Family find their dream dog

 A family has revealed how they found the pet of their dreams after adopting a Blue Cross dog.

When Catherine Atkinson and her daughters Ella (ten) and Holly (five) met Maddie at our adoption centre in Thirsk, it was love at first sight.

Catherine says: “We didn’t really mind what sort of dog we got. The most important thing was that they would be happy with us and okay living with two young children.

“We had a chat with the staff and they took us to the kennels to look at the dogs. There was only one that was suitable to live with a child as young as Holly but as soon as we saw her there was definitely only one dog for us.

“All three of us instantly fell in love with her.”

Catherine adds: “She is eight-years-old and much prefers a good fuss to playing with toys so she sat with us and let the girls stroke and fuss her until it was time to put her back in the kennels.”

The family visited Maddie every day and after we had carried out a home visit, they were able to adopt her.

Catherine says: “It was very soon as if Maddie had always been with us. She’s a loving part of our family, she loves the children and is very well behaved and affectionate with them.

“At first some people were surprised that we had got Maddie as she is a 51kg bullmastiff and some questioned my decision to have her at home with the children.

“Maddie is an absolute angel and anyone that had doubts soon changed their mind when they got to know her. You really can’t judge a book by its cover

“We couldn’t imagine what life would be like without Maddie and would urge anyone that’s going to get a dog to think about rehoming a rescue dog.

“I had never considered having such a big dog as Maddie or one that is later in life but it’s great, she is settled, friendly, well behaved and respectful to everyone she comes across.

“She is a much loved member of our family and it was definitely one of the best things we ever did deciding to give her a home"

Centre manager at Thirsk, Wendy Ellison, says: “Maddie had come to us from a family home. She had lived with a baby and was good with children.

“Maddie was rehomed after a careful assessment and matching process.”  

There are many benefits to having a dog in the family but they should never be left unsupervised with children, even for a moment or two. For more information see our factsheet about safety around dogs.