ANIMALS SOS

It is often said that what you need is right under your nose…. This proved the case for both our family and Skoobi.

We had a family of six cats and two big, female SPCA dogs (Martha and Zoe), who have very difficult histories and so are not always the best with other dogs or people.

Life at home was always a little on edge as we never could be sure one dog would not seek out the other dog to have an altercation. Dogs were on leads most of the time and came to work separately and on walks there was always a certain distance between them.

Skoobi came into our lives firstly as a young rescued dog that our family friend adopted from the Whangari SPCA, where he had been taken from a situation that had resulted in his regular physical abuse and his ears being hacked off.He was always a little shy and out to find a way to run free and go for a run.

His owner took seriously ill and he came to stay with us at the kennels while she was in hospital. She ended up dying, and with no one that could take him on he became our charge to re-home.

Of course knowing and loving him we toyed with him staying with us at home, but with the cats and the already unstable relationship between Martha and Zoe we elected that it was not going to in all likelihood work.

So it began with posters and website ads and us contacting the SPCA and Animals SOS to see if they could put his face out there for people to see. We had a few offers before Christmas with one that was very promising.

Skoobi went with his trial family, leaving us with tears in our eyes and hope in our hearts. All was well; he settled onto the couch and the daughter’s bed and seemed happy. However this was to be short lived as he developed a strong sense of what was his (namely the couch) so when an uncle visited and went to sit on the couch Skoobi felt it right to protect what was his. Worried that they could not give him the direction and confident handling he needed the family brought him back to us.

For another few weeks we advertised and introduced him to everyone that would meet him, took him out to coffee and had him in the kennels reception to improve his people skills, but alas, he remained. Over Christmas, the busiest time at a kennels, there was no room at the inn, so the spare room in our house became his.

We were nervous, he got on well with Zoe, but Martha was not impressed with him at all!! The cats were a bit put out at another dog being in the house but with a close eye on him and them he made it through Christmas with out putting a paw wrong.

As the weeks moved on, we noted a change within the dynamics of the dogs in the house. Skoobi and Zoe played very well (rough but fair) and Martha would sit on the couch and glare at them (like a scornful teen looking at 2 children making lots of noise and mess!!).

But the glare became just a look, and the look rose to a small tail wag, which grew to a stretch followed by a play bow!!

Then in the lounge; with her on the lead and Skoobi and Zoe not far away on theirs, Martha bounced towards them and “chuffed” then sprang back wagging and standing tall with her tongue hanging our. To our disbelief she wanted to play (this was a dog that had never really played in her life!).

So with breaths held and eyes sharp we let them all off, they sniffed, and circled and settled back to their sleeping places. Later that week I was hanging out washing and the three dogs were pottering around in the yard, and a massive game of chase started around me! There was no growling, no real heckles and lots of spit and tongues hanging out as they ran and chased and panted!!

In disbelief I tried to get it on my phone camera to show Lyndsey, and they all flopped down in the sun and rested. Skoobi had brought a calm to the dogs in the house that we never thought would come.

So now we have a house with six cats and three dogs, Zoe and Skoobi sleep together and rough and tumble and are great mates, and Martha and Skoobi often exchange licks and nudges and sleep next to each other on the couch, Skoobi moved from the spare bed to our bedroom, where now we are working on his sleeping at the foot of the bed and not the head!!

The cats have all told Skoobi with a claw or two that they are far superior to any dog and that he had just better make sure he is not in their way, whichever way they choose to go!

So Skoobi needed a home, and there right under his was ours. We needed a catalyst for our dogs to make peace, and there right under our nose, wagging and hopeful, was Skoobi.