“We are looking to find a placement for Opie, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois. He found his way to us after been taken to a local vet as a ‘stray’.  He is not. His owner who is currently under mental health services had entrusted him to a friend; this is the friend who took him to the vet. The owner is homeless and in no position to take him back, which has upset him greatly.  He has signed him over to us so we can start trying to find him a placement rather than wait the 7-day statutory stray days.

We have been told he has been around children from 3 years upward, brought up with cats and gets on with most dogs however introductions should be slow. He has been trained to walk to heel and does tricks.  He is food motivated. Understandably he is confused but he travelled well, allowed us to handle and touch him. He is described as a loyal and typical of the breed, he likes to stick with one person.”

So please meet Opie. We believe he has actually more GSD than Mali. He is microchipped but vaccinations need to be restarted and once he has settled he will be neutered.

Opie has been fine with everyone he has met at the kennels and will be further assessed as he settles in.

This lad will need a home experienced with the breed who can give him the confidence he needs whilst continuing with his socialisation and training a lad of his age needs.

Heart breaking in the fact that poor Opie never had his chance at a new home, On arrival he was on and off eating which is not uncommon with dogs that have been through the ‘system’, but one morning it was obvious there was something much worse going on so he was taken to the vets. He was admitted due to his lethargy and tests began. Overnight his front joints started to swell and it was diagnosed that he had autoimmune polyarthritis where something may have triggered his immune system and his body was not fighting against itself in the joints.

Opie was put on steroids as an autoimmune suppressant along with pain relief, but his joints did not improve so he was referred to Langfords in Bristol. Opie was admitted for further tests and scans. It was apparent the steroids were not working and that he was suffering side effects from them, so these were stopped and pain relief increased, Opie was now at the stage where he was going to require major orthopeadic intervention if we could get on top of his autoimmune condition.The problem we were in was that starting new suppressants would mean weeks waiting for them to fully control the condition, if they worked, and no surgery for his joints could be carried out whilst on them.

The very difficult and sad decision was made that it was not fair on Opie’s quality of life as there were no guarantees the suppressants would even work, let alone the weeks of immobility he faced before potential ortho surgeries.

We are so sorry Opie we could not save you despite the stoicism you showed, but we made sure you left for Rainbow Bridge with love and dignity. Fly high our beautiful and brave boy.