After 408 days of waiting, stray Oliver finally finds his forever home

Tibetan Mastiff Oliver was abandoned on the streets in the summer of 2024. Underweight with a badly matted coat, he had no collar and no trace of a past life.

Oliver was found by the council's warden and brought into the care of our our Leeds rehoming centre. Our vet team carefully examined him and found he had a painful skin and eye infection that needed urgent treatment.

We also discovered that Oliver was an incredibly worried boy, who was going to need lots of support.

His microchip wasn’t registered properly, meaning they had no idea who his owner was or his age. Staff estimated he was around five years old.

The team got to work right away, treating his eyes and skin to ease his suffering as much as possible. Oliver had to be put under anaesthetic so they could easily shave his very tangled hair, clip his nails, clean his ears, and help him look his handsome self again.

As Oliver settled into life at the centre, staff started to suspect that Oliver had perhaps never lived indoors or had any training. He was nervous when staff tried to earn his trust. He didn’t like being touched around the collar, or having his hair brushed, and would pull away. 

Paws in the right direction

Staff at Leeds recognised Oliver needed some TLC, so they put together a behaviour plan just for him. This was specially made to help him feel better about things that were causing him to worry.

As a big dog with lots of fur, it was important for Oliver’s plan to cover how he could feel better being touched by trainers and getting a fresh trim.

The Leeds team also made sure Oliver always came back to lots of fun toys in his kennel so he felt as happy as possible being there. 

Oliver started to make progress, but the vet team became worried his back legs weren’t gaining muscle as they should. They started him on a physiotherapy program to help strengthen his legs.

After several months of slowly making steps in the right direction the centre finally thought Oliver was ready to find his forever home.

It was clear he’d need a special family who would be up for going at his speed and working with staff to understand him.

Oliver’s pawfect match would need to understand that things like stroking him would take time for him to get used to. They also needed to be patient around Oliver getting used to being in a home for potentially the first time. 

Oliver waited patiently, and one day his luck changed when Bailey and Ben walked into the rehoming centre.

“I’d always loved big dogs, and Ben wanted a dog too,” says Bailey, pictured below with Oliver. “We wanted a rescue dog, as there are so many dogs that need a home already,”

“One day I was on a video call with my Mum looking at the Dogs Trust website, and I saw Ollie, and she said, ‘Why don’t you go meet him?’ And we just had to.” 

The couple remember that Oliver looked quite different, with patchy fur and anxiety around new people. But they fell in love with the gentle giant and were willing to do whatever it took to take him home.

Bailey and Ben came to see him two to three times a week. Oliver also visited their home once a week so he could see if he could put his paws up and be happy there. Staff said the pair built a ‘wonderful bond’ with him with time and commitment. 

Oliver’s trainers gave the couple all their tips on how to become great pals with him. After months of visits, they felt he was ready to get his yellow go-home bag all adopted dogs leave with and start his next chapter.

The couple say Dogs Trust, especially Rehab Trainer Kieran and Dog Welfare Supervisor Holly, did everything to help make the adoption a success.

“You could see they wanted the best for Ollie,” says Bailey. “They helped with the process and the home visits and gave as much time as needed for Ollie to settle in with us.”  

Bailey and Ben adopted Oliver in late August, after a grand total of 408 days in our care. 

Oliver has come on leaps and bounds in his new family, thanks to their patience and understanding, as well as advice from the centre.

“At first, he was scared of stairs and would crawl along the floor like the roof was going to fall through,” adds Ben. “He gradually made his way up, though, as he wanted to sleep upstairs!”  

“When he met dogs, he used to crouch down along the floor nervously, but now he’s so excited.”

“It took us a few months for him to get comfy and for us to learn everything about him, but now it’s like he’s been here forever,” he adds. 

The family has learnt his loves include watching TV, long walks in the forest, and swimming with new doggy friends.

“Oliver has been one of the best things to ever happen to us,” Bailey says. “He has the biggest personality and heart! He has brought lots of snuggles, smiles, and laughs into our lives.”.

“It’s been amazing to see him change over time. The pup he was with Dogs Trust, and the dog he has become with us are so different.” 

“He still gets a little worried with new people, but we are always there to reassure him that he has nothing to worry about. No matter what, we will always be there,” says Bailey.

“The centre did so much for him, but we think being in an actual home is the thing that Ollie needed.”

The couple agree that Underdogs are something truly special to have in your life. “Just because you see ‘Underdog’ next to a name doesn’t mean they aren’t ready to be loved by the right family,” says Bailey.

“We do not regret having Ollie join our family. Ollie thanks Dogs Trust, and so do we!”