Buster’s Story
Buster was found wandering the streets of Nicosia but has had a new lease of life with his foster, turned forever, family.
Buster was so happy to escape the pound, he smiled at us the whole way back.
Growing up, we had always had at least 2 dogs (sometimes 5!) running around and that was just a natural part of our lives. So, when we moved abroad and no longer had our little canine companions, a huge gap was most definitely felt. We knew adoption was the route for us immediately, as we had seen the number of dogs desperately in need of homes in Cyprus and had actually made the decision to foster, rather than rehome — but I think we all know how that story goes!
When I was at work one day, I saw an Facebook post on the D.O.G Rescue Cyprus page, asking for someone to foster a french bulldog who was getting quite distressed at the pound. Safe to say our heart instantly melted and we went to get him then and there! My sister, Abbey went to pick him from the pound, where she found him cowering in a corner of a kennel as two dogs (through no fault of their own) barked at him continuously. The second he came out of that kennel though, it was a different story! He was running, waggling his entire body and she swears she saw him smile! He was good as gold on the car journey home and just looked at us a little oddly for the next few days.
Buster has BOAS and loves the fresh air after his soft pallette surgery
We found out from the shelter that Buster had been found wandering the streets and it was expected that someone had discovered the multitude of health issues this breed comes with and decided it wasn’t for them. He struggled with his breathing, as lots of Frenchies do and one of the first things we did was arrange for him to have BOAS surgery to improve his quality of life. You could see the impact it had immediately! I went to collect him from the vets, expecting a very sleepy, drugged-up bully to come out and it was the exact opposite! He came bounding out of the vets full steam like nothing had happened and just ran around the garden in circles. It honestly felt like he had a new lease of life and it was a joy to see.
When it comes to settling in, I can’t say it happened instantly. It took about a month for him to fully accept that he now lived with us and he took some time to feel comfortable with my partner (or anyone with a beard!) so we suspect he might have had a difficult start in life. He would pee on my partner’s belongings and would display obvious signs of anxiety whenever my partner would try to train him out of this habit. But we persevered., went about things slowly and tried our best to prove to Buster that my partner was not going to harm him. Eventually, he learned to accept the men in his life and has now even learnt to play fight with our dad, which he loves.
It took Buster a while to trust the men in his life, but it’s safe to say he’s conquered his fears!
I recently brought Buster back to the UK with me after we relocated and he’s now living with the whole family, plus our terrier and our foster greyhound in the UK. He loves the weather and I’ve noticed a big change in his breathing since coming to the colder climate. He’s the happiest, albeit laziest bulldog you could meet and he spends his days snoozing in his variety of beds around the house, walking around the mere and visiting his grandma who lives next door. His favourite toy is a stuffed grey elephant and he likes to rest his chin on your hands to go to sleep (holding his own head up is too much to ask apparently). He still has a few small accidents- particularly when he first moved back it seemed to throw his routine out for a while BUT we wouldn’t change a thing. He’s changed my life, helped me through some rough patches and I hope I’ve done the same for him!
Adopting a dog from Dali Dog Rescue UK was a really smooth process and it was clear from the start that all the staff truly have the dog’s best interests at heart in everything they do. So if you’re considering adopting: just go for it! You honestly won’t look back.
This post was written by Ellen Wilkinson - Dali Dog Rescue UK’s Website Manager.
