A dog who was dumped at a shelter has been reunited with her sibling just in time for Christmas.
Jessie lived at four different homes over 12 months before now owners, Mark and Sarah Broomhead, spotted her on the Dogs Trust website and realised she was part of their family. She had the same markings as their dog, Luther, and by looking at puppy photographs they figured out that Jessie was in fact his sister.The pair decided to adopt Jessie and she and her long-lost brother are already inseparable.
Owners Mark and Sarah, say it’s the best Christmas present to have them reunited. ‘Luther was so sad after we lost our dog Storm, so we started looking for another family dog to keep him company,’ says Mark.
‘We took Luther along with us to the rehoming centre to meet Jessie and the connection was instant. I don’t know whether they recognised each other but they just ran around playing together and there was no apprehension at all. We had to take her home.’
Jessie and Luther, both cross breeds, were part of the same litter sold by an experienced breeder in Huddersfield. But while Luther went off to Chesterfield to live with the Reverend Mark and his family, Jessie was not so lucky.Growing up. While the Chow Chow dogs are well known for their distinctive blue-black tongues, they’re actually born with pink tongues. They turn blue-black at 8-10 weeks of age.
Jessie’s new family found that she was the wrong breed for them and rehomed her at a very young age. In her new home, Jessie didn’t get along with the cat and she was eventually handed over to Dogs Trust Leeds in May when she was just eight months old.
Dogs Trust Leeds matched Jessie with two potential adopters, but she wouldn’t settle in the new homes and both times, she was returned to the kennels after just 24 hours. All the upheaval in her early life took its toll, leaving Jessie with some specific behavioural needs.
‘Luther and Jessie just adore each other. They love to chase each other, play tug of war and go for walks together. They can’t be separated.’
‘Jessie had such a difficult start in life but we couldn’t have written a better ‘happily ever after’ tale for her,’ says Dogs Trust Leeds rehoming centre manager Amanda Sands.‘She’s made incredible progress since going to live with her brother Luther and the Broomhead family. It’s a very special feeling to know that we were able to change the tale for Jessie and help give her the life she deserves.’Most animals are creatures of habit. It will be important to develop a consistent schedule to follow with your new pet. Potty breaks at regular intervals, feeding at the same time(s) every day, playtime, walks – everything needs to be scheduled. At first, this can seem overwhelming but soon enough, you and your new pet will be on the same schedule.
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