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  a pet

Happy Endings

If you have adopted an animal from HULA we would love to hear from you. Please send photos and a brief update via email to:   Happy Endings

Thank you to all of our adopters!

BOBBERICK

adopted March 2013

Hello Bobberick here, sorry its taken so long to write back but I have been busy settling into my new house with my people Gareth and Sarah.

They have been keeping me busy with obedience training, i can now leave a treat in front of me until I am told I can have it (which for me is a major challenge because I do like treats). They take me on nice long walks and out to nice places. I had a nice snowy garden to play in when I moved in and now I like to use the patio for sunbathing and relaxing in the sun. They have a box full of toys for me in the lounge and I am rather partial to a purple squeeky doughnut and a purple squeeky hippo although neither squeek anymore....

We are both very happy to have had the opportunity to take Bobberick home and love having him live with us. We could not have asked for a better dog and are always greeted with a wagging tail and a smile when we come home.

Thank you to everyone at Hula and all the volunteers for looking after him so well and we appreciate what a great job you all do.

From Sarah, Gareth and Bobberick

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TOBY & SKYE

adopted March 2013

Hello Hula

Skye & Toby here (formerly Jazz) sharing our happily ever after update with you all.

During their time spent at the Hula both Toby & Skye never liked to cause too much of a stir within the cattery so were sometimes overlooked by others but Karl & I instantly fell in love & knew they were the cats for us. We have since discovered their quiet & reserved nature was undoubtedly because they were saving up all their energy for their New home.

When he’s not racing around like a Formula One driver or preying on the plump pigeons through the conservatory window you can find Toby sprawled out on the best seat in the house whether that be a bed, chair or table.

He is such a little character & great bundle of fun that loves to play & certainly has lots of love to give. Nobody needs an alarm clock when our little Toby is around, his purr has to be the loudest on record & it alone is enough to stir you from your slumber.

He likes to think he rules the roost & takes great pride in playing king of the castle on top of his cat activity climber but our little Skye always knows how to knock him back down to size if he gets too big for his boots (or in his case paws).

Skye was very nervous & found solace hiding in her bed & behind the sofa when we first brought her home. However with our little Skye we have found you should certainly never judge a book by its cover & even over a short period of time it’s like she is a completely different cat all together & has really come out of her shell.

Skye is a big foodie & can always be found meowing her little head off where treats or dinner times are concerned. Favoring her spot sprawled out in the sunshine on the conservatory floor quietly watching the world go by is usually where you will find our Skye but you should never under estimate her quiet nature as Skye has a very playful & mischievous nature behind those big brown eyes.

Karl & I both don’t know where we would be without them, they have really made our little home complete & we cannot thank HULA enough for bringing these two amazing bundles of fun to us.

We look forward to seeing what the future has install but I’m sure whatever it is with Skye & Toby around its bound to be a fun.

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TILLIE

adopted June 2013

Tillie is getting along just fine and making a brilliant companion/house-mate.

As the days have gone by, she's become less stressed and when I get in from work now she is very much chilling on the sofa having a snooze. She's become a lot more playful, especially with the fish toy that was in the adoption pack and I also have one of those cat laser pens, that she chases around the living room like a loon. When she's not exploring the place, meowing at closed doors, sitting on windowsils keeping the neighbourhood in check or pretending to be an ornament on the bookcase, she's very much a lap cat and like most cats doesn't really understand the concept of personal space.

We've had a few battle of wills, so far it is 1-1. I've managed to win the battle of Tillie wanting all doors open for her convenience at all times but she has definitely won the 'sleeping on the bed' battle. She curls up in a tiny ball at the bottom of the bed but works quite well as a snooze alarm, as when I wake up she comes and climbs all over me and ensures that I can't fall back to sleep.

Thanks for all your help with her, she's fantastic and it has been lovely seeing her get more settled and start to show her personality even in this short time.

Ellie

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TULIP & BRUCE

adopted May 2013

As you can see they settled in straight away and love cuddling. Bruce especially loves his tummy being stroked and having his long hair being brushed by one of us and Tulip loves brushing round our legs.

Thank you so much for letting us adopt these two perfect cats!

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DORIS

adopted May 2013

Doris made herself at home as soon as she arrived, had a good sniff around all the rooms in the house, wolfed down her dinner and then came to curl up between us on the sofa for a fuss and a snooze. It was like she'd always been here!

Her favourite spots in the house are sitting on the windowsills watching people passing by and chirruping at all the birds that land in the bush by the living room. I'm sure she's desperate to get outside and chase them! If she's not people/bird watching or sunbathing by the window she's probably curled up on one of our laps, or pouncing on the rug in the hallway which seems to her biggest enemy!

She's turned out to be quite a lap cat which we really weren't expecting, but are very pleased about! She's constantly demanding fuss and attention and will often follow me around the house demanding head rubs. I always give in!

We are both totally in love with Doris and can't believe how lucky we've been to find such a wonderful cat to take over our home, so from me, Chris and Doris (who is curled up on my lap as I type this), a big thank you for taking care of her.

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Lucy Lockett

adopted 2012

The beautiful Lucy Lockett was abandoned at the HULA gates. However her luck soon changed and along came Rebekah and Gary to give her the perfect family home.

Lucy came back to visit us at the May 2013 Fun Dog show and fete - here she is proudly sporting her rosette.

Well done Lucy!

And of course thank you to Rebekah and Gary.



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Guiness (formerly Jeff)

adopted March 2013

Guinness is settling in well to his new home life and getting lots of fuss. His new owners tell us that he is slowly getting braver at exploring the great outdoors, but the longest he's gone out for so far was 40 minutes when he came running back crying loudly for some cuddles :)



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Lola

adopted April 2013

Hi Hula,

As promised here are some photos of Lola settling into her new home with her new sisters.

Lola is very happy to have so many friends, even though they still don't know what to make of her and her gorgeous long hair.

I'm sure with a bit more time they'll love her as much as I already love her :)

Suzy



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Bruce (formerly Sykes)

adopted July 2012

Hi HULA

Just wanted to give you an update on how Bruce is getting on since coming to his new home.

We first saw Bruce on the HULA website he had been there 5 months, so we went to go and see him. When we first saw him he sheepishly walked up to the door of the run looking rather sorry for himself. We were instantly attached to him.

When we first got him home he was very excitable especially when a ball was involved. Since coming home he has been attending training classes and agility weekly. He has also managed to pass his bronze star obedience award!

We love his cheeky ways and his playful character. His favourite things to do are basking in the sun, sleeping on the radiator, fetch with the ball (which he now gives back), having cuddles and especially rummaging around for food to steal!

We are looking forward to taking him on his first holiday to the beach in the summer. We are sure he will enjoy the long walks but will avoid the sea, as he hates water!

Thanks to all the people at HULA for looking after him and we look forward to seeing everyone again at the next open day.

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Snowy & Simba

adopted Oct 2012 & Jan 2013

Hello all,

Here are a couple of pictures of Snowy (formally Alfie) adopted Oct 2012 and Simba (January 2013) happy in their new home.

They are both well loved and we can't imagine life without them! They took a while to get along but now they're good friends and are never far away from each other



All the best,

Nicky and Richard

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Rodney

adopted 2012

Hi...HIYA!

Hope all are well. My name is Rodney, it has been Cubby and now officially I am Rodney/Rodders.

I came to HULA last year after being found by a lovely lady named Hayley, she saved me from an uncertain future and contacted a lady named Katrina. Katrina took me in until there was space at this rescue place called HULA.

When I went to HULA I was full of myself and a real character, I loved to hang off people's legs! One of the green clothed ladies took me home on foster whatever that meant, she was nice but a little doolally.

Well that was the start of a new life, I never went up for adoption as she loved me too much and kept me as I was now part of a family, I had only ever heard the word family and now I have my own.

I now live with Kula a Patterdale, she thinks I am her offspring, Trudy the Wolfhound who now loves to play with me instead of wanting to eat me and good old Diezol the other cat. Diezol is my best friend and has taught me the art of rabbit hunting much to the humans disgust hehehe!!

I want to thank Hayley, Katrina and HULA for helping me find my perfect home with the green clothed lady and my dad the woodgnome (my words not his).

Off to find some rabbits or a bird maybe, see you soon :)

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Peter

adopted Spring 2007

Here is a picture of Peter (black and white) with his friend Pippin.

We adopted Peter or Spearmint as he was known then from you in spring 2007.

He's still in fine form despite being quite elderly now.

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Marco & Polo (formerly Marc & Jack)

adopted March 2013

Marco and Polo are doing really well - they've totally settled in now and got the household nicely revolving around them!

We slowly introduced them to the outside world and they're now confidently letting themselves in and out of the house all day and night...although they generally only go out when it's nice outside. Fair weather explorers - my kind of cats!

Little Polo just loves cuddles and giving cat kisses, (lovely at 2am!!), and his big brother is at his happiest when he's barrelling around the house in pursuit of a little bouncy ball. He's got one in particular that he's very attached to and he even carries it around with him and we can play fetch with him like a dog!

They're just lovely, and we really couldn't have chosen cats that could be a better fit.

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BELLA (formerly Zita)

adopted May 2012

Hi there just thought I would send an update on Bella as it was nearly a year ago since we adopted her, how time flies!

She settled in a treat and has enjoyed her first Christmas with us. She was spoilt rotten by us and relatives because everyone who meets her falls in love with her.

She is a completely different dog since we rescued her, very chilled out and loves her sleep and her belly rubs! She is still in love with her squeaky tennis ball and has a football that she is now loving.

She has such a personality, will howl and speak to you and occasionally speak back when we tell her not to do something haha.

We couldn't have asked for a better dog and we look forward to many more happy years together.

Thanks again, Becki and Jamie

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SUZIE

adopted February 2013

Once Suzie got home she found a lovely pile of clothes, which she dived right into to hide out for half an hour, just so she could get her head together!

After that half an hour, she had a very close look around her new home! She especially enjoyed jumping on top of the wardrobes and bookcases. She likes to station herself at the top of the stairs, so she can see our comings and goings!

When we visited her at Hula she wasn't the friendliest of cats, so we tried to keep our distance until she settled in properly. But after that initial half an hour in the pile of clothes she came right up to each of us in turn and head butted us, she generally wanted some fussing! We've never had a swipe from her AND she likes to have her tail stroked! We have to be careful at nighttime though, if we forget to close the door she will come into our room and wake us up demanding cuddles at 2am!

All in all she's settling in nicely, she seems eager to get outside so that will be her next adventure in a few more weeks.

Love Holly, Karl and Suzie xx

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SNOWY

adopted January 2013

Hi Hula staff,

It was good to see you all at the Valentines event.

Snowy has now been with us 4 weeks and we thought you may like to see these pictures. Snowy loves her new friend Rab and takes it to bed with her! Most days one toy or another ends up in her bed, the squeaky toys are her favourite! She loves cuddles and belly rubs on the sofa and wrapping up in the blankets! This picture is a very tired Snowy after a long walk at Dunstable Downs. The snow was well received by Snowy, she would bury her head in the deepest parts then roll around for ages!

Snowy is gaining confidence everyday, getting more adventurous and inquisitive. This is so good to see as when we first met Snowy some months ago she was a nervous little dog. The best news is that our vet is very happy with Snowy's skin and her coat is growing back beautifully. She hasn't had anymore steroids and is no longer biting or itching. We do keep an eye on her skin though to be sure but so far so good!

Snowy is a massive flirt and greets us with kisses everyday especially Ben! She is getting on well with our 9 year old cat Thumper who is a grumpy old man slowly coming to terms with sharing his home! They are even sharing the sofa! Snowy has found her voice but only barks at the radiators and door bell which is to be expected. My neighbour laughed when I said she was a Westie as he said he was expecting a bigger dog after hearing the bark!

Ben and I would like to say a massive thank you to all the staff at Hula for introducing us to Snowy and helping us with the foster and adoption process. We do miss coming up every week and seeing you all and the other animals especially Reece! We will try and attend your events to support you all and bring Snowy to say hello!

You all do an amazing job and should be very proud of your commitment to animal welfare.

Thank you again from Vicky, Ben, Snowy, and Thumper

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BEN (formerly Bill)

adopted 1998

BEN was born on the 21/3/98 as part of a litter of i think 6 black lab cross pups, he was 8 weeks old when we first met him. All the other pups were running around and playing, all except Ben who was quite happy to lay in his bed and sleep.

We asked to see him and he was carried over by the lady who was looking after the boystrous brood. At that moment we fell in love with him and arrangements were made to adopt him.

4 weeks later we returned and happly paid the £80 donation and collected the gorgeous pup. We bought a lead and collor, which we put on him to walk him to the car, Ben had other ideas and promptly sat down and refused to move, I ended up carrying this small dog with huge ears and paws to the car. He sat in the back of the estate car and was happily looking out of the window as we drove to collect the children from their grans.

The moment Ben my son and daughter saw each other a bond was forged between them that lasts to this day.

He was re named from Bill to Ben and was a normal pup, chewing this ripping that, but we loved him dearly. As he grew up we found he was a pleasure to be with, he melted hearts with his calm temprement and easy going attitude.

He would love his walks around willen lake, jumping in whenever he had the chance, but used to refuse point blank to go outside in the rain!

One of his favourite games was on wash day as we sat and folded socks he would steal an item from the wash basket and run around the garden with it untill someone chased him and took it off him.

In the autumn he would wait for you to kick conkers for him to chase, he would then try to get as many as he could in his mouth and carry them home, dropping them on the floor when he came through the door. In winter the snow always fascinated him he would walk along with his nose down, tail up ploughing a furrow as he went now and again raising his head with a small pile of snow on his nose. He found it hard to undrestand how you could throw a snow ball but he could never find it?

Ben was part of our lives for nearly 15 years, he was a true friend, never made a judgement never took sides. He was always there with a wagging tail and a loving heart when you came through the door. If you had had a bad day he would know and rest his head on your lap, to say he understood.

As he grew old he became a little slower and walks became shorter, but he loved being around people, especially his family.

Ben went to sleep on Monday 26 November 2012, we miss him very much, not seeing his face at the window with his black muzzle now white with age is so sad.

He has left a huge hole in our lives which can only be filled with the fond memories we have.

"YOUR PRESENCE WE MISS, YOUR MEMORY WE TREASURE, LOVING YOU ALWAYS, IN OUR THOUGHTS FOREVER"

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PETRA (formerly Petal)

adopted December 2012

Hello to Everyone at Hula!

I thought you may like to see this picci of Petra, who was totally exhausted after ‘helping’ me with my filing! Yes, as you can see, she most certainly was a GREAT help! I cannot remember if it was Heather who said that once Petra had settled in, she thought she would become a very loving cat. Well, the prophecy was totally correct! I think I emailed to say that she had ventured onto my lap one evening. Now, as soon as I sit down, she is onto my lap, snuggling down and purring quite happily. Believe it or not, she loves having her tummy tickled. Her back end is still a no-go area, which makes me wonder if this is a psychological problem. She is in no pain when chasing her tail or getting herself into the most weird positions when grooming and cleaning. She has turned into a very social cat, who welcomes my visitors and demands to sit on their knees as well! She goes out into the drive and garden but still likes to know the door is open for her return. She continues to leap out of the bedroom window onto the conservatory roof to survey the territory!

Petra and Kit-Kat are getting better with each other now. I feel that she is OK with him, as long as he doesn’t take her unawares. They will now eat together, but both keep an eye on each other as they feed! She will occasionally hiss at him, if she feels he is invading her space. But there is a vast improvement since she arrived back in December. Considering she has only been with me for such a short time, she really has made terrific progress.

She still loves bottle tops!! If I throw one down for her, she chases it around, tosses it into the air and proceeds to flip it over the carpet with much abandon! She has so much energy and leaps around rather more like a kitten than a nine year old! Her exercises include dashing up and down the stairs, chasing her tail at the top before racing down to run through the lounge, conservatory and kitchen! And heaven help me if I get in the way!!! Did I tell you that she has also become a bit of a thief? A while ago, I cooked a chicken breast for my supper, which I was just sitting down to enjoy when my neighbour knocked on my door. I duly answered the door, had a chat with my neighbour and came back to find no chicken and one very contented-looking Petra! She also fights me for a bacon sarnie and if I have yoghurt – her patience knows no bounds! I am hardly allowed to finish it before she has her face in the bowl to lick it!

All in all, Petra is proving to be a wonderful cat with a huge personality. She is fun, loving, contented (Ok, so still Mrs Grumpyboots first thing in the morning!) and I really think she has settled in to her new home. If only you could see the change in her since she came to me, I am sure you would agree.

Very best wishes,
Jilli

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BOO BAYLEE (formerly Linda)

adopted January 2012

On getting her home, I realised Boo Baylee was quite a scaredy ferret. She froze when she heard the cats or dog and wasn't too sure of human hands or my other ferrets.

She now loves to sniff at the the other animals and they don't really bother her. She's still getting used to my other ferrets and goes out to see them regularly and was living with Tequila for a while when they both were spayed (although found out that Boo is already neutered) hopefully she will get to live outside with them in the future when she's got a bit more confident.

She's used to my hands now and rarely nips me. She gets very excited during playtime and even makes a noise (which us ferret people call dooking) this is a noise they only make when they get excited and are happy, so I was over the moon when she first did this, along with a dance!!

Boo loves her raw meat and kitten milk, but is fussy with which treats she eats. Her favourite toys are tubes and cat teasers :) Getting a little tied up.....

**Update February 2013**

A year ago I adopted 'linda ferret' now Boo Baylee, from you. She lived on her own for a while as the others didn't get on with her once she got home, then last October I brought little Oscar Wilde from a rescue whilst I was at a show, he was 9 weeks old. H'es 6months old now and Boo has a best friend :)


Boo's been quite poorly recently. She and Oscar both had coronavirus which made Boo incredibly ill and on her last legs. Luckily with lots of tlc and special food she recovered, but almost straight after she started losing her hair! We've now found out that Boo has adrenal cancer. I have had her implanted which should start her hair growing back and should make her feel better. She'll need the implant annually but hopefully she has a few more years left as shes only 3! She has Oscar looking after her though so glad she's not still on her own!

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CHARLIE

Hello everyone at Hula I am writing to give you an update on Charlie.

We came to Hula over 6 years ago, earlier in the year we had lost our old girl at the very old age of 20, and the year before we had lost our other faithful friend Prince, I said no more as the heart ache of losing them was so great I didn't want to go through it again.

After a few months we all said that the house was to empty without a dog and said if we got another one we would go for a smaller dog but it had to be a rescue one. We had gone to a couple of rescue places and as cute as a lot of them were we didn't really click with any one of them. We rang Hula and asked if they had any smaller size dogs, we were told yes and they were open for viewing that day, so off we went.

We went in to the kennels and looked around and there he was Charlie. Both my husband and son said that's the one we must have, we hadn't seen all the others but they knew he was the one for us. He was in the kennel and seemed a little scared by us. We went and filled in the form and waited. A week later we got the phone call to say he was ours. We did our three visits and finally brought him home. To begin with he was very unsocial and didn't want to be cuddled or have very little physical contact. But little by little he became more trusting and we had a fantastic little dog.

He loved everyone and was very easy to train he never tries to run when the doors are opened and all in all is a first rate friend. He loves all things shiny and chases lights around and is very found of watching the television. I became ill a few years ago and having Charlie to sit with me on my bad days is a real comfort and he loves to snuggle up with me. He loves playing tug a war and will play for hours if you let him. He learnt to hang the tug a war hoop on people's feet if he wants to play and no one is taking any notice.

Even though he doesn't live with any small children he loves them when they come to visit and is so gentle around them. The most amazing thing about Charlie was a few years ago due to my illness I started to have seizures, one day when I had one Charlie was sat with me upstairs, as I went in to the seizure Charlie ran down the stairs and out to the garden and kept barking at my husband, as this was unlike Charlie to bark for no reason my husband came in to the house. Charlie ran past him back to me up stairs. When he got to me he barked again util my husband came and found me. I was unaware of any of this at the time and was surprised when Alan told me. This has now happened several times, no one knows how Charlie knows, I need help, but he just does. So our very special dog has become even more special.

We have had him for over 6 years and he is the most loyal, trusted and loved friend any one could ever have.

Thank you Hula we are so lucky to have him.

We will see you all soon.

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JAKE

We adopted Jake in Summer 2012, although its hard to remember a life without him now. Truth be known we weren't meant to be looking for a dog. We'd recently discussed getting a couple of cats as a practice before taking the plunge with a dog(sorry cat owners!), but when his picture came up through your Facebook link I had to show Stuart, knowing full well that once we'd made the decision to come see him we wouldn't be able to leave without him!

I grew up with a Labrador and had never been a fan of smaller dogs but his character instantly won us over. It became clear on our first visit that he wasn't short of energy and that his number one love would always be tennis balls. I spent the two weeks between then and being able to take him home showing pictures of him to anybody who'd look, like a new parent.

He spent the entire journey home with his nose out of the window and seemed to settle in pretty quickly. Since then he's been an endless source of entertainment and companionship. The benefit of adopting an older dog is that he came fully house trained and understood basic commands,(when selective hearing allows it).


He enjoys playing with other dogs, although if he had to make the choice I think he'd go for people every time. We're yet to find a toy other than a kong that he can't destroy, although he's not interested if they can't be ruined and we've never had a problem with him chewing anything he shouldn't. The only thing we've had real issues with are footballs - our nemesis. When it comes to these 'extra large tennis balls' he gets tunnel vision and I'm convinced its not a case of selective hearing but that he has no concept of what's going on around him as he hurtles full pelt towards them. We've had to retrieve him from the middle of a pitch on more than one occasion. We tend to just avoid the park on a Saturday now, to save the red faces. His other great love is balloons. We took him to my parents for a party and we went crazy trying to get the balloons off the wall. Eventually, after much jumping, he managed it. We left him too it thinking that the 'bang' would scare him off doing it again, but no, it just make him want them even more. We had to take them down in the end, although we did take them home and release them for him - he thought all his Christmases had come at once!

But as terrier like as he is outdoors, he's more like a cat at home. He just wants to be with you all the time. In fact on you is preferable. None of us are happier than when we're spending an evening snuggled up on the sofa, but you have to make sure there's a hole for him to put his face in. Between your legs, behind your back, under the cushion or if all else fails he'll just make a nook with his paws.

We thought the excitement of us coming home or downstairs in the morning was an initial reaction to being rescued, but every day we are still greeted by a very excited Jake who grabs your trousers and pulls you through the door, before running off to show off his favourite toy. It's nice to feel so appreciated.

In short, I'm sure he's bought us more enjoyment than we've bought him and we can't imagine him not being part of our family now.

Thanks for bringing us together.

Charlie, Stuart and Jake. X

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JAX

Hello to all my friends at Hula, Jax here,

I thought it was about time that I wrote my happy ending e-mail.

I have been living with my new forever family now since June 2012 and have really settled in well and am very happy.

They take me out for regular long walks and have been getting me used to all the new dogs and people that I meet when out and about. I have a nice warm bed to sleep on and lots of lovely toys to play with. My favourite game is tug-o war and I really love playing with my squeaky toys too!

I have been having some training so that when I am off my lead, I will come back when called and not get lost or into trouble. (The yummy treats I get if I am a good boy help!! YUM!!).

I get lots of cuddles and fuss and could not have wished for a better family to adopt me! I am so grateful to them and I give them lots of sloppy kisses so they know how happy they have made me!!

Finally, thank you so much for helping me find my new owners and I will get them to bring me back to visit you all on your open days and special events as often as they can!

Lots of love and sloppy kisses,
Jax.XX

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DUSTY

Dear Hula,

Dusty has now been living with us for 10 months but has settled in like she has lived here her whole life. When we adopted her, she was afraid of too much contact with people but has since turned into quite the lapcat, often spending evenings stretching out on one of our laps.

She had been at the sanctuary for 3 months so we were initially wary that it may take her time to get used to living in a home again, however it took her less than a day to make the house her own.

Nearly a year on and we're under no illusions as to who is boss, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Chris, Sarah and Dusty

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MADDY & TABATHA

adopted April 2012

Dear Hula,

Here are Maddy and Tabatha enjoying their first Christmas at their new home. Both have settled in well and love their surroundings.

Best wishes,
Michael & Diane

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SONNY

adopted October 2012

Sonny joins in with everything. He loves to do yoga with me, keep the girls company in their bedrooms, earns treats by learning new things and showing off how clever he is, and most of all he loves being soppy with Ian!

He is making new friends in the neighbourhood and loves his walks. He is such a good boy with the exception when he was alone in the kitchen and Sophie came down to find that he had managed to reach up on the kitchen worktop and help himself to some biscuits which she had baked and left to cool! Well, she is a good cook.

We struck gold with Sonny and we can’t remember what life was like before he came to live with us.

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CHUCK

adopted April 2012

As promised here are some photos of Chuck of his first 2 weeks at his new home.

He is a totally different dog, he's really cheeky and loves his cuddles. He hates the rain and I have to drag him out of his bed for walks in the morning as he can be a bit lazy.

His Boxer comes out of him in the evenings with a mad half hour with either his red ball, tennis ball or tugger. Also we found he has a bark too!!! he barks at the birds in the garden through the window.

He still has a lot to learn and will be going to his first dog training next week.

Jenny, Adam and Chuck

*** update December 2012 ***

The Chuck Monster (as my mum and dad call me) here. Thought I'll write a note to you as I've been with this crazy lot for 8 months now. I've settled in really well and I've put on weight now. I've been on holiday to yorkshire and I loved jumping up on ruins of Abbeys it sooo much fun. My mum says that I behave well now as when I first moved in I did test them to see how far I could push them and I lost alot of the time but with help from Lynne Davies I'm a very good dog. I also have made some rattie friends they were here before me and I love watching them play around in the cage.

I love food I cannot get enough of it. Mum says this is why we doing well in training as I do anything for food or squeaky toys.I have to say I'm not a fan of this training. I am made to go in the rain and when it muddy and I hate HATE getting my paws wet I put on a grump to try and get mum to take me home :-(. Mum and Dad got me a coat to try and make me enjoy walking in the winter but I still try and get out of it. I would rather snuggle up with my mum and sleep all day if I had my way.

Thank you Hula for looking after me and finding me this family I am such a happy doggy now.

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PURDIE

adopted February 2011

Out of the three very special overlooked dogs at HULA, Kaiser, Luke and Purdie, we were the lucky ones fostering Purdie over Christmas 2010. She came to stay with us and Winnie, Marley and Badger. Think Purdie and Luke were on a mission though ensuring “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”. Now where did you read that recently, oh yes, from Luke’s mum and dad !!

As we left the office with Purdie on her lead that day, bless her heart, she turned to go back to the Kennels! Well they had been her home for almost a year. We steered her over to the car and put her in the back and off we went “home”. And it did become her home, she settled in so well and enjoyed herself so much. She had a wonderful Christmas and because she was such a good girl, Santa brought many pressies for her.

So then towards the end of the 3 month foster period we got a call. Someone may be interested in Purdie and they would like to meet her, can we bring her back please. Well, to be honest, by this time she had worked her magic. It’s true I’m afraid, a dog really is for life, we couldn’t let her go, the thought was just too horrible. So ….. she stayed.

Purdie had, and still has, issues with little dogs and some big dogs, which is possibly why people passed her by! We will never “cure” her of this but we can and do manage it. It doesn’t take a lot and is just about being vigilant, careful and responsible! For this our reward is Purdie, an incredibly cheeky and exceedingly funny girl; she’s very clever, she puts her paw in food bowls to hold them down!

She’s had some learning to do, mostly how to share, but she is so smart it didn’t take long. She’s a happy go lucky chuck, with a tail that wags up and down, side to side and round and round; she loves to snuggle up and be cuddled. She is incredibly willing to please and absolutely loves meeting and greeting all her friends at HULA on Open Days, especially her “Aunty” Pauline (and Emily). She is happy, spoilt and absolutely adored. She is such a lovely girl, it is hard to believe she was left behind for so long. The fact that she loves to come back to HULA is a testament to the wonderful care she received while she was there and her way of saying thank you.

All we can say is, thank you everyone at HULA for our lovely Purdie and for not giving up on her.

Stephen, Sharon & Purdie x

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LUKE

adopted December 2010

It has been two years at Christmas since we adopted Luke. They say a dog is for life, not just for Christmas and with Luke, that is certainly true. We could not bare to part with him now, as he has turned into the most loyal, loving, well behaved dog anyone could wish for. Julian loves cuddling him on the sofa and Luke is a big softy with him.

In the past, his big fear was of tall men, what a change in him now...

• Luke loves his walks and goes off lead and never goes far from our side. If he does, he comes running straight back at a great speed when called. He loves his play mates, Denzel and Lily and they get on great as a family pack. Luke loves his ball, but always gives it up to Denzel when Denzel indicates. Luke is not the head of the pack, but is very amenable and gets on great with the other dogs.
• We are so glad we gave him a chance, as due to his fear aggression, he may never have known what a home was like. This aggression has now gone, but we are still always cautious around strangers, so he and the people that meet him feel safe.
• He has been into boarding kennels a couple of times and was very well behaved. But most of the time, he comes on holiday with us. He has stayed in a hotel and cottage and was a perfect gentleman.
• We love him to bits and are looking forward to a lovely family Christmas in our new house in Aspley Guise. Yes, he now lives down the road from HULA, but seems to like the area, especially the wood.

Thanks again HULA for the chance you gave him over the long two years he was with you and the training and help you gave him. He may not have had that chance anywhere else.

He says thank you very much too. Woof woof xx

Heather and Julian

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SEAMUS

adopted November 2011

In February 2011, I had the pleasure of meeting the new arrival in the kennel block. During my first experience with Seamus he smothered me in staffie kisses pulled out my earrings and covered me in mud. He was a rather portly lad but had the cheekiest face imaginable and I confess it was love.

I walked Seamus on many occasions and his constant grunting and lust for life made me chuckle. Seamus eventually found a new home and I took him along for a ride when I did his home check. Sadly the adoption did not work out and Seamus returned to HULA. He came back just the same, though by now he had lost a lot of weight and his muscle tone had greatly improved – he was a strong lad.

Seamus remained in kennels for nearly a year. I would always grab a cuddle when I saw him and often wished I could provide him with a home. In April of this year I started to foster Seamus and in reality life has never been the same since. Seamus is a one off, strong willed, cheeky, loving and most of all he makes me smile. You can’t help but smile even when he has stolen your dinner, completely ignored what I have asked him to do or just glared at me with those beautiful brown eyes because I have dared to take him out in the rain!!

Seamus likes his home comforts and expects nothing less, he is always on the lookout to make new friends and steal food. However, words cannot describe the joy, companionship and love this little guy has brought into my life. Seamus loves his days out, we have been on holiday twice and he so enjoys playing by the sea or simply chilling. He cannot bear getting cold and wet and will shelter under a leaf in order not to be struck by the offending rain.

He loves everyone and people often stop to say hello to him, which he clearly adores. There are lots of staffies in rescue and it’s so sad that people don’t know about the wonders of the breed and instead just hear the negatives. I am a big believer in promoting this wonderful breed and trying to reverse the negative image that they have. Seamus stayed in kennels so long because of his breed, age and greying muzzle.

Though I did not have the pleasure of knowing Seamus as I puppy I am grateful that I am the lucky one who has the privilege of spending time with him, stroking that big head when he is sleeping and wakes up to that huge staffie smile each morning. I adore his grey muzzle and know that he has had a life before meeting me and lots of experiences. I recently found out that his real name was not Seamus and his face when I inadvertently said his real name was a picture as all his memories came flooding back.

I love to take him out and about and adore his staffle wiggle as he struts along beside me. I hope that we have many more days out together and that one day I will be able to once again sit my own sofa.

I have always loved the staffie breed since I was a child and having Seamus in my life has cemented my feelings about this magnificent loving breed. However, they do steal your heart but on the plus side you will never be cold again as there is nothing quite like a staffie hug.

Thanks Seamus for doing me the honour of making if official, life will never be the same again but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you to everyone at HULA for introducing us and for caring for Seamus during his stay I am so grateful.

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MR TODD

adopted August 2012

Hello!

My humans have tried to ring a couple of times but they know you are very busy looking after all the other animals so thought they would email you...

Well, my last few weeks have been fun! I have LOVED running round the garden and bouncing around! I was a little scared of those pesky cats to start with but as you can see from the picture, we are now best friends! Buttons (in the picture) and I play chase together and she sometimes gives me a quick lick.

My humans seem very friendly, they like giving me lots of cuddles and bringing me inside to run around which is cosy! The little girl human giggles when she feeds me a carrot as I make snuffly noises - I can't help being a noisy eater!

Thank you for looking after me so well...I miss you all but feel happy in my home now :o)

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WAFFLE

Hello !

My name is Waffle, I came to you guys a few months ago, you may remember me as Heather...

I am a Husky rat and thought that you would be very happy to know I am very happy and settled in my New home. The photos are of me and my house mate Gizmo in our bed that our mummy has kindly made :)

Mummy lets us out to play every night and gives us an Amazing Banquet of yummy goods and in return we give her Ratty kisses and cuddles!

Thank you for looking after me until my new owners came along you guys are the best :)

Love from Waffle X

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OZZY (formerly McDougal)

adopted September 2012

Hi to all at Hula,

Thank you for letting us adopt Ozzy (McDougal). He has fitted in so well with my 2 boys, King Louie cat and I.

Ozzy and Louie get on so well and cuddle up together in the evenings, as you can see. Ozzy is so affectionate, and has tried to eat everything including the fish food, fruit and even enjoys licking curry plates!

Thanks again Sally, Daniel and Matthew x

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JAKE

adopted March 2012

Jake is an awesome member of our family who is loved by all of us. At first he was a bit of a pacer and anxious as you guys were familiar with. However within a month he had settled down and started to build up trust with us. At the time he weighed 28-29kg and as you will see from the photo looked all skin & bones. He now weighs a healthy 38kg which I think will be his maintenance weight. Jake is fed only natural products (inc any treats) and is currently being weaned off his high protein diet I put him on to build him up. Occasionally though for a treat he will have a fruit ice lolly!

Jake goes running with me 4-5 times a week and we cover about 16-20 miles. This is about 5am and sometimes he needs a bit of a nudge coz he's so comfy in his bed! When not running we go out usually for an hour or more and we do road, flat/hill, woodland walks. We now have him out of his cage and he has his own space in the corner of the room. J does not go upstairs, grovel or steal food, is a perfect house dog and is extremely respectful. J is not aloof as we were advised and comes for loves & greets us with a happy demeanour, furiously wagging stump when we come in. J recognises motorbikes and looks for my Son or me on our return.

J has been taught a few tricks/commands such as roll over, up (for jumping), can stand on his rear legs and rest front on outstretched arms for a treat, he also will back up (J jumps backwards-funny), waits on command and can do this on steep steps with gaps between going downwards. I trained him going over very busy motorway bridges and he is now fine with noises. J will also do his toilet on command. Callum my son who has just gone to Afghan taught him to jump on our trampoline which he will now do for a love (I sunbathe on it) or to play with the family. Cal also introduced him to our blow up pool and we reinforced swimming in a local river. J has swum in chest deep water for about approx half a mile, once in a massive storm which was great fun!

J is improving with his prey drive and will respond to command to leave it when exposed to other dogs however I will not let him off lead unless I'm certain we are alone. J walks fine to heal. When off the lead he doesn't travel too far away and recalls averagely well. J has walked alongside another dog but with a muzzle. Feeding times he leaves the room when we eat and then on command either, verbal, whistle (food is 2 flat tones) or hand signals will attend in the sit and be fed first by hand to reinforce the chew command which he honestly does & then wait for my signal to come round me into the sit & then watch me before I command to take, you can put your hand in the bowl when he eats or if necessary remove him from food. These are all non verbal commands nice and calm. If when training with treats I have taught him not to take food if dropped in front of him until commanded. He will offer a kiss for a treat which Tanya taught him and will gently remove a treat from your lips no bigger than a fingernail size.

In the garden he loves fetch & tug games as well as destroying footballs. He will release on command & then is rewarded by a bit more play. J will invite the family to play & absolutely loves the nylo bones with orange spring in the middle, he's on his fifth since March!

J is up to date on his boosters, worming and is treated with advocate every month. I daily check ears, paws, eyes with no problem and brush over to check for lumps & bumps.

J loves the car and has travelled as far as Blackpool no problem. So all in all he is settled, has started guarding, will surrender his tummy and is just brilliant.

Thank you all so much for trusting us with him.

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PATCH & CHY

adopted September 2012

Patch & Chy have settled in really well. Patch is still very shy and seems to be dominated by a very mischievious Chy. Chy is certainly a character - she will investigate everything and is very much the leader.


We love having them as new additions to the family. They are getting used to having a routine and every morning are ready waiting by 7.30 am to get out of their cage and have a run around.

After this run they are quite content to stretchout in their hutch and have a well earned rest for a few hours!

From The Carter Family

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PROFESSOR JEEVES

adopted August 2012

Dear HULA friends,

How are you all keeping? It is me (Professor) Jeeves, formerly known as (Mister) Jeeves.

I have been very busy since I left HULA in August 2012 and thought I should drop you a few lines to catch up with you all. I am doing really well and since I moved in with my new family, I have managed to take control of the household, particularly at night when I seem to come alive!


Every morning I get up early (and so does the rest of the family) and I get groomed. I have a quick breakfast and get to play with my toys. During the day, I love to spend time in the kitchen, watching the world go by and at times I do venture outside and have a run around in the garden.


In the evenings, I like curling up on the sofa and keep my new family company while they watch TV. They tell me that I am a very handsome gentleman and I love it when they cuddle me and talk softly to me.

When I am hungry or want a treat, I will let my family know and will paw them very gently on their face. They say that I am irresistible; I mean who can resist those green eyes?

They say that a picture can speak more than a thousand words, so I am sending you a few photographs of what I have been up to. This includes my pampering session at Tanya’s grooming salon!

I will keep in touch…

Jeeves x

P.S. My new family would like to thank everyone at HULA for taking such good care of me and for introducing me into their lives! They can no longer imagine life without me…

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OZZIE & COOPER

adopted December 2010 & September 2011

We adopted Ozzie, a then 7-year old beige GSD/Retriever cross in December 2010. He settled very quickly and we found that he had come to us extremely well trained, but it took almost half a year for him to get over his separation anxiety. Initially he couldn't be left at at all, then he was fine for brief periods in the car (luckily it was winter!) and eventually was okay to be left for a few hours in the front yard, where we got him a dog house.

When we moved from Milton Keynes to Northampton in September 2011, we adopted a friend for Ozzie. Cooper, a then 20-month-old 'Beagle' (who actually turned out to be a Harrier!). The two got on well from the start, although they were a bit disinterested in each other to begin with. Within just a few weeks however, they became best buddies and are now inseparable.

With Cooper around Ozzie was finally completely fine to be left alone in the house and we can now say that his separation anxiety is completely cured. Cooper, being a bit younger, turned out to be a lot more cheeky than Ozzie, often stealing the kids soft toys and chewing any small plastic item he could find. But over time, he's become more relaxed and better behaved and chewing incidents are very rare now.

Both of the dogs are so well-natured, and absolutely fantastic with the kids. They've have become very popular in the neighborhood and have befriended all the local kids as well as the lovely Cindy, a beautiful rescue GSD from a few houses down the road. We couldn't imagine life without our two boys, now almost 9 and 3, anymore. We're so pleased that we were able to give these two a new forever home.

Thank you HULA!

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ARTHUR

adopted July 2012

Rememeber me? I came in with my mum (Amy) and two sisters (Sharon & Sarah) after being found in a shed.

My new mum has looked after me since I left you on 19th July. We have had such fun together as she brought me lots of toys to play with although my favourite is a scrunched up piece of paper!

I have grown lots and enjoy running around the house, up and down the stairs. I have been in the garden a few times and love climbing the trees. My favourite trick is to make a dash for the conifer hedge and disappear inside it!

Attached are some photos of me over the last few weeks. I have just paid my first visit to the vets which I was not very keen on. Mummy says it was the responsible thing to do but I am not so sure!

Anyway, its nice to see on your website so many good things happening. You all deserve it as you do a great job. I am very happy in my new home but I miss you all.

Lots of love
Arthur x x x x

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DIESEL

adopted June 2012

We lost our previous dog, Polly, a 14 year old Collie cross in May this year. Initially we were not going to get another dog straight away, but coming home to an empty house did not feel right, so we decided in the school summer holidays we would look for a new dog.

Well, on a lovely sunny afternoon in June, (not yet the summer holidays) we went to just "look!" Always a mistake. We fell in love with Diesel, and enquired further. Three visits later and our home check, Diesel came to live with us.



Diesel, also known as Mr D and Diesel the Weasel, is a delight. He has settled quickly, is very well behaved and is amazing with our two boys who are 8 and 5.

We have had to learn the labrador traits quickly, (stealing food whenever he can!) but we are getting there! We have taken him on his first holiday in the caravan, and he again, was brilliant. Very calm and settled, and loved the outdoors and the long walks. He is great out and about, and everyone comments on how lovely he looks, and he still looks like a puppy, even though he is three.

Diesel loves nothing more than playing ball for hours and hours, or sunbathing in the garden! We are hoping to do more with him, maybe a spot of agility or flyball, something to keep his active mind working!

Thank you Hula for the new addition to our family, we promise to pop in and visit soon with Diesel.

Gerald, Melanie, Sam and Alex

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JESS (formerly Freya)

adopted March 2012

Dear Hula,

Just a short note from Jess (aka Freya). She has settled in beautifully since she left Hula in March. She has been going to training at the Lynne Davies Training School. She has learned many new skills, including coming back when called.... sometimes... depending if I have treats.

Her favourite toys are her squeaky ferret, her frisbee, tennis balls and my ipad. When she was at Hula she loved to play with a boomer ball, now she has one of her own to play with in the garden.

She loves to play with other dogs in the local park and has made a couple of doggie friends. Some things haven't changed, humans need to approach Jess with extreme caution because if you get too close, you will be licked!

We hope to see you all soon,

Jess & John

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TIMO (formerly Gizmo)

adopted July 2012

Within a few hours of Timo being with us he seemed to make himself right at home. It was like he’d been with us for years. He wandered around checking the house out and seemed very at ease. He’s only been with us a week, but in that week he has certainly made our house...his house.

We already had two female cats and as expected the first few days were filled with constant growling. However a couple of days after adopting Timo....he and my other two cats were fine. No arguing, no more growls, they had accepted each other. Every morning Timo goes up to my other cats, sniffs their noses and then sits...waiting for his food, however he is such an impatient little boy....he jumps up trying to snatch his food as we prepare it.

All three cats get on amazingly well and the bonding between them happened very quickly. Timo particularly gets on with Evie who is 2 years old. They are forever playing around the house, chasing each other. It’s so nice to watch.

Timo is a lovely boy but also very very cheeky. He is forever stealing food off the table which we can’t help but laugh at however he is learning very quick and has become well adjusted to our household.

We are very happy to have adopted him and thankful that HULA made the adopting process very easy and simple.

Thanks guys!!

Update September 2012

Everything is great and Timo has really has settled perfectly. Although he has got cheekier and more naughty by the second lol. He is literally stealing our food. Anything thats left on the side he will take and run off to a corner to scoff it down...whilst i’m running around like a lunatic trying to catch him my Dad is just laughing. He adores Timo and he’s adamant like all of us he is a VERY special boy.

I’ve had to hide away the cat food as he has managed to find it 4 times and rips it open to get at the meat or dry food. So yes....as days passes...he’s naughtiness gets worse. But we don’t mind, he certainly keeps us on our toes and his character is such a joy.

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ROSIE-BOOTS (formerly Sweetpea)

adopted July 2012

Rosie had her own room prepared for her when I brought her home but she’s settled in so quickly she spends a lot of the time exploring the rest of the house with her new best buddy Tia. They haven’t quite worked out how they are supposed to play together yet but they have fun trying; whether it’s playful pawing at each other, running round in circles together or Rosie hanging on to Tia’s tail. If Tia’s sitting on my lap, Rosie has already devised a cunning way to shift her so that she gets prime position!!

Rosie is eating well, and has had no problems adapting to her new litter tray, although I’m not sure about her habit of using it the minute I’ve cleaned it, cheeky little minx!!!

When Rosie is in her room and I go up to see her, I always find her on the pile of ironing that is sitting in the corner, guess my clothes are more comfortable than the three pet beds in the room!!

Thank you so much for letting me adopt Rosie-Boots, she’s going to be a great addition to my little family

I will keep you updated with her progress!

Nicola

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PERKY

adopted February 2011

Perky is a Bengal Persian cross that we adopted from HULA in February 2011.

The purpose of our visit to Hula was for myself to look at multi agency working with Hula and Bedfordshire Youth Offending Service. My mistake was bringing my wife, who immediately fell in love with the bolshie cat named Perky, who strolled up and down the cattery howling at the other cats to let them know she was top cat.

Perky was 4 1/2yrs old when we adopted her and although she has only been with us for 1 ½ yrs, it’s like she has always been here. She rules the roost and Bracken our male Sprocker spaniel loves her, but she always lets him know when she has had enough and who the boss is. Perky loves nothing more than to rub up against the dogs and then steal their bed for a short nap.

Perky loves to go out for an adventure in the garden and loves to roll in the flower beds for hours at a time. Her favourite past time is to then traipse all the soil into the kitchen and race up and down the stairs leaving a little trail for everyone to follow.

As you can see she gets the best position on the sofa and nobody messes with Perky. As you know Bracken loves Perky, and even when she gives him a tap she then goes and rubs against him to make up.


Bluebell is our latest addition to the pack and is a 1 ½ yr old cocker spaniel who had a bad start in life. She has settled in well and Perky has shown her the ropes, they can often be found on the sofa having a power nap together.

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MILLIE

adopted May 2012

Dear everyone at HULA

We just wanted to write a quick note to let you know how Millie is getting on. We've had her just over a month now and couldn't be without her!

We've had a busy month or so, she's met our families & family dogs (they all get on very well!) we've been on a mini holiday to the New Forest, and Millie has even seen the Queen!

She enjoys coming to work with me, whether she is curled up asleep, chasing her ball or waiting expectantly at her biscuit drawer!

Millie is at her happiest when she thinks she is going for a walk.... I swear she can hear her lead move from anywhere in the house! She loves 'walkies' and when out will try & chase just about anything, birds, cats, dogs, flies...She even howled at a fire engine the other day!

Millie also likes to watch the TV every now and then, she loves anything to do with cats & The Dog Whisperer!! Every one that meets Millie falls in love with her, she is the sweetest, prettiest dog and she has completed our family.

Thank you HULA for looking after her and for letting us rehome her, I hope we make Millie as happy as she makes us.

Love
Lucy, Kye & of course Millie xxx

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BUSTER

adopted April 2012

A few years ago I did the volunteer dog walking training at HULA. Having never been a dog owner and being a coward I never went back again!

This year, on an impulse, I decided to do the training again. I found a new confidence and began walking dogs several times a week. One of the dogs I walked was Buster, an overweight Jack Russell. He had to have an operation for gallstones and since he needed to recover I fostered him while he recovered. I’ve now adopted him and he’s now my constant companion. To mark the occasion I grilled him a sausage and stuck a birthday candle on it. I’ve since learnt that Buster is a great swimmer and every morning he goes for a little swim in the River Ouse. On arrival at HULA Buster weighed 13 kg and his weight is now down to 10kg.

I still walk dogs at HULA and apart from the satisfaction of making the dogs’ stay that bit better I have met some lovely people and have lost over 2 kg in weight – not as much as Buster but still not bad!

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SAMMY & KITTY

adopted May 2011

This was taken at Christmas - as you can see they are very active in 'helping' us - well let's say I had to put the tree up 4 times!!!

We have had cats before but they are the most loving cats anyone could ever ask for - very affectionate. They know just how to wrap us round their paws and totally rule the house!

They never cease to amaze us with their energy running and chasing each other across the garden, up trees and darting in and out of the flower beds, hiding and pouncing out at us - just to keep us on our toes!

Defrosting the freezer really seemed to interest them!

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SAMSON

adopted May 2012

We would like to say a very big thank you to you, we love Samson very much and he has become a wonderful addition to our family. He is a joy to have and we can't imagine life without him. He is very happy and a very well behaved boy.

We thank you all at Hula for looking after Samson and will visit soon.

The Smith family

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JASON

adopted March 2012

We lost our 13yr old German Shepherd in October 2011 to cancer, and underestimated how big a space would be left in our lives. Until one day in February when we visited HULA and met a boy called Jason. He seemed quiet and looked sadly at us from the back of his kennel and we were intrigued to find out more about him. We learnt that he had been at HULA for nearly a year and had very little luck getting rehomed.

After lots of visits to HULA we decided to formally adopt him.

We picked him up on 1st March and have enjoyed every second since that date with him. He settled down very quickly at our home and enjoys racing around the garden, chasing pigeons and squirrels and bees and leaves and anything else that moves. He has been attending dog training school and is an exemplary student, mastering the art of sitting, waiting and walking to heel. He also takes me running several times a week around the local area and I'm now running MUCH quicker than I ever used to do without him!

He also loves walking round Bow Brickhill Woods and can regularly be seen being walked around Aspley Heath woods looking up into the treetops for the elusive squirrels.. and if we take him out in the car he loves to stick his head out of the window, no matter what the weather or how fast we are going!

He sits on the decking staring out into the garden for ages, watching everything, the birds, flies, sheep and rabbits in the field out the back. If we have been out, he is over the moon with excitement when we come back home, picking up his favourite toy and tossing it up in the air while running around us in circles. In the evenings, he curls up on his blanket at our feet and usually snores and twitches his way into the night until bedtime arrives.

He is our best friend and we can never imagine being without him...

I can honestly say, that for as much as we rescued him, HE has most definitely rescued us:)

Liz, Jo & Jason the Akita x

Thank you HULA so much for caring for him all the time he was there...

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GUNNER

adopted January 2012

We brought Gunner home on the 29th January. We had bought Gunner a bed and cushion to lie on and after a good sniff about he began to settle in. As each person came in he would have a good sniff and get used to them before settling down. From that point on he hasn't looked back.

In the time we have had him he has enjoyed playing in the snow and has been on holiday to Lowestoft for a play on the beach. He is a lovely, affectionate boy who loves sitting with his new mum and going for long walks with me down to Kempston Mill or Priory Marina. He has even taken to training for the London Olympics!!

Thank you to HULA for giving us the opportunity to adopt such a lovely boy. I can only imagine how hard it would of been for his original owners to have to give him up.

Ray, Anna & Gunner

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BEAU

adopted February 2012

I adopted Beau (formerly Bow) in February after making several visits to walk her & to get to know her. On bringing her home she settled in immediately which surprised me considering she had been at Hula for over 4 months. After only 1 week I could comfortably walk her off the lead as she would never venture far from me. Her recall is excellent & now she is more confident & chasing things such as rabbits, pheasants, guinea fowl, squirrels & stoats that initial recall has come in very handy indeed.

Beau now lives in a rural village with many dog owners & is excellent at socialising with all types of dog & their owners.

She likes to take me to the pub on a regular basis but is also happy in my 1 acre woodland garden with the chickens, some of whom it has to be said are not overly keen! especially the stroppy cockerel who pecks her on the nose from time to time.


She has however learnt her territory (my garden) & anyone walking close to its borders or coming to the door gets well barked at until I arrive.

Beau needs a bit of training to get a few more commands sorted but on the whole I cannot believe how well she has settled & how lucky I am to have such a loyal friend already.

Ian

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PADDY

adopted October 2011

Hi All!

Sorry it’s taken me so long to write but I’ve just been having the best time EVER!! I live with some great humans, the big ones feed me and the little ones play with me, what more could I want!

I now live right next to the woods and I chase squirrels and birds for hours…but my favourite thing to chase is sticks because I can catch them!

I get fun baths when I’ve been in the lakes or found muddy puddles to play in and I get loads of cuddles on the sofa at night time with my human mum. My human dad says I get treated better than he does, I think he’s right!!

I have my own space under the stairs, my own arm chair, cushions, blankets and my own designer toiletries! Not bad for a skinny little stray!

I love to chew things and have now learnt not to pull the banisters out and chew them but to chew my toys instead!

I’ve attached some pictures for you so you can see how much fun I’m having! Now my human mum wants a word!

Take care everyone!
Paddy xxx

Hiya,

Paddy isn’t perfect but he’s been worth every second! We had a few teething problems with chewing but that was quickly under control after some training!

He’s fantastic with the kids (3, 9 & 13) who were all scared of dogs to begin with. They love playing with him, taking him for walks and giving him treats.

Paddy has got so much energy and character he’s literally bursting with it! He’s changed our lives for the better and we expect he’ll be just as excited as we are when our new baby arrives too!

Thanks for giving us the opportunity to bring Paddy into our lives!

E & G

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DUSTY (formerly Jimmy)

adopted February 2011

We adopted Dusty a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in 2011. Dusty was hard work to begin with. He was not used to living indoors and by all accounts had not had much socialisation. It took 5 months to toilet train him (he still has the occasional accident), and 10 months to be accepted by our cat (although he still likes to chase her!!). However, all the hard work was worth it.

Dusty is an adorable, loyal and friendly young dog who has learnt to adapt to our hectic family life. He will take every opportunity to jump on your lap for a cuddle and enjoys daily walks in the woods with big brother Merlin, our Rhodesian Ridgeback.

The photo above is just after Dusty had his hair clipped - he was not impressed (!) and below is of Dusty and Merlin having a crafty rest on our bed!

The journey to help Dusty live indoors amongst a family has been a difficult one, but I would urge anyone adopting a dog to stick with it. The hard work does pay off and in return you will receive an endless supply of unconditional love.

Kind regards,
Lisa

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THEODORE aka TEDDY

adopted January 2012

A young and heavily pregnant cat by the name of Tia arrived at HULA one Friday in October 2011. The very next day she gave birth to four kittens. Kitten 6 as he was called in the cattery was adopted as soon as he was old enough and went to his new forever home in January.

He was given the lovley name Theodore by his new owners and they have sent us these great photos. He looks so grown up now! He is also looking very contented and happy with his new family.


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JACK

adopted January 2012

Hello I'm Jack, I hope you remember me?

My owner has cast a spell to let me be able to talk to you for a while, human talk is quite interesting! I wanted to thank you for the care you gave me during the time I spent with you. I confess I do love my food and my new owners have had to watch my weight.

I'm into everything ( chuckles) and I have found some lovely places to rest from the top of Mum's wardrobe to the desk while she works on her computer , I guess that's where i learned to type! lol


I have a basket and a lovely toy that gives me treats if I work for it and cuddles; well sometimes I have to move away they love me so much.

Thank you for a lovely home,

Jack xx

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FRAGGLE (formerly Kev)

adopted January 2012

Fraggle has settled in fantastically and is the happiest dog I have ever had. I originally fostered him when he came into Hula but he fitted in so well with my other dogs that I decided to adopt him.

Nothing phases him and his tail never stops wagging, in fact his whole body wags. He is enjoying long walks in the countryside and he is running canix cross with me which is a dog sport with the dog harnessed and pulling on a bungee cord attached to a waistbelt. A fantastic way to keep both me and him fit. Agility and searches have also started so he is a busy chap.

Doggy holidays await in Wales and Northumberland and we are all having a great time.

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MAX

adopted December 2010

Hi, just thought we would drop you a quick email to let you know how Max is getting on.

He was a lovely dog, but we very soon discovered he had lots of behaviourial habits! He used to go absolutely bonkers when someone tried to leave the house - when I say bonkers I mean physically jumping up and biting whoever was trying to leave. We soon employed the lovely Lynne Davies who tried her best to try and get him out of this awful habit - after 3 months we almost gave up on Max - but fortunately we perservered and carried on with his training.

After about 7 months of trying all manner of things.... nothing actually worked and even poor Lynne had to concede defeat. He was still as bonkers as when we first took him home.

As luck would have it - we moved to Spain. Now what would we do with the dog??

Well we decided to get him a pet passport and he flew out to Spain on Monarch airways on 27th September 2011.

And he just loves it!!

He is truly living the dream - he has always been great in social situations - he loves to sit outside the little bars we have here in the evening and lets the world goes by.

He goes for loads of walks everyday and very often goes to the beach at least twice a week - he loves the beach - however he can't go on the sand between March and October so he is making the most of it now.

He has signed up with the local vets and has had to have loads of injections for heartworm, fleas etc - he has cost us a fortune - still we wouldn't be without him!

He still goes mental when someone tries to leave our home, but we just manage that now. Our friends have to give us a 5 minute warning before they intend to leave so he can go for a walk and then they can escape!

Keep up the good work at HULA.

Steve

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ANDRE

adopted November 2011

Andre is like a sunshine to us. He is the most adorable dog ever and he is so smart too, we didn't even need training for him and we hardly ever need to use a lead when he's being walked.



He loves cuddles and we couldn't resist so he sleeps on the bottom of our bed :) We had a little trouble with him at the beginning, when he was being left alone. It took him 20 minutes to tear the bin into pieces but he feels comfortable now so doesn't do it anymore.

He is the best thing that happened to us and I can't imagine a day without him now.

Marta x

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DOUGLE

adopted November 2011

Just thought I would send you a New Year's Update on our adoptee - little Dougle the Dog.

Having brought Dougle home late last year he was a bit frazzled, smelly and apprehensive about his miniature life. Although immediately friendly and affectionate you could tell there was hesitation about whether we were his new forever home. However, after a haircut and many hours of snuggles and getting to know each other, our household could no longer imagine life without our little Dougle.

This tiny little dog, often mistaken for a puppy due to his size (he's two years of age) is a bounding ball of energy, wishing for nothing less than long walks, playing in fields, and goodness does this dog love a squeaky ball or anything ball shaped at all.

Dougle has many little quirks in his personlaity - to say he is not a morning person is indeed an understatement, easily sleeping from 4pm one day through to 10am the next day - we are all very jealous of this little man! Not the most elegant of dogs you often get a bum in your face with the occasional running leg as he dreams, but you really can only smile. He is such a personality that we actually have family come to visit Dougle - whilst we watch from the sidelines! Dougle doesn't like the rain, even refusing a toilet break when its wet, and talks non-stop. I've never heard a dog talk so much - not barking - a definite conversation!

There are challenges that we have faced however, our little cat Lili is still growing accustomed to this unelegant package of mischeif, however occasional nose rubs are now taking place between them, and we all collapse into the same bed at night - so far, so good. Dougle is very nervous of other dogs who want to sniff him (which they all seem to want to) and doesn't particularly like loud noises, he runs for cover when the hoover is on, where we find him hiding under our duvet upstairs, but he does quickly regain composure when assured the hoover is away. Dougle is one of the best behaved dogs i've known, he responds quickly and wants to please, although their is always an element of 'cotton wool' hearing (as is the case man or dog!).

Dougle has learnt several commands, to wait, sit, get down and stay - he is very intelligent, within days sussing out the treat cupboard noise - we are looking forward to the warmer summer weather, which will be an even better time for a lot more training and fun times outdoors! Unfortunately dark nights and cold weather don't appeal greatly to dougle who often has to be coerced to leave the warmth of the house!

Dougle has completed our family and everyday makes me laugh. He treats me like I'm the most missed person in the world he can't wait to see everyday, which is such a lovely feeling (even if I only pop to the shop!).

I definitely cant imagine our life without him now.

With kindest regards
Kirsty and Robert

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JESS

adopted September 2011

Well it’s been two months now since got to bring Jess home from HULA and we can’t believe our luck. As first time dog owners we probably were not as prepared as some more experienced adopters but Jess has been absolutely wonderful right from the start. She likes a lot of exercise and fortunately, so do we, consequently three long walks each day around the local fields kept everyone happy and ensured everyone slept well. Now it’s dark so much earlier the evening walk has become just a street walk but Jess doesn’t seem to mind.

I say walk, however she doesn’t do much walking. She is obsessed with ball play and just can’t seem to get enough of running after her ball and playing catch and fetch. Once our arms were worn out we discovered the assistance of an artificial ball throwing aid we call the ‘wanger’ which saves our backs and gets the ball even further, much to Jess’s delight. One of her first major excursions was to a flying day at the Shuttleworth air museum near Biggleswade. Despite the crowds and the aeroplane noise she behaved impeccably and everyone made a real fuss of her – quite deservedly so. She posed for pictures with our two daughters and several vintage aeroplanes and still had time for more ball play where we found some open space.

She loves getting out and about visiting all the local country parks. She gets on well with lots of local dogs; Scooby, George, Henry, Oscar, Freddie, and Tilly and investigates everything, even if it means getting wet. She is very obedient and comes back when called or ‘waits’ when asked. We can’t claim to have taught her these skills but we are certainly benefitting from them and from having done a 5 week course with Lynne Davies, where she was promoted to the advanced class. Jess is very loving and ‘herds’ the whole family around. If someone gets up from their chair, she follows them to ensure that she knows where they have gone and what they are up to. When the girls come home from school it signals ‘time to play ball in the garden’.

Thank you HULA for looking after Jess until she came home – to us!

We can’t imagine life without her and everyday she makes us smile.

From Steve, Cheryl, Lydia, Imogen and Jess

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LOU LOU & BRAMBLE

adopted January 2011

My partner and I adopted Louise (now named Lou Lou) and Bramble from HULA in January of this year. At first I was unsure about taking on two more cats as we already had two – but once I had met Lou Lou and Bramble there was no turning back.

They have both become such a fantastic addition to the household. Lou is very vocal and just loves going out in the garden with Tabitha, one of our other cats. They sleep next to each other and are quite at ease in each other’s company. Bramble is quite shy with the other cats, but she is very affectionate with people and loves to play with her toys and curl up next to you.

Lou and Bramble are both so easy to look after. The cost of having them has been minimal and they both have such lovely funny and entertaining personalities.

I would always recommend to anyone the benefits of adopting an older cat. They have so much to offer and are just so glad to be part of a loving home.

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PETER

adopted September 2011

Peter is always happy and active and he likes to run around and play with all his toys and eat hay. He has a lovely new shed with a run attached which he shares with his 'girlfriend' Lola.

He has grown so much in confidence and goes racing round with Lola when I go to see them. He jumps on my lap now and is very happy to be fussed.



In the evening now its cold they stay in the shed at night - I think you can see the little door I have made from the run to the shed in the picture.

He is a lovely rabbit and is doing so well.

Rebecca


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BEANS

adopted October 2011

Beans has settled in well. He's a lovely rabbit and enjoys being stroked and cuddled. He's really enjoying "The Rabbit Den" as he has lots of space to jump around.

He really enjoys running through the tunnel and sitting on top of the hill in the sun, both Beans and Fluffy still have their 'moments' but hey don't we all.

Thank you for allowing us to add Beans to our family.

Natasha De Kauwe and Family x

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URSA (formerly BOLLA)

adopted May 2011

Just a quick note to let you know that Bolla (now known as Ursa, as in Ursa Minor because he looks like a “little bear” from behind!) is settling into his new home. On arrival he spent the first couple of hours hiding under a chair yowling. Then he decided to come out for something to eat and a good brush which he really enjoyed. The first night was hell for both of us, he cried most of the night and neither of us got much sleep.

After that, he started to settle very quickly. He is very well behaved, always uses his litter tray and although he is still very nervous he’s a pleasure to have around. He doesn’t mind being picked up sometimes and as he gains confidence he’s becoming quite companionable – he sleeps at the foot of the bed and likes a bit of telly in the evenings! Of course there are times when he needs his space, but me too!

I think we’re going to get on just fine and thank you all again for the wonderful job you all do.

Kind regards,

Olwen

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MORGAN

adopted July 2011

Regular visitors to HULA or the website may remember Morgan the cat who was found abandoned at the HULA gates in December 2010. She had a few health problems and required surgery but made a full and quick recovery. She was also diagnosed with a long term illness requiring medication.

She was overlooked in the cattery possibly because of her age and illness however Donna came into her life in July and life took a turn for the better for Morgan with a lovely new home!

Here is what Donna has to say:-

"She is such a delight, I can't tell you what a difference she has made to the house. After losing my cat Missie in March, my two boy cats were a comfort but I felt there was space for another elderly lady with a bit of attitude and, boy, did Morgan fit the bill! Attitude in abundance but, when she is 'Nice Morgan' you couldn't meet a sweeter cat."

Everyone at HULA would like to thank Donna for giving an older cat a second chance and a happy new life.

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MO (formerly Mocha)

adopted July 2011

Just a quick note to let you know how Mo is getting on.

• She has settled in very well and made herself very much at home.
• She is very good with our cats, although does pinch their food at every opportunity.
• She also gets a tad jealous if she thinks they are getting too much attention and tries to get on our knees as well.
• She is a lovely girl, very affectionate with a great character, she makes us laugh a lot!
• She always gets a lot of attention when we are out on our walks, everyone wants to touch her coat as she is getting woollier by the day,(our curly girl)

Our daily walks take us across the fields past the lakes where she has a paddle or a swim and through the woods to chase the squirrels, she loves it, and now is very good at coming back on command to my whistle. She meets lots of other dogs and loves to play.

Her second home is at my parents farm where she spends a few afternoons a week when I am at work, she is spoilt rotten and loves every moment. She gets so excited her bum and tail all wag at the same time so fast she can hardly stand up!!!

She is now part of the family and has made herself very much at home, she is loved by us all very much and gives us a lot of joy.

We would just like to thank Hula for all their great work. They do a fantastic job come rain or shine and not forgetting all the volunteers that give up their time.

Love,
Helen & Colin
& Licks from Mo x

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MISSY

adopted June 2011

I came to HULA because my owner had to go into a home. At first, I was in a cage in a room on my own. I did not mind this too much. I was then moved into a bigger area with nine larger pens, and a lot more cats. This isn’t for me; I’ve always been on my own with my “Mum”.

Gradually I found it harder to cope. I got cross and started to pull my fur out, and to be nasty to the humans, who came to give me food and a clean litter tray. Not nice of me I know, but I was so unhappy, although they were very nice people and I was well fed, warm and dry and with two comfy beds.

Then I got lucky. One of the kind volunteers had to have their cat put to sleep because his kidneys didn’t work any more and she decided to foster me. I shouted all the way to the house. When we got there, she showed me where my food and dirt tray was. She made some tea, and ten minutes later, I was curled up on her husband’s knee. (There wasn’t a man in my previous home, so this is new for me).

I’ve been here for a week now and haven’t been nasty once to the humans. Hopefully they will adopt me so I can stay here for the rest of my life.

**************

My owners point of view:

Missy just needed a home with no other animals. When you are thinking of adopting an animal, do remember, many of them are frustrated and upset at their new surroundings and will probably be a totally different animal when they arrive in your home. Missy is now a really loving cat and only asks to be loved. She won’t be going anywhere.

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SAFFI (formerly Stella)

adopted July 2010

Hello to HULA from "Saffi",

My new hosts when they picked me up last year decided I looked more like a "Saffi" so that's what I now answer to, mostly in hope they might give me some more treats!



I spend most of my days asleep in various positions in and outside the house, with a few breaks from that hardship by loitering in the garden shrubs and on the lawn. I also love spending my time sitting on the wooden decking overlooking my new Kingdom - and as you can see I also like to look at the world upside down! I occasionally sneak into the conservatory and grab the best seat.


I am a bit nervous still and don't like to go outside of my own garden, but I have actually taken a couple of mini-adventures which has puzzled my new hosts to how I actually found my way back to the house - but that's my secret! I have decided the back garden is big enough for me and is especially exciting if next door's cat pitches up for a chat. I will catch him next time! Just off for another snooze….

Saffi

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LUCY & TESS

adopted December 2009

Lucy & Tess have both graduated from their dog training classes with flying colours and we can now walk them with confidence that they will return to us when called. Lucy still loves nothing more than to chase a ball, stick or frisbee, and now, after some mad moments in the park, Tess also enjoys chasing after a ball too...... and birds, and leaves and other dogs!!

Lucy is very sociable with any dog she meets and will happily share her ball or theirs, it doesn't matter who throws it, so long as it's thrown!! Tess. sadly, still has some issues when meeting strange dogs, and can sometimes be a little timid when meeting new people too, however, once met and established as friendly, she will happily roll over for her tummy to be tickled.

Both girls are adorable, and have settled in to our home really well, although at first they took great pleasure in chewing the settee over and above all the new toys they were bought which promised to distract them from the antic! Eventually the poorly sofa had to be dumped, and now they both realise that they are not, under any circumstances, to start on the other one.


They are both so affectionate, and are loved by us all so so much, they love their runs in the local park, and on the heath at Royston where we take them regularly. Thank you for allowing us to adopt them, I know we will have many years of fun and laughter with them ahead, they are truly part of the family..... even Honda the cat doesn't mind when Lucy decides to give her a wash!

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MAJOR

adopted 2008

Hello,

We adopted Major in June 2008. He has settled in well, although training has been a nightmare! He loves to play in the garden, loves all the baby rabbits and has taken an interest in the new rats.

He gets on well with friends and family. Walking him has, and I think will always be, complicated but I wouldn't swap him for the world.

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CHIPPY

adopted May 2010

Hello to everyone at HULA,

I met Chippy on a cold morning in February 2010 while I was at Hula to help walk the dogs. I went into Chippy's kennel to take him out for a walk. Chippy looked fed up and didn't seem that keen on venturing into the outside world. When I did take him out of his kennel, Chippy was lacking enthusiasm and he walked very slowly. I put this down to Chippy lacking confidence and because he was carrying a few extra pounds. During our regular weekend meetings Chippy showed a slow improvement in his confidence and he started to look forward to getting out of his kennel.


After several weekends of walking Chippy and giving husband William regular updates, I introduced William to Chippy, and we applied to adopt Chippy. After a short wait we found out that our application was successful, and Chippy became the latest addition to our family.


Chippy has settled really well, he is a very obedient dog. He has accepted all visitors despite his profile stating that he is wary of men. Thankfully this has never been a problem. He loves sitting on the rocking chair and enjoys playing with squeaky toys and his Kong. Chippy gets on well with our other dog Patch and Squeak the cat.

Chippy has given Patch a new lease of life. When our other dog Marble died in February 2009, Patch became less active but with Chippy in the house Patch is more active and he seems to be leading a more fulfilled life again.



Chippy loves sitting in the garden, enjoys being brushed, likes his walks and enjoys sitting on your lap for a cuddle. Chippy's special knack is knowing when the strawberries are ripe; last year he managed to get to most of the strawberries and eat them before we had a chance to pick them.

Thank you to everyone at Hula for the advice, support and time you've given William, myself and Patch throughout the adoption process.

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BOBBY & SCRAT

adopted February 2011

Hello,

Bobby and Scrat (Bobby Boy and Scrat Rat as they are usually called!) are doing really well since we adopted them. They are total live wires and are always on the go, they love being out of the cage and getting into mischief!! Hiding in our draws and making their great escape towards our girls cage are their favourite pastimes!

Bobby has been neutered too as he was a very grumpy and troublesome boy when we first got him, biting us non-stop and turning on Scrat too...... now he is one of the most loveable and playful rats we own.

Again we are most grateful to Hula for allowing such loveable boys into our lives!

Many thanks,

Kate & Stuart

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BOBBY (formerly Kevin)

adopted October 2010

Dear HULA,

We thought you might like to hear how Kevin (now renamed Bobby) is getting on. We adopted him in October 2010 and he has made himself right at home ever since. After hiding under the bed for a few hours it took a can of tuna to bribe him out and he has ruled the roost from there on.

He is the most spoilt member of the household and despite having two beds of his own around the house he still chooses to sleep on top of us most of the time. It took a little while (3 months!) to work out how to use the catflap, but eventually he got the hang of this and now likes to potter around the garden, sniffing flowers and watching the mice in the fields in the day.



In the evenings, he likes nothing better than to have a whole sofa to himself and occasionally has a mad five minutes running up and down the hall. He is an extremely affectionate cat and often waits for us for us at the front door to come home at the end of the day for a cuddle and bit of fresh chicken!

We cannot imagine life without him now and are very grateful to have him, he is a real part of the family.

Massive thanks to HULA for looking after him.

Love Bobby and the Haywards x

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MILLIE & BLUEBELL

adopted November 2010

Hello Everyone,

We adopted Millie and Bluebell in November 2010 and thought we would send you some updated pictures to let you know they are both settling in very well.

They are going out more and more exploring their new surroundings and stick together at all times. They do have the occasional scrap with each other but mostly enjoy being together.

Thank you for letting us adopt them.

from Mr and Mrs Newland and Katie

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SCOOBY

adopted June 2010

Hello Everyone,

We adopted Scooby around 9 months ago and just wanted to let you know how he is getting on. He's a very adorable boy and gets constant attention. He bonded with us almost instantly and wouldn't even let us go to the toilet alone!! He's gained a good amount of weight and has a little fat belly, though, that could be a lot to do with all the biscuits he manages to sneak past us!

He is very playful and always happy to go for a run on the farm and chase anything he can see. After around 3 weeks of having him in our home he tried to do 'The Great Escape', jumping out of the living room window and taking himself off for a walk in the fields, we think he must have got bored after a few minutes and came back!



We have moved to Gloucester to a bigger farm and he loves going to work with his Dad everyday. He is coming along wonderfully and we couldn't ask for anything more of him. In his pictures you can see how much he loves to play with sticks, or great big logs in this case, and how he is always posing for the camera.

Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to have him in our lives, he's a massive part of our family now and its like hes always been there.

Scott and Sarah x

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OSCAR & RIGGS (Kittens C & D)

adopted February 2011

Dear Hula,

We thought it would be nice to send you some pictures of Kittens C and D. We have renamed them Oscar (Kitten D) and Riggs (Kitten C) which I think suits them.

At first they were very nervous around us which is to be expected, but it didn't take them long to take over the house as they love having the run of the house.

They have now settled in very well, and are more relaxed around us you can see from the photo's.

We would like to say a big thank you to all of the staff who were very helpful throughout the adoption process.

Thanks again,

Claire & Dave

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TOBY

adopted April 2010

from the Toby Juggly

Hi guys, thought I would drop u a quick line about life on the outside. It's nearly been 12 months since I managed the great escape, it's taken this long but I can quite honestly say I have whipped these two into shape. Wat u guys need to do is get those tails wagging and look gooey eyed at the visitors and get yourselves adopted.

Life on the outside is briiliant, as much food as u can eat, regular excercise and as many hugs and kisses as u can stand and these two are a doddle. If u don't like wat they give u to eat just leave it in the bowl and after an hour she will replenish your bowl with something u fancy.

3 walks a day starting with 2 trips round the block ogling the white poodle on the corner followed by an afternoon trip to the park for a mega run. As long as I fetch it, these two will still throw it, some days I keep em there for hours just to let them know who is BOSS. I get back here for a lovely bed bath as a man can't sleep whilst all muddy and sweaty, then it's onto the settee for afternoon snooze.

I come to life for a couple of hours early evening, these two call it my mad hour, then after driving them mad for a couple of hours its snuggle up time to her on the settee. He tries to get on but after a few glaring looks he usually gives up and retires to the garage.

Then the absolute winner about 11pm she toddles off upstairs closely followed by me and then it's under the 13.5 rated duck down quilt. He usually pokes his head round the door about half hour later and I make it obvious I ent moving, hence he usually sculks off to the spare room leaving me and her sprawled out as snug as a bug in a rug for the rest of the night.

Life doesn't get any better and with persistance u can very soon twist them round your little paw and have them waiting on u paw and foot, so get them tails wagging and try and come and join me on the outside. As well as u are treated at HULA u cannot beat 24 hour central heating, a comfy leather settee, a fantastic duck down quilt and as much food as a man can eat.

Love u all and will keep u updated,

Toby Jug xxxxxxxxxxx

Now from them...

As described in the HULA literature Toby is a well mannered well behaved, quiet family pet.

Now for the truth..........he drives us mad, never a dull moment demands 24 hour attention and eats us out of house and home. We haven't had a day out alone in 12 months and he is as nutty as a fruitcake....... but have to say we adore him.

Next time u have got a neurotic, live wire, demanding, nutcase of a dog please don't contact us! lol

No honestly Toby has been absolutely wonderful and couldn't imagine our lifes without him. Well done HULA for all your hard work especially to Karina as Toby Jug thinks Karina's a princess and is sorry for catching her finger whilst playing with his beloved ball;))))) last time they met.

Will keep u all posted on Toby's progress and see u all when it gets a little warmer.

Love tez, jez and Toby Juggle xxxx

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MIMI

adopted October 2004

Me and my family adopted Mimi in October 2004 as my mum was very keen on getting a cat like she had when she was young, so we were looking for a tabby girl cat.

The first time we went to have a look around HULA the first cat I laid my eyes on was her and we all fell in love. She was extremely nervous when we first had her and she still is to this day but she is getting much better! I dont know how anyone could of given her up she is just such a lovely pet! She is very spoilt, always likes to be where me and my mum are usually on the computer watching us type stuff up or sitting on our laps in the lounge and loves her belly rubbed.

She loves to be tucked up in my bed during the day as she doesn't like going outside much and when she does go its for a maximum of 5 minutes.

Thank you so much for letting us adopt Mimi we all love her lots!

Laura and Family x


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HAMISH

adopted October 2001

I adopted Hamish from Hula in 2001, having been looking for a Greyhound! At the time I was single and living in Newport Pagnell, now married with a 4yr old son, Hamish is still part of the family. He has been a wonderful family pet, we are so lucky he has adapted to our changing circumstances brilliantly and is so patient and tolerant.

We always thought he was pretty useless at catching a ball/stick etc and he did have quite a few social hang ups! He would go mad at any vehicle that didn’t look like a conventional car (i.e. lorries, buses, vans, motorbikes), or people that varied from a conventional person shape (wearing a hat, carrying a fishing rod, on a horse or bike). But we put this down to possibly not being socialised as a puppy and did our best to correct this, however we had little success. Nevertheless Hamish came everywhere with us and had a very a happy life.

It wasn’t until 2007 when I was on maternity leave and had been moving furniture around a lot that I noticed Hamish kept bumping into things. A visit to the vets then took us to a specialist in Oxford, who as soon as we walked in the room said ‘I know what the problem is just looking at him’. He had Progressive Retinal Atrophy and had been going blind since he was about 18 months old.
This explained the problems with odd shaped things and not being able to catch a ball. We felt very guilty for making fun of his inability to catch! The vet said he only had about 5% vision left then and would only be able to make out shadows and vague shapes and this would deteriorate quickly to complete blindness. At this point Hamish was still able to find his way around outside brilliantly and would run around at speed without bumping into things, he was amazing. It was only a problem in confined, unfamiliar or poorly lit places.

Sadly his sight did go completely shortly after this, and gradually he finds it harder to find his way around. But despite being quite elderly and completely blind he is still a very happy dog, with a wonderful temperament whose greatest pleasure these days is eating!

We have been so lucky to have him as part of our family and thank HULA for introducing us!

The Froggatt Family

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SHEBA and MAX

Sheba adopted 2007 & Max adopted 2010

I adopted Sheba in January 2007 after she had been my foster dog. She became a permanent fixture after we lost our other dog. Sheba had not had a great start in life and after leaving another rescue had lived with an owner who couldn’t exercise/cope with her. After she became the only dog in our household she took on her role as protector of everything around her! I took her to training classes where she excelled but I couldn’t get her guarding behaviour under control. Instead of giving up on her, we have had to manage the situation and things now are so much better. She has a cage at home, which she loves and she is very spoilt when it comes to walks, chasing squirrels over Woburn is her favourite pastime. Sheba has always been excellent with other dogs so I used to walk her with other HULA dogs, as it gives them some much needed socialisation. In the past I have also bought other HULA dogs home with me, it gives them a break from the kennels and gets them used to the home environment again. Sheba is amazing as she tolerates any dog that I bring home and is not in the least bothered about sharing her toys, bed, treats and garden!!

In 2010, a German Shepherd/Collie cross called Max came in to HULA; he too had come from another rescue and been re-homed as his owner could no longer look after him. It was love at first sight for me and I started working with him. Max was finding it very difficult being in the kennels and became very stressed and anxious. So I started taking him on long walks with Sheba and he started staying at our home more and more. In July Max was lucky enough to find a home, but unfortunately it didn’t work out so he came back to live with us. Although we had no intention of having another dog I knew I had been given another chance and couldn’t let him go so in August we adopted him.

The good news is that Max and Sheba are inseparable, they are best friends in every sense of the word. Max is a wonderful dog, very gentle and loving and we have had no issues with him whatsoever. He goes to training classes at Lynne Davies and he is a superstar. Sheba has definitely become much calmer with him around and although she still needs to wear her muzzle when off lead, Max’s calmness is definitely rubbing off on her.

With all rescue dogs, lots of patience, consistency and understanding is required. I would always recommend people get a rescue dog, the commitment to these animals is always going to stretch us but the reward for you and your animals is always worth it in the end.

Sara

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JACK

Adopted October 2010

Hello All at Hula,

We adopted Jack rat on the 16th October 2010 and we wanted to give you an update on him.



Jack has fitted in with our family very well, he has made great friends with our boy rats Merlin and Rodney, as well as keeping an eye out for our girl rats! Jack loves cuddles in bed with us in the morning, he loves to be groomed and in the evening he runs freely with the boys, up and down ladders and in and out of tubes and trying to be a dinner thief (brussel sprouts a favourite)!



Jack is a truly gorgeous rat and we are very very grateful to be his new owners!

We would like to thank Hula with all our heart for the great work they do!

Kate, Stuart & Ratties

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MOUSEY (formerly Sharon)

Adopted May 2010

I would like to give you an update of the chinese hamster we adopted in MAY 2010. Back then she was known as Sharon but now goes by the name of Mousey.



She has become more confident and has been very spoilt. She is a quiet hamster and makes almost no noise - the loudest noise being when she drinks from her bottle. Which is a dream quality in comparison to a certain syrian hamster who lives next door to her. She has the cutest blink with her big black eyes and she looks very cute when she has just woken up. Mousey is quite particular about how her home is arranged and likes to redecorate on a daily basis.


Some of her pastimes include rolling a ping pong ball around her cage and running on her flying saucer. Mousey's latest achievement is learning how to climb up the stairs which she now does at lightening speed. Her favourite thing of all is burrowing under the wood shavings and making a daily mess. She is very fast and full of energy and for such a small animal she has a big personality.

Best wishes,

Priya

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MAX

Adopted December 2010

We thought you would like to see some pictures of Max and how he is settling in. He absolutely loved the snow and is going out for 4 walks a day.

He has a cheeky character and just loves lots of cuddles and fuss. He is getting on well with Starsky the rabbit - and the rabbit just ignores him!

He had a great xmas and got spoilt rotten! We are working hard at his training, he tends to jump up at the door on the very few times he is left on his own - but hopefully we can correct this.


Hope you enjoy the pictures and we will send some more soon.

Happy New Year to all the staff

Steve, Sue & Sarah

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MIA (formerly Diane)

Adopted September 2010

Hi,

I just wanted to send an update on Mia.

Mia's getting on really well, and has made a good friend in our dog Rosie. Mia always follows us on ours walks with Rosie and she loves it, they play lots together and like to sleep near each other too! :)

She loves her cuddles and loves the outdoors, always investigating smells and anything that moves she likes to stalk! She's also already made a feline friend with the ginger cat over the road! :)

She's made our home a happier one and is loved lots!

She's given me lots of laughs and hopefully there will be plenty more!

Mia says hi and thanks for looking after her! :)

Emma and Mia

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SHIRLEY

Adopted October 2010

Dear Hula,

Just to update you on Shirley. . .

We adopted Shirley in October 2010 and she has been with us now for four weeks and what a four weeks that has been! She has brought us endless energy, fun and love into our lives! As a five month-old puppy she bounces around and loves life and walks. She has been out and about with Steve on site visits to places such as Dunstable Downs (where she amused a whole crowd of people by spending ages leaping up and down chasing bubbles!), Stockgrove and Ashridge. I take Shirley for walks in the early mornings and it is always a real pleasure to watch Shirley running around our local fields with a real spring in her step and cheeky, loveable personality, looking over her shoulder to make sure I am there whenever she sprints off.

Wherever she goes everyone loves her and she is the centre of attention. She loves the children at our village school and is always getting loads of fuss and cuddles. We are kept busy taking her out and about but she equally loves lots of cuddles with her new mum and dad in front of the fire on the sofa! One of her favourite 'fun' things to do is to chase the pointer around on the computer screen (as she is doing right now!) and trying to bite and catch it.

Shirley is enjoying going to puppy training (week 3) and is doing very well and loving every minute of it! She is a quick learner and we are hoping in the future to get her involved with some agility activities.

She has a great spirit and is already a character and we love her to bits!

Lots of love from Steve, Eve and Shirley.

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ELLIE

Adopted June 2010

Dear Hula,

It’s been nearly 6 months since I brought Ellie home with me, and I’m thrilled to report we have both settled into our new life together fabulously!! I still can’t believe how Ellie has been through so many different homes in her 6 and a bit years and am so pleased to have found her and given her a home to rest her paws permanently.



Together we have enjoyed many hours of walking, playing and training. Ellie has shown me how much she loves water (after initial trepidation!), has modelled the latest in muddy paw-socks, has worked on her tolerance of other dogs in 'her' domain (to the point of sharing her bed with one handsome gentleman called Dekka!!) and generally won over the hearts of all who meet her.



In true spaniel style her tail barely stops wiggling; a true bundle of energy and exuberance which I think means she’s happy in her new home!

She is a real star and lights up my days as I hope I do hers. I can’t ever imagine being without her, I want to thank HULA enormously for giving her a chance with me and even more than that...

thanks to Ellie for putting her trust in another new owner x

Kathy

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JACK

Adopted November 2010

Hello to everyone at Hula,

Well Jack had a lovely trip home sitting on my lap for 2 1/2 hours, amazing how heavy he feels after that time.....lol.

We stopped for coffee and a bite to eat at a garage on the way home, me and Beverly managed the coffee but didn't get a look in on the sausage roll. Jack quite enjoyed that.

Jack has well and truly made himself at home, he's got a bed by the radiator in the kitchen and if he gets bored with that he wanders of to the dining room and has made himself at home on the sofa by the other radiator (that's where he is at the moment, out for the count). He had a manic bullie run earlier this afternoon, which was great to see. Amazing how he changes from a fragile looking oap into this mad fun filled bullie charging round the room at god knows what speed.

Thanks again for all your wonderful work and for letting us give Jack a forever home.

Paul & Beverly

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