Britain’s most unwanted dog celebrates first Christmas in forever home

This stay included Jake spending five Christmases with the charity. Although the staff in the rehoming centre did all they could to make the holidays as fun as possible for Jake and the other dogs in the care of the charity, a permanent home for Jake was always top of their Christmas list.

Jake first arrived at Dogs Trust Leeds in 2015, aged just one, and he quickly stole the hearts of many of the team. However, even at such an early age, Jake had already been passed around several homes before arriving in the care of Dogs Trust.

Jake did find a home but was returned to kennels in 2019 after a change in his owner’s circumstances. Following his return, and another failed adoption, Jake struggled to attract new owners, and despite his playful and affectionate nature, his lack of confidence around dogs and people meant he was often overlooked by potential adopters. It became clear that for Jake to thrive in a home, he would need to find an owner who would be willing to meet Jake in the middle, adjusting their lifestyle to help him settle in.

Over his 1700 days in the care of Dogs Trust, the team spent many hours working with Jake to help him overcome his issues, building his trust with new people and developing his social skills. The whole Dogs Trust team was determined to find Jake new owners, sharing regular videos and rehoming appeals to help this unlucky pup find a home.

When Veronica and Keith spotted a video of Jake spending a weekend away with his handler, they knew he was the dog for them. After three months of successful introductions to the pair, including weekly visits, taking him for walks and eventually overnight stays, Jake finally went to his forever home in February 2024. Now Jake is preparing to spend his first Christmas with his new owners, in a stable, happy place, something that has been a rarity in his life.

Veronica, Jake’s owner said: “We’re so glad we’ve been able to give Jake a loving, forever home. We’ve had to adjust our lifestyle to help Jake feel more comfortable, but he has settled in so well and has a great routine.

“We’ve been able to introduce Jake to some of our friends, using the techniques we learnt at the rehoming centre, and now he is always happy to see them. We’ve found some nice, quiet walking routes nearby, including a secure field where we can let him off the lead.

“Jake will spend this Christmas in his happy place, stretched out on the sofa and playing with his toys. While we’ve had to make some big adjustments, we adore Jake and can’t imagine life without him.”

Lifestyle

Kelly Walker, Manager at Dogs Trust Leeds said: “After 1700 days with us, Jake’s story isn’t one we’re likely to forget! During his time with us, all we hoped for was a forever home for him, and while we did all we could to make his Christmases special, we know this year will be the best one he’s ever had.

“It is such a privilege to see Jake settling into a happy, forever home. His adopters have done a wonderful job introducing our training techniques and adjusting their lifestyle to help ease Jake into home life.

“Jake is an excellent example of how the right care at the right pace can get a dog into their forever home, regardless of their background.

“Every dog deserves to be in their happy place, especially for Christmas. We have many more dogs like Jake still searching for their forever homes, so if you are ready to welcome a dog into your life, please pop over to our website and take a look.”

For more information, and to find out more about the dogs available for rehoming, visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/leeds