Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary is a fairly small cat and dog sanctuary which opened in 1992 just outside of Bristol, in Wild Country Lane, Barrow Gurney.
A wide range of dog breeds and ages are available for adoption, including Lurches, Staffies and Terriers.
Scroll through to learn about 15 of the rescue centre’s residents, who would love to find a permanent home in time for Christmas. More information on the dogs and the adoption process is available via the Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary website.
5. Rex, 7 year old male Collie
Rex has a love for toys and treats. He has had limited exposure to men so will need slow introductions but live with a man. This adorable lad loves company and never goes too far from you, but is also happy doing his own thing. He does need a quiet home, and to be the only pet in the home. He’s okay being left, but can be unsettled at times, so would suit a home where someone is around a lot of the time. | BristolWorld
6. Lottie, 4 year old female Lurcher
Lottie can be shy initially but once she knows you, she is your typical cheeky lurcher. Since arriving at the shelter, Lottie has been very nervous about being touched. To help with this, the staff have taught her loads of different tricks like hand touch, both paws and chin target to help her initiate the contact. This has helped Lottie realise that it is fun to interact with people and she feels much braver now. Lottie is still wary about being handled but once she gets to know someone and forms a relationship with them, she enjoys a gentle fuss and snuggling up on the sofa. She is nervous about getting her nails clipped, so the staff have taught Lottie how to file her own nails using a scratch board. Lottie is looking for a quiet adult only home, with a comfy sofa for her to snuggle on. | BristolWorld
7. Buster, 5 year old male Jack Russell Terrier
"Buster is your typical Jack Russell, who loves his walks and having plenty to do. He is super smart and loves various enrichment activities to keep his mind occupied. He also loves playing with his toys. Buster does have quite a strong prey drive. However, he is very food motivated so is easily distracted and consistently makes good choices to engage with you. Buster is an anxious boy and needs a routine to help him feel safe and comfortable. At the sanctuary, he has his own little routine that is predictable which gives him confidence and security, as he knows what to expect. Buster would do best in a calm, quiet home with someone around most of the time. He would love this, as he does suffer with separation anxiety. Buster is not keen on other dogs and therefore he will need access to walks where there are not many dogs about to avoid him getting stressed. He also finds it very overwhelming meeting new people. Therefore a quiet home with no visiting children would be beneficial. With proper introductions at his own pace, Buster has made lots of human friends at the sanctuary. Once he knows someone, he is very affectionate! Once you have a good relationship with Buster, he will look to you for reassurance, so Buster will need multiple meets to establish a good relationship with his new owners before going home." | Holly Hedge
8. Ted, approximately 8 year old male Collie-Husky
The smart 8 year old dog first arrived at Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary as stray in 2017. He was very emancipated, weighing a mere 13kg with an estimated age of two. With lots of TLC from carers at the shelter, Ted regained weight and strength and weighed a healthy 25kg when he was adopted into a loving home. Unfortunately, Ted was reluctantly returned to Holly Hedge du to there now being a young child in the home, as Ted is a little sensitive about his back end being touched, and they thought it best to err on the side of caution. Since then, Ted has developed strong bonds with some of the staff at the shelter and has shown that once he trusts and feels safe with you, he is quite happy to be handled in that area and will actively offer you his back for a gentle fuss if he feels comfortable. Ted is a very smart boy who loves his food which will help with any ongoing training as he will do anything for a treat. He is a real gentleman, who walks nicely on the lead, has good manners and good basic training for his new owners to build upon. He is a firm favourite with some of the volunteers and has loved making new human friends. Ted will need to be the only pet in the home. | Bristol World