I got Gabby a tan and white Collie, Welsh Springer Spaniel cross, in the summer of 2005.  I found out about her from a friend who heard about a six month old pup who was about to be put down because the pound thought they could not re-home her, as she was so traumatized.  A charity stepped in with a foster home so that I could go and see her, as she was due to be put down before I could go. The pound had pieced together what had happened to her, she had been dragged by her lead, held by her collar beaten to an inch of her life and left on the side of the road to die. As a result she was frightened of young men with hats on and had a very big problem with collars and leads.

As soon as I put my head round the corner I knew she was the dog for me, she as a scared mess in the corner of her pen.  She was very wary of me at first but, came round after a handful of treats.  I agreed to have her if we could get a collar on her and she got on with my other dog.  My other dog is also a rescue and is frighten of puppies and had already turned down four other dogs. (Gabby pictured at 6 months)

What happen next is still in everyone who was there’s mind,  I was about four meters away from her and took out a collar and lead quietly out of my pocket, but did not move towards her.  Gabby screamed (very high and loud) and hid in the furthest smallest space that she could find.  Another handful of treats and the collar was on.  When she was introduced to my other dog they got on great and seemed to get confidence from each other, so all three of us went home together.

Once home the long road to recovery started.  If I tried to put a lead on her she would turn in to a shaking mess.  Every time that she was frighten she would run away.  Luckily she would come back into sight and sit there shaking.  I had to just wait for her to calm down before I stood a chance of getting her back. We were starting to do well when a few months down the road we had a major set back, she developed stomach ulcers.  This caused her to hold her food in her oesophagus as it hurt to much to let it in to her stomach.  A month of antibiotics and special food and she was back on the road to recovery.  She always now has to have water on her dried food or treats that are moist.  She also breaks her food into tiny bits before eating it or it does not go down properly.  It later turned out that a number of dogs that stayed in the same pound landed up with stomach problems. 

Early the following summer in a quiet field on her own she started agility training.  Once she was focused and got over us handling her by her collar she did well.  Then towards the end of the summer she had another set back with a cough.  Which meant no training for a few weeks, this was just before she was due to enter a limited show.  I entered her even though I knew she did not have the ability but the experience would be go for her.  No one could have foreseen what happened.  She got frighten and sat in the middle of the ring shaking.  A big thanks to the understanding judge who let her have the time to calm down before I tried to get her out of the ring.  She was unsettled for the rest of the day jumping up into my arms for comfort when ever she could.

The following winter was not a good one.  I got a new job for a couple of months, due to unforeseen problems it meant that the dogs had to go to stay with my mum for the last three weeks.  This also unsettled both of the dogs.  In the new year we were back together and settled but training got off to a slow start as they both had kennel cough one after another.

In the late winter early spring she went from strength to strength.  In June she did her first Any size and went clear.  In August, two shows later she did her first full show and got a time.

In November just over a year after the show that she got so frightend in, at the same venue, in just her fourth full show she went clear.  After all the hard work I was in tears. The friend that had first told me about her and went with me to see her, was there to and she was also full of emotion.

We still have to think before handling her by her collar but now she walks round the shows with her tail up, to heal.  Despite all that has happened she is a very loving, affectionate and cuddly dog that lives a happy full life who thinks she is a lap dog despite her size.  It could of so easily have gone the other way.  I don’t regret taking her on and she will always be my Peter Pan.

Liz Lyddon

   Gabby as she is now

Runner Up in the Defa's 2007 Prize Award - This is Cabbages story by Sara Bennett

Steve & I first met Cabbage about a year ago one evening at training. He arrived with Leah Gardner on his belly, he was terrified.  She then told us his story that he'd been dumped on the Brecon Beacons with another collie called Carrot! He was then put into the local hunt kennel that also did rescue?  It appears he was starved and also beaten in the kennel. Luckily he was rescued from there and taken to Many Tears Rescue in Wales. That first evening we sat on the floor with him with ham and cheese just trying to get near him, he was a wreck.  He was terrified of Steve who is quite tall, and 'a man'.  We were very tempted to take cabbage but didn't as we both had youngsters about to debut into agility the following season.

We then heard he had been rehomed, great news, we were so pleased for him.

At the end of July of this year Leah turned up with him again, he was up for rehoming for no fault of his own.  At the Agility Club after a beer or two (!) Steve suggested that we spend the day with him the next day. So first thing in the morning Steve went and collected him and we introduced him to the other 5 collies. 

They seemed fine but we knew a long road was ahead. We then picked him up on the Wednesday as we had some time off.  At home he still freaked at Steve and at first it was me he came too.  He was still frightened off life but we took him everywhere with us.  Shows were great for him as agility people understand and after a while he began too trust, he certainly knew who his friends were. 

Dogs in Need was a turning point as him came each evening and sat with our camping group and realised that people could be kind. Bernadette Bay nick named him Cabbage Patch and that has stuck, he is about to be registered as Steve's Organic Cabbage for his KC Name.

Unfortunately he had a tendency to run off on a walk so he got granted a lead asbo and he ended up on a tracking line for 6 weeks. The only time he came off was along the canal as he swims for England.  You can tell he survived on his own for a while, as he brought me half a dead fish out of the canal a few weeks ago and is partial to a dead rabbit or two. We took him on holiday to Northumberland and that was the turning point two weeks of mum, dad the pack and walking to die for. He was in heaven, when we got back he was very chilled and even dared get on the settee for a cuddle. Steve and I held our breath and didn't dare tell him to get off!!!!!!.  Now each night he gets up for a cuddle. 

He also sleeps in the bedroom and when the alarm goes off in the morning he bats me on the head and tells me its walkies time.

Cabbage has now started his agility training and he thinks it is great as he is spolit by everyone and each week his confidence is growing. I think he is using his brain for the first time and is mentally exhausted, he comes home from his lesson and sleeps.

Its great to see him coming on each day, on walks he is now going up to men for a stroke, he met Will Carling this week and demanded a cuddle (yes I was jealous).

So to everyone that has fed him tip bits and given him a stroke, thank you. 

To Leah and all at Many Tears, thank you (I think.)

To Cabbage, thank you for learning to trust again, you are very special.

Cabbage is our first rescue and I dont think he will be our last, so see you in grade 3 classes next season,

if we get a rosette that will be a bonus, as Cabbage will be having fun, Sara

Runner Up in the Defa's 2007 Prize Award - This is Sadies story by Sheena Scrafton