horace
Where do start, Tango who is now Horace came into our lives Nov 2021. I remember collecting him from the pick up point not knowing whether to cry or wonder if we had done the right thing, could we give this poor soul everything he needed to be happy. We had two other dogs at home a 17yr old frail jack Russell and a 2yr barmy GWP. Well we adopted Horace 12mths later and it's the best thing we have ever done. The dogs hit it off straight away we had no issues at all except keep the Jack Russell out of the way when Horace and Maisie had the zoomies which was a nightly event. Horace has grown into a confident, happy big dog he weighs 35kg and is closely observed by my vet who keeps reminding me he is too fat. We lost the jack Russell when he was 19yrs old and there is just Maisie and Horace who have become inseparable they go everywhere together when one disappears out of view in the garden the other one goes on a search to find his / her partner in crime. Horace has settled in really well he remains to be a nosey character very loving enjoys and thrives off fuss. We have finally combated the being sick in the car on journeys to just sitting in the back being nosey. He loves his sleep and yes he has a sofa to himself he does have a comfy bed but enjoys the sofa better. He is great with our grandchildren but still takes a step back with men with dark beards which we are working on at the moment. I can honestly say I was worried about getting a rescue but when I stumbled on the website and saw Horace in Donna's site I instantly fell in love with him, his sad big beautiful eyes it was one of the best decision we have made. Both Maisie and Horace enjoy doggy day club a couple of times a week which we feel has supported Horace socialisation with other dogs however he isn't fussed either way he always greets dogs when we are walking out and then walks off. Horace has been good for Maisie thier companionship/ friendship is flourishing. Thanks to Donna and team for giving us the opportunity to make a difference to Horace life and give him the best opportunities and above all love, time, and the comfort of a happy home.
abby & teddy
Abby came to live with me in March 2021. Initially very nervous and shy. I was so incredibly excited to meet her after seeing the photos and videos. When I finally met her she was absolutely adorable. Abby adored my other two dogs and they her. She learnt a lot from them how to go into the garden when she needed to and how to play. The first trip to the enclosed field was wonderful. Abby had the chance to run freely – and run she did without stopping for just under an hour. Abby is still very nervous outside of the house and is desperate to meet the other dogs on her walks (always on her lead). Very sadly though I lost my other two dogs, within 3 months of each other and within a year of Abby living with them. I am still trying to come to terms with that but Abby needed a friend. Donna messaged me about a little guy called Otis (the same name as my big rescue who had so recently died). I knew that Abby needed a friend but was unsure. Otis came to meet Abby with his mum who was desperately sad at having to rehome him (due to a family breakdown). Little Otis stayed and settled in well he was so easy from the start, so affectionate – the perfect dog. The two are now best buddies. Otis now called Teddy and Abby live happily together – playing, sleeping and keeping watch at the window for any passer by. I would not hesitate in homing another dog from Spanish Griffon Rescue – the support and advice and second to none. I want another dog or two and when the time is right and will hopefully have a dog from Donna and Lucy again. I adore these two they are so happy - the trips to the secure field is a joy to see.
rusty
Rusty ( was Dumbo ) came to us in December 2021, 3 days before Christmas. He was such a timid boy, too scared to move, too scared to socialise with us or our other dog Mollie, too scared to do much of anything. He sat on the mat we gave him, for almost a week before we felt he might be strong enough to face a walk on a double lead. He was petrified of men, cowered right down, and wouldn’t eat his food unless we were well away from him. He was so nervous and wary of everything. Time tripped by, slowly but surely, and he began to learn his name, and his tail would come up from between his legs when we went out for a walk. He still didn’t want to “engage” with anyone, but it was obvious he liked being out, doing what hounds do best, sniffing and scenting out birds and rabbits. I decided that as Rusty liked being out so much, we’d work on his confidence that way. I’d previously trained a dog to complete a marathon, so with the ok from the vet that he’d now gained enough weight, and was in good health, Rusty began his training, raising money for the organisation Spanish Griffon Rescue (SGR), that brought him to us. As the months passed by, he got stronger and stronger, attended our local Parkrun every Saturday, and even had a photo shoot on the local foreshore with Mollie, before we sadly lost her. He completed the full 26.2 miles of the virtual London Marathon in October 2022, in 6hrs and 20 minutes, and raised £1750 for SGR.
Rusty now sits happily on his bed on the lounge, engages with the cat quite happily, and although he doesn’t get up to greet anyone when they come to the house, he does let the stroke him, and he will take a treat from some of them! I can’t begin to imagine what he has gone through in the past, but I do know his future is bright. He continues to be work in progress every day, but he has given so much to me, and he grows in confidence little by little. My advice would that these beautifully natured, gentle dogs can give so much, if you are prepared to give to them, time and patience.
Rusty now sits happily on his bed on the lounge, engages with the cat quite happily, and although he doesn’t get up to greet anyone when they come to the house, he does let the stroke him, and he will take a treat from some of them! I can’t begin to imagine what he has gone through in the past, but I do know his future is bright. He continues to be work in progress every day, but he has given so much to me, and he grows in confidence little by little. My advice would that these beautifully natured, gentle dogs can give so much, if you are prepared to give to them, time and patience.
rocky
We had Molly our Patterdale Terrier for over 16 years & last February (2022) it was her time. It left us all heartbroken & we said "no more dogs". However after only a couple of months we all agreed the house definitely wasn't a home without a pooch. Amanda often spent evenings browsing online breeders & rescue sites looking at endless possibilities. We inquired about a few but never followed up our original question of "is this dog still available" & more often than not they were. But none just felt right, then Amanda passed me her phone & said "I bet you'd like this one?". Well that was it "it really was love at 1st sight". We then read is history & profile, many could & probably were put off by that but we wanted to give him a chance.
We've now had Rocky over 7 months & its a real pleasure being around him. We said from day one he needed to adapt to our home & lifestyle & we his. Slowly but surely his character has broken through, he's gone from finding his own space to sleep to snuggling up at night. He makes us laugh so much with his silly expressions & zoomies. It's impossible to think of life without him now. We thank Donna & all who work with her for the endless work they do helping dogs find homes, we have certainly benefitted from the site.
We've now had Rocky over 7 months & its a real pleasure being around him. We said from day one he needed to adapt to our home & lifestyle & we his. Slowly but surely his character has broken through, he's gone from finding his own space to sleep to snuggling up at night. He makes us laugh so much with his silly expressions & zoomies. It's impossible to think of life without him now. We thank Donna & all who work with her for the endless work they do helping dogs find homes, we have certainly benefitted from the site.
Choccy & lia
In late 2020 I was in a real down period as work was stressful and I'd recently lost my best friend of 45 years to cancer. She had always said I should get a dog, so my husband joined me in the search for a rescue dog. Lockdown meant everyone was trying to do the same, so it took me until Dec to find SGR after a friend recommended it. So we were lucky enough to be approved to adopt Chocolate - now Choccy. He arrived looking very nervous but he seemed to settle in straight away. He was even more beautiful than we imagined! He was soon taking up his place on the sofa, enjoying his walks and winning the hearts of everyone who met him. Our daily adventures of chasing squirrels and foxes certainly helped rescue me from my anxiety and depression.
After a few months we saw Lia on the SGR Facebook page and read her story and our hearts broke to see she'd had been in the shelter for a while and her best friend had been rehomed. After much discussion (and pleading from me!) We decided two dogs would be no more trouble than one and so in Jan 2022 we adopted Lia too. Choccy was a little sulky at first but now soon accepted Lia as his partner in crime!
Adopting from SGR was the best decision we ever made. The process was so well organised and the support from everyone has been amazing.Both dogs have always been well behaved, never caused any mess or damage. They say that rescue dogs actually rescue you and I feel that's certainly true for us. We laugh more, love more and certainly enjoy a much fuller life with our dogs. Thank you SGR for bringing Choccy and Lia to us.
After a few months we saw Lia on the SGR Facebook page and read her story and our hearts broke to see she'd had been in the shelter for a while and her best friend had been rehomed. After much discussion (and pleading from me!) We decided two dogs would be no more trouble than one and so in Jan 2022 we adopted Lia too. Choccy was a little sulky at first but now soon accepted Lia as his partner in crime!
Adopting from SGR was the best decision we ever made. The process was so well organised and the support from everyone has been amazing.Both dogs have always been well behaved, never caused any mess or damage. They say that rescue dogs actually rescue you and I feel that's certainly true for us. We laugh more, love more and certainly enjoy a much fuller life with our dogs. Thank you SGR for bringing Choccy and Lia to us.
rafi
Rafi (was Andy) came to live with us after we lost our cocker spaniel to old age and our younger GBGV, Humphrey, didn’t like being alone. We had pretty exacting requirements as Humphrey suffered a loss of confidence especially with dogs bigger than him. We also wanted an easier dog, as our previous rescues and rehomes all had health/behavioural issues and so selfishly we wanted a bit of an easier time this time round. Donna was incredibly patient with all my questions and answered them all honestly.
Rafi arrived in March 2022 having been in foster with Maria, who is just the best! We were sent hundreds of photos and videos of him in all different situations and with different dogs so we could make the right decision. From all the information, we thought his temperament would be a good match with Humphrey. He’s confident but submissive so H could still feel like he is pack leader!
It’s been almost a year and Rafi has changed from a nervous (from the move), meek but happy pupper to a confident, chatty, funny, endearing character but still gentle and happy to let H take charge when H wants to. He has been an absolute pleasure. They got on brilliantly from day one and we feel very fortunate to have been able to offer him a home. We’ve not sweated any of the hiccups - house training accidents, chewing things we’d rather he didn’t etc but rather we’ve concentrated on praising everything he got right and making sure we changed things that didn’t work for him. One thing we’ve learned - even as small as he is, he can climb! He likes to sit on the shed roof if he gets a chance to sneak up there lol! Our fencing is 110% secure and they have tractiv trackers on their collars but there have definitely been a few heart-in-mouth moments when we’ve not been able to see him in the garden! We feel incredibly lucky to have Rafi in our lives, he makes us smile every single day and I hope we make him just as happy xx
Rafi arrived in March 2022 having been in foster with Maria, who is just the best! We were sent hundreds of photos and videos of him in all different situations and with different dogs so we could make the right decision. From all the information, we thought his temperament would be a good match with Humphrey. He’s confident but submissive so H could still feel like he is pack leader!
It’s been almost a year and Rafi has changed from a nervous (from the move), meek but happy pupper to a confident, chatty, funny, endearing character but still gentle and happy to let H take charge when H wants to. He has been an absolute pleasure. They got on brilliantly from day one and we feel very fortunate to have been able to offer him a home. We’ve not sweated any of the hiccups - house training accidents, chewing things we’d rather he didn’t etc but rather we’ve concentrated on praising everything he got right and making sure we changed things that didn’t work for him. One thing we’ve learned - even as small as he is, he can climb! He likes to sit on the shed roof if he gets a chance to sneak up there lol! Our fencing is 110% secure and they have tractiv trackers on their collars but there have definitely been a few heart-in-mouth moments when we’ve not been able to see him in the garden! We feel incredibly lucky to have Rafi in our lives, he makes us smile every single day and I hope we make him just as happy xx
sancho
We adopted Sancho (was Spo) in August 2020, during the pandemic. The advert for him said he was a happy boy and quick to learn and that is completely true. He fell asleep in my arms when we picked him up and he settled in our house from night one. If I wrote down my perfect dog it would be him and we feel so lucky he came to live with us. He’s affectionate, playful, loving, boisterous and occasionally a little bit naughty - which is why he fits in our family so well! We all adore him and can’t imagine life without him now. Our little Spanish amigo x
bilbo
Bilbo was Adonis... what can we say, he is such a quirky, loving boy, full of character. He fitted in straight away, mending our broken hearts, as we had to have our previous dog Buster PTS in July. Bilbo came to us in November 2021. Donna was a dream to deal with, and Nick ensured our boy arrived safe & sound on the van. Although he was initially nervous, his true character and playfulness soon emerged. We have never had an issue with other dogs or people (though I think cats may be a different matter). He has never made a mess inside, although I assume he wasn't toilet trained. And he has never caused any damage to our home, taking himself off to bed (ours) if we leave him alone for a short time. . He sleeps a lot, but equally loves playing with my parents dog and going on holiday/walks. We would not be without him. We cannot thank Donna and her team enough. They saved him....and he saved us
simba
Meet Simba, he arrived with us July 3rd 2021. Reluctant rescuers as we could not afford a lockdown puppy. When I received a message on arrival day to say he was terrified and just trying to escape, I admit to feeling that I was out of my depth and had made a mistake. He was indeed...incredibly scared...and lived in his crate for a week...slowly beginning to venture out as we placed his food bowl further out. It was a couple of weeks before we could take him out for a walk, and he was still so scared. Today...he was in the park with his doggy buddies, running and playing and just being his happy self. He knows he is home. I believe they say that one dog in your life completely takes your heart and soul....Simba...you have truly stolen mine!! In spite of him being so heartbreaking at the start there are no regrets, not one. Will never buy a puppy.
frinz
Frinz had been in kennels for a year with his brother who was rehomed first. Frinz was well looked after by the staff/volunteers at the kennels as he came to us in really good condition.
We have had Frinz just over 2 years and he is the most lovable, well mannered with people, food and other dogs. He makes us laugh everyday and is adorable. The support from Spanish Griffons is amazing and new friends have been made.
We have had Frinz just over 2 years and he is the most lovable, well mannered with people, food and other dogs. He makes us laugh everyday and is adorable. The support from Spanish Griffons is amazing and new friends have been made.
ella & tula
We adopted Ella in 2018 (drove all the way from south west France to Conway in Wales to collect her), she was scared of everything including us, slow progress but she is so loving and sleeps on our bed with us. Tula we collected in August this year and they are as thick as thieves, (madam and missy).
Suzie
We adopted Suzie (was Susanna) in December 2019 at 6 months old. She came to us as a tiny, scruffy, scared little thing. But after 24 hours she had made herself right at home, quickly becoming best mates with our smallest cat and the two other Spanish Griffon rescues next door! Since then she's come on leaps and bounds. She cycles every day around the gorgeous Lake District with her Dad, lounges in front of the fire and generally lives a life of luxury! She has completed our family and we utterly adore her.
bicho
We adopted Bicho just over 3 months ago, having lost our doggo of 12 years back in February. Bicho is a year old this week ( according to his passport) and he is just starting to settle with us. He is still very nervous about many things, we know very little about his background so just have to show him love and patience and guidance. He is starting to respond very well now as his confidence grows and we love him. We were very happy with every aspect of the adoption and felt well informed along the way. Thank you for leading us to beautiful Bicho.
willow
Willow (was Lupe) arrived in June 2020. Willow has settled into our home very well and is a lovely girl. Freya, our 4.5 year old Staffie, has adapted well to the new addition, but still gets concerned when Willow is clumsy! Willow's 1st Birthday is on the 6th November. Although people tell us Willow has come to a lovely home, we know we are the lucky one's.
