Flynn Hartley

HE WAS IN A TERRIBLE STATE

Pauline happened to be with Sandie in Ireland to collect dogs for UK homes when Flynn was found in a terrible state and he was actually named after a pub that they noticed when driving along. He was only about 18mths old and we thought he was probably a Retriever Cross.

He was initially fostered by Sandie until he was well enough to travel and then by Pauline for several months because of the appalling state he was still in.

We believe, because of his injuries, that he was used by gypsies as the gentle bait to tease the aggressive fighting dogs. He was covered in bites when he was found and was very thin and he still had no hair on his tummy when he was adopted.

Despite the abuse he had suffered, he was a lovely friendly boy and got on well with Pauline’s dogs.

We thought he had found his perfect forever home but a sudden bereavement meant he had to be returned to IRR and, as Pauline was no longer free to take him, he had a short spell in foster with Rosa.

His heart must have stayed in Somerset, though, as he was very soon adopted by Christine and family who lived only a couple of miles away from Pauline.

UPDATE 2009

Flynn is now a mature 4yr old and is very large. He is a very loving boy who is totally adored by Christine and family. Despite his terrible start, he is absolutely wonderful with the grandchildren, one of whom, Megan, took him into the Parade of Rescues at the 2009 Reunion.

When he first went to Somerset to live with Christine and Barry, it was Barney, also a rescue, who helped him to settle but, sadly, Barney, recently died and poor Flynn was lost without him.

Happily, he now has a new friend, Ben, a rescue Labrador, who he has taken under his wing. They both share the same bed and Flynn is, apparently, very patient with him.