Welsh animal rescue centre shares heartbreaking footage of dog used for breeding

Nation Cymru staff

A Welsh dog rescue charity has shared heartbreaking footage of a dog who has spent her entire life being used for breeding and has never been walked, with “no idea about human kindness” – showing her first hopeful steps into learning to trust again.

Whispy is an 8 year old cocker spaniel, and is currently being rehabilitated at Many Tears rescue charity, in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.

Many Tears Animal Rescue was founded in 2004 by Sylvia and Bill Van Atta, the organisation primarily rescues and rehomes ex-breeding dogs, pound dogs, and a small number of cats facing urgent or difficult circumstances.

Whispy came to Many Tears from a breeder and is “a truly heartbreaking girl” according to the charity. When she first arrived, she was incredibly shut down and would bury her face into the wall in the hope that nobody would notice her.

She would tremble when approached and could sometimes grumble or bark, but they say that “this has always come from a place of pure fear rather than aggression”.

Many Tears shared on their socials: “Our darling Whispy…

“We have no idea what she’s been through in her life, but her fears are deeply ingrained. She has no trust in anything or anyone, apart from a select few dogs at the rescue that she has dropped her guard with. She has absolutely no idea about human kindness, nor what our intentions are.

“She grumbles and barks when we enter her kennel in pure panic, as she’s so scared of what we’re going to do to her. Even though she may sound a little scary, she lets us stroke her and pick her up absolutely fine .. kind of like she’s just given up. It’s quite sad actually.

“Whispy currently has 2 kennel friends who she gets on well with and shares everything with. One is a Shih Tzu Cross and one is a Poodle Cross. We have tried quite a few dogs with her and it does seem as though she favours smaller dogs to larger ones. And definitely calmer, quieter ones that don’t get in her face.

“Whispy will need a very patient and understanding home with adopters who have experience with very scared dogs. Because she’s on the older side, she may never truly lose all of her worries and fears, and may never become a ‘normal’ dog, and this is something her adopters will need to be okay with, and love her and accept her anyway.

“Things such as going out for walks are not currently in the near future for Whipsy, and it’s going to take a lot of time and gentle guidance to ease her into such things.

“This poor, sweet girl does not deserve to live her life in fear and panic mode. She deserves to have a safe place to call her own, where she knows nobody is going to hurt her. She deserves to be loved unconditionally, and to not be given up on no matter what”

 

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A post shared by Many Tears Animal Rescue (@manytearsrescue)

Whispy

After spending a couple of weeks settling into her kennel routine, it is clear that Whispy has experienced very little kindness in her life. Her fears are deeply ingrained, and she has no understanding of what people’s intentions are. When someone enters her kennel, she will often bark and grumble in panic because she is so frightened of what might happen next.

Despite this, she allows gentle handling, strokes, and being picked up without any fuss, almost as though she has simply resigned herself to it. It is incredibly sad to see, and all she really needs is someone who will show her that people can be kind.

According to Many Tears, Whispy takes enormous comfort from other dogs and has formed lovely bonds with her two current kennel companions, who she happily shares everything with. She can be selective about the dogs she befriends and seems to prefer smaller, calm, gentle dogs rather than larger or more boisterous companions. Once she trusts another dog, they become an enormous source of reassurance, so she will need at least one kind, quiet, confident resident dog in her forever home who can help her navigate the world and show her that life doesn’t have to be so frightening.

Whispy is looking for a calm, adult-only home with adopters who have experience with very scared ex-breeding dogs and who understand that trust cannot be rushed.

As she has never lived in a home before, she will need help learning everything from house training to settling into a routine. Walks are not something she is ready for at the moment, and her adopters must be prepared to let her progress entirely at her own pace. Gentle garden exploration will be much more appropriate until she feels safe enough to take the next steps.

Because Whispy is an older girl and her fears are so deeply rooted, she may never completely lose all of her worries or become the confident dog people often imagine. Her adopters will need to love and accept her exactly as she is, celebrating every tiny step forward without expecting her to become a different dog. For the right family, watching Whispy slowly learn to feel safe will be incredibly rewarding.

Many Tears write: “Whispy is a very special little lady who has spent far too much of her life living in fear. She deserves a safe place to call home, where she knows nobody will ever hurt or give up on her again.

“With endless patience, understanding, and unconditional love, we hope she can finally experience the peaceful and happy life she has always deserved.”

She has had two mammary lumps removed at the time of her spay and has also had two teeth extracted.

The charity, like many others across Wales, has seen an increase in abandonment this year as the public face cost of living pressures and is encouraging the Welsh public to always adopt rather than shop to put an end to backyard breeding and untold misery such as that endured by Whispy and countless others.

Find out more about Whispy here.

Discover more animals for adoption or make a donation to the charity here.

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