To celebrate 60 years of Margaret Green Animal Rescue, we are sharing stories of some of the rescue animals we have helped over the last six decades.

The first rehoming tale we are sharing is from Opie, a beautiful, 4-year-old Lurcher who arrived into our care after the local dog warden found him as a stray.

 

 

Opie's journey

Not much was known about Opie's past, but his condition and demeanour suggested that he’d had a difficult life before being rescued.

He arrived with a dirty coat and teeth, in need of testicular surgery, and incredibly quiet and nervous around people.

We got straight to work, giving him a thorough wash and teeth descaling, as well as essential medical care and plenty of nutritious food.

 

 

He slowly grew in confidence as the team offered lots of care and compassion, gradually introducing him to new experiences and people. His excitable, playful nature emerged as the weeks went on.

Despite his wonderful character, Opie took a little while longer than others to be rehomed, mainly owing to his larger size. However, his luck changed some 80 days later as he stole the hearts of his future new owners, Emily and Mark.

A new life, a new start

Emily and Mark had been following various animal rescue centres for a long time before coming across our charity.

Emily said: “We’ve always loved Sighthounds and knew that there were so many Lurchers and Greyhounds waiting to be rehomed. We couldn’t bring ourselves to go to a breeder, knowing that there were so many dogs which had had a hard start to life and deserved a loving forever home.

 

 

“As soon as we saw a photo of Opie on the website, we fell in love. He was such a beautiful colour but looked thin and sad. I knew we had to go and see him so we arranged a visit as soon as we could.

"We’d been told that a few people had visited him but found him too big and bouncy, which pulled at our heartstrings even more. We knew he was the one for us when he bounded up to us in his silly, endearing way!

Helping each other through tough times

“Opie was very troubled when we brought him home, with a very nervous energy. He was so scared of anyone coming into the house, particularly men, and had a fear of anything that looked stick-like, freezing whenever we tried to take him out on walks.

"We were so sad because it was clear that something had instilled this fear in his past life, and we were determined to help him through it.

 

 

“It was a very gradual process, and we worked hard to get him used to walking and new people. He also didn’t like being alone and struggled to settle, so we had to make up beds on the floor downstairs for us to be with him, like a sleepover! It was a year before we started to see him improve.

“A challenging few years followed, as Opie ruptured his cruciate ligament while on a walk with Mark. It was so upsetting as he had to have surgery and then around six months of hydrotherapy. But you wouldn’t know it now – with a bionic knee in place, he’s running around just as he used to!

 

 

“Opie’s also been our rock through a particularly difficult time, as Mark and I separated last year, and I moved back home with my parents. As we both love Opie unconditionally, we decided to co-parent him.

"He’s tolerated it so well, spending half his time with me and half with Mark. He absolutely loves my parents and our rural surroundings and has wonderful weekends with Mark, spending lots of time running on the beaches.”

A personality like no other

“Our favourite part of Opie’s personality is his sassiness, in classic sighthound behaviour. He has a real stare about him when he wants something, and a high-pitched whine you can’t ignore!

“While he looks tough, he’s ever so sensitive, silly, and funny. He’s got character, and we love him so much for it.

 

 

“He really has changed our lives for the better and he’s been such a support through a tough few years. We don’t know what we’d do without him. I’m so grateful to Margaret Green Animal Rescue for going above and beyond to help me find my best friend.”

We would like to say a special 'thank you' to Emily and Mark for sharing Opie's story with us, and for joining us in marking our monumental milestone.

 

 

If you would like to share your rehoming journey with us, please email: comms@mgar.org.uk with a photo - as we'll be selecting at least 60 images to feature in a special edition of our logo! 

To find out more about how you can get involved in our anniversary celebrations, including our 60 Years Challenge, please click on the button below. 

 

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