Welcoming Carlos to the centre

Here at the National Animal Welfare Trust, we love nothing more than a happy ending so when young Carlos came into our Hertfordshire branch in September 2021 it was the start of a new challenge. Carlos came to us after his owner sadly passed away, so we set out to find his new forever home and hopefully heal his broken heart.

Carlos, who was 4 years old at the time, is a Malinois and as the staff got to know him it became clear that he was very unsettled in kennels. This breed is very intelligent and obedient therefore Carlos needed constant mental and physical stimulation along with a one-on-one connection. The staff worked very closely with him and whenever he was taken outside, he showed just what an excellent dog he is and thrived on learning new commands, tricks and exploring off-site areas. But when the time came to return to his kennel, Carlos would go back to displaying stressful behaviour.

Hope was on the horizon

As time went on, it became even more clear that Carlos would thrive in a home rather than kennels. So, it came as great news when he was reserved and due to go to a new home at the end of November 2021. His loving nature had captured the eye of a potential new owner, but unfortunately after numerous visits with Carlos and building up a new bond it fell through at the last minute. This meant that Carlos was back to square one and sadly facing an even longer stay in kennels.

The centre did not give up hope as they continued the search and wanted to show off just what a fabulous boy Carlos is. The staff fell head over heels in love as they dedicated as much time as they could to him, and a very special relationship was formed.

Everyone was ecstatic when another family reserved Carlos and began visiting him regularly. But regrettably this once again fell through as the family had fallen in love with another dog elsewhere so could not commit to homing Carlos as well.

New beginnings

It became a pattern for Carlos in the centre as the same routine occurred, where he would be reserved and then it would not happen due to no fault of his own. Even though he shone in all his visits and won people over instantly, it was just never the right timing.

Whilst Carlos continued to be an excellent dog and a firm favourite with the staff, this did not stop his stress levels continue to rise. He developed an upset stomach and had to go on a special diet, but with lots of love and attention the team did manage to keep the illness at bay. Although he was provided the largest area of space available and he was never left for long, a home was desperately what he needed.

Finally, February 2022 came, and a couple who had spotted him online knew he was the dog for them. They had the time and love to dedicate to him and could give him all the care he needed. After 6 months of patience, Carlos finally got the happy ending he deserved and after several visits, the day finally came where the centre said goodbye and wished Carlos on his merry way to his forever home.

We are so pleased for this special boy, and we wish him nothing but the best with his new family.