A ten-year-old Collie named Marley has been in the care of Battersea for 100 days, but so far no one has stepped forward to give him a home to call his own.
Marley’s owners brought him into Battersea when a change in circumstances meant that they were no longer able to look after him. Despite being at the rehoming charity for nearly three times the average stay (34 days), he has struggled to find a retirement home; something that staff suspect may be due to his age.
Rebecca Lodder, Rehoming and Welfare Manager at Battersea said: “Marley may be in the twilight years of his life, but he’s still got so much life left to give and loves nothing more than playing fetch with his with his favourite people before settling down for a good cuddle. However, despite being so active still, Marley has continuously been turned down by customers because of his age.
“Marley doesn’t have many years ahead of him, so we’re really hoping someone will soon come forward and enjoy the time that he does have left. Sadly many people overlook older dogs in favour of youngsters, but older dogs like Marley have a lifetime of love to give someone; they just need someone to give them a chance.”
Being in his golden years, Marley likes to have all of your attention to himself and so is really looking to be the only dog in his future household. He’d also like his retirement home to be an adult only environment with a nice garden for him to play with his beloved tennis balls.
Rebecca continues: “Throughout the pandemic many people have preferred to rehome puppies and younger dogs, but often forget how much time, training and exercise younger dogs need. Older dogs, like Marley, likely already have some training in place and while many still have a lot of get-up-and-go, older dogs can require less exercise making them a lot less work for a new owner which may come in handy now that lockdown has lifted and life is a bit more normal.
“The saying goes that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but here at Battersea we know that a dog’s age is all part of their unique character. Marley is such a huge personality here at Battersea, with such a passion for life, and we’re all hoping that someone will soon give him the chance that he deserves.”
Battersea is asking the public to support their ‘Wear Blue for Rescue’ campaign where pet owners and supporters alike can help champion rescue animals, like Marley, whilst showing their love for those who deserve a second chance in life. Members of the public are invited to show their support by proudly wearing the new Rescue symbol as a way to stand out, stand up, and unite all animal lovers far and wide.
To get involved with the campaign and ‘Wear Blue for Rescue’, animal lovers can buy items featuring the rescue symbol including pin badges, tote bags or pet tags, wear it with pride, share on social media by tagging @Battersea and using #RescueIsMyFavouriteBreed and donate to help rescue animals everywhere.
If you’d like to give Marley a home, or to find out more about the ‘Wear Blue for Rescue’ campaign, please visit www.battersea.org.uk.