Hero finds new home after almost 300 days
After almost 300 days in Blue Cross care, sparky jack russell terrier Hero has a loving new home to call his own.
At almost eight years old, Hero desperately deserved a forever home where he could relax after nearly a year with Blue Cross.
Despite the little brindle and white dog’s fun character and love of pottering about in the garden, he struggled to find a new family.
Brought to Blue Cross at the start of last year following a change in his owner’s circumstances, Hero needed plenty of care from the team at our Southampton rehoming centre.
Hero isn’t the only pet in a similar situation.
In 2023, more than 1,400 (1,438) pets were handed into Blue Cross because of an owner’s change in circumstances.
That’s an increase of more than 34 per cent on the previous year, meaning more pets needing our help right now.
Since arriving at Blue Cross, Hero was given specialist vet care for some stiffness in his legs, while our team worked hard to find him a suitable foster home where he would feel comfortable.
“Hero had quite a long medical journey with us,” explains Kirsty Smith, Admissions Coordinator at Blue Cross Southampton.
“Because we needed to do a pain trial for his stiffness, we were back and forth with our clinical team to find what worked best for Hero.”
Building up his bond with his foster carers, Hero was able to enjoy their company and attention.
But what he really needed was to settle into a loving home for the long haul.
After 297 days in Blue Cross care, Hero got the news every pet deserves and had found a loving home just a stone’s throw away in Southampton, where he can enjoy life to the full.
Rehomer Perenna Powell has already created a strong bond with Hero – learning more about just what makes the little dog happy on their adventures together.
The pair have been enjoying playing ball games, plenty of walks and meeting other local pets since Hero joined the family.
“We had no idea he was mesmerised by water,” laughs Perenna. “It was a surprise.”