The Lion and his girl

What I love the most about this work is the before and after. I can`t help but get weepy everytime I recieve a photograph where the dog I once knew looks so different I would never have recognized it on the street. One such case is "Løve" - one of our very first rehomings - and his girl Venja.

Løve came to us from Illatos, chosen specifically by his new family in Norway who saw him on the website. Ironically I named him "Løve" which means Lion in Norwegian and is as far from his character then as one could imagine. He was full of tangled, filthy fur and looked like he had lost the will to live. When we collected Løve he was apathetic - he lay down, refused to move and ignored any attempt at contact. He was too scared to contemplate accepting the love that was offered him. He would, however, gaze up from his lying position and gain eye-contact and he had such a tenderness in his eye - as if to say "just give me some time - I`ll be okey".

Løve went into fostering with Illatos rescue Venja, a sweet, young female with not much dog-dog social skill, but a great love for humans. Together they were the "deaf leading the blind" - Løve loved dogs, Venja loved people. The unlikely duo formed an inseparable bond as as the days and weeks passed they grew stronger in their own ways. Løve decided walking on all four legs without his stomach touching the ground wasn`t so bad afterall and Venja realised other dogs were, infact, a source of some amusement and not only there to poison her day.

Seeing as Løve had a family from the very beginning we were just at the point of advertising Venja when Løve`s family contacted us about getting a dog for their mother-in-law. She wanted a calm, soulful dog to share her life with and really, there was no better match than Venja! So the beautiful story goes that The Lion and his girl flew to Norway together and they could not have asked for a better life. The most striking change is the look in their eyes. No longer the look of fear, bewilderment and hopelessness. Now just a peaceful grace....


When Løve first came to us he didn`t want to stand up...







There is no similarity between the then....



And the Now!! Who is the Lion?




Venja - The frightened and soulful little girl at Illatos



Now quite the lady with a slightly different look in her eye too


Løve and Venja running "hand in hand" in Norway:)

And the Saga continues because today a new adoption took place and The Lion and his girl will get a new addition to their pack - namely the most loving and heartbreaking little lady with a very sad story - and now an amazingly bright future :)And that is our gorgeous little Sally! I`m so delighted!!