How can you resist that cheeky face! Luca looks very happy to be in his new home.

Hi, my name is Harley and I am a 6 years old.

My life has had its ups and downs but things have gone up and up since February 2008 when I found my family.

I have a lovely life full of long walks but I especially like going to the beach and swimming in the local river. I love playing in the water and like to get as wet and muddy as possible!! Mum is not so keen on the muddy paw prints on the carpets though!! But I do wait at the door to have my paws wiped now.

I have made lots of new friends of the two and four legged kind, and walks can take a long time as everyone wants to stop and say hello. When I was on holiday at Loch Ness I was even filmed by a group of Germans! And the local kids knock on my door asking if I can come out to play.

I am helping my fellow brothers and sisters by taking my dad to do home-checks. If I don’t like the potential owners I let my dad know as I want all my pals to be as loved and happy as I am.

Love and Licks

Harley
xx

Murphy has very quickly made himself at home, he has made friends with all the local dogs and the horses too!

Now I bet you are thinking Buddy is the GSD, but you'd be wrong. Buddy is the little white terrier and he is deaf. He is pictured here with his new friend Foxy, who looks absolutely delighted to have a new wee playmate!

What a handsome boy Max is and look at the lovely shine on his coat. Max has settled into his new home really well and his new owner loves having him around. His favourite game is chasing squirrels in the woods, he hasn't managed to catch one yet and he hasn't quite got the hang of tree climbing but he is trying!

Rico is a handsome young lad but he's not the easiest GSD in the world, his new owner has worked really hard with him and he's getting there!

This young lad has really landed on his paws! He's got a lovely new family and a new big brother too! His brother is Max and he is on this page too.

From guard dog to couch dog! Vinnie (as in Vincent Van Gogh - with one ear) was a guard dog all his life but he hasn't found it too difficult to adapt to life in a home. Here he is on his holidays. He looks so happy!

It's lovely to see Kiera in her new home after a few months in kennels. Her new owner just loves her to bits and has worked with Kiera to help her adjust to her new surroundings.

Sheba and her new friends out in the garden. I bet they have great fun splashing in that paddling pool!

This stunnning young lad has settled into his new home really well. He loves to mess around on the floor with his new dad and get a tummy rub!

These lovely boys are brothers and were very much loved family pets that needed a home together. They have certainly landed on their paws as they have acres of land to run about in and like to race hares and rabbits, not to mention chase the odd pheasant and partridge!

This gorgeous boy was booked in to be put to sleep. How could anyone do that? Thankfully the vet called us and we stepped in and found him a new home where he is very much wanted.

Zoe is very much loved by her new family and Jackson the Jack Russell. She loves the river and has to be coaxed out! She also loves her sleep, which she does a lot and always with Jackson next to her.

Major's new home is in Wales. His new owners saw him on our site and immediately fell in love with him. They went through the usual home-check procedures thanks to a friend of the rescue in Wales. They travelled up to Scotland to meet him and decided to take him home. He looks like a happy boy in his new home.

I think it's fair to say that Blitz is a typical Shepherd, he just loves water! This poor didn't have a good start in life but he is happy now living with a lovely family.

"Where are we going today then Dad?"

Skye is a fabulous young German Shepherd and a real wee character. The picture on the right shows her on top of the picnic table 'overseeing' some building work!

Stan found his forever home but sadly was only there for 3 months before he passed away. His owner says he was the best
dog ever, a big softie that just loved everyone. He was totally spoiled by everyone at the Cat Rescue where he stayed. He will be missed by everyone who met him. In one of the photos you can see him doing one of his favourite things, trying to pull a tree up...... sticks were far to small for him!!! He was a funny, big, bouncy dog, a "big daft laddie" as his grandad called him!

Dexie waited a long time to get his forever home, but he's got it now! He's a gorgeous big boy that just adores his new family, and they adore him.

This beautiful girl has a lovely home where she has company all day. Her new owner just loves her to bits!

Murphy is doing well in his new home, getting very spoilt by his new owners! He's a cheeky young rascal that will push all the boundaries to see what he can get away with! Typical shepherd!

Ollie, on the right of both pictures, seems quite content with his new home and he's a lovely boy to have around. He is slowly learning that he mustn't chase everything. He and Eilish seem to be quite good buddies. Eilish growls at Ollie to defend her own bowl, then shoves him away from his and scoffs what he's left; she picks play-fights with him and gives him what-for (usually in the middle of a large and muddy puddle) in retaliation for him pinching her fave toys (which he only does to annoy her). We still have a bit of a poo-eating problem, exacerbated by now having cows out in the fields we walk over. The volunteer was asking what Ollie's favourite food is - I just can't tell which it is - horse, cow, sheep, fox, badger, rabbit, deer, kitten or canine poo... Cow and kitten seem most popular at present though!!!!!!!!

By Sheila

What a lovely couple! Sasha looks very happy with her new friend Brodie.

Annie is obviously not a GSD but she needed our help, and how could you refuse a wee cutie like her?! I think the pictures just say it all, Annie is loving her new home!

As you can see, Kane looks very settled and contented in his new home.

This lucky boy got a new home and a new companion called Sassy. They are great friends and love going for walks together on the beach.

Shane’s enjoying his 4 walks a day and his run over the fields at the weekends. He is really attached to us now, especially me. Hubby says Shane lies at the front door when I go out, waiting for his mum to come back. He also sits there when he knows it's walk time. He loves giving Mackenzie a big kiss in the morning to wake him up. He has a girlfriend he sees in a garden most days and he loves to have a good sniff through the fence. Doesn’t bark at her much now. He loves his rug in front of the fire and he loves cuddles. He is so obedient and laid back, it's unreal.

By Tricia

Diesel is only a year old and full of mischief. Now he has a new friend and partner in crime, Tess!

Where are we going today then? Cairo has settled into life in his new home and his new family just love having him around.

This cheeky boy had been in and out of kennels for long time, but we're delighted to tell you he now has a new family who love him very much. He has a favourite ball and a favourite stick which he hides and re-finds when he goes for his walks in the hills. He also enjoys sleeping on the bed as you can see!

Kaler is one of the best natured GSDs I have known. She is full of fun and a wee bit mischief! She loves to play, chasing her hoops, balls and frisbees. We couldn't be without her! She is loved by all the family and the local dog walking community.

By Nicki

Max was in kennels for a long time so it's lovely to see him settled in to his new home. It looks like he is enjoying having a new best friend!

Prince has settled in very well in his new home, living quite happily amongst 7 cats and a parrot, and of course his lovely new Mum and Dad and their children, all of whom he adores. When I knocked on the door Prince didn't bark and he greeted me with enthusiasm giving me a good sniff all over and then showering me with kisses and cuddles. He was very obedient, loves sitting by his master's feet and is very obviously much loved and well cared for in his new home. What a joy it is to see a lovely happy ending for such a beautiful boy like Prince.

Recently a baby goat joined Prince's family, its mother died and it needed a new home. I think Prince has a new friend!

By Jan

Mika is a really sweet old girl but at 12 we thought it was going to be difficult to find her a new home, more often than not people overlook the old dogs. So imagine our delight when we got a phone call asking if we had any old dogs looking for a loving new home. Mika's new owners adore her and she just looks so happy to have a new family and a new companion. Don't they make a lovely pair?

Clemmy loves her walks on the beach. Looks like Santa was good to her too!

I think the picture says it all! This boy has made himself right at home!!

Zak was a much loved family pet who needed a new home due to work commitments. He was fostered by one of our volunteers but he was such a good boy he was allowed to stay. As you can see he is very happy in his forever home. So Dad are we going for a walk or playing football?

When Zak went to his new home he really didn't get on with other dogs. Just look at him now, he has two new friends Kara and Ryckie. Karen from the rescue spent some time introducing Zak to her dogs. I think we can say job well done! Some dogs just need some time and effort, and the proper introductions.

Tara looks happy out for her walk. This lovely girl has settled into her new home and is enjoying life with her new family.

This handsome young lad gave the volunteer a lovely welcome when she did his follow up visit. He loves going for long walks and meeting doggie friends to play with.

Just perfect! A cosy rug in front of the fire. I think we can safely say that Krista has settled into her new home!

This cheeky girl is loving life with her new family, and they love having her. I think she likes posing for the camera too! You are very photogenic Molly!

My name is Murphy, I used to live near Aberdeen with my brothers and mother but unfortunately I needed to find a new home. Janice came to see me one Saturday afternoon and me and Alfie were very excited (Alfie is my brother). I tried to be friendly and say hello nicely and it worked, she came back on Sunday and took me to my new home.

My new home is in Peebles in the Scottish borders, it is great cos I can have lots of great walks by the river. I have been to see my new vet twice and had my injections. She gave me some horrible tasting tablets (apparently they stop me getting worms). I am to go back soon to have an operation to stop there being lots of little Murphy's springing up all over the place, I don't think I will like this!

I have put on 2.2 kilograms in 3 weeks, Laura my vet says I am looking good and growing well. Janice and Trevor have got me pet insurance and I go to Puppy Classes on a Tuesday, there are lots of noisy dogs there and I am not sure if I like it yet. Janice and Trevor say I need to go to make friends with other dogs and people. So I will just need to go.

I am happy in my new home and I hear that my brother is in the Alfie got a new home too!

Murphy, Janice and Trevor

This lovely young girl has settled into her new home very quickly. She looks vey happy and contented.

Murphy has found himself a loving new home and a partner in crime! Doesn't he look great and so happy?!

Kara's owners needed our help. We found her a foster home and to our delight her new foster family fell in love with her and asked if they could adopt her! They have changed her name to Clarra and as you can see she is looking happy and settled.

Do you I think she is pulling funny faces for the camera in the first picture?! Cheeky girl!

Sammy is proof that there is a home for every dog. He was found abandoned in a yard with a Rottweiler, he is an older gent and he has CDRM (a degenerative disease that causes dogs to slowly lose the use of their hind legs). The volunteers were desperate to get this old boy out of kennels and into a lovely home to live out his last years, after all he hadn't had much of a life.

Well as you can see he now has a new family and it hasn't taken him long to find his way onto the sofa! He really is a lucky boy and everyone at the rescue wants to say a great big thank you to his new family for giving him a warm home and all the love and affection he needs.

Our Rescue Dogs Snoopy and Jess by Heather

Jess's Story

I contacted the Rescue at the beginning of the year and within a couple of weeks got 6 year old Jess, how could you not fall in love with this beautiful friendly girl, she was classed as a white GSD but was more the beautiful colour of a Golden Retriever, she loved cuddles even from strangers. Obviously her previous owners had spent a lot of time training her she was paws perfect although a little headstrong when off lead if there were other dogs about, thought they were all there for her to play with!

I was told she had a tendency to relieve herself in the house on occasion so the first couple of days I was out every hour almost, first night I took her out as late as I could a walked her long enough to make sure she relieved herself, first thing in the morning taking her out again as early as possible, as the days went on I made a little longer between outs and so far, 10 months later I haven't had a single accident in the house, just goes to prove what a little work can do doesn't it?

I decided to take Jess to the vet for a preliminary visit, she wasn't eating too well and we put that down to still feeling a bit out with her new surroundings. I also wanted to find out when I could get her dressed, as dictated by the Rescue and the no breeding policy. It turned out she had pymotra, a womb infection that can kill the dog, the vet said to leave her there and he would dress her next day! Obviously once I got over the main concern, Jess's health, I thought "how am I going to pay for this?" as getting the dog dressed is not covered by pet insurance. Because it was an unforeseen serious infection that had pre-empted the op I discovered that it was covered, less the excess obviously, thank goodness I had taken out insurance when advised to by Karen from the Rescue. The vet also allowed me to pay the balance in agreed monthly payments, seems a lot of vets do this if you're not well off and they know you, everyone in that position should make enquiries with their local vet about that. Jess got through her op fine but still seemed listless for a while and still faddy about eating, I made a lot of boiled chicken and rice initially, also giving into whims at this stage, anything to get her eating. She's now eating better with less faddiness and a happier looking dog I wouldn't part with her for anything.

Snoopy's Story

When we first got Snoopy just after getting Jess we thought what a beautiful big dog, he was just 4 years old, another white GSD slightly lighter golden than Jess. He was a bit on the thin side, his spine was very prominent. We didn't, as is often the case with Rescue dogs, know much of his history but we took the first day we got him as the start and didn't dwell too much on what had once been, we made our own history for him from that day.

He pulled a lot on the lead and we knew he was going to be a handful. Very strong willed and didn't seem to respond to me or our teenage daughter at first, ok with men though but very stubborn. He was very territorial running around the perimeter of the garden like a guard dog barking at everyone and everything that had the audacity to pass within visual distance. He still does his guard like run around the garden but slowly Ronnie is calming him down by blocking his focus much like you would distract an unruly child that you love. He is totally devoted to his master as anyone would know were they to see them together. If he's off lead he will take off so still working on that one. He also honours my daughter and I listening and responding to orders from us, sometimes reluctantly granted, but hey it's progress so a plus there too!

Since then Ronnie has worked slowly with a lot of patience and love and you can see he's packed out and he's a doing a lot better, he has proved to be a friendly, huggable big teddy bear and great with adults and kids haven't tested him with close proximity cats yet.......... lol! As you can see by the pics he has a bit of a sense of humour, knows he isn't allowed on the bed but still tried to look cute when caught on it, think he succeeded don't you? Once the pic was taken he was told to get off though!

On another plus side, getting Snoopy within a few weeks of getting Jess also helped her get back into eating as she saw Snoopy as competition for the grub. She is a bit of a matriarch with him and he's just so laid back he gives into her, amazing for such an obviously alpha male huh? They have got on extremely well since they first met, although we did take the precaution of meeting them out in the local park gradually bringing them closer and closer then walking parallel, never take a new dog into another dogs territory that's bound to cause territorial problems.

Some things just take time, patience and love but then if you really want your Rescue dog you will work at it same as you would if you have any responsibilities. The reward from turning around these dogs lives to a better quality is truly priceless.
I would advise people to be realistic when asking for a Rescue dog, don't take one for the wrong reasons ie pity or as a trophy, know your own limitations and restrictions in life. That's not to say Karen or Liz won't do that for you, believe me they do check into everything before placing a dog and always try to match owners with as near as right dog for them as is possible. After all they want to get it right first time or the poor dog would have to go through re-homing process more often than any pet should.

You have to be truly committed and understand anything worth having requires effort. Too many people get dogs and once the cute puppy stage is by they lose interest, either that they let the dog away with murder, don't attempt to train the dog beyond give me a paw or roll over then wonder why it doesn't do what it's told when a bit older. There are puppy and obedience classes all over the country look for one near you, most of them are inexpensive and well worth every penny, not only does it help train your precious pet it also helps them to socialise with other dogs thus restricting possible dog fights in the future.

Not all Rescue dogs need a lot of training, nor do they all come from neglectful, cruel previous owners, sometimes owners circumstances just change and they are no longer able to keep a dog and want to to be fair by getting it the life it deserves. I think both our dogs stories proves that to be true.

Little known fact time: Did you know that the dog many of you call an Alsatian is in fact a German Shepherd dog? There is no difference, I know many people who think the short haired is an Alsatian and the long haired a German Shepherd. Help us to put this myth to bed. We were at war with Germany when these dogs were brought over so they were named after the region in Germany they came from, formerly known as Alsace, later changed to Alsatia. This was to make them more acceptable. So there you go, impress your friends with this little piece of knowledge!

I hope reading our story helps someone make up their mind on either getting or giving a dog to the Rescue.

This handsome young lad is a real character. He loves chasing his ball and going for runs. He also loves going to visit his 'grandparents' house to play with their four dogs! That's when he's not posing for the camera!

Mischa was one of our GSD Rottweiler cross puppies. The first picture shows her visiting the beach for the first time. As you can see she is more interested in what's in the water than posing for the camera!

If you visited our site regularly then I'm sure you'll remember Zara. She was on our site almost from the day we launched in April 2008. She had been kept as a guard dog from a young age and had no social skills with people or other dogs.

The lady who looked after Zara in kennels worked with her and quickly gained her confidence but what she really needed was a new family. As I am sure you have guessed by looking at the pictures she has found her new family. Doesn't she look amazing?!

Her new family adore her and are working with her to improve her confidence and social skills. They are have made great progress already.

Zara is proof that there is a home for every dog, no matter how bad a start they had in life.

After a recue dog has been with it's new owner for approximately three months a member of the GSR Scotland team is asked to re-visit the new owner and check that all is well.

It fell to me to visit Mr Gillespie and his family to check on Sheba. I went along with my daughter and we were once more given a great welcome. Mr Gillespie is just the calmest of persons. The whole time we were with the family Sheba never took her eyes off the face of Mr Gillespie. Sheba is a lovely looking dog and obviously adores Mr Gillespie. A happier dog I would charge anyone to witness. A true success story. Mr Gillespie travels Scotland attending motor bike rallies with his son and Sheba already knows the routine. If you see a German Shepherd driving a white van that will be Sheba!.

All I can say is, 'Thank you Mr Gillespie you are a STAR!'.

By Nita Asut

Hogan was one of our special dogs, he needed a special home with new owners that would take time to help him get over his fears. We are delighted that Hogan now has his forever home, and has a new best friend to play with.

Well done and thank you to Hogan's new family for taking the time to understand him.

It's not hard to see why this lovely young lady is called Foxy. Doesn't she look quite content on her lovely new bed?

Millie is around 6 or 7, unfortunately her owner was taken away by the police and she was left. We were asked to help out so we found her a temporary foster home, but she didn't get on with their dog. She is now in another foster home where she has already found her favourite spot watching the birds and squirrels. If she keeps being a good girl she may just have found her forever home.

Tia was thrown out in the middle of Glasgow when she was just a puppy. She was put into two foster homes that could not cope with her, and then put in the three different kennels that also found it hard to cope.

Tia came to stay with me in July 2007, she was dog aggressive and chased her tail until there was no hair left, only a huge lump on the bottom of her tail where she had bitten right through it. She also hated my cats. Tia had so many issues that it wasn't funny. With training, TLC and some patience she is now in her forever home with me and my other two GSDs (she still is not very sure of the cats but that will come). Tia is only 18 months old and still a baby. She is a very important part of our family and is such a loving and loyal companion.

By Karen

Rex has settled into life in his new home very quickly. He loves to spend time lying on the decking, that's when he's not talking his new owners out for one of their many daily walks! He loves going to work with his new dad in the afternoons, and loves cuddling up in bed just before sleepy time. What a lucky boy!

Jed is a handsome young lad who loves to get up to mischief. This intelligent boy can open the doors in his new home so nothing is safe, including Lasagne dinners! He loves to go walks with his doggy friends and helping his new daddy look after the tomato plants in his greenhouse.

Kane is an extremely loving, gentle and playful boy who is very happy living with his new family. He's a real pleasure to be around. He's got a mum and dad who love him very much, and two teenage girls who absolutely adore him and love playing with him. He loves playing in the back garden with his toys.

This hansome boy has settled in very nicely and is enjoying life in his new home.

Shadow is a very handsome black Belgian Shepherd. Has has settled in very quickly to life in his new home, and as you can see it didn't take him long to find a nice cosy spot for a snooze!. He even has a new best friend, Ben the Collie. You can see a picture of Shadow and Ben in Our Gallery.

Lana is a beautiful white long-haired bitch. At one stage she had spent more of her life in rescue kennels than in a home.

This is her story.

Lana came to us from the SSPCA at approximately 2 years old. She had been handed into one of their rescue centres as her owners felt they couldn't handle her anymore. Although a loyal and loving dog once she got to know you she was very mistrusting of strangers especially children. The SSPCA struggled to find the right home for Lana as she was aggressive in the kennels to visitors. Unfortunately while being walked by one of their volunteers she bit the centre's postman and this was the last straw. She was due to be put to sleep unless GSD Rescue Scotland was prepared to take her.

Lana came into the rescue and was placed in a local boarding kennels to be assessed. Luckily she was more relaxed in these kennels and benefited from long daily walks and lots of attention. Her true nature shone through and we decided to try and find her a forever home. This proved difficult as she needed a quiet loving home with an owner prepared to help with her fear of new people. After many months Lana was offered a home with, ironically, the postman who delivered mail to the kennels! Kenny was a quiet gentle man who worked hard with Lana to build her confidence.

Unfortunately Lana’s story doesn’t end there. After 2 years living with Kenny, tragedy struck. Kenny died suddenly of a heart attack and she found herself back in rescue again. Poor Lana was not so lucky this time as despite the efforts of the rescue nobody came forward to offer her another home. She wasn’t great with other dogs, didn’t like cats and still had a problem with new people. This proved to be too big a challenge for most people and Lana was overlooked time and time again. Although friendly in the kennels she began to spend more and more time lying quietly at the back of her kennel not really looking for attention. She also began to lose weight and condition and we at the rescue started to worry. Poor Lana was showing signs of kennel stress and depression. Extra efforts were made to cheer her up but to no avail. Lana had given up hope and resigned herself to a kennel existence. The rescue increased their efforts to find her the right home, even having a coat made up saying “I need a home” and taking her to any fundraising events. But still no one was interested. Lana had now spent a total of 2 and half years in rescue kennels and she had had enough. It was coming to the point where difficult decisions would have to be made. If Lana was so miserable in kennels and no home could be found that what should we do?

Luckily there is a very happy ending to this story. A wonderful family came forward certain that they could be Lana’s forever home. Although Steve had years of GSD experience there were young children in the home and 5 cats. It could never work! But Steve was determined that his family was the right place for this dog and as Lana really had no other options we tentatively let her go and waited to see how she would settle in.

Amazingly this family has been the making of Lana. Steve’s experience with dogs meant he introduced her gradually to all members of the household until she was comfortable and relaxed with every one, even the cats. The kids absolutely love her and she hasn’t put a foot wrong since coming to her forever home. The rescue is truly thankful to Steve and his family for giving a very special dog a second chance.

Not all of the dogs that come through the rescue are abused and abandoned. Max is a lovely, friendly, laid back boy who was adored by his family. Unfortunately Max's owner died suddenly and rest of the family were unable to walk him so they reluctantly asked the rescue to find him a new home. And we did! Max now lives with his new best friend Rosie. He gets long walks in the woods and his new owner doesn't get any peace unless he is throwing a ball!

From this...

To this...

Sam was left tied up outside the pound and in very poor condition. He is a lovely, loving old gentleman who has slotted into our mad family just nicely. He gets on great with our young German Shepherd, Cal and even manages to come on our long walks in the woods. He is gentle, loves meeting people and other dogs, and he has no major health problems, just a little stiffness in his joints, but who doesn't at that age?! Why was he left? We'll never know.

I look at him when he is sleeping and wonder what kind of life he had before, but all that doesn't matter now because his twilight years will be spent with us, happy and well cared for. His only fault, if you can call it that, is that he follows me everywhere, every time I move he is at my heels! Because of his age, he breathes quite heavily, so I call him 'My Little Stalker', with affection of course!

By Gillian

Pound Girl was her name on the Central Region of the web site. It was about 9 o’clock on a Friday morning when the phone rang and the caller said, “There is a dog in the pound that’s due to be put to sleep this afternoon.” Well who could let that happen? NOT ME. ‘Pound Girl’ was removed from the pound that morning, renamed Maddie, transferred to Scotland the next day and I collected her on the Sunday.

When I saw her for the first time she was under-weight and it looked like she had recently had pups. She had a fantastic nature but was a little bit nervous. When my kids saw her they fell in love with her instantly.

A couple of months later we got her spayed and that’s when the vet confirmed what we had a suspicion about, she had had pups and she had had them by caesarean section, she had scaring on her ovaries. The vet suspected that she had been a puppy farm dog and that they had tried to breed her too early, so she would no longer be cost effective to breed from. They had cruelly removed her identification tattoo that would be why she has part of her ear missing.

It is 5 months since the phone call that changed Pound Girl's life and now she has a loving family home and is an intelligent confident dog that loves to run around on the beach and play with her ball.

By Billy

Life with a golden oldie is like a dream come true. Sabre has settled in with us to perfection after just a few days. Perfect behavior and obedience and such a loving girl who loves her kisses, cuddles and tummy rubs. At the age of 10 she still loves her long walks, runs and lots of fun and games. I would without hesitation recommend adopting a golden oldie to everyone looking for a superb friend who will bring them lots of joy.

By Jan