When animals are given to us for rehoming, we ask owners to complete a ’gifting in’ form whenever this is possible.

The form enables the owner to tell us what their pet is like - its behaviours, what it likes to eat, how much exercise it’s used to having, its medical history, etc.

This helps us to understand the animal’s needs, and to find a new home that is most appropriate.

Dogs also undergo a formal temperament assessment once they arrive in the kennels, and sometimes the kennels team need to undo emotional and physical damage that has been caused in a dog’s previous home. This was the case with the border collie, Buddy, who came to us in October 2016.

He was completely lacking in self-confidence, and he would react aggressively if he felt intimidated by people or other dogs.

Motor vehicles were his biggest phobia, and he wouldn’t even walk near a car or a van, let alone go in one.

It took a lot of time and patience, from staff and volunteers, to get Buddy to the point where he could be adopted; and his adoptive family had to spend many months (six, in all) working with his carers to build up his trust.

The process has also taken a considerable amount of financial resource, and we estimate that Buddy’s ’expenses’ amount to more than £10,000.

But it was worth it.

This weekend Buddy was dropped off at his new home, not just for a visit but forever.

Diane, his principal carer, shed more than a few tears of happiness as she wrote on the ManxSPCA’s Facebook page: ’He was so happy when we pulled up outside and when I said good-bye I got a gentle kiss off him, and even his eyes were smiling.’

It won’t take very long for us to find an equally happy ending for one of our new arrivals, Elsa the four-year-old husky.

She has clearly been a much loved and well looked after family pet, but ill health in the family means that they can no longer keep her. Her previous owner not only completed a ’gifting in’ form but she also gave us two pages of notes describing Elsa’s personality and Husky traits.

The notes start with: ’Elsa has distinctive face markings and haunting eyes that seem to look straight into your soul. But beauty is not all that this wonderful breed has to offer - this breed has brains too!

personality

’Once you have owned a husky for a while and you have got to know her personality, you will marvel at the way the Husky mind works.’

Elsa is good with people, children and other animals as long as she is introduced to them calmly. She doesn’t bark but, instead, makes a soft howl and she talks when she is excited, when she needs the toilet or when she is hungry.

She enjoys cuddles and she is gentle and loving, and she is as fit as a fiddle having been walked for at least two hours every day.

But (there has to be a ’but’ - no-one is perfect!) Elsa loses an inordinate amount of hair at shedding time, which is usually twice a year, and she needs to be brushed regularly. Luckily she enjoys this.

The second ’but’ is that Elsa needs to kept on a lead when she is in the open.

According to her previous owner she loves to run and no amount of calling or whistling will stop her.

She is also capable of jumping high fences from a standing position, like a coiled spring, and so her new owner’s garden fence will have to be at least six feet high.

If you think Elsa might be the perfect dog for you, complete a ’home finder questionnaire’ (available on the adoption pages of our website or from the kennels) and visit Ard Jerkyll to meet her.

We’re open from 1pm to 4pm every day except for Thursdays.