How we gave a (slightly doddery) dog a home! The Mail readers who came to the rescue of older dogs always overlooked for young pups

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At the end of last year, the Daily Mail appealed for our readers to open their homes to the older dogs who often languish unwanted in rescue centres because of their age. We featured the stories of 12 adorable animals who’d ended up homeless late in life and were looking for a new family. So, how did they fare? Most were lucky and are now happily settled in their new homes. Here LORRAINE FISHER shares some of their uplifting stories...

 'When a dog trusts you, it's so lovely'

Just a few months ago she was a stray with a coat so overgrown and matted she could barely see. Now Biscuit calls a four-bedroom house set in 50 acres, including woodland, a river and fields for horses, her forever home.

Life radically changed for the poodle when Sue and Ted Harding spotted her in our article and decided to adopt her.

The retired couple have been taking on oldies for years and couldn't resist giving Biscuit a fresh start in Carmarthenshire.

Biscuit, pictured with new owner Sue Harding, now calls a four-bedroom house set in 50 acres, her forever home

'These dogs have often been with one family all their life and suddenly they're abandoned because they're old,' says Sue, 56. 'It must be so confusing for them and I want to help.'

The moment the Hardings met Biscuit, who'd been saved by Hope Rescue in Wales, they knew they'd made the right decision. 'She was adorable — so friendly!' says Sue. 'She went around saying hello to everyone then leapt on Ted's lap for a cuddle.'

Once home she quickly made friends with the Hardings' other dog, Pip, a 12-year-old rescued from Romania, and won over her new owners even more.

'She loves bounding around so much that it's hard to believe she's 14. She also loves to snuggle up with us in the evening and just adores playing with her toys.

'I came into the living room the other day to see Ted dancing around with Biscuit playfully attacking his feet, thinking they were toys, and him trying not to spill his cup of tea!

'She opens up more every day and just has the most beautiful nature. I think that happens when a dog trusts you and feels safe — she's adorable.'

 'She hops about with happiness'

Faith Eversden has noticed that her beautiful weimaraner Petra does a little dance every time she is about to be fed

Soon after adopting her, Faith Eversden noticed her beautiful weimaraner Petra had an adorable habit — every time she's about to be fed, she does a little dance.

'She hops from foot to foot in happiness,' says the 39-year-old who lives near Royston, Herts.

'I only have to approach the treat cupboard and she starts doing it.'

As well she might. Petra was deeply loved by her previous owners but ended up at the Wood Green animal charity when they had to move and weren't allowed pets in the house.

Now she's fallen on her feet again with Faith and her sons Jack, 16, and Adam, 11.

'But so have we,' says Faith. 'She's good with children, she's good on a lead and she can be left at home on her own for a few hours if I have to go out to work.'

Another bonus is that, like most rescue dogs, she's already house trained.

'She asks to go out when she needs the loo — she'll touch the back door with her paw to tell you or bark if you're not in the kitchen.

'And she's not really an 'old' dog at all — on walks she jumps all over the place and wants to play. She's faster than me. The only problem is, she loves belly rubs but has obviously been trained not to get up on the sofa.

'So she lies at my feet begging to be stroked and I can't resist, but I end up with backache!

'Having said that, we feel we were just so lucky to get her,' says Faith.

'I wanted them to know love again'

For months this gorgeous pair languished in kennels, after their owner died, with no one showing the slightest bit of interest in them because of their ages.

Then Marie Binstead visited them at the Last Chance Animal Rescue Centre in Kent.

'It was awful — staff told me no one had so much as stopped at their kennel,' she remembers. 'So I walked them to help out, and returned to do it a few weeks later.

Marie Binstead knew she couldn't leave Toby, right and Sacha at the rescue centre after Toby barked at her when she tried to leave

'When I went to leave that second time, Toby just clung to me. He barked and he's not a barker — he didn't want me to go.

'It was then I knew I had to have them — I couldn't let them die without knowing an owner's love again.'

Marie, 67, and husband Alan, 58, did have concerns about taking on lurcher-cross Sacha and terrier-cross Toby at their Hampshire home. 'We'd had rescues all our lives,' she says, 'but much smaller ones, so we were out of our comfort zone. We'd just downsized to a bungalow and suddenly we had two dog beds taking up the sitting room!

'But their natures are so soft and gentle. Sacha will come up and plonk her head on your lap as if to say 'please, I need a hug', then Toby will keep giving me his paw as if to say 'I need one as well'.'

'They run around for sheer joy'

Julie and Peter Burness had no intention of getting another shih tzu to replace the one they lost last year but, after seeing our story in the Mail, they ended up with two from Chiltern Dog Rescue Society instead.

'We saw it and couldn't resist — we knew we could give Tilly and Tink a good home,' says Julie, 56, who runs a village shop just outside Aylesbury with her husband, 57. 'Their ages didn't worry us but the fact they were rescues did — we'd never had a rescue before and didn't know what it would mean.'

They needn't have been concerned.

Julie and Peter Burness had no intention of getting another shih tzu but after seeing the Mail article they ended up with Tilly, left, and Tink

'From the first day they were the most beautiful, loving dogs you could ever have. Their tails wag constantly and we can't even sit on a sofa without them jumping up for a cuddle.'

Their new home has four bedrooms to explore and two gardens to play in but this inseparable pair like it best when they go out for a walk.

'As soon as they hear the clink of their leads, they go wild, running around and around the living room with joy.'

They also adore their new 'brother' — the Burness's remaining shih tzu Douglas, seven.

'He fitted in just perfectly' 

Whenever she sees her new dog Barley asleep on the couch, Jan Cook can't resist a little smile.

'He sleeps on his back with his front and back legs sticking up in the air, his head hanging off the end of the sofa,' she laughs.

Retired Jan, 68, decided to adopt Barley after losing two other older dogs. She says he sleeps quite a lot but gets on with everyone he meets

Retired Jan, 68, and her husband Graham decided to adopt after losing two other oldies. They saw Barley at the Dogs Trust and took him home just before New Year.

'We were just looking for an oldie to give them some loving for the rest of their life. A few years of happiness and love,' says Jan.

'But as it is, Barley is absolutely lovely. He settled in quickly but is still coming out of his shell — I'm sure he'll soon be the boss.

'He sleeps quite a lot — he is getting on, after all — but he's good with everyone, running up to friends who visit us and sitting on our seven-year-old granddaughter's lap.

'He's fitted in perfectly and he's our dog now.'

Westie Millie, the great telly addict 

West Highland terrier Millie has a telly addiction and has fitted in well to owner Debbie Hammond's family home

When she was being cared for at a Blue Cross rescue centre, having been given up by a family too busy to properly care for her, Millie the West Highland terrier’s TV addiction stunned staff.

‘And she hasn’t changed,’ laughs her new owner Debbie Hammond, from Ipswich. ‘She’s sitting on the chair in front of the telly watching it at this very moment!

‘She loves anything with dogs in and knows exactly what adverts they appear in.

‘She can be in the deepest sleep but if she hears one of those ads, she wakes right up and starts barking at the telly.’

Debbie, her husband Tony and their children Dale, 22, and 14-year-old Abbie, had been searching for a rescue dog for months when they saw Millie.

‘We were hooked on her the moment we saw her,’ says Debbie, 49. ‘She’s fitted in so well we can’t remember a time we didn’t have her.

‘Some friends have said I’m in for heartbreak because I’ve chosen an older dog,’ says Debbie, ‘but I don’t agree.

‘Yes, it will be devastating when we lose her but I’ll know her last years will have been full of fun and love.’

We are STILL looking for love

Not all 12 we featured have found homes. Could one of these become your much-loved pet? 

GRATEFUL GIRL: Ten-year-old Thaki was rescued from Romania and is so thankful she kisses the hand of whoever feeds her. Email leashoflife.co.uk

BIG SOFTY: Albert Einstein, a nineyear- old Lab cross, will make a loyal companion — and doesn’t need too long a walk! Call Leicester Animal Aid on 01455 888257

LOVELY LURCHER: This affectionate ten-year-old, Flash, wants a chance to run around chasing a ball. He’s in Lincolnshire — email oldies@oldies.org.uk