Third time’s the charm for golden oldie Tilly 

12-year-old Beagle, Tilly, has had quite the journey. After 1,000 days with us, and many challenges along the way, she’s finally found her forever home.

Tilly was living on the streets in Ireland when a local rescue charity found her in 2013. They gave her a temporary safe place before handing her over to us. Sadly, we have no way of knowing the hardships Tilly’s been through.

Hoping to give her the best chance of adoption, we soon brought her to the UK.  

Although Tilly has had interest, it’s taken us three years to find her the perfect match. 

In those three years, she’s slowed down and has more medical needs, including a heart murmur. We waited patiently for a family willing to give her the happiest retirement life.

Tilly’s big break: Adam and Donna to the rescue

In April 2025, Tilly was welcomed into her new forever family. That family was Adam and Donna, who know what it takes to look after dogs like her.  

"We’d seen Tilly on the Dogs Trust website for some time. She looked so happy, we had to find out more about her," says Adam and Donna.  

They add, "She fit the type of dog we like to adopt. She was a mature Beagle and needed a loving forever home for her last years. We felt we could provide all she needed.”  

The couple are expert older-Beagle carers, having rescued four elderly Beagles already. They adopted Beagles Nero and Titus from our Harefield centre back in 2017. They later grew their Beagle family with Hugh Hefner and Indiana Jones from our Canterbury centre.  

“Nero and Titus came into our lives during a difficult time and gave us more than we ever imagined. Indi and Hugh came as a bonded pair with their own age-related health issues, like Tilly. They’ve all brought us so much joy. And Dogs Trust have been great throughout. We always keep in touch and check out other dogs who we might be able to help.”  

After careful introductions, Tilly met her new Beagle brothers – and the rest is history.  

The family says Tilly has fit right in at home with her Beagle family.  

"Tilly is doing so well. Since day one she’s been so happy here. She’s a little bundle of joy, always happy to see us, and so excited and playful."  

They add: "It's become our thing now to help older Beagles enjoy their final few years with as much fun, love, and treats as possible. We’re already looking at who we could help next!"  

Grab some tissues and watch Tilly’s heartwarming rehome story on our socials.