Help Leila and her dogs find a safe home

Hiya,

my names Leila, and I’m not one to ask for monetary help usually, but in recent I have found myself in a hole I can’t get out of.

In around May of this year, two of my family dogs managed to escape their garden and kill some sheep on a nearby farm. They were thankfully found unharmed (the farmers in the area are notorious for killing dogs on sight) but were immediately threatened with euthanasia if they weren’t re-homed in the next day. The night before this happened I had an anxiety attack and could not sleep, as if I knew it was going to happen. I live an hour away from my parents so the next day I took the train down and discovered they had gotten out again, I was distraught and took it into my own hands to take care of them, as i had raised them from birth and developed an intense connection to the dogs. They were my everything and still are. Unfortunately for myself at the time I lived in a first floor flat that did not at all have the space for 2 dogs, let alone would the landlord allow it. So I contacted some friends, and found a trainer who could board them and fully, professionally train them. We all thought great, things should fall into place now. I should be able to find a landlord that will take me and the dogs in no time. This didn’t happen, and after a month of training (that at the time cost me £490 a week) I was running dangerously low on funds and had to take on more work than I could handle, skipped out on eating and using water, and due to my already deteriorating mental health locked myself inside and developed a drinking habit. I wasn’t used to asking for charity but I had to every week and it was killing me. I wasn’t happy with my work (I am a self employed digital artist) and eventually couldn’t muster the energy to pick up the pen. Work built up, my anxiety got worse, I was drinking cheap alcohol every day, months passed and eventually lettings agencies stopped emailing me back. As this was happening, my friend who I shared the tenancy with at my current place had to pull out and as I am unable to start a new 6 month lease while supporting the dog boarding I am having to move back in with my parents.

the dog boarding is now costing me £420 a week but unfortunately that is still too steep for my budget.

Rest assured ALL money will go to training and securing a new property if I manage to get that lucky. I am with my parents now who can monitor my mental health and drinking.

I am eternally grateful for all donations made, and the support that I have already.

Thank you so much for reading.

 

FAQ

 

”Why don’t you just re-home the dogs?”

Unfortunately this is not an option for me. As stated previously I have severe anxiety and it is only properly remedied when I am around them. They seem to know what to do more than I do, and losing them would be losing a part of myself.

 

“Do you know anybody that will help you by boarding them for free?”

As of right now, no. My family has families of their own, my friends don’t have the space and bringing them back to my parents reintroduces the risk of euthanasia.

 

“Why not find a different trainer?”

I could, but I most likely won’t. The dogs weren’t trained at all when we dropped them off, and have been making incredible progress with this trainer. It’s costing me an arm and a leg but I can at least know they are in good hands. Besides, for 2 sisters with littermates syndrome, I’m not sure how much more expensive training would get.

”what caused the dogs to run away and kill the sheep in the first place?”
This was not the first time they’d gotten out (due to an unsecure garden) and they knew that the farm nearby had sheep. They are young dogs, large dogs (German shepherd husky cross) and play rough with themselves and other dogs. Not only is it a dogs natural instinct to hunt, they derive enjoyment out of it, just as wolves do. When left to do what they want in a field of sheep it is bound to happen, unfortunately. Besides this fact they are incredibly sweet and loving dogs, to humans (especially children) and dogs alike. A lot of people like to claim dogs can “become killers” but it is not the case.