Rehomed 2009

Welcome to Lizzie's Barn

Animal Sanctuary.

"I have called pupsie, Chester Parsley-Quinn, (Chess). I like my pets to have sir-names. Anyway, all is going well, Chester is getting better at going outside, but obviously we will have the odd accident, which doesn't bother me at all. Both dogs get on and Blaine is letting Chester sleep whilst leaning on his back, he has become quite paternal and if Chester sleeps for too long, Blaine will go up and give him a nudge. Chester is great at bringing a ball back, sticks and loves carrying in his mouth whilst on a walk.

He is now the proud owner of about fifty teddies and carries them all over the flat - he keeps moving my shoes, socks and slippers about the place, so he has his own toy box now!

Anyway, he is adorable, and like you said, very respectful of older dogs, always stands back to let Blaine leave the house first. He loves children and again, very aware that he mustn't jump and is extra gentle. He is turning out to be very bright, getting instruction almost immediately, he is fine being left with Blaine, he has a couple of barks and settles down. My dog walker said when she comes round at lunch-time, he is always asleep on one of the sofa's. I absolutely adore him."

from Siete's mum

14/06/2010

"We adopted Petal from Lizzies Barn only 6 days ago. Everyone was really helpful and communicative in making sure we would offer her the right home for the rest of her life, and that she would be a good fit for us. She was fit and healthy when we picked her up, and had already been spayed and chipped, so everything was made easy. She travelled very well all the way home (5 hours) in the car with her new pack mate Fred, and they have already bonded well (even though Fred thinks she should have been named Bossy Boots!). She is a really affectionate dog and a pleasure to greet in the mornings. We’ve already started clicker training and she is quick and responsive. She’s also really interested in Fred’s agility sessions, so it won’t be long before she and I join the beginners class again. The only argument Petal and I are having at the moment is that she thinks bones should be eaten indoors, and I don’t! We’re looking forward to many years of great company and lots of long, companionable walks. Thanks again for putting your faith in a great little dog!"

from Ingrid's mum

29/04/2010

"Rusty has been with us a few months now and has settled in and behaves as if she's been here forever.

She now weighs almost 12kgs, her coat is glossy and she loves being brushed.

She sleeps on my bed and doesn't budge all night. As she is profoundly deaf, I have to give her a nudge in the morning to wake her up for breakfast!!!!

She will only eat fresh raw meat (chicken, rabbit, lamb or beef)with either cooked rice or pasta, and loves scrambled eggs, but I have to blend in the veg and fruit otherwise she puts them aside and won't eat them.

As her sight is not very good, she now wears a little bell on her collar so that I know where she is at all times.

She's very bossy towards my Kate who ignores her totally. She runs around the garden with the others and it's hard to believe she is very old. My vet reckons she's at least 17 years of age.

I'm sending you a photo of where she particularly likes to snooze.

Funny position, but she's fast asleep."

from Rusty's mum

02/07/2010

"Everything is fine with Chico, still has his moments but overall he is reasonably well behaved boy.

He is fantastic with us and such a character, we have had so many Yorkies over the years but he is the funniest and most intelligent of them all. So loving too, we are so pleased that Dave passed on our details to you, cant change fate!

He loves caravanning and gets plenty of exercise. He was naughty last time, chased a sheep so he's kept on the lead on that walk now."

from Pookey's mum and dad

14/07/2010

"There weren't really any problems with Taz settling in because he was already such a lovely chilled dog.

The kids adore him and he loves running round our local park with his new doggie friends, and chasing squirrels!"

from Taf's mum

15/07/2010

"Max is a gentle giant and wins the hearts of everyone he meets. He has settled in brilliantly and gets on extremely well with our Jack Russel Pippa. Max is enjoying long walks and is socialising well with other dogs. He enjoys lots of cuddles and where ever you are Max is close behind.

He is a pleasure to own (except for when he buries his bone in every flower pot in the garden before deciding to eat it) and we are glad to have him as a member of our family."

from Max's mum

31/07/2010

"Jasper came to me as a foster dog and slotted right in with my dogs. He is a joy to have around, obedient, gentle and very loyal. He is very good with all other dogs, no matter what size or age. While he stayed with us he learnt how to be a dog and started playing with my dogs.

Jasper came with some food guarding issues, but we have worked on that and made good progress.

As he is such a lovely dog we decided to keep him. My children adore him and vice versa. He recently started Agility training and really seems to enjoy it. It is a joy to work with him as he is so focused and tries so hard to get it right. Jasper is a lovely boy inside and out and we are very happy to have him with us :) And he has turned into a very happy dog now :) "

from Jasper's mum

31/07/2010

"We wanted an older, quieter, calmer male as a companion for our 2.5year old hyper collie/lab bitch, Rosie. Rosie was a rescue, and a big challenge for our first dog so I was hoping for an easier ride with my second – but when I saw ‘Bonzo’ , a gorgeous chocolate lab, 2 years old, described as a ‘bit of a bull-dozer lacking in manners’ I decided the specification was really more guidelines, anyway.

We had a home-check and waited anxiously for the results of a cat-test, which he passed with flying colours… and he became our Frank.

We made the 3.5 hour journey to Wales with Rosie, all very excited to meet the new member of our family. On arrival, we were shown to a yard – and there was our Frank, huge, slobbery, grubby, and stinky.

He hurled himself at us in delight, covering us both – and Rosie – in mud. On the way home, new brother and sister travelled happily together. We were even happier, congratulating ourselves on adopting such a happy, confident, dog who was such an instant hit with Rosie.

Back in Hampshire, Frank launched himself over the threshold of his new home in full bull-doze mode. We stood frozen on the doorstep, wincing at the sounds of crashing, banging, breaking and shattering, punctuated with horrified yells from the cats. Frank explored every inch of the house (including the dustbin) like the proverbial bull in a china shop. Later, after everything broken had been swept up, the bin was repositioned outside, and the cats were soothed, I relaxed with an Indian take-away. Frank let me know that he likes to share - by chomping half my food clean off my plate in one gulp.

The first few weeks were punctuated with frequent incident as we battled with Frank’s addiction to food. On our walks he took off and gobbled up picnics, tore open passer-by’s shopping bags, or thieved treats from other dog-walkers pockets. Much to the utter disgust of the cats, he stole daily from their food bowls; despite their new elevated feeding station. He stole everything and anything off the kitchen worktop; including our Sunday roast. He never missed an opportunity; not even from the bird-feeder in the garden, from the shelf display in the vet’s waiting room, or the condiments trolley at our local pub. He stole banana's from my neighbours car-boot as she unloaded her shopping, he pinched sausages straight out of the frying-pan from right under my nose. At one point we considered putting a sign above the kitchen door that read, ‘Franks All He Can Eat Buffet”. There is nothing Frank will not eat – one of his recent escapades involved eating a whole tub of Vaseline!

Frank was in poor condition (he is an ex-puppy farm stud dog who was being kept caged outside before going to Lizzies Barn), he was on the thin side, his coat was harsh and brittle to touch, and he had dandruff. He smelt horribly, assaulting us incessantly with his flatulence, and his ears were filthy. However, he tolerated the repeated bathings with medicated shampoo, grooming, vet visits, and adjustments to his diet. He was placid and easy-going, but he he was very aloof. He loved Rosie because she liked play-fighting with him, but mostly because she never finished her raw-hide chews. With us, he was friendly but he kept us at a distance, more often than not seeking solitary places in the house to spend his time. He liked us when we fed him, but if we stroked him, he would look at us in confusion. If we talked to him quietly or tried to cuddle him, he thought he was being restrained and would push us away.

One night, about a month after we brought him home, Frank sat beside me on the sofa and suddenly, he leant into me and put his head on my shoulder. My heart was in my mouth, I was afraid if I touched him he would move away. I turned my head and looked into his big amber eyes and his expression was easy to read. “Do I really belong here?” I cautiously stroked his ears and talked to him quietly, and after a moment he made the noise we now recognise as signalling contentment, and sank down beside me with his head in my lap.

In the few short months since we adopted Frank, he’s come a long way. He’s a playful, contented, confident, affectionate soul. Starved of human affection and home comforts for so long, these are now his top priorities in life – after food, of course. The changes we made to his lifestyle and diet have gained him weight, brightened his eyes, and given him a soft, glossy coat. I am constantly being complimented on his handsome looks. He’s not the bull-dozer he was around food; having settled on being more of an opportunist. He loves Rosie, goes all soft when the cats groom his big nose, and adores snuggling up to me on the sofa.

We love him to absolute bits!"

from Bonzo's mum

02/08/2010

"What a difference a puppy makes ….

We saw the photos of the 8 puppies on the internet, and it was the one on the far left with the little goatee and a thin face that caught my eye. When we turned up to collect the puppy, just three remained and Abi was an easy choice, she was cute, lively and we fell for her at once not realising until a few days later that she was the one that had caught my eye from the photo.

She was brilliant from the very start - she travelled well, was toilet trained (2 accidents in 3 months), was crate trained and socialised easily with other dogs and people.

After a few weeks we took her to puppy training and she was the star of the class, learning quickly and taking everything in her stride. She’s 6 months now, dog training has just started and again she’s keen to learn.It’s hard work, as we must be consistent and practice regularly but it’s so worth it – I’ve even lost weight with the extra exercise I’m getting.

We are proud to be her owners and are looking forward to many years of long walks and fun.Thank you Fiona (and team) for all that you did for her and for introducing her to us."

from Abi's mum

27/08/2010

"Where to start, how do you put into words the infinite love and joy a dog brings into your life?

It all began when we adopted Ted last October a 3 month old Saluki, I wanted a boy to join our family of a 14 year old cross breed rescue that came for the weekend in 1996, she looked so frightened and yet trusted me to clean her wound and give her antibiotics (which was why I was asked to look after her for the weekend) that I could not bare to part with her. I also have a 3 year old collie that is ex-farm and has some issues to say the least however with training, time and love she has blossomed and will be a well adjusted dog one day, I know in my heart she will.

My collie Daphne gets a lot of confidence from her older sister Wincey and I was worried if we lost Wincey that Daphne’s issues would return and as Daphne gets on very well with our trainers big handsome collie called Diesel it was decided we would get a boy.

Enter Ted who is loving, cuddly and full of mischief. He has passed his puppy course and is currently working towards his Kennel Club Good Citizen award at bronze level however as this involves staying in one spot for 1 minute we are not ready to take the test just yet. His passion in life is to run, we call it laps as he runs in large circles no matter where he is. He enjoys running on the beach and will follow his friends into the sea – they are running after a toy but as Ted does not have the patience to retrieve yet he just follows the crowd! I did not think there was an end to Daphne’s energy however when she tries with little success to run after Ted she does eventually have to lie down. Ted of course knows she cannot catch him so he lets her get close and then jumps over her, very frustrating for her but she seems to love it.

I would encourage anyone to adopt a dog however you must be prepared, between the fun we have had the usual puppy/adolescent behaviour such as tearing up numerous dog beds and blankets, chewing rugs and shoes, digging up plants, bending crate walls to escape and ripping up leather car seats to name but a few.

If you have the necessary time, patience and funds to adopt and care for one of the lovely dogs on this website I say don’t hesitate because the rewards will be immeasurable."

from Ted's mum

23/09/2010

"I adopted Teddy (the yellow dog, on the left of the picture) from you nearly three years ago. His name was Charlie then. He had come into rescue because of the serious illness of his previous owner. He had lived with her for the previous three years, and before then had lived in another rescue centre.

He was estimated to be eight years old.

He now lives with my cairn, Pippa (centre), and for the last year he also has a brother Mac (cairn cross westie, on the right of the picture), as well as my three cats.

I hope it's fair to say he has a happy home now. We all go camping several times a year, and next month will all be going to stay in Devon in a lovely dog-friendly hotel.

Teddy has his own Facebook page, where he has 82 friends!

He's a great dog, full of character and very faithful. I'm very happy that he came to live with me."

from Teddy's mum

24/09/2010

"Meg has been an absolute angel from day one and has very quickly settled in to a nice routine. The relationship she has built with our 2 year old staff Charlie is better than we could have ever hoped for. They are best friends and do everything together. She is very sociable with other dogs and has been termed at our local kennel club good citizen puppy training classes as having the best doggie manners ever! What a tribute to Lizzie’s barn. We owe all her lovely attributes to the start in life she had with you. We absolutely adore her, She has made our family complete!"

from Meg's mum

12/10/2010

"After many months of searching for our 2nd dog , and a companion for our gorgeous Staffy , Roxy , We came across Whiz on the Lizzies Barn website .

Having never really considered a lurcher we were all surprised as to how much we loved the look of him !! he sounded perfect for us and it was with great excitement that we travelled to kidwelly to meet him .

Our 10 year old daughter described it as love at first sight when we were introduced and we were all thrilled to bring him home to Pembrokeshire !

This was in August and we haven't looked back since , he is such a gentle creature ,so affectionate and loyal , we honestly feel that he has been with us forever , The relationship between he and Roxy is better that we could have hoped for , they love to play and run ( although admittedley Roxy has difficulty keeping up !!!! )and as you can see from the phots when it's bedtime they love nothing better than to snuggle up together !

Well They do say that opposites attract !!! and in this case it's certainly true !

We would like to thank Lizzies barn for all their help and allowing Whiz to become a member of our Family !"

from Whizz's mum

09/11/2010

"Albert joined our family in Manchester during half term week in October 2010, the barn helped us with the process and were keen to answer any questions we had. We stayed overnight at a nearby B&B so we could have an early start for our journey home the next day. Albert travelled really well in the car all the way back up to Manchester and was keen to investigate his new home he soon found the wood burning stove!Albert has settled in really well and it feels like he has always been with us, he loves running around on the local meadows and is very well behaved with the other dogs he meets. He is a wonderful dog with a great character and has been brilliant with our daughters who adore him. If anyone is considering adopting a dog we could not recommend Lizzies Barn more highly."

from Albert's mum

17/11/2010

"I had been looking for another Springer / Labrador cross for ages when I spotted Arthur (Buster at the time) on DogsBlog. I already had an eight year old 'springador', Mille who I'd rescued as a pup, plus an elderly rescue greyhound called Tom and a rescue whippet called Barnaby but I was very keen to find a pal for Millie who would play with her in her rough and tumble way - sighthounds are delicate souls who don't like to bounce about the way Millie does. Arthur looked perfect on the ad so I quickly filled in the form and crossed my fingers. Homecheck went well so I was very excited when I was 'passed' to collect Arthur.

Very sadly, my greyhound had to be pts a few days before my homecheck. I was very upset but it made me even more determined to make the very long journey to South Wales! The following Sunday, 4.30am, I set off on the seven hour journey with a very sad Millie and Barnaby on board - they were missing Tom. We eventually arrived at Lizzies Barn and introduced the dogs to Arthur. I knew immediatly that Millie and he were going to be great pals - and they looked so alike too!

Arthur settled in the back seat with his seat belt on and after the first hour of excitement, slept most of the (9 hour with traffic and rain this time!) journey home. Once back in the frozen North East of England, Arthur met Treacle the cat, George and Penny the bunnies, ten little guinea pigs, Hugo and Angus the tortoises and lots of other small furries and not so furry creatures. Arthur was EXTREMELY excited but very well behaved throughout it all.

After the first couple of sleepless nights whilst Arthur settled in, he eventually decided to sleep on the floor in the bedroom - bizarre, given he had the choice of a £200+ plus dog bed! He still sleeps there, beside my bed, every night...although it has been known for me to wake up with a springador on either pillow and a whippet at my feet!

Arthur and Millie are now great friends - they quickly bonded once Millie realised Arthur would run into the sea with her and let her jump on his head! She (and I!) was amazed the first time she saw him swim underwater - he disappeared from view and reappeared 10m to the left, much to Millie's confusion and delight. Arthur has cheered Barnaby and Millie up hugely and although they still dash over to see any greyhound they spot, they are no longer sad about Tom. Arthur has definatly cheered me up enormously too!

Arthur has been to school with me (Im a teacher, not a pupil!) and was really great with the children. He loved the attention and he was completely reliable with the other small furry and not furry animals at school too. Arthur particularly likes doing lunch duty...lots of dropped sandwiches! He works off all the calories though - 2 hours per day running around will do that for dogs (but not for me sadly!).

Arthur is an amazing dog and I am so pleased I got him - thank you so much. And of course, if you ever get another high energy, springador in rescue, please give me a call!"

from Buster's mum

28/11/2010

"My name is Dream, I am a yellow Lab , 2 and a half years old. This is my story.

I was taken from my 1st home after I lost my puppies , I was no longer wanted . I travelled miles to Lizzies Barn along with Bonzo where we were taken care of for a few weeks . I wondered what would become of me ?

On the 13th of February 2010 two people came to see me , they took me for a walk and said how lovely I was . I was introduced to their Jack Russell who eyed me suspiciously .The couple told me they were my new mum and dad and took me on a long journey . We stopped a few times on the way back to spend a penny but I was too shy and by the time we were nearly to my new home I had an accident in the car but was told not to worry, we will soon clear that up !

I gingerly looked around my new home and was wary of Toffee the Jack Russell who had a few growls at me, but we are the best of friends now. I was a little bit unsettled that first night even tho I had a nice new bed .

The next day we went to go out but I didn't like the back of the car when the back was shut down but my mum had lots of patience with me showing me nothing would hurt me , now i jump in without a care .

My mum and dad took me to Dog classes, which I enjoyed and they said I was the best one for obedience, I was taught how to sit,stay, wait, a down and to come when called which was all made fun to do . I didnt know what to do with a ball but now have lots of fun with it .

As the weeks passed I found my paws and went back to being a Big puppy .I love helping mum dig the garden, and taking the washing off the line . I like to sample mum's cooking , especially the roast chicken when no-one was looking ! and she makes a mean ham sandwich !! We went to visit Mum's mum , I explored all around and to my delight I found a flat sheep (rug) which I proceeded to attack and I won . I didnt think they were cross because of all the laughter .

I soon made lots of new friends , firstly Robbie and his owner then Mac and Ted , all of them Westies , I had to be behaved as they were older and smaller than me , sadly little Robbie has passed away but his owner still comes to see us on the Common .

I have lots of other friends but my special mate is Meg , a 2 year old Black Lab . We go for long walks and love to chase each other .

I have been to the beach a few times , at first I was unsure of the water but I am getting braver each time we go. Bonzo and I were so lucky to go to good homes and he's not too far away so maybe we'll meet again one day .

I have certainly found my Dream home."

from Dream (with some help from her mum and dad)

09/12/2010

"I adopted Wills on 18th September 2010, having been looking for a companion for my female, 6yr old German Shepherd cross Milly.

On the day we met him he came bounding out with the other dogs, they ran straight past us but Wills came straight over and introduced himself with a big hug.

He travelled so well in the car, it was a 5hr drive and he slept nearly all of the way, he was so quiet I had to keep checking he was still there.

He has bonded so well with Milly, far better than I had expected and so quickly. I love watching them run around and play together, they happily share toys and play tug with them and will curl up together to sleep.

I have been working with both dogs on their recall, Wills works very well to the whistle and has been a good influence on Milly with her recall. When he goes out for walks he is very friendly with everyone he meets and in return people are very taken with him.

He has completed a puppy university course with the Puppy School and has recently achieved his Bronze award for the Good Citizens Scheme.

During the initial settling in period we had a few issues with chewing but he can now be left for a couple of hours if need be and is well behaved.

He has fitted in so well here, I am so glad he is part of our family."

from Wills' mum

22/12/2010

"The 'mighty' Boosh is just amazing - he has fitted so well into our bonkers household, after 1 week we couldn’t remember what it was like before he arrived. He is so friendly and loving and has even tried to make friends with magic the psycho cat although magic is reserving the right to make a final judgement just yet and is observing from various vantage points!!.

His only little accident came a when we ordered a celebration curry after the 4 hour journey back from South Wales - a moments lapse of concentration and the dinner was very quickly 'in the dog' then equally quickly 'out of the dog' !! Really not his fault but I'm not sure he'll be having chicken tikka dhansak again..!!

He is brilliant with Hope and all her school friends and loves the attention he gets from just about everybody who alll comment on what a fantastic dog he is...

With all the snow and ice he has spent his first week running round the local parks - and the really nice thing is that having decided to try him off the lead quite early, he always comes back.

He is an incredibly powerful boy and just about resists the temptation to take us all on an involuntary cross country sledging expeditions. He loves our local parks and further afield the national forest.

We love him very much and just can’t imagine life without him!!"

from Boosh's family

01/01/2011

"We picked Jazz up 7 days ago and already it seems as if she's been here all her life already!

She's settled in really quickly and is now starting to become more confident with every passing day.

She has started to do nightly patrols of the house to make sure that we are all safe and sound. She has had a lot of long walks and loves to sniff everything especially the scent of squirrels!!

She met some of our extended family and was very good with the two girls who we let hold her lead whilst out walking which is not easy when she sniffs out a really interesting scent as she tends to want to find out what's on the end of the scent being the terrier that she is!

She likes watching TV and It's Me Or The Dog is her favourite programme. We're taking her to see Hotel for Dogs next week!! (Only joking - she doesn't like cinema popcorn!)

Jazz is a gorgeous, cute, lovely natured little Border Terrier who has made us very happy and we love her to bits!!!

Thanks so much to Lizzie's Barn Animal Sanctuary for letting us home such a lovely dog."

From Jazz's mum

04/01/2011

"We adopted Tom from Lizzie’s Barn two years ago when he was 6 months old. We like collie cross lurchers so we looked hard for one and he was there waiting for us to find him. He has turned out to be a fabulous dog, who is very affectionate and clearly delighted to have found his forever family and is keen not to let us too far out of his sight. He settled in quickly, had no accidents, was quiet at night, made immediate friends with the resident elderly lurcher and the three cats, and took up his place in front of the Aga. He is lively but sensible, obedient, comes out for hacks with the horses when he behaves himself very well, and is generally a delightful, friendly and calm dog who everyone loves. We think his beautiful feathery ears suggest one of his parents was a saluki, but if so the other must have been a sensible collie as he is not too mad or prone to chasing. When we need another dog, when our older boy passes on (sob), we will make Lizzie’s barn our first port of call."

From Tom's mum

26/02/2011

"When we first saw Manny, I was taken away by how gorgeous he looked when I was first to enter the enclosure to the yard, he jumped up and licked my hand and I knew we’d get along well, when we went in to the enclosure and saw him and he was afraid, it made me want to just pick him up and cuddle him forever. And now, that’s all we do!

He’s left his mark on our home, allowed ALL OVER the place 24/7, he loves having cuddles on the sofa or in bed and he loves to play, though he’s still a little rusty.

He’s just like any other member of the family and is well integrated in our lives. Being an only child I’ve always found comfort in having a dog and Manny really is an amazing, now big, brother.

He’s now clicking onto our emotions, so if we’re ill or sad he’ll come over nestle into us and give us little kisses to show he’s there for us. He has his little quirks, he limps around the house if we aren’t giving him enough attention, he walks through our legs, well barges through them if we’re standing up, he has ’conversations’ with us if he wants something, mainly to go out to the loo, unlike our past dogs, he has to have somebody go down into the garden with him. Every time we go to ASDA we have to buy him a toy or chew, we walk through the door and he bounds to great us and then searches through the bags till he finds his treat. He loves coming to wake me up in the morning when Mum or Dad open the door, he bounds into my room (as long as his bed is brought in as he HATES laminate flooring, I’m now re-decorating to have carpet to suit him), and leaps onto my bed to give me kisses to wake me up, no matter what time of day it is!

I don’t know what it would be like without Manny now, he’s just changed everything, for the better of course, but I could never ask for anything more than Manny."

From Rhiannon - Manny's sister

"We decided to get a new dog and we all decided that a rescue was the way ahead. We contacted Lizzie’s after seeing Manny on their website, On meeting Manny for the first time he appeared very timid in new company but having heard his history from Fionna we quickly understood why! His first night was spent downstairs with us all worrying that he was ok the next night his handsome brown head appeared in our bedroom and that was that. Manny had found his feet and placed them firmly under the table or should I say on the bed, his own bed is now a permanent fixture at the base of our bed. As Rhiannon has said he has the full run of the house and furniture. Unlike most Labs Manny has a very delicate digestive system and care has to be taken with treats etc. He adores cheese and can hear the packet being taken out of the fridge even if he is outside, his other love is when Jo dries her hair he tries to upend her from the chair to catch the warm breeze oh by the way he hates the Hoover with a passion.

Wherever we go with Manny people we meet comment on his handsome face and gloriously glossy coat and say it must take some looking after we of course say yes (but in reality we brush him twice a year if that).Manny is still very unsure of other dogs and tends to run away on sight apart from his favourite park friend Bambi a tiny lurcher bitch who runs him ragged. All in all Manny is a delightful companion and a valued member of the family."

From Andy - Manny's dad

"Manny’s first day with us was very quiet. He wouldn’t go out the garden on his own one of us had to go with him. To this day we have to go out with him it’s the only way he stays happy to be outside. After the first week Manny wasn’t quiet anymore. His personality started coming out, slowly but surely his quirkiness was well and truly on show.

Manny loves to meet me up the road when I come home from work, he loves to carry the paper back home, or try to carry my bags but they are to heavy. I then have to hurry to go up the park, after he has helped me to unpack the bags. The best thing is where ever you are in the house Manny is always with you upstairs or down.

Manny has been with us for two years now and I can’t ever imagine life before he came to us. He gives all his love every minute of the day and we can only give it right back in abundance. He lights up our lives even on the bad weather days and we cant walk so far on our walks. Basically we love him to bits."

From Jo - Manny's mum

10/03/2011

"We adopted Buddy (previously Scrappy) following a trip to Lizzies Barn to meet 3 different dogs who were all described as being good with children. Those in the know were obviously confident that Buddy was the right dog for us as he was waiting for us to arrive and greeted us like his long lost family. Within a matter of seconds Buddy’s mind was made up and he parked himself between the children waiting at the gate to leave with us!

He handled the 4 hour drive home brilliantly and before we knew it he had taken up permanent residence on the sofa despite having a perfectly good crate available!At first we had a couple of issue regarding sleeping arrangements at night. Buddy decided that the sofa wasn't quite good enough once he located the double bed but sadly I didn't find sleeping with a dog on my head quite as comfy as he did! So it was reassuring to be able to ring Mick and Fiona for advice.

Buddy has fitted into our family perfectly and already it’s like we’ve always had him. He loves clicker training and is doing really well at puppy classes (despite the average age of the rest of the dogs being about 14 weeks!) He loves his walks, particularly the long early morning ones where he gets a chance to show off how fast and how much energy he has. The relationship he has so quickly built with our children especially has been fantastic to watch, he is playful and so much fun yet gentle and careful. We all love him to bits

Thank you Lizzies Barn for helping us find the perfect family dog he is everything we were hoping for and more."

From Scrappy's dad

16/03/2011

"We adopted Toby in September and he has settled in really well. He loves learning new tricks, but his recall is still appalling, but we think this is something we are going to have to live with.

He has such a fantastic character and all our friends and family are smitten with him. He loves it when visitors come to the house, especially the postman and anyone delivering takeaway leaflets!

We take him to the beach a couple of times a week, where he enjoys running around the rock pools and meeting other dogs.

I don't think we could of asked for a nicer dog!"

From Toby's mum

31/03/2011

"We recently adopted our two gorgeous dogs from Lizzie's Barn. An odd pairing of Jessie a 14 yr old Boxer and Harry a 3 yr old Bichon. They had always been together and the sanctuary didn't want them to be split up, they thought it was a big ask for someone to take the pair but once we'd seen the photos and met the dogs, there was no question! We had to have them! They have settled in brilliantly and despite the odd teething problem, have been absolutely fantastic. Jessie is the most sweet natured dog who loves cuddles and adores my husband, while Harry loves anyone who will pay him the attention he thinks he deserves! Not only have they become wonderful pets but they also have meant we have spent more time together as a family, going out for walks and playing with them, which is no mean feat when you have 3 kids (2 teenagers with mobile phones attached to them at all times!) with hectic social calendars! Lizzie's Barn sanctuary made the adoption process easy and painless and in particular Sarah was a wonderful contact to have, with friendly emails and quick responses.

The photo shows Harry and Jessie 'chilling' with my husband Charlie!"

From Harry and Jessie's mum

12/04/2011