I got a phonecall just over a month ago from a pet sitter I know, asking if I knew anywhere that could take a lab immediately - she was being neglected, ignored in favour of the owner's own lab (relationship breakup and Saffi was the ex's dog) and the sitter felt it was urgent to get her out sharpish.  I said I could foster her here so I went straight round to pick her up.

She was a bit underweight and not happy where she was - we took her round the block and when we got back, her tail flopped and she just kind of 'sank' :-( and glued herself to my leg.

When I got her home, my housemate took one look and fell for her - so I agreed to a one month trial period, the sole condition being that the housemate had to get off her backside and start doing her fair share of housework.  She didn't, just as I'd expected, and other issues surfaced too - jealousy over anyone else fussing 'her' dog, encouraging Saff to run or play footy knowing she had bad legs, or walking Saff after being at work all day then shutting herself in her room for the rest of the evening and ignoring poor Saffi.

So last Saturday was the month end, I told housemate that Saffi would be staying but would not be her dog and why... and so I have my fifth dog (btw if anyone's wondering, the two dobes I took on have moved on - not my choice, long and unpleasant story).

What little info there is on her tattoo tells me that Saffi will be 6 in August, she was tattooed as a pup but no details were ever registered - breeder or owner.  The last people got her from a rescue last year, and last October she had a litter by c-section and was spayed at the same time :-( She's not been walked much - 5 weeks on and we're just now at the point of walking 20-30 minutes twice a day without serious lameness afterwards, but her back and front left legs are still very sore - getting up is difficult for her.  I'm looking into hydrotherapy and a chiropractor visit for her to try and help her.

She's a lovely girl though - she slotted in perfectly here with my lot, even with grumpy Soli, she's very demanding of her fuss and typically greedy for a lab but she is very well behaved and obedient, fab all round.

This is her:

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x55/Nikirushka/DSCF4229.jpg

She looks thin there - that was her first day here - but she is a bit odd-looking, very short and squat with a hugely wide ribcage!

good for you , i am sure she loves her new home, if it was me i would have kept the dog and got rid of the house mate LOL

Well done for giving her a new home...she looks very happy.

Aw bless her she looks a sweetie, good for you :) x

She looks happy and thank you for giving her a home.

Lucky Saffi :)  she looks lovely :)

Regarding her tattoo, surely the National Dog Tattoo Register can trace the person who did the tattoo from her number?   They would then have a record of the breeder/owner ?   In my experience, the person doing the tattoo has sent off the details of my pups/dogs, I then get a letter from NDTR with details of my registration.  If they go to a new owner, they then have to send off their details, but the original details are still kept on file.

Hope this helps

All official tattooists record the details of the dogs they tattoo, so the details will certainly be on record.

They looked into the tattoo but couldn't find any information at all - literally just the tattoo number.  They're sending me a form to get my details registered for a lower than normal fee.  It's all quite bizarre - certainly not a situation I've heard of before and the woman I spoke to was quite bamboozled too!

>Well done for giving her a new home...she looks very happy.

She certainly is.  She's also very put out that I won't let her sit on my feet for a love when I'm putting my socks on in the morning!!

:-)  :-)  :-)

An updated pic, taken the other day on her second woodland walk.  She is just learning that water is fun!  And she proper played with me for the first time this morning - it's not that she doesn't know how to, it's just that she's finally getting the energy and fitness to do it. :-)

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x55/Nikirushka/groupies-1.jpg

Nikita

Love the photo.  Bless her, look at the smile on her face.  Lovely that you are now up to five!  :-)

Carry on and catch me up!  :-)  :-)  ;-)

It's lovely to hear happy endings, and really great that she slotted in with the rest of the gang.