A FOREVER HOME NEEDED FOR MOLLIE, A DOG ONCE CAGED IN A ROMANIAN ZOO
20th December 2010
Last year we were trying to find a home for eight year old Mollie, and for some reason, this sweet, gentle dog has yet to be adopted. Dog behaviourist, Jan Fennell, kindly caring for Mollie at her Every Chance Rescue centre, says: We cannot understand why no one seems interested in her. Mollie is very affectionate, a real sweetheart. She is rather quiet and reserved, but we sense there is a confident, outgoing personality in there, waiting to reveal herself in the right home.” The team believe that Mollie would be very happy alone, or fine to live with a gentle male dog and older sensible children. She is about the size of small German Shepherd dog.
Currently Mollie is living with the 74 year old mother of one of Jan Fennell’s team. Apparently Mollie is a real comfort-lover these days and although she is not allowed to sit on the furniture, she is allowed to sleep on the bed and politely waits for a towel to be spread on the duvet before she jumps up.
Mollie travels very well and loves to jump into the car. She is well-behaved with dogs and cats: cats just do not exist to Mollie and she totally ignores them, other dogs she will interact with after an aloof period. When left alone at home she behaves very well and takes herself off to bed and greets you when you come home by standing back from the door with a wagging tail, no jumping up, no barking....actually barking is quite a rare event.
Two of her favorite spots outside are her foster mum’s patio and the rear wall of the house, both south facing of course, Mollie is not silly! She leans back against the brickwork with her head up and eyes closed enjoying the Sun. Recently there was a mouse on the patio, Mollie carried on sun bathing while the garden birds were feeding on the bird table and the little mouse picked up the leftovers! Of course, rats were commonly seen in the Romanian zoo, so a mouse must seem quite insignificant.
Mollie does have one oddity although understandable: she does not like walking on laminate flooring. Several dogs that feel the same about slippy, laminate floors.
MOLLIE’S STAY COMING TO AN END
Mollie’s foster mum goes to New Zealand twice a year and one of the visits is for over three months so sadly, she cannot offer Mollie a permanent home. Mollie’s foster mum actually put off going to New Zealand for her November to January, trip, as she had planned, which was wonderful of her, but a permanent solution needs to be found.
Dear Mollie, it breaks your heart to think of her relaxing and enjoying this lovely life, and how confused and distressed she will feel when it has to come to an end.
If you feel you can offer Mollie her forever home, please go to the end of this report.
- Mollie and Jan
MOLLIE’S STORY
Born Free supporters will remember Jerry, Jools and Bella, lions rescued from Buhusi Zoo in Romania. Jools and Jerry were rehomed to Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa and Bella to the Lilongwe sanctuary in Malawi. There were also dogs caged in the run-down zoo, in equally appalling conditions. The ‘Lion’s Roar’ charity managed to rehome most of them until only two were left, Mollie and Dina. Lion’s Roar and Born Free asked well-known ‘dog listener’ Jan Fennell and her International Dog Listeners organization for help. Jan agreed.
Mollie and Dina were offered a safe haven with Jan’s rescue charity Every Chance Rescue and within two months Dina had been adopted. However, over two and a half years later, Mollie is still without her ‘forever home’.
Jan Fennell’s team reports: “Mollie settled in very well and is a firm favourite with everyone she meets.
Mollie is estimated to be about eight years old. We believe she had been at the zoo since she was a puppy. She and the other animals were all living in cages, lying on filthy concrete with no bedding. The dogs were never taken out for walks. Lion’s Roar had beds made and paid money to the keepers to keep all the animals in the zoo clean, and fresh food was supplied, but often the food was stolen and the cleaning only seemed to happen when the Lion’s Roar representative was present.
Mollie had obviously shared with a male dog at some point as she gave birth to her son in the zoo. Her son was very nervous of people, as were most of the animals born in the zoo, but Mollie seemed to crave attention, her large brown eyes gazing into yours as you approached. Sadly, her son died in 2007. No-one knows why or even if he was ill for some time before he died. The keepers just reported they found him dead in his cage with Mollie. Mollie was then alone.
All the dog shelters in Romania were full to overflowing, with most of the dogs destined to live out their lives in cages, so it was with great joy that we heard Jan Fennell had agreed to our request to take on Dina and Mollie. The Lion’s Roar team started training the dogs for their new life, introducing them to a harness and taking them for walks. Both dogs were so happy to be outside. But how to get them to England?
AUCTIONEER TO THE RESCUE!
Born Free supporter, and one of Britain’s favorite celebrity auctioneers James Lewis, from BBC1’s Cash in the Attic and BBC2’s Flog It! stepped in to help. We had to deliver a lion crate to the zoo for a lion rescue (Bella’s). So, James and his friend Mark Hughes drove hundreds of miles to drop off the crate and pick up Mollie and Dina and three cats, also caged in the zoo.
SNACKS ON THE JOURNEY
Mollie and Dina were put in separate dog crates in the back of the van but after a few miles Mollie’s anxious barks in the back became unbearable, so Mollie and Dina were brought into the front of the van. Even though they had probably never been in a vehicle in their adult life, they settled down happily together on the front seat, sharing packets of crisps and biscuits with James and Mark, and sticking their head out of the window to watch as Europe sped by. And sped by it did, as James learnt on the return journey that his wife was about to give birth to their first, long-awaited child. He made it back with hours to spare.
James and his wife Annabel decided to take on the three cats themselves but regretfully knew they would be too busy to take on the dogs. Fortunately for Dina, a happy ending came almost immediately – her foster parents fell in love with her and adopted her. She is now thriving in her new home, basking in the love and attention she receives. For Mollie, that special home is yet to be found. Initially she found living in a home instead of a cage an unnerving experience – she had never experienced glass before, and she was very frightened of the washing machine and vacuum cleaner. Now, she has blossomed in the love and attention she receives.
It is hard to think of Mollie having to give what she must think of as her human mum and I do hope someone out there will be able to share their lives with her permanently.
JAN FENNELL HELP
Jan Fennell, the Dog Listener reports: “ Mollie is an absolute delight with the most enormous ‘seal pup’ eyes. I know that with the right support she will make a wonderful companion for either a single person, or a couple, as she is not used to children and would take time to get to know them, just as she does with everything she meets.
“For my part I will be happy to work with anyone who wishes to become her ‘friend’ as she really does deserve the very best.”
WHAT YOU CAN DO
If you think you can offer Mollie her ‘forever home’ please contact Jan’s team for an application form. Telephone 01673 878639 or email the office at everychance1@btinternet.com or contact the Every Chance team direct via their web site www.everychancerescue.co.uk
A £200 donation, to help with their rescue work is requested if Mollie goes to live with you. Please remember: ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ - and a dog is a life. Mollie is an individual who has suffered at the hands of humans and deserves the best.
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