Backstory
Scout was picked up as a stray on the street of County Durham when he was just a puppy and he was taken to a local stray pound. Initial thoughts were that Scout was blind and deaf. He was also very malnourished, was suffering from mange and had contracted a bad case of kennel cough.
Initial thoughts were that it may be kinder to put Scout to sleep, after all, who would want a puppy with so many problems?
Scout‘s fate was left in the hands of representatives from two rescue organisations GALA ( Greyhound and lurcher aid) and Lancky Dogs.
It was decided that one of them would pay a visit to Scout in his isolation kennel ( he was kept apart from the other pound dogs due to his kennel cough) to try to assess his sight and hearing. If it could be proved that he was both blind and deaf, his future looked bleak.
One of the representatives from GALA visited Scout in his kennel, sat on the floor a short distance away from him and tapped on the floor to see if Scout would respond in any way. Everyone held their breath….
Scout responded immediately to the sound and tried to make his way over to the source of it – from this moment onwards Scout was safe.
Scout ( who incidentally was called “Baby Buttons” at the stray pound due to the fact he was only a puppy and was described as being “as bright as a button”) then joined twelve other waifs and strays on what has been dubbed “the journey of hope” across the country who were all going to be placed at various rescue centres who had all offered spaces.
Scout was placed in the very capable hands of Sandy McCluskey at East Midlands Dog Rescue in Leicestershire where we adopted him a short time later.
Although not deaf, Scout is almost completely blind, with no vision on his left eye at all and very limited vision in his right eye ( light and shade at best we think).
From the moment we brought Scout home , he began to change our lives with his positive attitude and his love of life.
Together with his “seeing eye”sisters whippets Izzy ( sadly no longer with us) and Misty we set out to give Scout every chance at living a totally normal life.
Scout attended puppy training classes and passed his training course with flying colours. He can run off-lead in secure open areas along with his companions and he is the most obediant dog you could ask for. He has climbed mountains in Wales, has swam in the sea and has enjoyed every single minute of it.
Scout is also very well known in the companion dog show world and has won many titles, mostly in the Best Rescue class. He has been in the semi-finals of Scruffts twice in the rescue class ( coming third each time) , he was reserve Best in Show at Pup Aid 2014 and he recently came a very respectable second place in the RSPCA’s Crufts equivalent RUFFS after winning his class for the “perfectly imperfect” dog.
Scout is now an ambassador for East Midlands Dog Rescue an attends many fundraising events which he loves. He has also recently become a “poster boy” for a fund raising group Hound Aid.
Scout has also inspired me to write a book about his life and that of his friends “For the love of Hounds” which is available from my website www.traceyison.co.uk
Scout continues to highlight the plight of dogs in rescue, all waiting for their new homes and he is loved by all who meet him. To us he is simply “our boy” and we love him so much.
