Meet Bella, the lonely lurcher who is in desperate need of a forever home.
Bella loves people, but because she missed out on some socialisation skills at a young age, she’s had a hard time with adoption.
The two-year-old has now spent most of her life in kennels even though she loves being around people.
Hannah Hawkins, RSPCA behaviour and welfare advisor at the Ashley Heath Animal Centre in Ringwood, said: ‘Although we try to spend as much time with her as possible, we simply can’t be with her all the time.
‘And she has sought solace in her cuddly toys, especially Winnie the Pooh who she cuddles up with every night.’
RSPCA staff were initially worried Bella would never find a home when she first arrived in 2020 as she is scared of other dogs, gets lonely and suffers from anxiety.
Hannah added: ‘Bella was originally rehomed to a family from another charity.
‘But they struggled to cope with her behaviour around other dogs and agreed to sign her over to the RSPCA for behavioural work.
‘Bella is really worried by other canines and lacks socialisation skills that she missed out on in her early, formative months.
‘We believe that incorrect management has worsened this, and she was incredibly frustrated when we first started working with her.
‘But, thankfully, after months and months of intensive work we’ve started to see her making improvements.
‘She’s responded well to our training and has even made some doggy friends here at the centre.’
An RSPCA spokesperson said staff believe she’s being ‘misunderstood’ by adopters.
‘Bella is a friendly, affectionate dog who loves to spend time with people,’ they added.
‘She enjoys being groomed and loves nothing more than fuss and attention.
‘She enjoys running off-lead, playing with her toys and splashing in the water.
‘She has responded well to training and enjoys the treats she’s given as rewards.
‘She’ll need time to get to know new dog friends and can be reactive to unknown dogs.
‘So she’ll need an experienced and confident adopter who can continue her training and be mindful when walking her.
‘She’d like a large, enclosed garden as she really loves to run and play off-lead.
‘We feel she’d be best suited to an adult-only home in a quiet area where she can go for rural walks away from lots of other dogs.
‘She has struggled with separation anxiety in the past so will need owners who can initially spend lots of time with her and slowly teach her that it’s okay to be left alone.’
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