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Interested in adopting a dog from us? The first step would be to email us to register your interest using the form at the bottom of this page. You may have seen a photo of a German Shepherd that catches your eye here on our website, or on social media, but remember, it is hard to get a good match just from a photo, although we do our best to give as much information as we can about the relevant dog. ​ Before proceeding you should consider whether German Shepherds are the breed for you. ​ We will ask you questions like who is in the home? Are there any children or elderly? Do you have any other animals/pets? Do you work? Do you have a secure garden? Have you ever had a German Shepherd before? Obviously, we will ask you if you are looking for a male or a female and which age bracket you are looking for. Once we have this information, we then do our best to pair you with the best match. For instance, if you have children, we will only home dogs with you that we know to happy in the company of children. If you have a cat/s then we will only home a dog that we think would cope with living with one. If you work, then we wouldn’t put a youngster there that is going to get bored easily and start wrecking your home. ​ Even though you may have seen a dog on our website or on social media that you like the look of, we may feel after discussing with you that the dog is not a suitable choice for you. Please don’t take this personally, it doesn’t mean we do not want you to have a dog from us. It is our duty to find the dogs in our care the best possible home that is suited to them. ​ Not all our dogs are on our website. We do our best to keep it updated but we are all volunteers so sometimes we get busy and do not always have the time. Or it might be that a dog is new in and we are assessing it before we put it on the website for re-homing. It is always best to make contact so we can help you find the dog you are looking for. ​ For us at German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund, it is more than rescuing dogs and re-homing them. It is about the dogs welfare for the rest of their lives. Because of this we are always striving to make the re-homing process run as smoothly as we can. It must always be about the dog. ​ Once we have found you your perfect match, we then ask that you come to visit the dog in question at least 3 times. It may be more if the dog has any issues. This is mainly so that the dog can get to know you before taking it home with you. We do not believe in sending our dogs off with strangers. It is traumatic enough for a dog to move home, so we like to make the transition as easy as we can. ​ We will carry out a home check. This is to check that you live where you say you do but mainly to check that your garden is secure. We do not care if you have carpets or curtains or designer furniture, we just need to know that our dog will be safe living with you. Whilst the home check is being carried out, the home checker will fill in a questionnaire which we will keep on file. ​ Once the home check is done and we feel we have the right dog for you, you will be asked to do a short online course. This consists of some reading with some relevant information about dog ownership followed by several questions. We’ve recently changed this course so that it’s more focused on adopting dogs. Once completed, you will be required to email it back to the course provider who will then issue you with a certificate. ​ Once you have received your certificate and you have visited the dog for the appropriate number of times, hopefully you will then be able to take your new best friend home with you. You will be allocated a liaison officer so you can come straight to us should you encounter any problems. We are always on hand should you encounter any issues, and we always like to hear how our dogs are doing. We have a Facebook group which we encourage you to join. We also have a Facebook group for behavioural and training problems where we have a qualified behaviourist on hand to help. ​ If you’re still interested in adopting our dogs, then please complete the form provided below. We look forward to hearing from you and good luck finding your perfect match! ​ PLEASE NOTE - AN ADOPTION FEE WILL APPLY Dogs for Rehoming ARLO Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is Arlo the handsome. I am currently entire and my previous owners felt I had some behaviour issues and even said I was vicious. I'm not at all - I am just a scaredy boy. I also had a freak accident resulting in a broken leg and the lovely welfare people let this heal first before working with me. Apparently despite the setback I have done well and have come on leaps and bounds. I do love water and the welfare people call me a water baby. ​ My ideal home would be with a man who lives alone and has time to continue to work with me. There shouldn't be any children or other pets in the household, but I could live with a female dog if properly introduced. BAILEY Located in Stamford, South Lincs My name is Bailey and I'm a 6/7 year old boy. I do get a bit worried if left alone so really would like a new home where someone will be around most of the time. ​ The rescue say they will help support adopters with my separation related anxiety. ​ I'm not keen on other dogs but am fine passing them on walks but I do need to be the only dog in the house. BEAR Located in Stamford, South Lincs My name is Bear and I am a 3 year old male. The rescue people say I'm a big softy once I get to know you. I worry about other dogs so I can be a bit reactive towards them so I need to be the only dog in the house. BRODIE Located in Clacton, Essex My name is Brodie and I'm a 6 year old boy. I love people and enjoy their company and only came into rescue due to a change in my owners circumstances. I don't like other dogs so will need to be the only dog in the family. ​ I did have serious ear problems when I arrived but I had surgery to close one ear and am fine now. It certainly doesn't hold me back. ​ CASPER Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Casper and I'm just a young lad. My previous owners said I was "stubborn" and wouldn't listen so didn't want me any more. Well apparently I am partially deaf which explains why I didn't seem to listen - I couldn't understand what they wanted! ​ Once I get to know you I am a really friendly boy. The rescue will provide adopters with support to communicate with me so I understand you better. DIESEL Located in Stamford, South Lincs My name is Diesel and I am a 2 year old boy. I was previously a failed police dog - I failed because I wouldn't show any aggression. I am a very busy boy and will require someone who has time to spend with me, provide plenty of mental stimulation and have experience of German Shepherds. I am a bit reactive towards other dogs so need to be an only dog. My new home should be able to provide quiet areas for my exercise, away from other dogs. The rescue say no cats or children either. DIESEL Located in Clacton, Essex My name is Diesel and before coming to welfare I had been a stray. They found me a new home but brought me back after just a week. Apparently I am a real sweetheart but I don't like other dogs. I am looking for a quiet home with experienced people who understand I would prefer not to see other dogs. DEXTER Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is Dexter and I am an 18 month old male. My previous owners found I wasn't keen on other dogs. I can be a bit nervous and so I react to other dogs. I love people though once I get to know them. I am looking for a pet free and child free home. Come and visit me a few times and once I know you I will love you forever. FREDDIE Located in Clacton, Essex My name is Freddie and I am approximately 3 years old. I love other dogs but can be a bit nervous when I first meet new people. After a few visits we will be friends forever. GHOST Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is gorgeous Ghost is around and I am a 4-5 year old male. I had some issues with his stomach but it is easily managed with the right diet and things have really settled down now. I walk well on harness and lead and ignore other dogs out on walks. GLORIA Located in Clacton, Essex My name is Gloria the beautiful! I am around 2.5 years old. I found myself in rescue due to health issues. The rescue found I suffer from EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency), but at present I am also being treated for SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth). I am responding well and putting on lots of weight but I will probably need medication for life, which will be paid for by GSD Welfare Fund. I can be quite boisterous and have lots of energy. For this reason I really need a home that is child and cat free. I really enjoy physical and mental stimulation, so nice sniffy walks and lots of enrichment are the way to go for me. HECTOR Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk Hi, my name is Hector. I am around a year old. I was rescued along with my Mum and four siblings. We were in a terrible state and lived in awful conditions. I was really stinky and covered in filth. We all responded well once we were taken into rescue. The rescue say I am a lovely lad to spend time with but adopters will need to be mindful that the conditions of my formative months are such that issues could arise in the future. With this consideration and like my siblings, I should be the only dog in the household. I have lived with children but not cats. HUGO Located in Sleaford, South Lincs Hey fans. My name is Hugo the hunk. I am around 3 years old. I have previously lived with children and my previous owners said I could be reactive to other dogs. The rescue say I have been a star since being with them but suggest I should have a home where there are no other dogs. I love people and I love my toys. I could live with older children. JESSIE Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is jolly Jessie and I am around 4 year old. I was taken to the rescue following a failed attempt at rehoming by my original owners. I was returned to them very underweight but I am now the perfect weight again since coming to the rescue. I love people and love some affection but apparently I do pull on lead. The rescue people say I need to get out and about to calm, quiet places to help build my confidence and expand my experiences. KALI Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is Kali and I'm just a young girl. I get a little worried around strangers but soon come around once I get to know you. A few visits will be needed but I will be your forever companion once I know you. KARMA Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Karma and I am around 9 years old. The rescue people say I am a lovely girl. I love playing and still have plenty of energy for my age but I am not keen on other dogs so need to be the only dog in the house. KERRIE Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk FOSTER NEEDED We are seeking a foster carer for sweet Kerrie. She is about 10 years old, and is a short coated black and tan female. Kerrie came to us as a cruelty case from the RSPCA along with her daughter. She was in a dreadful state, both physically and mentally. It proved difficult to approach her, and we had to work patiently to bring her with us without causing further distress. ​ It will need to be a quiet home with no other pets and very few visitors. Someone who lives on their own or a couple would be ideal. Kerrie doesn't need lots of walks. In fact, she would be happier with some time to potter about and sniff in a garden and a cosy bed in the house. ​ Kerrie is on medication for her aches and pains but the medication would be supplied by us and we will cover her food costs. Ideally her foster carers would live within an hour of Mildenhall so we can continue to support. Kerrie is quite nervous but once she gets to know you she will be your best friend. Space, time and patience are important factors in allowing suc h traumatised dogs to find themselves again. ​ KIA Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is clever Kia. I am a working line sable girl. I do have a high prey drive and I am always very busy. When I can slow down I love affection although I also love my toys too! I need a home that can give me lots of calm exercise opportunities and calm stimulation as I am a busy girl. I do need help to relax and the rescue are working with me on this. I love being groomed but I am sure the blaster is a fabulous toy to chase and bite. My ideal home would be a with someone who can provide the exercise and stimulation I need. KIRA Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is pretty Kira. I am just a young girl who finds myself looking for a new home. I love travelling in the car and settle really well. I do enjoy sniffy walks. I have lived with a cat previously so with sensible introductions I could live with dog savvy cats. ​ I'm not a fan of dogs being too close to me but if you find me a bit of space, I can easily walk past dogs on the other side of the road with no problem. ​ I can be a little worried about fast moving vehicles, especially the noise they make so I do prefer quieter walks, avoiding very busy fast roads. LEO Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is lovely Leo. I am around 3-4 years old. I am quite a nervous boy but have come on in leaps and bounds since being in the care of the rescue. I would suit a quiet home where I can be given time to settle and get to know my new adopters properly. LEVI Located in Clacton, Essex My name is Levi and I am around 18 months. I am a long coated male. The rescue say I am a lovely boy but I can be quite strong, boisterous and easily get too excited. The rescue people say no other dogs, children or cats in the home as I am very bouncy. Nice slow, sniffy, calm walks will help me. LEXI Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is Lexi and I am a 6 year old girl. I have previously lived with children and other dogs so with careful introductions and a few visits I could potentially live with another dog or children. I love people once I get to know them. LILLEY Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is luscious Lilley and I am around 8 years old. I love affection and interaction once I get to know you. I can get a bit frustrated with barriers and will bark but it is quite easy to distract me from this. ​ I love going for quiet walks that expand my limited experiences. As my confidence grows I can go to slightly busier places but I do need to be the only dog in the house. ​ Once I get to know you I will be the most wonderful companion you could wish for. LOKI Located in Stamford, South Lincs My name is Loki and am around 3-4 years old. I absolutely love people. I previously lived with another dog but we had lots of disagreements so I need a home where I will be the only dog (and not cats). I could potentially live with older children. LOLA Located in Stamford, Lincolnshire My name is Lola and I am around 4 years old. I absolutely love people and being around them. I am not keen on other dogs but can pass them when out on walks with no issues. The rescue people say I really do have the most beautiful nature. LUNA Located in Stamford, Lincolnshire My name is Luna and I am around 3 years old. I came into rescue because I didn't get on with the other resident dog. Because of this I need to be the only dog in the house. I am worried by men and loud noises too. ​ LUNA Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is lovely Luna. I am a young sable girl. Before I was surrendered to rescue I was sent to residential training to try to make me like other dogs! They used lots of harsh and horrible methods on me! As a result, when I arrived here, I was really worried about hands, being touched, being groomed or having my collar put on or off. ​ I have been working really hard and can now indicate when and where I would like affection. I love having my harness on and going for sniffy walks. The rescue people say I am a delight to take on walks. I love travelling in a car and settle down to look out the window and watch the world go by. I do enjoy affection now once I know you and am even happy being brushed and groomed in small sessions. I have even started doing some man trailing sessions and they say I am excellent at it. ​ I am not keen on most other dogs and would need to be the only dog in the house but on walks, if given enough distance I can just have a quick look and then happily walk by other dogs. The rescue people say they are looking for someone with the patience to help me truly blossom. I do worry about busy roads as fast moving or very noisy vehicles worry me but I am happy walking along quieter roads. ​ The rescue will also provide ongoing support if needed so ideally adopters would live within reasonable travelling distance of Sleaford/Holbeach. MACY Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Macy and I was a lockdown puppy, born 20/05/2020. Due to my limited socialisation and nervousness I can be very reactive with people, dogs, cats, and other animals. I totally trust those who care for me but multiple visits will be needed for me to get to know you. I really need a child free home where I am the only dog. My adopters will need patience and empathy to help me settle and blossom. MARLEY Located in Clacton, Essex My name is Marley and I am around 3-4 years old. I am a happy female and not bothered about other dogs. I love people and really enjoy their company. MARTHER Located in Stamford, Lincolnshire My name is Marther and I was found abandoned. The rescue think I am around 2-3 years old. I absolutely love people and enjoy being around them. I have a lively and friendly nature, despite having had a few operations on my paw, which has healed well. I do need to be the only dog in the house as I can be reactive towards other dogs but apparently I truly make up for this with my beautiful nature. MAX Located in Clacton, Essex My name is magnificent Max and apparently I am a handsome 4 year old sable male. I love to interact with humans and once a bond is made I am so happy to just spend time with you. I would prefer to live in a pet free home but would be fine with children over 10 years old. MAX P Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk I am called Max P and am around 8 years old. I can be a bit of a wary boy around new people and can take a while before I am able to interact with people until I get to know them. The rescue people say I need an experienced home who will go slowly with me. MICKY Located in Clacton, Essex My name is mighty Micky. I am a 7 year old male who has had to come back to welfare after my owner tragically passed away. I could potentially live with another large dog, although they would need to be female. Unfortunately, I've had a few bad experiences with other dogs and it has affected my behaviour with them so I can be reactive on walks. I am excellent with people and children, but not with cats. MILLIE Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is Millie the magnificent, and am a short coated black and tan female German Shepherd. I was originally bought from the free ads, but they quickly realised they couldn't cope with me, so rehomed me with a relation. Sadly, within a few days of being with the relation, I had a fight with the resident dog. I was put out in the garden, and so the rescue took me in as an emergency. I can be quite nervous now, and need to gain confidence which I am doing very gradually. I need a new home where they will give me time and space to continue that progress. Due to my previous experience I do need to be the only dog and no other pets. Children should be over 10 so they don't overwhelm me. MILLIE Located in Sussex My name is pretty Millie and I'm around 2 years old. I have been in foster care with the rescue after being taken to a vets to be euthanised as my owners no longer wanted me. I did have a few issues when I first arrived but have come on in leaps and bounds. I need to meet new people many times and at my pace. If you allow me to do this I will quickly become best friends with you. I can be reactive on lead to other dogs, but am working on this I currently live happily with older steady male GSD so can be homed with similar. I learn quickly and have been to basic life skills training classes. I am not troubled by domestic appliances, traffic, fireworks or thunder and I travel very well in the car, settling immediately. I am loving and loyal to my foster family of humans and their friends who I know. I can be boisterous but that is typical of my age and working lines. I would benefit from “sniffy” walks and being able to use my brain. Agility/flyball and such activities would get me too ramped up. I have not spent time with children so I would prefer to live in a child free home. No cats or small furries. I am excellent at the Vets and Groomers. MISSY Located in Clacton, Essex My name is little Missy an I am around 14 months old. I am rather nervous of people when I first meet them and will often bark but once I get to know you I love your company. I have previously lived with children, and am good with other dogs but I will need slow introductions. MURPHY Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Mr Murphy (or Mr Fluffy Bum as some of the rescue people call me). I am around 3 years old and absolutely ready for my new home. I am a gentle calm boy who would love an armchair or sofa to chill on. I love, quiet, slow, sniffy walks and I give the most amazing snogs. I can be calm around ducks and even squirrels! I would prefer a quieter environment and can happily amuse myself if you are busy, and I do like a good snuggle and tummy rub too. I can walk past other dogs with a little distance and encouragement but can be socially awkward with small or male dogs in particular if they come too close. I have been known to say hi to the female dogs at the kennels! I have ignored other dogs in the veterinary clinic with a little encouragement too. I walk beautifully on harness and lead and my favourite activity is travelling in a car. I would make someone a fabulous travelling companion. I would be best as the only dog in the house as I get very worried by other dogs. Although I can shout at some dogs if they come too close, I just flop down and freeze if they jump on me! It doesn't make me feel good when this happens so I would like someone who will take me for quieter walks and help keep other dogs away. I am good with people and could live with older children but I am happier in a calm environment. I really do not like horses though! MYLA Located in Sleaford, Lincolnshire My name is little Myla and I am approximately 2.5 years. I am a dinky little girl and was originally bought as a playmate for the resident dog. Unfortunately the resident dog did not like me. Because of this, the rescue would not want to put me in that situation again even though it wasn't my fault so are looking for a home where I will be the only dog. I could go out for walks with other dogs though. The rescue people say I am like a little bear cub - a dinky girl. I love my walks and would make someone a fabulous companion. Sadly black dogs are overlooked and I have been here too long but apparently I am a real sweetheart. ​ I love meeting people and will calmly interact with them. I also love to play with people and I could probably live with children over 10 years old (I might accidentally knock toddlers over). ​ I am very happy to meet calm friendly dogs when we are out walking and love travelling in the car. I love sitting on benches with humans and watching the world go by. ​ NALA Located in Stamford, South Lincs My name is Narla and I am a sable girl. I came into rescue care when the kennel that was taking care of me closed down and I had nowhere to go. I do prefer the company of men to women but once I get to know you after positive introductions I will really warm to you. ​ I am a very loving a loving girl and have so much to give to the right home. I need an understanding adopter that will not rush me and I will repay you with so much loyalty. I am just 2 year old. RAMSEY Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is ravishing Ramsey and I was born 30th May 2017. I am a short coated dark sable male. I am vaccinated, chipped and castrated. I can be a boisterous loveable rogue who adores playing with toys. I am good with people, but not so good with other dogs. I can be quite strong on the lead although I am quick and keen to learn. I am bred from working lines so will need to be kept busy. Unfortunately, I was involved in an incident before coming to rescue. I was on lead when another dog ran over to me, and a fight broke out. The owner of the offending dog ran over to separate us and got bitten in the process. I got the blame. The victim of the bite went to court and the court has set restrictions. I must be kept on a lead and must be muzzled at all times when in the public domain. As you can see from the photo, I love cream cheese which I got when getting used to wearing a muzzle. RALF Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Ralf and I am approximately 2 years old. I came to rescue when I was around 10 months old when I was found as a stray. I am a lovely boy but do have a few issues. Silly things like a hose being turned on or filling a bucket of water can send me in a frenzy. When I get into a frenzy I can mouth and grab. I then find it hard to calm down. Ball games and high energy games are not the way forward with me as I need calm activities. RANGER Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Ranger and I am around 6 years old. My previous owner was working long hours and I began to get separation related anxiety. I am doing well with this in kennels and can be left on my own for short periods. I walk well on harness and lead and can pass other dogs with no issues. I might react if they bark at me though. I can be a little worried about people on bikes. ​ I do take a little while to warm to you but am fine around strangers. Once I get to know you, we will be best buddies. I love being groomed and getting affection from you. REUBEN Located in Stamford, South Lincs My name is Reuben and I am around 3 years old and I've been here a while now. I came from an awful situation but the rescue won't go into too much detail about that. As a result, I can be quite unsure and it takes me a while to get to know you and relax around you. However, once I do know you well, we will be best friends for life. ROCKY Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk Hello fans, my name is Rocky. I am around 3 years old and am told I am very handsome. Apparently I had a few issues when I arrived, relating to anxiety but I have come on leaps and bounds now. On a first meeting I might take a while to warm to you, although once I knows you we will be good friends. I do need a home as the only dog and no children so I don't feel anxious again. SHADOW Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is Mr Shadow and I am around 8-9 years old. Apparently I am handsome and majestic! I love food, walks, and affection and will give you my all if you give me some treats. I can pass other dogs on walks with no issues and am ok travelling in a car and apparently I walk beautifully on my harness and lead. I do enjoy playing with toys and enjoy some calm enrichment. SHADOW Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Miss Shadow. My date of birth is 08/08/2022. Life hasn’t always been great for me and due to this I am quite nervous. I love my raw food more than dry food. Due to my nervous disposition I don’t trust new people and I take a while to build a bond. I don’t think i was very well socialised when I was a youngster which has held me back. When I first arrived, my weight wasn’t great and my coat was extremely matted. In time I’m sure my nervous disposition will improve. I am also learning how to play in a calm way. SIMBA Located in Stamford, South Lincs My name is Simba and am around 3-4 years old. Unfortunately I wasn’t socialised correctly and had started to react to people and dogs. This was purely out of uncertainty and not through aggression. I am looking for a nice quiet home and an adopter that will give me time to work at my own pace. Once I get to know you I will be your best buddy. Advice will be given to the right adopter in how to continue to develop my confidence. SIMBA Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Simba and I am a 6 year old male. I do take a while to get to know you and can appear rather aloof to begin with. I need to be the only dog in the house and will need some calm enrichment. SMUDGE Located in Clacton, Essex My name is Smudge, and I am a happy 9 year old female. I am generally good with people and do well with other dogs. Unfortunately, I am worried about children, and so would need a home without anyone under 16 years of age. No cats please! SONNY Located in Clacton, Essex My name is Sonny and I am around 3-4 years old. I was a very nervous boy when I arrived but have improved considerably. I will need multiple visits while I get to know you and the rescue say my adopter should be someone who is experienced and can give me lots of time and patience to help me adjust. ​ TARA Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is terrific Tara. I am a bit bouncy, happy, friendly, loving dog but I don't really like other dogs so need to be the only dog in the house. I absolutely love my food a great deal and care needs to be taken when feeding. I am not keen on baths but enjoy being groomed and absolutely loves to play. Affection is rather lovely too. TED Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Ted, Teddy, Teddy Bear or Tedster. Honestly, these humans! I am around 8 - 9 years old. I have a very long coat so anyone thinking of adopting me will need to consider the amount of grooming I need. I'm not a big fan of grooming but will happily let you brush me in small stages. ​ I love affection and once I get to know you I will be the perfect companion. TEDDY Located in Cleaveland My name is handsome Teddy. I am a dark long coated 3 year old male. Apparently I was very barky and standoffish when I first arrived but since then have settled well and am now ready for adoption. ​ I am very food motivated which could be a good thing for future training purposes. Once I am comfortable around you I like to be with you but initially I might still be a little worried. It takes me time to build trust even after getting to know you so a little extra patience may be needed. ​ I haven't shown any aggression towards other dogs since I have been with the rescue but I haven't been tested with cats. I did previously live with other dogs and am neutered. ​ TESHA Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is terrific T esha and I am around 18 months old. I could live with a male dog and have previously lived with children. ​ UNA Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is Una and I am only a young girl. I adore humans. I am better around male dogs than females and can interact really well through a barrier. If I have enough distance I can ignore other dogs on walks. I love my toys and love them even more if humans will play with me and my toys. ​ I can get frustrated quite quickly and will bark at passing cars. I used to grab things like hard rocks or stones to bite on but this is slowly improving with distance and the use of a toy. I don't travel well in the car as I do like to shout an opera at you the whole time, even though I am happy to jump in the car. The rescue people are working with me on this. I would make someone a wonderful companion but my adopter would need to be experienced and someone who can continue working with me. Ideally it would be someone fairly local so the rescue can provide ongoing support if needed. VIRGIL Located in Mildenhall, Suffolk My name is Virgil and I am around 2 years old. I was relinquished to rescue because I had become reactive and my previous family couldn’t cope with me. I am just worried about strangers. ​ I have come on in leaps and bounds since being in rescue but I will a home that is not too busy and with someone who will take the time to understand me. I would be best suited as an only dog and definitely no cats. WILLOW Located in Sleaford, South Lincs My name is little Willow and I am approximately 18 months old. When I first arrived in rescue as a very young puppy, around 4 months old, I was incredibly fearful and wouldn't let anyone get near me. I have made huge progress and with slow, careful introductions I soon get used to new people. ​ I do need an experienced, adult only home to continue with my confidence building. It is important that there are no visiting children either as I had bad experiences with children as a puppy. The home needs to be quiet with few visitors I take time to get to know new people. ​ I will need quite a few visits to get to know you but once I do , I will be incredibly affectionate and fun to be with. I walk beautifully on harness and lead and am happy sniffing, observing people and other dogs or just walking along with you. ​ Ideally, potential adopters will live within a reasonable travelling distance to Sleaford/Holbeach so the rescue can provide ongoing support if needed. ADOPTION QUERY FORM First name Last name Email Phone Address Is your garden secured with fencing at least 6ft (1.82m) tall and without gaps? Yes No Do you share a garden with other dwellings? Yes No How many children are in your household? How many children are under the age of 10? Are there pets already in the household? If so, please provide types and numbers. How many hours per day, on average, will the dog be left alone? How much experience have you had with the breed? As a guide 'Some' would indicate living with a single GSD for less than a year or so. 'Extensive' would mean having cared for one or more over multiple years. None Some Extensive Please enter the name and location of the dog you are enquiring about Please make sure that you have read and understand the adoption process. Use the checkboxes to confirm you understand these key processes (others may apply depending on the dog). All stages have to be completed to adopt one of our dogs. Home visit Three or more dog meetings Online Course How did you hear about us? Friend/Word of Mouth Social Media Web Search Other Submit Thank You! We'll be in touch shortly!

We were asked to help a young GSD and her 7 tiny puppies. The puppies and their very young Mum Dahlia developed parvo which is life threatening. They needed urgent medical attention. Our bill is over £20,000. Sadly only one little girl, Miss Pink has made it. We are grieving for the loss of the mum and the other 6 pups while trying to raise the money to pay the bill. ​ ​ ​ ​ Miss Pink Now called Lucy Dahlias case was heart-breaking and naturally we are all upset by it but there are so many more cases and things that go on behind the scenes here at welfare that regularly break our heart. Here is just one example. Lexi had been starved and tied to a tree and came to us in an emaciated state. We immediately took her to the vet where she had a number of tests. She had deficiencies that she was being treated for but she still wasn’t improving as we had hoped. The vet warned us that starvation can cause organ damage. We had her back to the vet again recently for more tests etc and tweaked her meds. Sadly she was rushed back to the vet’s with internal bleeding. The vet told us that with all her problems she would never recover and the kindest thing to do was to let her go. Given the nightmare we have been enduring this wasn’t an easy option to follow but we had to do what was right for Lexi. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ When she arrived In our care Rescue is in crisis. We really can’t take any more dogs. Every day we take a minimum of 5 calls asking us to take their dog. They are under some illusion that we can find a dream home on a farm where it doesn’t matter that the dog has bitten and doesn’t like people. I think this eases their guilt. But it doesn’t ease our guilt when we have to say no and they reply they will euthanise these dogs. Dahlia represents all these dogs that have been let down. All these dogs that are treated so badly and discarded. All these dogs that people turn a blind eye to and scroll by on Facebook. Dahlia can be their voice. If she can be their voice then her short sorry life will not be in vain. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ We have merchandise on sale with this picture on. Hopefully, by purchasing something from the “mother’s love” range we will keep Dahlia's memory alive and will remember everything that this photo stands for. It will help raise funds not only to pay the vet bills but to help dogs like Dahlia, like Lexi and like the little girl that hid at the back of the kennels in bewilderment that broke our hearts and the world knew nothing about. We are currently running an auction and there are a number of items with Dahlia's rainbow photo on as well as some amazing goods that people have kindly offered. You can find the auction page here on Facebook. National Animal Rescue Appreciation Week

Can you help? With over 100 dogs currently in our care, we are more in need of your support than ever before! On this page we list the various ways that you can help, and if you’re aware of others then please let us know. The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund receives no public funding and is reliant upon the generous donations of its supporters. We are all volunteers and so draw no salaries or recompense for our time. The only common deductions from donations are the transaction fees from the platform, typically PayPal, and they charge a reduced percentage compared to their commercial terms. ​ All support is gratefully received and contributes to the well-being of the dogs in our care. Whether you adopt one of our dogs, make a donation, or volunteer your help directly – it all combines to allow us to continue our mission of rescuing vulnerable German Shepherd Dogs ("GSD"), providing their care and rehabilitation, and ultimately finding new homes for them, or if necessary providing a home for them ourselves. Adoption The ultimate goal for any of the dogs we rescue is to set them up in a new, loving home and so enable them to live a life they deserve, and not the one they’ve suffered. We have an established process to ensure the best possible match between the dog and their new family. ​ If the dog has complex medical needs then we can help with advice and financial support. If the dog has certain behaviours then appropriate restrictions will be required for the safety and comfort of you and the dog. ​ Taking in a dog and aiding them in rehabilitating into a new life is incredibly rewarding. ​ PLEASE NOTE - AN ADOPTION FEE WILL APPLY Fostering As a rule, we do not use foster homes. We have done so in the past and encountered various issues. In the main we’ve found greater success to have the dogs in the selected kennels to be cared for. This gives the carers who are very experienced with German Shepherds, time to assess them. When we home a dog, we try to ensure we are matching it to the right home. We cannot do this if we have not spent time with the dog. Because our dogs are so well cared for in our selected kennels, they settle well and are very happy. ​ However, sometimes we may have a dog who doesn't settle very well in a kennel environment, but may thrive much better in a loving home. Occasionally dogs may have had veterinary treatment, so again would recuperate much better in the home. ​ Although we do not use them that often, it can be difficult to find a fosterer at short notice. If you think you could help, then please contact via gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com . Please write the subject as: German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund Fostering in your email. Veterinary bills will be paid for by the German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund. All we ask you for is your love and compassion. Become a Member The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund relies solely on donations, memberships, merchandise, and fundraising activities to fund the work we do. We have to raise enough money to cover the costs of kennelling the German Shepherd dogs rescued by us and pay their often expensive veterinary fees and medication. By becoming a member you will be helping the dogs rescued by The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund. As a member, you will receive a quarterly copy of our newsletter – Dogsbody. It keeps you updated with our news, the latest on the dogs, items of interest and other fun stuff. On top of that you will be helping us to continue to help those wonderful dogs of our beloved breed that are in need. Sponsor a Dog Some of the German Shepherd dogs rescued by us have very little chance of being re- homed. This may be because of illness, or because they are old, or simply because they do not get on with other dogs. ​ The older or sick dogs may be lucky enough to find a foster home but The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund continue to pay for their vet bills and medication. The other dogs that are not lucky enough to be fostered have to be housed in commercial kennels, presenting us with large kennel bills. ​ We operate a “Sponsor a German Shepherd” scheme where you can sponsor one of these dogs and receive quarterly newsletters from them. The money raised helps us to continue to care for them whether they be in a foster home or kennels. Sponsorship costs just £20 a year. It makes a perfect gift for your dog loving friends and gives you the satisfaction of knowing you are helping a German Shepherd Dog in need. ​ To see all of our dogs that you can sponsor, click here to go straight to our "Permanent Residents" page. Join the Friends of GSD Welfare Becoming a Friend of GSD Welfare not only helps support us in our mission to rescue, care for, and rehome vulnerable German Shepherds – it also unlocks a wealth of exclusive content and access. For only £3 per month you’ll receive the following perks *: ​ Exclusive access to the Facebook Friends of GSD Welfare group Monthly Q&A session with Lisa Hird, our resident behavioural expert Special monthly guest speakers Monthly Hot Potato topics discussing GSD Welfare Fund and beyond Opportunity to commission your own custom Friends of GSD Welfare badge ​ ​ Join now by setting up your £3 (more is always welcome!) by setting up a standing order with your bank (our account details below) or by recurring payment via PayPal (gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com ) using "friends" as a reference but please also email us so we can send you the link. ​ Account Name: German Shepherd Welfare Fund Bank: Barclays Account No: 70254622 / Sort Code: 20-34-69 ​ ​ Donations There are several ways to donate to The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund: ​ Bank Transfer If you’d like to donate via a bank transfer then please email gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com for details. ​ PayPal You can donate to us directly via PayPal using the donate button below. Gift Aid can be added if you’re a UK taxpayer, and if you’d like to set up a monthly donation then that option is available too. PayPal donations can be sent as a one off donation, or you can set up a monthly donation. You can also add Gift Aid (UK tax payers only) to your donation. ​ P ayPal QR Code PayPal QR codes are a simple and effective way to make a donation with your mobile device. Point your device’s camera at the QR code and the PayPal app will provide the relevant details to make a donation. ​ Your device’s camera app will usually recognise and respond to a QR code. If it doesn’t then a dedicated QR code reader app will need to be installed. The PayPal app is also needed. You can also save the QR code to share with people you think would be interested in supporting us. QR code donations work in the same way as regular donations, so can be set up monthly as well. ​ ​ ​ P ayPal Give at Checkout PayPal allows you to choose your favourite charity and it will then offer you the chance when you checkout of also donating £1 to us. It doesn’t sound a lot, but it soon mounts up! There are two ways to select your favourite charity: ​ Log in to PayPal and once your Dashboard loads, scroll down and you will see the option to select or change your favourite charity. ​ Log in to PayPal and then go to our charity profile page here – https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/190665 and then on our profile page click the ‘Set as favourite charity’ button. ​ By Cheque We are also grateful to receive donations by cheque. Please make payable to The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund and send to: ​ German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund 334 Smeeth Road, Marshland St. James, Wisbech, Cambs. PE14 8EP Online More and more of us do at least some of our shopping online, and there’s also a range of different programmes that generate donations while you shop online. Some are specific to a store, and others cover a range of popular online stores. In most cases it takes just a few minutes to set up, but they all come at no cost to the user and some have apps that prompt you while shopping so you don’t miss a chance to donate. Individually the donations can be quite small (some schemes are more generous than others), but they quickly mount up and the more supporters that sign up for them, the more beneficial it is for us. The various schemes we are enrolled with are listed below, and we’re happy to hear about any new schemes we can get involved with. ​ Easy Fundraising www.easyfundraising.org.uk You can help The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund raise money to help our rescued German Shepherds every time you shop on the internet simply by signing up to Easy Fundraising without it costing you a penny! It is very simple. Just visit the website and register and choose “German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund” as your cause. Each time you are going to shop online, visit the easyfundraising website and select your retailer i.e. Amazon, Argos, Tesco, Asda, Debenhams, M&S (I was surprised at how many retailers there was to choose from). ​ You will still be buying direct from the shop you select but because you go via easyfundraising, the retailer will make a donation to Welfare. It does not cost you an extra penny, in fact you can even save money with their special offers and voucher codes ​ Amazon Wish List We have a range of treats and useful items which people can purchase from our Amazon Wish List which always go down well with our furry residents. You will need to have our address listed as one of your alternative delivery addresses. ​ https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/21IWONBIBL8WT?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwAR0smGt4ff-7ZFjwR8A7JNWE_9fD0SqqverTF_0kLzVtKax4mWyncJlrvJ0 ​ Please use this address for deliveries: German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund 334 Smeeth Road, Marshland St. James, Wisbech, Cambs. PE14 8EP ​ GSD Welfare Fund Auctions We also have a Facebook group for holding auctions, and there’s some very cool items that pop up on there from time to time. ​ https://www.facebook.com/GSDWelfareFundAuctions ​ If you’d like to auction an item to raise money for us, then please get in touch. ​ GSD Welfare Fund Store We are currently in the process of setting up an online store which will sell a small range of GSD and GSDWF merchandise.

Hello For us at German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund, it is more than rescuing dogs and re-homing them. It is about the dogs welfare for the rest of their lives. Because of this we are always striving to make the re-homing process run as smoothly as we can. It must always be about the dog. ​ Once we have found your perfect match, we then ask that you come to visit the dog in question at least 3 times. It may be more if the dog has any issues. This is mainly so that the dog can get to know you before taking it home with you. We do not believe in sending our dogs off with strangers. It is traumatic enough for a dog to move home, so we like to make the transition as easy as we can. ​ We will carry out a home check. This is to check that you live where you say you do but mainly to check that your garden is secure. We do not care if you have carpets or curtains or designer furniture, we just need to know that our dog will be safe living with you. Whilst the home check is being carried out, the home checker will fill in a questionnaire which we will keep on file. ​ PLEASE NOTE - AN ADOPTION FEE WILL APPLY There are a number of things to consider when deciding on the right breed for your family. German Shepherds are a breed that have specific requirements to ensure they are a happy, healthy, and well-rounded dog. Whilst there are breed specific characters to consider, as with any breed, each dog is an individual, with different drives and physical needs. However, there are some basic requirements relevant to all German Shepherds that should be considered when first deciding if they are the right breed for your family: TIME - Do you have the time and effort to put training into your German Shepherd? This is an ongoing requirement, not just when they are a puppy. Every moment spent with your German Shepherd is a training moment. German Shepherds want to be around their people most of the time, they do not do well locked outside in a backyard with little interaction. They will start to show signs of stress which will affect their behaviour. They require ongoing training and commitment and to build a bond with their caregiver. SOCIALISATION - German Shepherds are prone to antisocial behaviour if not regularly exposed to different scenarios and situations. They require regular socialisation with other dogs in a controlled and safe environment, they need to have positive experiences with different types of animals, people, vehicles, places, and objects. By the same token, flooding a German Shepherd/any dog can cause them to stress and display reactivity. Get to know your dog. Learn some of the stress signals so you can recognise. Flooding is a form of “socialising”. For instance, you decide to socialise your GSD with other dogs and you take him to the park. There are plenty of dogs there for him to meet. Whilst this may sound like the ideal plan, in reality it may overwhelm your dog. If we miss the signals, and carry on “socialising”, it could have the opposite effect to the one we are expecting. Your dog may become reactive, because his previous attempts at communication (stress signals) were ignored. COST - German Shepherds can live for on average for 10-14 years; during their lifespan, they need to have regular check-ups at the vet as they can be prone to some medical conditions which are expensive to treat. This is one of the many reasons that they are relinquished to a rescue. German Shepherds are a large breed dog, resulting in higher veterinary bills than smaller dogs if they ever need surgery, they must also be provided with good quality food. German Shepherds may also need assistance from a professional trainer to help with any arising behavioural issues. GROOMING - German Shepherds shed A LOT of hair! They need regular brushing to keep their coat well maintained otherwise they can become matted and itchy. No matter how much you brush or groom your German Shepherd, there will be plenty of hair everywhere around the house! Shaving a German Shepherd is not an option, they have a double coat that helps to regulate their body temperature acting like a layer of insulation! EXERCISE & ENRICHMENT - German Shepherds are an active breed that need to be given exercise daily and provided with mental stimulation in the forms of walks, games, training, challenges, and puzzles to keep them active and amused. They are a clever breed that need to keep their mind working or they will become bored and develop problem behaviours. ​ These are the bare necessities for a German Shepherd to live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life; please consider if you can meet all these basic requirements of a German Shepherd, if you can, then the next step is to do some further research on this wonderful breed. Learn as much as you can about them. Take the time to find a reputable breeder or rescue. There is no doubt that you will experience “teething troubles” (sometimes literally) so you need a breeder or rescue or will provide back up support. You also need a breeder/rescue who have done their best to pair you with suitable match temperament wise. Out of a litter of puppies, each one of them will have different characters. Your breeder should have got to know their characters. They should ask you about your lifestyle and what you expect from your new best friend. Some of the puppies will be forward and confident, some may be more timid and less confident. If you are an outgoing person who has a hectic social life that you will include your dog in, the timid one may stress in such environments. If you are a bit of a home bod, then the party animal out of the puppies may not be sufficiently stimulated. A rescue should ask you what you expect from a dog and try to match you with a suitable candidate. If you have cats, it is not the best idea to take a 4-year-old who usually chases anything furry and expect him to get used to it. If you cannot fulfil all of the requirements listed above… then a German Shepherd is not the breed for you! However, if it is then adopting a rescued dog can be extremely rewarding - take a look at the dogs in our care to see if you could give one a loving home. Next Steps Once the home check is done and we feel we have the right dog for you, you will be asked to do a short online course. This consists of some reading with some relevant information about dog ownership followed by several questions. We’ve recently changed this course so that it’s more focused on adopting dogs. Once completed, you will be required to email it back to the course provider who will then issue you with a certificate. ​ Once you have received your certificate and you have visited the dog for the appropriate number of times, hopefully you will then be able to take your new best friend home with you. You will be allocated a liaison officer so you can come straight to us should you encounter any problems. We are always on hand should you encounter any issues, and we always like to hear how our dogs are doing. We have a Facebook group which we encourage you to join. We also have a Facebook group for behavioural and training problems where we have a qualified behaviourist on hand to help. If you are interested in adopting one of our dogs, please visit the Dogs for Rehoming Page or click HERE to go there ​ PLEASE NOTE - AN ADOPTION FEE WILL APPLY Contact If you are interested in adopting a dog, please fill in the Adoption Query Form on the Dogs for Rehoming Page. ​ For anything else, please email or call us. gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com 07724 150 525

The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund Welcome to our new website! About Us The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund is a charity that rescues, cares for and rehomes vulnerable German Shepherds. Established since 1975, it was the first German Shepherd Dog breed only rescue to be formed in the UK. Many of the dogs that come into our care have behavioural issues and we do our best to rehabilitate them so they can find a loving home. Some come to us with ongoing illnesses. We do not discriminate against these dogs, in fact, we pledge to pay for their medication for the rest of their life. Since the inception, The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund have provided caring and suitable homes for almost 10,000 German Shepherd Dogs to the present day. The charity is made up of a small dedicated team of volunteers. The German Shepherd Welfare Fund receive no government funding and rely solely on the generosity of individuals. As a rescue, we take pride that we do not “tick a box” to say we have homed a dog. We do our upmost best to match the right dog to the right home. Therefore we ask prospective adopters to visit the dog they are interested in several times so the dog can get to know them and we can too. We do not believe in handing the dog over to a stranger and letting them take them away. This is not fair on the dog. All the dogs in our care are very happy and are well loved and cared for. Although we love a success story when one of our dogs finds its forever home, our dogs are in no hurry to be moved on. As it currently stands, The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund does not have kennels of our own. We use commercial kennels across the country that are sympathetic to our cause. The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund use kennels in Essex, South Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, and Suffolk. ​ Before the current peak of 100 dogs in our care, we stipulated there should be no more than ten of our dogs at one time, except in the direst emergency. The current and unprecedented demand for our support has brought us within crisis levels for the number of dogs we can support. ​ No dog in our care is euthanised unless on the advice of a veterinary surgeon. If their temperament deems them unfit for re-homing, then they remain in our care as long as they are happy in kennels. Each kennel is checked by a member of The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund before any German Shepherd is placed in them. To ensure that each dog lives in a safe and loving environment until they are re-homed. We are very particular with the kennels we use. Our dogs are not just there for a 2 week holiday. They could be there for months or even spend the rest of their life there. ​ Therefore, we need our kennels to interact with our dogs. We do not want them put in an exercise run for 15 minutes and expect that to suffice. Most of all, our dogs need to know they are loved. ​ Veterinary bills continue to increase on an annual basis and many of the dogs we take in arrive with medical conditions. As a charity that takes our dogs welfare very seriously it is our policy that we will continue to pay for any existing treatment. ​ None of The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund’s dogs are allowed to be bred from and The German Shepherd Dog Welfare pay half of the costs of spaying bitches and neutering dogs that have been relinquished to them. ​

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Contact the GSDWF gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com 07724 150 525 Name Email Phone Address Subject Message Submit

Meet Our Permanent Residents Some of the German Shepherd dogs rescued by us have very little chance of being re- homed. This may be because of illness, or because they are old, or simply because they do not get on with other dogs. ​ The older or sick dogs may be lucky enough to find a foster home but The German Shepherd Dog Welfare Fund continue to pay for their vet bills and medication. The other dogs that are not lucky enough to be fostered have to be housed in commercial kennels, presenting us with large kennel bills. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ We operate a “Sponsor a German Shepherd” scheme where you can sponsor one of these dogs and receive quarterly newsletters from them. The money raised helps us to continue to care for them whether they be in a foster home or kennels. Sponsorship costs just £20 a year. It makes a perfect gift for your dog loving friends and gives you the satisfaction of knowing you are helping a German Shepherd Dog in need. ​ If you would like to sponsor one of our residents, please email us at gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com putting "sponsor" in the subject header for more details. All of the dogs below can be sponsored. ACE Ace came into our care when he was 9 months old having already had 4 homes. Sadly, something had happened in his original home before he was 7 months old that obviously terrified him. We believe he had an electric collar used on him. He was rescued but each home found it wasn't working out with him so he was moved on. In the fourth home he was lunging at a member of the family so they brought him into Welfare. When he came it was difficult to get near him. He wasn't vicious, he was terrified. We did a lot of rehabilitation work with him and he came on in leaps and bounds but still always had a reaction to young men (his original home where the trauma had been caused) so it would be difficult to re-home him. ​ Although he now copes really well, from experience people do not always follow advice and if we were to re-home him and he was put into a situation that he couldn't cope with and reacted he could find himself in trouble when it really isn't his fault. On top of all this, the poor boy is almost blind. The chances of him finding a suitable home is very doubtful but he is happy where he is, in our care, living life to the full. ALBUS Handsome Albus is only a young boy who loves affection and fuss once he gets to know you. He is incredibly intelligent and very quick to learn and communicates beautifully with other dogs. However, Albus can be very unpredictable and becomes frustrated very quickly. He is happy and feels safe in kennels with his routine so we feel he should remain in our care. ARTHUR Arthur came into our care at 7 months of age after suffering neurological damage directly after being given nexgard flea treatment. He has learned to walk again although not long distances, but it obviously affected him mentally. Arthur has to be micro managed otherwise he gets over stimulated and bites. He is not an aggressive dog. This is part of the neurological damage. Because of this we obviously feel he is not safe to home. He is now 3 and such a happy young man. BEAU Beau is one of our permanent residents. Sadly she suffers with a disease called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) so needs medication with every bit of food she has. We did home her once but sadly they didn’t stick to the guidelines and she lost so much weight we had to bring her back. BRUCE Bruce is a 2 year old black and tan, long coated entire male. At 7 months he started reacting to things when taken out on walks. We believe that he was going through his second fear period. Unfortunately, his owners sent him away to board and train with a disreputable (for want a better description) trainer. During his stay with the training school, they introduced him to a prong collar, spray bottle and rattle can (obviously this trainer had no idea of the science of how dogs learn). On the face of it, the training worked, but in reality, such techniques will at best mask the original issue, and are also likely to create new ones. ​ How prong collars are still legal in this day and age is unconscionable. ​ Bruce returned home, and he wasn't so reactive on walks. and his owners naively thought that the training had worked. In reality, the fear had sunk deeper and taken on new forms. He'd learned that seeing humans resulted in pain from the prong collar. When visitors came to the house he was terrified of humans but didn't have the prong collar on. And so he tried to protect himself and bit. Poor Bruce now has two police records. ​ Arriving at Welfare we recognised a terrified and shut-down boy. His eyes told such a story - one that would reduce you to tears. Once we'd taken him in, the police contacted us. If he hadn't been surrendered to us they would have issued a destruction order. Within weeks of being here, and by only working at a pace he could cope with we worked with him on problem-solving. Bruce transformed as he gained confidence and proficiency. Suddenly he looked like he had the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. Even with this we still have to be careful, and make sure not to put him in situations he can't cope with. He is so loving, and just five minutes in his company would leave you wondering how on earth he found himself in that predicament. Sadly the answer is all too simple - because people do not always listen to the advice given, or given bad advice and don't check. There will be no third chance for Bruce with the police, so we made the decision to keep him safe in our care. BUDDY Buddy came into our care to save him being seized by the police. However, it was agreed that he must remain in kennels. He is around 5yrs old. CHARLIE Charlie is an 7 or 8 year old male entire GSD. He came to us after his elderly owner fell and broke his hip. The owner was 82 years old when he was sold Charlie as a puppy. After breaking his hip, his owner needed family assistance and Charlie wasn't too happy with this. He had been used to doing just as he pleased so when family members tried to tell him not to do something he bit them.We've looked after him for over two years now. Once we had worked with him we tried putting him up for adoption. A couple of people expressed interest and we'd already explained Charlie's situation before seeing them. When they visited, we asked how they would handle certain situations and of course they said they would tell him "no". One of the visitors was reminded that a different approach was needed with Charlie and his response was "what good is he if I can't tell him no" even though we had a long discussion about it before his visit. We subsequently made the decision that for Charlie's safety we wouldn't home him. He is very happy with us and is not being put in situations he cannot cope with. DYLAN Dylan is approximately 8/9 years old and came into welfare with two other dogs. He had been living a terrible existence. He had bits from his ears missing from other dogs fighting. He also has a spinal injury with causes him to walk with a wobbly gait. He is not aggressive to other dogs despite his experiences but Dylan isn't comfortable around people he doesn't know so he is now a permanent resident. ERNIE Ernie is a handsome 2 year old, black and tan, male German Shepherd. He came into rescue after a disagreement with his previous owner. Even after this occurred, Ernie remained very loving with everyone else around him. We have been assessing him closely whilst he is in our care and we have found him to be a happy, fun loving, and loving boy. He loves playing ball games and will keep bringing you his ball all day long if allowed to. ​ We have seen no signs of any aggression with people he knows or strangers. He greets everyone like a long-lost friend. He can react to other dogs be we feel this is more out of excitement. However, we did try to re-home Ernie but he couldn't cope at all so came back to us. We have now made the decision not to re-home him. GEORGE George came into rescue with seven other GSDs he had been living with. George has the sweetest temperament and is a delight to be around. Sadly, he suffers from brain damage. It does not interfere with his everyday life, and you can easily see how he loves life and is always so happy. ​ Unfortunately, George has seizures and needs regular medication. This medication will be lifelong. George also has a problem with his ears and because he doesn't let you check or treat them, it means he has to be sedated at the vets for treatment when he has a flare up. HUGO Hugo is a 5 year old short coated sable male who came into Welfare through no fault of his own. He had been kept in a barn for the first 2 years of his life. He was not socialised at all so therefore can be reactive. He is not good with male dogs and can be choosy with the females. He has a very high prey drive so not good with small furries. He has never been around children. Hugo is a small GSD but he is like a little pocket rocket. He is neutered and microchipped. ​ We did re-home Hugo but they brought him back because of his reactivity. Hugo finds it difficult to settle in a home and can get quite stressed. For this reason we have decided to keep him in our care. KAI Kai is a handsome 2 year old male GSD. Unfortunately he found his way into Welfare after a disagreement with another resident dog. Kai can be reactive and has a few other issues and in that regard we will not look to rehome him. LILY Lily came into our care when she was 7 months old. Sadly she is a very nervous girl which makes her reactive to dogs and people. Lily went through rehabilitation and found a new home. Sadly they didn’t listen to our advice and she couldn’t cope with the situation they put her in so she came back into our care. Unfortunately she has regressed so had to start from scratch again. Because of how stressed she had became we made the decision not to put her through the rehoming process again. She is a sweet, happy girl who now loves cuddles with the people she trusts. MARLOW Marlow is only a young boy but finds people worrying. He prefers men and even then is quite selective so he will stay in our care where he is happy. MAYA Maya had been kept as an outside dog as a potential breeding female. Sadly an elbow issue meant they couldn’t breed from her so when she was 1 year old they found her a home. Maya was terrified as she was totally unsocialised and in the first couple of days she bit a passer by. She came into welfare as a condition of the bite. She took a couple of months to come around and then progressed in leaps and bounds. Because she missed her early socialisation period and because she can be so nervous we felt it was in her best interest to keep her in our care. She is now 3 years old. MOSES Moses came into our care when he was around 9 years old. He was 1 of 8 GSDs that we rescued from 1 home. He is a very nervous boy and doesn’t take easily to strangers. We did rehome him but he managed to escape after 2 days. We managed to find him but decided it was best for him to remain in our care. He is now 11-12 years old. ​ MURPHY Murphy is a black and tan, male German Shepherd who found himself in rescue after the death of his owner. He is about 8/9 years old. When Murphy first came into Welfare he was quite traumatised and it took him a while to let his guard down with people. Murphy likes to do things at his own pace and we have encouraged this while he has been with us. Once he warms to you he is very loving. Although he has lived with another dog he can be very reactive towards other dogs. ​ Sadly, Murphy has recently suffered a gastric torsion but is recovering well. Unfortunately, he is also showing signs of DM and has been diagnosed with a heart murmur. Because of this he will stay in our care and be loved. NED Ned cane into our care about 3 years ago. We did manage to find him a home but sadly it didn’t work out. Ned is worried around other dogs. As a result he becomes quite reactive. Because he was constantly exposed to other dogs while out on walks with his caregiver, he became quite stressed and began jumping up and “grabbing” so he came back to us. We started his rehabilitation work but then poor Ned went into kidney failure. Thankfully with constant care and medication he pulled through but given that a new carer may not appreciate the importance of keeping him calm and that becoming stressed would be detrimental to his health, we made the decision to keep him in our care. He is a very happy boy and copes very well with rescue life. Probably because he isn’t put in situations he cannot cope with. NIGEL Nigel is a young boy who came into welfare with a bite history. He can be quite mouthy if he feels stressed or over aroused so we feel it is best for him to remain with us. RILEY Riley is around 3 years old but is extremely reactive to new people. Sadly we don't think she would cope in a home so she is a permanent resident. ROCKY Rocky came into our care after being sold to a couple who were told he had no issues. Within days he was growling at them in a very threatening way. They understandably became concerned. We have done some rehabilitation work with him but unfortunately do not feel we could rehome him with a clear conscience so he will remain in our care. RODNEY Rodney is a glamorous long haired male German Shepherd. He is 3 years old and came into our care after a bite incident. His caregivers were distraught at having to part with him but did so for his own and everyone else’s safety. Because of this Rodney is a permanent resident. ​ He has been with us for over a year now. He doesn’t like to be touched so even everyday things like grooming and putting a lead on create a difficult situation. We try to respect what Rodney tells us and have arranged his living arrangements so we can get him into a secure field from his kennel without having to put a lead on him. He is a happy boy and enjoys life (not as much as he enjoys his food though). SMUDGE Smudge is 10 ears old in great health. You would never know her age just by looking at her. Smudge is a sad case as she has spent a long time in kennels. She was adopted but returned to us a year later as things had changed. We feel she would now struggle to adjust to living in a home. SULLY Sully came to us just under one year old as a boisterous, frustrated boy who used mouthing to get what he wanted. He did go out to a new home briefly but sadly came back to us after a bite incident. Sadly things were rushed and Sully couldn't cope so he will remain a permanent resident. TIA Tia was sold through a newspaper ad when she was 1 year old. When the new guardians got her home she escaped from the car. She was missing and living rough for 8 days although we were searching daily. We finally managed to trap her but she had been totally traumatised. She has gone through her rehabilitation but due to her past trauma we decided she was safer in our care. ​ She is best friends with Rodney and is a happy little girl. Could you sponsor one of our dogs? Sponsorship costs £20 per year - please email us at gsdwelfarefund@gmail.com putting "sponsor" in the subject header for more details Thank you!