Like so many Monty was being given away as he was no longer desirable or wanted, the commitment to his needs no longer attractive. He was in a particularly gruesome state which was clearly apparent in the first few seconds of meeting him. We knew, whether or not he was friendly with our other dogs, that we were not leaving him behind. Over the course and eighteen months, Monty went from a 17kg desperate little boy in need to a 38kg healthy dog with a shiny black glossy coat and is 38kg. Monty is about to turn two and he has had a full year at the sanctuary to recover…

Lyss joined us just before Christmas 2021. We picked her up in a carpark as her owner had gone into hospital and she was too big for the rest of his family. She had lost over 90% of her eyesight and was underweight. From the first day, she has followed Miranda everywhere, toilet, bed, bath, shops….. sofa. A very large ginger and black shadow. She now plays a big role in mothering our lambs and poorly residents. She is absolutely adorable and was listed on free ads as one of 36 German shepherds being given away in France that day. Adopt a dog, never go to a breeder, there are…

Miranda first met Raiph when she was volunteering in a Romanian dog shelter. As she walked in, through the stench and faeces, she saw a little person staring at her through the main compound. That was Raiph. He had had his tail cut off with a pair of scissors. He was severely underweight and he was in a compound of around 55 other dogs; they didn’t all have kennels. They were knee deep at times in faeces. From the morning to the evening, while she was there cleaning, Raiph would follow Miranda around, wherever she was. He would just watch. He would be the first and last face every day.…

Finn came to us from near the Belgian border, another victim of a relationship break up. Neither could agree who would have the dog so they drove to a carpark and gave him to us. He had to be lifted into our car. There are many forms of neglect, and he had been overfed to the extent that he could not run at all, although he was still a puppy. However, he got into our car boot and he never looked back, he never pined, never waited for his owners. You have our deepest gratitude for choosing to support our sanctuary and helping us to care for our precious residents.…

Hagrid came to the Big V Sanctuary after Miranda volunteered in a Romanian refuge. Conditions there were extremely unpleasant. The eighty dogs in the shelter lived in tiny broken kennels and were fed two handfuls of food once a day. Miranda rescued Hagrid and also Raiph, and Sorrel who has now been rehomed. You have our deepest gratitude for choosing to support our sanctuary and helping us to care for our precious residents. Thank you for being one of ‘the best people’!