I’ve adopted a dog…
I’ve just adopted Kita the Japanese Akita. Over the past few months I’ve been thinking of adopting a dog and it’s not a decision I’ve taken lightly. Luckily, I work from home and have done for many years. I would also consider myself as a fairly active person doing a lot of walking, hiking and cycling. I thought it would be nice company and a pal to take on those long hikes.
First steps…
I decided that the first step would be to contact a local dog rescue centre. I thought this would be the best approach. One of the problems with the covid pandemic is that a lot of people had dogs. As we come out of the pandemic many are now finding their way back to rescue centres. There have also been several social media trends that have caused people to get dogs. Then realising how much of a commitment they can be and as a consequence given them up.
I sent off an email to Many Tears Animal Rescue, which is situated in Carmarthenshire. After studying their website and the dogs they had available to adopt. I noticed that they were desperately seeking people to volunteer and help by taking the dogs for a walk. So, I put myself forward for the following Sunday and was asked if I could be there at 2 pm.
Arriving at Many Tears Animal Rescue…
I arrived and rang the bell at the gate. I was then greeted and explained I was there as a volunteer to walk a dog. Firstly, I was asked to then produce some identification, which in my case was my driving license. I was then asked to remove my mask (blinkin covid) and look at the security camera. After which I was taken to the office and then given an emergency whistle and asked if I could leave my car keys. This was due to some people stealing dogs in the area. Then, after a very short wait out came the dog I was asked to walk. Lucky for me it was Kita the Akita.
Our first walk…
We started and Kita was very timid but attentive. She stuck close to my side almost touching my leg with her head low and glancing up at me but trying to avoid eye contact. She was so lovely to walk and when I stopped to talk to one of the neighbours she just sat down next to me and waited patiently. We walked for nearly an hour and a half. Towards the end, we went to the edge of a small stream and I knelt beside. She then approached me and gave me a little kiss on my hand and that was it – I was smitten.
Next steps…
The following day I sent an email to find out more about Kita. The rescue centre then called me to have a chat. They explained they never get much information. However, we know she came from Ireland and it looks like she was a breeding dog as well as a pet. When she arrived at the centre she was so scared it took several weeks for her to trust anyone. Until this time she wouldn’t go near anyone, but she slowly started to come out of her shell. She was also very wary of males and took to females a lot faster. Nobody would adopt her due to her size and bread. So, I decided to complete the adoption application form and see what happens.
Once the application was accepted I then had to have a home visit. This was to assess where Kita would be sleeping and how secure the garden was. Due to the covid pandemic, this had to be done virtually and involved a walk through via live video. I also had to provide photo’s to prove the height of the fence. There was one area that they deemed as being too short. Luckily I had just renewed part of the fence and had everything at hand to sort it. Once this was checked and approved I had an email saying that the adoption was successful. It also said that I could go and collect Kita.
Picking Kita up…
The day had arrived and I was off to pick Kita. I had a quick stop at the local Timpsons store to get a name tag printed. I arrived at Many Tears Animal Rescue and was greeted by Paige who would be completing the adoption. Luckily, Paige had been the one looking after Kita and was the closest to her. She was able to give me more information on Kita together with some great tips. Whilst there I also got a dog collar and enough food for a good few weeks to keep us going.
Home sweet home…
Just 20 minutes later we arrived home. After a little bit of gentle persuasion, I got the lead on Kita and got her out of the car. I took her through the gates into the garden to get her to explore the garden and when she was settled I took her lead off. It took her a couple of hours to come into the house. Firstly she just stood by the door, but eventually, she entered and had a good look around. She appeared to settle very quickly especially after her first meal in the house.
It was a very eventful first night for her too as my son had an accident at the skatepark. He fell 8ft knocking himself out and was rushed to A&E in an ambulance. I had to leave very quickly and get to the skate park and got to see him just as he was getting in the ambulance. I also had to pick up my daughter who was looking after his bike at the park. The great thing is my daughter got to meet Kita on her first day and luckily lodger Jeff was able to take the helm and look after Kita while I did a shift at the hospital as they needed to keep my son in due to the head injury and slight loss of memory although he was enjoying the pampering.
Two weeks on…
Kita has settled in very well and socialises well with fellow humans. I always tell people to wait and let her come to them and when you get a little lick it means you’re good to go. With other dogs, she just wants to play but can be a bit dominant if she feels threatened or the other dog stares at her, which is only natural. I’ve been working on this by just getting her to sit by my side when other dogs pass (if the space is limited) as well as well keeping her attention and focus on me (with the help of treats). I’ve also established a good daily routine for Kita now which seems to be working well and can be seen below.
- 7:15 am – Breakfast
- 8 am – Morning walk (45minutes)
- 5 pm – Dinner
- 6 pm – Evening walk (Normally an hour plus)
We’re currently walking 6 miles a day in total which has been great for my fitness levels and seems to please Kita. I’m also trying to get at least one hike on the weekend. No wonder I’m sleeping so well these days.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and enjoy the photo’s below and don’t forget to keep an eye out for the updates. Don’t forget if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
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