Endangered Dogs Defence and Rescue-DDA

Information, Education & Advice - helping dogs in need

“It’s only the way he looks, why does he have to die?”

Ten years ago my beautiful Sophie was seized under the ‘Dangerous Dogs Act’ because of how she looked.

We were luckier than most as I was allowed to visit her and did, every day making the 80 mile round trip.
I can still remember the first time. Approaching her kennel down a long dark breeze-block corridor, to find her sat with nothing but an old green plastic basket in one corner, not a blanket nor a toy in site. Immediately I removed my jacket and laid it down for her, surely she deserved some comfort.

For seven weeks I visited every day whilst the NCDL (now the Dogs Trust), Endangered Dogs Defence & Rescue (EDDR) and Justice for Dogs worked tirelessly towards her release. On the 13th May the charges were dropped and my beautiful baby girl came home.

You would expect this to be the end but because the charges were dropped, at any time, with new evidence, she could have been seized again, so I was left constantly looking over my shoulder just in case some passer by wanted to hazard a guess to the breed of my dog.

As well as for Sophie I became responsible for her litter brother Dougal. It was brought to our attention that Dougal who has been bought for an eight year old child soon became too strong for the child to handle and was condemned to a life of cruelty, kept in a shed never to see daylight.

Contacting the RSPCA regarding Dougal’s plight was not an option, what chance would he have had without anyone to fight his corner? Just another rescue dog to add to the statistics.
In the early hours of one morning, Dougal’s hell ended and he began his new life with me.

I look back over the years and think of the struggle I faced just keeping them safe. Weighing up illness against discovery, were they ill enough to warrant the risk of taking them to the vets. Another memory, my neighbours’ house caught fire, as we stood outside waiting for the Fire Brigade, watching the smoke bellowing out of an open window, I became concerned that if the fire became any worse my dogs were still inside my house and I would obviously need to remove them. I was told to expect the Police to turn up alongside the Fire Brigade-so where would I put Sophie and Dougal out of sight. While most would be worrying about their possessions going up I smoke, my only concern was getting my dogs in the car and driving away.

For many years I have disassociated myself with the deserving charities for fear of any link potentially putting my dogs at risk, now I can tell my story as Sophie and Dougal have passed away aged 13 years. I would go through all the heart ache and pain again if only to have them back with me. Never again do I expect to find such loyal and devoted companions.

I now hope to adopt a rescue dog to join our family and live with Sly my 14mth Akita and Mandy our 7mth collie x whippet.
Reading Stella’s story the other night I couldn’t believe the irony, Stella took her last breadth in rescue on the 13th December 2005, on the same day my dog Mandy took her first breadth in rescue.

Pictured here is Sophie, wishing she could run free, taken at the kennels where she was held - she looks out each day waiting for her owner to come see her.

Sophie would have been put to sleep if found ‘guilty’ of being the wrong shape.

To Sophie, Dougal, Stella and to those, too many to mention, although forever in our hearts. The struggle is over.
Never again will you be confined behind locked gates and high fences nor suffer at the hands of man kind.