes their place in the rescue, ready to find a home of their own.'
For more information about Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue – including to donate or see the dogs they are currently looking after - visit their website.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Scots mum who spent four months homeless 'regains spark' as city tour guide
Scots mum who spent four months homeless 'regains spark' as city tour guide

Daily Record

time7 hours ago

  • Daily Record

Scots mum who spent four months homeless 'regains spark' as city tour guide

"These streets are massively familiar to me, and yet I felt like a stranger. I felt like no-one could see me, no-one could hear me." A Scots mum-of-three who felt 'vulnerable' and 'invisible' while spending four months struggling with homelessness has 'regained her spark' after finding a rewarding job leading guided tours around her city, reclaiming the streets with her story. ‌ Like many people, Michelle Marie Edwards, 47, held the idea that to be homeless meant ' sleeping rough, living on the streets'. ‌ However, when a life-altering series of events – including separation from her husband and her daughter's struggle with mental illness – led to the Aberdeen mum and her teenage daughter sofa-surfing for four long months in 2024, she found herself dealing with 'invisible' homelessness. ‌ '(I felt) extremely helpless, vulnerable, invisible …' Michelle told PA Real Life. 'I mean, this is my hometown. This is where I grew up. These streets are massively familiar to me, and yet I felt like a stranger. I felt like no-one could see me, no-one could hear me.' Michelle lived in the city until 2006, when she moved to Yorkshire to go to university for the second time. She met her ex-husband in 2008, going on to have three children together, and in August 2020, the family moved to Swedish Lapland, entering a new chapter of their lives in the far north of Scandinavia. But, just a few years later, Michelle and her husband separated and she left the family home in the Swedish town of Norsjo in January 2024 and moved into her own flat. Things took a further turn in August 2024 when her eldest daughter, who was 13 at the time, sadly had a mental health crisis and said nothing in life was bringing her joy. When a psychiatrist asked what might help, the teenager suggested moving home to the UK. Michelle decided to fly back to Scotland in September 2024 with her daughter, leaving her other two children – now aged 11 and 12 – with their dad in Sweden. She left her flat and her job, and returned to the UK, initially sleeping in her elderly mother's living room and on an air bed at her sister's home for around four months. ‌ However, it took longer than Michelle thought to re-establish her life in Scotland: without a lump sum of cash to put down for a flat deposit and first month's rent up-front, she couldn't get a permanent roof over her and her daughter's heads. Plus, since she was able to sofa-surf with relatives, her case was deemed a low priority by the council who, she says, 'wouldn't even put us on the list to register as homeless'. ‌ By the end of January 2025, Michelle had started a part-time job in a coffee shop to get some money coming in, but this wasn't nearly enough for a deposit to secure a rented flat. Thankfully, however, her sister was able to lend her some money for a rental – and once she had a permanent address, it was easier to encourage life to fall back into place, including moving her other two children back to Scotland, too. 'I'm one of these people, like many of us, who assume that homelessness means you're sleeping rough, living on the streets, and I was adamant that that wasn't me, because I wasn't sleeping on the streets,' Michelle said. ‌ 'But of course, the actual definition of being homeless is having no fixed abode, and I had literally given up my flat, given up my job in Sweden and landed at my mum's place for a few weeks. 'I was fortunate to be able to do that, but also that put us in a predicament that we basically couldn't get out of: Because we did have a roof over our head, it made it almost impossible to make that move from being homeless to actually getting our own place.' ‌ During this period, Michelle started to spiral through questions about what had led her to this place. Despite having earned two undergraduate degrees, maintained a stable job and stable family life, life's twists and turns had landed her in a position she once thought unimaginable. 'I did leave this country. I did go and live in a foreign country. I did make those choices … I started feeling like, was I wrong to have left my husband, to have asked for a divorce? Did I cause all of this to happen?' she said. She also found herself questioning: 'What can I do to change this? Can I just get back on a plane and take her back? It's going to cost less to jump on a plane back to Sweden than it would be to fund a flat here. ‌ 'But I had my 13-year-old's mental health to think about and she'd made it abundantly clear that being in Sweden is just not something she was able to do any more.' Once she was able to move into a flat, with the financial help from her sister, Michelle could start getting back on track – but, she says, 'just being able to make that leap, make that connection, was almost impossible without having a family member that was able to facilitate that'. When Michelle found Invisible Cities, which supports people with experience of homelessness with training to guide walking tours in Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, York and Cardiff, she says she finally felt seen and understood. ‌ Now, Michelle is preparing to lead her first guided tour – which she devised herself – for paying tourists in Aberdeen. 'My tour is titled The Silver City's Shadows, and it's looking particularly at the Great Witch Hunt of 1597,' she explains. 'And then, interweaving with that, my own experience of feeling invisible in Aberdeen.' ‌ Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. 'The research that I've done has taught me so much about the city that I didn't know,' she said. 'I'm excited to get to share that with other local people.' While Michelle is still finding her feet after a tumultuous year, she says that working with Invisible Cities, feeling empowered to tell her story in the context of the city she loves, has helped her feel like herself again. 'Invisible Cities has helped me regain my spark,' she said.

Dog finally finds her forever home after spending more than four years in Scots charity's kennels
Dog finally finds her forever home after spending more than four years in Scots charity's kennels

Daily Record

timea day ago

  • Daily Record

Dog finally finds her forever home after spending more than four years in Scots charity's kennels

Skye is living life to the full after finding her forever home after more than 1,500 days in Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre's kennels. A lucky dog has now found her forever home – after more than four years in the care of a Scots charity. ‌ Skye had spent 1,548 days in kennels at Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre. ‌ But she has finally been rehomed and living her life to the full. ‌ Staff at the centre, which is at Dovecotewells near Glencaple, said they had been 'dreaming' for years about sharing news that Skye had found a home. ‌ The team also shared a post on Facebook from Skye's new family, who said that rescuing Skye had been 'the highlight of our year'. The post said: 'We were looking for a new rescue and just by chance I stumbled across the Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue Centre website, where I was greeted by the beautiful, smiley face of Skye and instantly fell in love. 'Despite not meeting all of her criteria I knew she was meant for us, so reached out to the centre and asked if they would consider us, and thankfully they were willing to listen. We live a very long way away, but once we'd met her and she accepted us, the staff were brilliant at expediting their processes, without cutting any corners to make sure we were genuinely what Skye needed. ‌ 'Skye is a testament to the dedication, care and love of all the staff, volunteers, and trustees of DGCRC. Many rescues would have washed their hands of a dog like Skye, or, at best, accepted that she was going to be a lifelong resident. ‌ 'But the team at DGCRC never, ever gave up hope for Skye and did everything they could to help her. From organising specialist training and behaviour support, to hearing and pain control tests. They helped her thrive, and most importantly, kept believing that somewhere, somehow, her forever home was waiting for her. 'Skye definitely has a lot of challenges to overcome, but we already know that she's going to be worth every single second of effort. She's such a sunny and happy girl, and we're so glad that she's part of our family. She's here to stay. 'If you are thinking of rescuing a dog, please don't overlook the long term residents. They're just as deserving of a sofa to call their own, and will repay your efforts many times over with love, loyalty and cuddles. And remember, if you rescue one dog, you're actually changing the lives of two - the one you welcome into your family, and the lucky dog who takes their place in the rescue, ready to find a home of their own.' For more information about Dumfries and Galloway Canine Rescue – including to donate or see the dogs they are currently looking after - visit their website.

'Lives at risk' as ministers spend just 11% of £97m Scots safety fund
'Lives at risk' as ministers spend just 11% of £97m Scots safety fund

The Herald Scotland

time2 days ago

  • The Herald Scotland

'Lives at risk' as ministers spend just 11% of £97m Scots safety fund

There are concerns that that is no change from an assessment by the Scottish Parliament's local government, housing and planning committee from February, last year which found that only two of 105 being assessed in Scotland at that point for cladding remediation have had any work carried out. A total of 72 people lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017. Its cladding is believed to have contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze. The Scottish government set up a cladding remediation programme following the disaster, but it has come under fire for failing to act quickly enough. A block of flats in Aberdeen is the first in Scotland to have dangerous cladding removed last year (Image: Michael Tait Communications Ltd) It has emerged that an April analysis on spending from the Scottish Government shows just £10.823m out of the £97.1m received from Westminster via Barnett consequentials five years ago has been spent to deal with potentially flammable cladding on buildings And the financial commitment has slumped from £6.752m in 2023/24 to £2.243m in 2024/25. Scottish Government analysis shows that around one in nine residential buildings over 11m (36ft) tall may require work to on their external wall systems in the wake of Grenfell. READ MORE: Why is the Grenfell Tower blaze tragedy a disaster for Scotland? 'Outrageous': Row over ScotGov's 'undemocratic' consultation over rent rises Why can't ScotGov end the nation's housing emergency? 'Appalling': Hundreds of Scots evicted from council homes despite ScotGov ban It is now estimated that between 1,260 and 1,450 of the residential buildings in Scotland which are 11 metres or over may require repairs to external wall systems that over life-safety fire risks. So far, as of the end of June three Single Building Assessments (SBAs) resulted in work being required - with just two started. In England as of June of the 5,190 buildings being monitored for unsafe cladding, 2,490 (48%) have started or completed remediation works, of which 1,767 (34%) have been completed. Some 15 SBAs were underway or completed as of the end of June, with 14 funded by the Scottish Government and one by a developer. There are also a further 600 expressions of interest (EoIs) in what is described as a Single Open Call process which allows property owners to apply for government funding to have their properties assessed using SBAs. Nearly 200 of those were from Scottish councils. The Scottish Government says that at the end of end of July, 258 initial grant offers have been made to building owners and residents to take forward an SBA. Scottish Labour's housing spokesman Mark Griffin said: 'These figures lay bare the SNP's reckless inaction on cladding. Mark Griffin said ministers have been sitting on the fund"Ministers have been sitting on millions of pounds of cladding funding, but progress has been dangerously slow. 'The SNP must show the urgency needed, use the resources it already has, and ramp up action to rid Scottish buildings of this dangerous cladding and keep people safe.' The Scottish Tenants Organisation said: "The Scottish Government is putting financial cost ahead of life and safety of tenants and residents of Scotland and it is not acceptable. "The taxpayers' money was handed to the Scottish Government to remediate dangerous cladding and it is scandalous that so little of it has been used." The Scottish Government's Cladding Remediation Programme was set up in the wake of Grenfell to safeguard residents and homeowners by addressing the fire safety risk to human life that is directly or indirectly created or exacerbated by a building's external wall cladding system. It was also established to help deal with the consequential negative impacts which can exist in relation to the buying, selling and re-mortgaging of flats in Scotland. At the time of Grenfell, cladding regulations were already stricter in Scotland than the rest of the UK, due to legislation that had been introduced in 2005. This followed a fatal fire at the Garnock Court tower block in Irvine in 1999. A 55-year-old man died in the fire and five other people, including a 15-month-old child, were injured in the Irvine blaze. Witnesses reported that a vertical ribbon of cladding on one corner of the block was quickly ablaze and the fire reached the 12th floor within 10 minutes of it starting. The flats were owned by North Ayrshire Council, who ordered the removal of plastic cladding and PVC window frames as a precaution "at whatever cost" so they could be replaced with safer materials. The then local MP, Brian Donohoe, said at the time he believed there was something "quite wrong" in the use of the cladding. Sean Clerkin, campaign co-ordinator for the STO, who was invited to give evidence at a Scottish parliamentary examination of the cladding issues said: "This is a major failing of Scottish Government policy and needs to urgently tackled." Housing secretary Mairi McAllan (Image: Derek McArthur) Last week, the housing secretary Mairi McAllan announced a further £20m to speed up action to remove dangerous cladding in Scotland. She said she was "determined" that, by 2029, every high-risk residential building over 18 metres will have been resolved, with buildings between 11 and 18 metres placed on a "clear pathway to resolution". A deadline of October 31, 2025, was set by which developers must sign the developers' remediation contract, an agreement between the UK government and major developers, requiring them to fix life-critical fire safety defects in buildings they developed or refurbished over the past 30 years. A Scottish Government spokesman said it was unfair to say that progress has been dangerously slow. 'This is an inaccurate portrayal of where Scotland's cladding remediation programme is currently at and doesn't reflect recent progress," said the spokesman. 'Since legislation came in to force in January, which gave ministers the necessary legal powers, more than 250 initial grant offers have been made to building owners and residents to take forward a Single Building Assessment. 'Ministers have committed that by 2029 every high-risk residential building over 18 metres will have been resolved, with buildings between 11 and 18 metres placed on a clear pathway to resolution.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store