After 865 days, it’s fourth time lucky for Underdog Missi

Described as a “very sensitive  soul” by her friends, Whippet Cross Missi’s journey with us starts in April 2019.

Missi loved people but struggled when alone and would take it out on the house. She also loved food and would sneak even human snacks, which her owner struggled with. One day, they decided it was too much, and handed her over to us, aged two.

Our Leeds rehoming centre team met a nervous girl in Missi in 2019. She took her time to trust you, but once you earned it, she showed a lot of love and welcomed you into her inner circle. We also soon learned she was a cheeky, long-legged girl, who really loved treats.

Missi was an instant favourite at the rehoming centre, and an enthusiastic family adopted her after a year at the centre.

We had high hopes for Missi and supported her owners in settling her into life in her new home. We also showed them how to use her muzzle, which she wears on walks to keep everyone safe because other dogs make her feel quite scared.

Missi spent two years with the family as they worked to understand how she was feeling and her body language. Yet, sadly, Missi struggled with feeling overwhelmed after a lot of change. One day it led to a bite incident which meant the owners felt they could no longer meet Missi’s needs and returned her to us in 2021.

Not giving up on Missi 

Back in our care again, our training and behaviour team worked hard to help Missi learn new ways to help handlers support her when she felt stressed. This would help avoid Missi feeling upset which led to her sometimes showing her feelings negatively.

Missi got on well in the coming months despite all the change.

Our Leeds team also made her an introduction routine she could learn. This was so that she knew what to expect when meeting new people and could make friends with more handlers.

Missi’s adoption profile changed to say she needed a quiet home where she could stick to a routine. 

Every day, we hoped she’d get another chance at her forever after.

In January 2023, adopters who fit the bill walked through our centre doors. 

Ready and willing to get to know Missi at her own pace, the family became great pals and she seemed to settle well into her new home. 

One day, unfortunately, Missi got spooked and knocked her owner over pulling strongly on the lead, causing an injury. Missi once again came back to us a few weeks later.

A long 18 months followed for Underdog Missi waiting again to find her match for life.

4th time lucky for Missi

Missi was 7 years old and had spent almost 800 days in our care by the summer of 2024. When Julian and Ola first saw her through the glass, they fell hard for her.

“We’d been looking at Missi’s profile on the Dogs Trust website several times a week. She’s a beautiful dog. We really wanted to see if we’d be a good fit,” says the couple.

“Once we met her and learned about how difficult her life had been so far, we knew we wanted to adopt her.”

Home visits, supported by our staff, followed to introduce Missi to life in a new home with Julian and Ola. Everything went at Missi’s pace, but it wasn’t too long before it was clear that she was ready to fly the nest.

“With the help of the Leeds team, we learned how to help Missi through situations that could stress her out.”

Two months and 25 meetings later, Missi pawed her goodbyes to her friends in Leeds and leapt in the back of Julian and Ola’s car for a new life.

Home finally, with Ola and Julian

In August 2024, she finally came home. There’d been three homes for now, but Julian and Ola have done everything to ensure this one is forever.

Nine months on, her family continue to take things one step at a time, and it seems Missi is settling into her new life.

“Knowing that she’s had some up-and-down experiences, we took things slowly. She’s already very comfortable and has found a routine she likes.”

“It’s a joy to see Missi get excited when we come downstairs every morning. She’s also taken a shine to the friends and family she’s met so far and they’re very smitten with her too!” says Julian and Ola.

“The team had taught her lots of useful tricks, and thanks to that, she has no issues picking up new ones. We soon learned that saying about old dogs not being able to learn new tricks is nonsense.”

Missi has been going from “strength to strength”, with one small incident where she was overwhelmed. Leeds’ staff were on hand to offer extra help to the couple.

“The team were wonderful in providing support over the phone and coming to visit us at home. This helped us all get back on track and regain our confidence,” says Julian and Ola.

“We’re in regular contact to see how best we can adapt to help Missi learn and avoid any other incidents. We’re watching her health and working to help her overcome things that make her anxious.”

There’s something about Missi…

What is it about Missi that the couple love? “We adore so many things about her! We love the way her ears perk up and she tilts her head when we say one of her favourite words: ‘walkies’ and ‘treat’, but for some reason ‘podcast’ and ‘tofu’ too.

They add, “She loves her zoomies, and running around with her favourite plush toy in her mouth.”

Missi is the first dog the couple adopted together, but they had no doubts it was the right decision.

“Missi being an underdog with specific needs didn’t put us off her, quite the opposite. We knew we’d have to put in the effort, especially with dogs who have been in kennels for a while or have had a difficult past. It makes it all more rewarding though.”

“I think it’s normal to have some ideal version of what life with a dog will be like, but there will be stressful days. It’s all worth it when you see your dog happily wagging their tail, having the time of their life, curling up at your side and feeling safe,” says the couple.

After 865 days with us, we are so delighted Missi is home with Julian and Ola.

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