History:
Trevor’s owner sadly passed away and he was then advertised on a rehoming site. He was adopted by another family, but unfortunately the home was not the right match, mainly because he struggled to live alongside one of the resident dogs.
We also believe Trevor may have experienced abuse earlier in his life, which has left him fearful of men and understandably cautious in unfamiliar situations. Because of this, he needs patient, understanding adopters who will allow him to build trust at his own pace.
Current:
Since arriving in kennels, Trevor has been working closely with a behaviourist to help build his confidence and teach him that the world can be a safe place. The transformation in him has been lovely to see. His behaviourist describes him as a sweet, affectionate, funny boy who always makes her smile.
Once Trevor trusts someone, he absolutely loves fuss, cuddles and spending time with them. Like many dogs who have had difficult experiences, he can still become overwhelmed occasionally, so it's important that people respect his boundaries and let him choose when he's ready for interaction. Given that understanding, his affectionate side really shines through.
Trevor also has a wonderfully playful personality. He loves entertaining himself with his toys and is perfectly happy amusing himself without needing someone to join in. Watching him proudly throw his toys around the room or expertly remove every bit of stuffing from them is guaranteed to make you smile!
Food is definitely one of Trevor's favourite things and has been invaluable in his training. He's become quite the expert at trying to sneak treats from his trainer's treat pouch or giving his best puppy-dog eyes in the hope of earning just one more.
Walking:
When Trevor feels safe and relaxed, he walks beautifully on the lead. He enjoys familiar routes where he knows what to expect, as this helps him feel secure. New places can make him anxious, which may lead to pulling or other signs of worry while he adjusts.
Trevor can be reactive towards other animals if they are too close, but he has made excellent progress in learning to disengage and remain calm with his behaviourst. As long as he is given plenty of space, he can happily ignore other dogs and continue his walk. His future home will need to continue managing this by choosing quieter walking areas and avoiding busy dog walking locations where close encounters are difficult to avoid.
Trevor is also becoming much more comfortable around people he meets on walks. He is particularly making progress with men. As long as they simply walk past without trying to interact with him, he is happy to ignore them and continue focusing on his handler. However, if someone—particularly a man—stops to engage with him or appears suddenly, he may still react defensively as he feels the need to protect himself.
Trevor currently enjoys quiet rural walks around the kennels where there are fewer people and animals, and this environment really allows him to relax. Busier locations would be much more challenging for him and increase his anxiety.
Travelling:
Travelling is still something Trevor finds difficult. He will happily jump onto the back seat of his trainer's car, but becomes uncomfortable once the journey begins. Trevor suffers from travel sickness and will usually be sick after journeys of around 10 minutes.
Medication from our vets has helped to some extent, but after around 15–20 minutes he will begin to drool and feel nauseous, making longer journeys difficult for him. Once he has settled into his new home, he would benefit from lots of short, positive car journeys to gradually build his confidence.
Ideally, we'd love to find him a home locally, but we will absolutely consider applications from further afield if all of Trevor's needs can be met. We are more than happy to arrange specialist transport for Trevor to ensure we can make him as comfortable as possible on his journey to his new home.
Vets:
Trevor enjoyed meeting our female vet and vet nurse and, once his initial nerves had passed, happily accepted plenty of fuss from them. Using treats and a muzzle, they were able to complete both his examination and vaccinations.
Trevor does find restraint difficult, so some aspects of veterinary treatment can still be stressful for him. He would benefit from positive, pressure-free visits simply to build happy associations with the practice, alongside an owner who is willing to work on cooperative care (his behaviourist can provide more information about this). A fear-free accredited practice, or one that follows fear-free handling methods, would be ideal.
Busy waiting rooms would be overwhelming for Trevor, so waiting outside until his appointment would help him cope much better.
Health:
Trevor has been given a clean bill of health by our vets.
He can have a slightly sensitive stomach, but this has been well managed with a sensitive diet and a probiotic, and he is currently doing very well.
Ideal home:
Trevor is looking for a calm, quiet home where he can finally leave his difficult past behind and simply feel safe. He needs adopters who understand that settling in will happen entirely at his pace, without pressure or unrealistic expectations. The greatest gift someone can give Trevor is time, patience and consistency.
He won't be the sort of dog who immediately enjoys busy pubs, cafés or crowded public places, and that's perfectly okay. Trevor will be happiest living a quieter life with people who appreciate him for who he is.
In an ideal world, Trevor would live in a female-only home. However, while we would not rehome him to a male-only household, he could potentially live with a man, provided everyone understands that building trust will take time. Any potential adopters should be prepared to visit Trevor several times before adoption so that he can build a bond with them. If there is a male in the household, this is likely to take at least five visits before Trevor feels safe and comfortable.
Once settled, we believe Trevor may be happy to be left for a few hours.
Trevor would also benefit from:
A home with few visitors and the ability to safely separate him from guests, particularly male visitors.
A home without children or regular visiting young children.
A pet-free home.
A secure private garden with suitable fencing, as Trevor can jump surprisingly well when he wants to!
A quiet rural location, or somewhere with easy access to peaceful walking routes where he won't regularly encounter lots of people or other animals.
The availability of plenty of stuffed toys!
Trevor has already come such a long way thanks to patient, kind handling, and his confidence continues to grow every day. He may never be the dog who loves everyone he meets and wants cuddles all of the time, but that's okay.
For the right person, Trevor will become an incredibly loyal, loving companion. Once you're part of his trusted circle, you'll have a funny, affectionate best friend who will make every bit of patience worthwhile.
Will you be the person to give Trevor the safe, loving retirement he truly deserves?
Standard information:
Trevor is microchipped, vaccinated and neutered.
He is currently in kennels in Stoke-on-Trent, but he can be rehomed anywhere in the UK, pending a successful home visit. However, any adopter should be willing to travel to meet him several times where he is now.
There is a non refundable adoption donation of £120 for Trevor and all money donated goes directly to helping all the Senior Staffies in our care.
If you think you could offer Trevor a new home, please complete the application form below.
We always respond to every application made - please remember to check your junk folder.
We aim to acknowledge your application within 48 hours.