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.
9. Bruce, 5 year old male Staffy
"Bruce is a smart and sensitive boy, although a little wary of new people, he does love his food so that’s the way to his heart. Bruce would love a home where someone is around most of the time as he loves company." | Holly Hedge
10. Hope, 6 year old female staffy
"This girl has been through the wars and ended up as an amputee. But having 3 legs doesn’t slow her down and she is one of the bravest, strongest dogs we know! Despite all she’s been through, she still has the biggest staffy smile that melts our hearts every time we see it, and she has so much love to give. Hope is super smart and loves to learn new things. Her favourite activity is swimming! Going swimming is the highlight of her week and it has allowed her to meet new people, away from the sanctuary in a controlled environment, This in turn has helped to expand her friendship bubble and improve her reactivity. On top of this, it has helped to teach her some self control and she can now have fun playing with toys in the pool without getting over the top. Hope will need a home where someone/people can give her sensible exercise so she doesn’t overdo it. Shorter, more frequent walks are ideal, as long walks put a lot of strain on her body. Therefore her new owners will need to be understanding of this and be prepared to provide her with lots of mental stimulation to keep her big brain busy! Hope can be very reactive towards people she doesn’t know, and dogs, so has to wear her muzzle when out and about. She LOVES squeezy cheese! Hope is looking for an experienced, quiet, adult only home with someone who is willing to devote a lot of time to continue her rehabilitation and help her adapt to life in a home. Despite being reactive to people she doesn’t know, Hope has formed strong bonds with some of the staff at Holly Hedge. Once she trusts and feels safe with someone, she is very loving and affectionate, loving a cuddle on the sofa. " | Holly Hedge
11. Lily, 2 year old female Lurcher
"Unfortunately, Lily arrived in kennels at a very young age and has been at the sanctuary for some time. Consequently she has spent most of her life in kennels, so can find things that most dogs have been exposed to from an early age very overwhelming. Her new owners will need to be patient and take their time to desensitise Lily to a home environment. She loves having various enrichment such as kongs, lickimats and kong wobblers to keep her busy mind occupied. She will need a home that provides her with both mental stimulation and appropriate exercise. Lily has some good basic training for her new owners to build upon, knowing sit and having fairly good recall in our secure field. She’s ready for someone to continue her training so that she can mature into a well mannered girl. Lily is looking for a home with someone patient who is willing to gently expose her to new things that she may find scary, so that she can grow in confidence and learn that the world isn’t such a scary place after all. Lily would be best as an only dog whilst her new owners continue her socialisation. They’ll also need to ensure she has down time when she can relax and decompress. Lily is super affectionate and loves to snuggle up on the sofa for cuddles. Lily would benefit from having someone home most of the time so that she has the company and reassurance that she needs to help her settle into a home. " | Holly Hedge
12. Phoebe, 4 year old female Romanian Crossbread
"Phoebe, originally from Romania, is a beautiful girl that finds kennel life quite difficult. However, when her carers have taken her on offsite walks she has really come out of her shell and shows her fun cheeky side, she absolutely loves exploring. She will need an experienced and patient home willing to give her space and time to adapt to a new environment." | Holly Hedge