Every year, hundreds of dogs in Canterbury are impounded through no fault of their own, after being surrendered or abandoned by owners. In this unfortunate situation, the fate for the majority is inevitably euthanasia.

But since 1982, many of those dogs have been given a second chance by a dedicated Charity situated in Christchurch’s eastern suburbs.

During that time, Dogwatch Sanctuary Trust has rescued, retrained, and rehomed thousands of dogs, setting them - and their new owners - on a path to a life they truly deserve.

Of course, every dog rescued has its own unique story, far too many to share.

But the story of a loveable Labrador called Humphrey (initially known as Hunter) is one that has recently touched everyone’s hearts - not least for the fact that he became the Trust’s longest-term shelter dog ever, spending three long years in the care of the Dogwatch staff, volunteers, and foster team.

Humphrey’s story began for Dogwatch when he arrived in December 2018, rescued from the Ashburton Pound.

Only a year earlier, he had been gifted as a Christmas present to a child before being chained up in a yard and left on his own. Lacking the care, attention, and social skills a growing dog so desperately needs meant Humphrey quickly retreated into his own isolated world.

Humphrey was extremely damaged and desperately in need of help when he first arrived at Dogwatch without socialisation skills or impulse control. He would pace and pant frantically before exploding in a whirlwind of activity. He was fearful of other dogs around him, suspicious of people and unable to settle calmly or sleep soundly. He was likened to a 'teenager who had simply gone off the rails!"

Taking him into their care, the Dogwatch team set about a program of care and behavioural retraining that would eventually lead to Humphrey's rehabilitation.

Throughout the following years, Humphrey was gradually introduced to basic life skills, lead skills, socialisation and acceptance of other dogs, safe interaction around people and other behavioural modification. During this time associate supporters of Dogwatch such as Mind Pro Animal Behaviour and the Canine NeuroPark each played a vital role in Humphreys care and training.

Over the next eight months rehabilitation progressed well but he wasn't out of the woods yet. Then, in July 2019 Humphrey began the next important milestone on his road to recovery.

Ali, a long-time Dogwatch supporter, had lost her own dog of 13 years only a few months earlier. She saw the call for fostering Humphrey on Facebook and recognised the need to create a caring environment for him to continue training while transitioning into a new, loving home.

As with many rescued dogs that arrive at Dogwatch, the psychological damage done in earlier life is often severe. The coping mechanisms these dogs are forced to adopt can take a long time to overcome - and even in the caring environment of Ali's home, Humphrey's behaviour was still an enormous challenge.

From suddenly waking in fright before reminding himself he was in a safe space and could return to sleep to nervously dealing with everyday things such as the noise of a television or the sound of a vacuum cleaner, the fear generated from his earlier life stayed with him for a long time.

"I remember one particularly challenging and exhausting day when Humphrey seemed exceptionally difficult. Our Dogwatch trainer reminded me he wasn’t purposefully being naughty, just going through a tough time adapting from his early life experiences" says Ali.

"It was a turning point for me and something I constantly reminded myself of (while blocking out thoughts of what he had been through, so I didn’t spend each day in tears). It helped me endure the tough times and realize what they were about and how I needed to respond with extra love and patience during those episodes" she says.

Over time and with constant care, training and support, Humphrey's behaviour improved and his ‘real' personality that had been hidden for so long began to appear.

"He slowly turned into the most adorable little guy and so much fun to have around. He became a constant source of joy and sometimes a little 'mischief'. I couldn’t love him more if I tried" says Ali.

While she had initially taken on the foster role for couple of months, a full two and a half years later Ali was questioning whether he would ever leave.

"Because of his rough start in life I wanted the absolute best for him, and I knew a life of adventure and outings was something I couldn’t really give him. I was only prepared to let him go for the absolute best parents he could have. I honestly think if I wasn’t comfortable with the home he was to end up in I probably would have jumped in and adopted him but fortunately an amazing couple appeared, and their bond with Humphrey was instant' says Ali.

The rehoming process is also very thorough with Dogwatch carefully ensuring the suitability of every new placement - both from the new 'parents' point of view and the dog.

After 3 years and 3 months or 1190 days in the care of Dogwatch, Humphrey began his trial adoption with his new 'Mum and Dad' and is today living his very best life.

"Humphrey loves routine and structure; he has been such a good boy adjusting to living with us. He adores going to the local cafe every morning and his face lights up when all the regulars greet him every day. He has become someone very special" says Mum.

"He has special walks every morning, proudly strutting alongside his Dad. We try and involve him in everything we do as a family. He loves the beach, walks, playing, going on roadies, meeting new people, and even dancing when we sing to him".

We are all so very lucky that Humphrey was given a second chance to lead a normal life - first by Dogwatch saving him and then the love and care invested by Ali in fostering him. We now have a delightful wee boy that just loves being loved."

You can follow Humphrey as he continues to live his best life, on Instagram at helloohumphrey

As a registered charity, Dogwatch welcomes financial donations and support to continue their work giving impounded dogs a second chance at the life they deserve. Donate or find out more at www.dogwatch.co.nz

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