Archie finds his dream home after waiting more than seven months

Although he found kennel life a little scary, Archie waited patiently for a new home.

But as days turned into weeks and the weeks into more than seven months, the poor boy started to wonder if anyone would ever love him again.

The sprightly lurcher had grown up in a loving home but his high energy levels became too much for his owners to handle and they made the heartbreaking decision to bring him to Blue Cross.

Lisa Kent, Animal Welfare Assistant at our Lewknor rehoming centre, said: "His owners had asked for help because he was too much for them; they were unable to give him the time, exercise and stimulation that he needed, which resulted in him having behaviour problems.

"His chase drive would be inappropriately directed towards the children in the home whilst they were playing and he also began chasing and harassing the cats in the home and the owners were unable to cope with this."

Archie didn’t find the transition from home life to kennels easy and needed lots of help to settle in, as well as plenty of work to channel his energy into some much needed training.

"Understandably, Archie did find kennel life quite scary at first so he needed a lot of support from team members.

"He was quite reactive with men, so people he knew and trusted had to help him meet. His behaviour did improve and his confidence grew as well and Archie was really enjoying going out for long walks with volunteers and lots of play sessions.

"We could see that he was really going to flourish in the right home, so it was just a case of waiting for the right person to come along."

Sadly, Archie’s wait for a new home took longer than anyone expected.

"Although he did need a home that had experience and would be happy to continue his behaviour work and support him when needed, he was a young and friendly boy so it a surprise that he wasn’t getting a lot of interest," said Lisa.

The poor boy even visited Father Christmas at the local garden centre in December the hope the festive season would bring him some joy – and better luck.

And his wish soon came true –  on Friday 15 January, after 228 days spent waiting at the centre.

Lisa said: "After a very long and patient wait by Archie, we were finally contacted by someone who looked like they could be a really good match for him. We discussed all of his history and his ongoing behaviour work and they were happy to take everything in and help him where needed."

He’s since been enjoying long walks in the countryside and "running like the wind" through the snow at a local nature reserve, after being rehomed by Amanda Farmer and her family. Archie couldn't be happier, and nor could they.

Amanda said: “I can’t tell you how happy we are. It’s so nice to have a dog around again. We lost our old dog, an English Bull Terrier, last year - he was so lovely and we were heartbroken, we really were.

“Dogs have always been a really big part of my life. We were really grieving, and it took us a long time to get over that. We really wanted a dog in our lives and we were looking at the Blue Cross website as it's just down the road from us. I saw Archie’s picture and he was the perfect age as well. And that face! It was so sweet.

“I don’t know why he was waiting so long, it’s a real shame. And I understand he was starting to not cope very well in kennels."

And it didn't take Archie long to settle into his new life. He had already met Amanda, her partner and her 18-year-old daughter a few times before they rehomed him, and he took the whole thing in his stride.

“He didn’t seem nervous at all when he came home, just quite excited to be here. I had put treats all over the place and he had a toy box", said Amanda.

“He spent the first hour or two sniffing around the flat, and soon found his place on the sofa. He likes to sit there and likes to sleep on my bed, even though he's got his own bed in the living room and in my bedroom. He’s met a few of my friends who have been round, he’s really good with people. He’s quite nosey, he likes to see what’s going on."

As Archie lacked some training when he was younger, Amanda and her family work to maintain his progress in learning how to be on his best behaviour and keep calm in a variety of situations.

Amanda says he is coming on leaps and bounds, and is reacting well as they familiarise him with different situations. 

“As part of his ongoing training we are getting him used to the car, he was really nervous before", she explained. "We’ve been going to lots of really nice places, having some lovely walks. He’s a lot more used to that now. He was always quite happy to go in the car but he was nervous, and when he was in there he wouldn’t take treats, but he’s actually started taking treats in the car now.

“Also, we have taken him to a local vet as that is one of the other things that he is worried about. We’ve been going in there and getting him used to it, so he sees the vets as a social thing. He gets a fuss and some treats - just to familiarise himself with the place, so he associates it with positive things.

"We have been walking him quite a lot in the nature reserve near us and there’s a big field where we can let him off the lead. He loves running - he is so fast, he looks like a greyhound! His recall is really good and we’re working on that further."

Although it took Archie longer than most to find their forever home, it seems it was worth the long wait - for dog and owner.

“He’s bouncy, really affectionate and really friendly. He loves people and he loves other dogs. He’s full of energy and full of life, just a really fun chap," Amanda added.

We couldn't be happier for Archie either.