Jessie is now thriving thanks to Council employees.
Seven month old Schnauzer-cross, Jessie was saved from near death in December (2014) by Alan Willis, Assistant Borough Inspector for Ards and North Down Borough Council, and his wife Lin.
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A happy ending: rehomed from the Council kennels, Jessie is full of life and a great pet for the Senior family.[/caption]
Alan said: “Before Christmas two dogs were brought into the Corran Kennels near Downpatrick. These kennels provide the service used by the Councils across County Down to house stray dogs while they attempt to reunite them with their owner or rehome them.
“One of the dogs was pregnant and gave birth to five puppies soon after her arrival at the kennels. Sadly four didn’t survive as the mother, who was in poor health, seemed to reject them. The fifth puppy was in a really bad condition and struggling to stay alive.
“My wife Lin works at Corran Kennels. We are both dog lovers, hence our day jobs! And she volunteered us to hand rear the fifth puppy to give it a chance of survival. She brought her home and we took it in turns to syringe feed her every two hours. It was really touch and go for the first five to six days but gradually she began to grow stronger. Our persistence paid off in the end!
“I had been telling some of my work colleagues about the puppy, so when she was in better health I brought the puppy in to let them meet her. My colleague Susan was completely bowled over by her and volunteered to give her a home.”
Now, Jessie, in good hands, is thriving, according to Susan Senior, a Customer Care Manger for the Ards and North Down Borough Council, who adopted her. Susan said: “It was love at first sight. When I saw Jessie I just couldn’t resist bringing her home. My children had always wanted a dog, so adopting this little puppy seemed just like fate!
“Jessie is now strong and healthy. She loves going out for walks and will play fetch with anyone who is willing to throw the ball for her!
“I was keen to train Jessie from an early age, yet didn’t really know how, so my daughter Sophie and I took her along to the Good Citizen puppy class run by the Council. It was a great fun and Jessie’s behaviour is now that of a model dog!”
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