Rescue Dog Gets a Forever Home for Christmas After 1,000 Days in Kennels, Thanks to Heart-Warming TV Appeal

A rescue dog is celebrating the ultimate Christmas gift: a forever home!

Joanne Baker, from Nottinghamshire, England, jumped at the opportunity to provide Sarah — a three-year-old lurcher — a new home after spotting a BBC plea for help, which was shared on behalf of the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in Cambridgeshire, U.K.

"After reading her story on the BBC News website, I couldn't stand to think a young dog could potentially spend the rest of her life in kennels,” Baker told the outlet.

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"We live in an old farmhouse in a small village; Sarah enjoys the garden and, with our other lurcher Charlie, loves zoomies out there.”

Baker joked that Sarah’s behavior may not be beneficial to the grass in her backyard, but at least the canine is enjoying herself.

The rescue dog had spent over 1,000 days and the last three Christmases in kennels before finding her home.

She was described as a “sweet-natured dog who initially comes across as shy but then lets out her loving and cheeky side,” by the RSPCA after they took her in March 2021.

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RSPCA supervisor Tiffany Saunders told the BBC that Sarah’s life “had been awful as she was shut in a kennel all the time and didn't know how to walk on a lead and had to be carried out of the venue she was rescued from."

Due to a large welfare case, it wasn’t until December 2022 that she became available for adoption.

“She needs experienced owners who can help her learn to adapt to life in a home environment and isn't used to being around children so would prefer an adult home, preferably with a large garden for her to play in,” the animal welfare charity posted on their website at the time.

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Sarah came close to being rehomed twice before the Baker family happily took her.

According to Baker, it took her just a week to house-train Sarah.

She’s now keen to make the rescue dog’s first Christmas at home memorable with a stocking filled with treats, festive food, and a long walk. 

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