Survivor Henry needs a home to call his own

The latest instalment of our weekly series dedicated to the Alnwick-based dog sanctuary SHAK.
HenryHenry
Henry

The sight of Henry when he arrived with us years ago is still one of the most upsetting things I’ve ever seen.

Henry is a bull mastiff and should have weighed around 45kg but on arrival he was emaciated, terrified and covered in what looked like cigarette burns.

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I can only really describe him as feral, having lived in a forest in the west of Northumberland. He was only caught when he ventured into the nearest village to raid the bins.

I think his neglect is best summed up by the fact that when we wormed him he passed a worm that was 28cms long. Such was the amount of time he had been left to fend for himself.

I will never forget the sheer look of fear and terror on his face as he scaled the walls of his kennel desperately looking for an exit as somebody entered his space.

We won him over with a lot of love and patience, for a few years he even found himself a home. Unfortunately though that didn’t work out and he ended up back here with us.

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Once again his luck took a turn for the worst as he suffered a stomach bloat, then just a week later his stomach completely twisted in what they call a stomach torsion. Thankfully it was spotted in time and life-saving surgery was successful.

He hadn’t long recovered from that when he developed a very nasty cyst on one of his back legs. At one stage it looked as if the leg might not be able to be saved, but thankfully it was and Henry made another full recovery.

Henry is a survivor and has such a will and desire to live. He has been through so much that I now think it is time that we look for another home that he could call his own. He is well socialised with dogs, but because of his tormented past we would specify a home with bull mastiff experience and no children. email [email protected]