11/08/2026
Testimonials Don't get any better than this 🥰
Following the death of our previous, beloved, dog, Dave and I decided to adopt a rescue. We thought we had found the ideal dog in June 2025; Ellie, an approximately 14-month-old, small mixed breed, who had previously lived on the streets of Romania. When we first brought her home, she was quiet and terrified. She had clearly never been in a house, didn’t know how to climb the stairs, and didn’t understand what furniture was. She remained ‘Shut down,’ for about a month, after which she became very playful and extremely naughty. We decided to get some help with her training, and she thrived under the instruction of Michelle at Worcester Dogs.
Whilst Ellie had always been a little grumpy, growling if she didn’t like something, it was in November that she really began to show behavioural problems. She became very territorial and would excessively guard Dave and me. She would snarl, nip, and attempt to bite people, and it became apparent that her behaviour was inconsistent with a ‘Normal’ life and ‘Normal’ relationships. We knew that something needed to change, but we didn’t want to lose Ellie as, by this time, we had bonded with her, and we didn’t want to cause psychological harm to an already disturbed dog. We subsequently contacted Worcester Dogs again, and requested the help of Sandra Raw, the Behaviourist.
When we began working with Sandra, we explained that we believed that Ellie was experiencing pain and, following observation, she agreed. We therefore took her to our vet, and, after a thorough examination, Ellie was prescribed pain relief. The vet then took x-rays, and, to our dismay, it was discovered that, during her previous life on the streets, she had obviously been run over, fracturing her pelvis and twisting her back. Unfortunately, these injuries had healed incorrectly and there was now no permanent surgical treatment for them. The vet, however, worked very hard with Sandra, to find the best medical regime for managing Ellie’s pain. The combination of pain medication and the work we were doing with Sandra worked almost instantaneously, as Ellie’s behaviour improved dramatically. Over the next three months of working with Sandra, Ellie became the dog we always believed she really was; the dog that we loved, even though it had taken a lot of hard work and time to truly find her.
It has been over a year since Ellie came home, and several months following her behaviour work and, whilst she is not perfect, she is now a different dog. She loves to play, loves meeting people, and is devoted to Dave and I. We give her three different medicines every day and she seems very comfortable. Adopting Ellie has been a real journey, one we couldn’t have anticipated, and one that, had we had prior warning, we would have thought twice about undertaking. Loving Ellie has taken a lot of effort and patience, but we are now very happy that we brought her home and are proud to introduce our dog to new people. Obviously, we could never have got this sweet dog without the expertise of Worcester Dogs and our vet, at Lowesmoor House. For all their hard work and dedication, Louise, Dave, and especially Ellie the dog, are extremely grateful.
