Hope

Hope is an approximately 2 year-old poodle with a fragile heart and a beautiful spirit. When she arrived, she was completely shut down. Even the softest touch would make her whole body shake with fear. She has never shown aggression, even when she was at her most terrified. She simply freezes, trembles, and tries to disappear.

Hope has been let down in her short life, and she is now looking for someone who won’t give up on her. Someone who will give her the safety and stability she has never known.

Hope has made small but meaningful progress here. She’s still very afraid of new people, and she won’t approach you for fuss when you meet her. She’ll watch quietly from a distance, but hands reaching toward her are still too scary.

Hope will now wag her tail when she sees me, and follows me around and once she feels safe enough for you to put a lead on, she walks next to you beautifully. 

She wants to trust — she really does — but she finds it incredibly difficult. Hope isn’t “a bit shy.” She’s a dog who has been through trauma and is still trying to work out how to feel safe again

Hope needs a quiet, calm home without lots of visitors. Someone who’s home most of the time Another (at least one but ideally more) friendly, confident dog of a similar size (she is scared of bigger dogs) already living in the home this is essential. HOPE WILL NOT BE REHOMED AS AN ONLY DOG!! A secure garden, as she is a flight risk when frightened. A family who will move slowly, speak softly, and expect nothing from her at first.

Visiting children in the future will be fine, as long as Hope has her own safe space to retreat to. 

Hope isn’t a dog who will give affection on day one. She won’t trot over to sit on your lap, and she won’t enjoy being stroked straight away.

But if you let her settle quietly, she will begin to shadow you around the house, watching you, learning about you, growing braver bit by bit. And in time she will start to come towards you and show you she wants to engage. With Hope, those tiny moments mean everything.

She isn’t a quick, easy, cuddle-ready dog. She isn’t suitable for a busy household. She isn’t “just nervous.” She has been through unknown severe trauma and she really needs her new family to understand this fully.

She is gentle and sweet, and desperate for safety, routine, and kindness. She is a dog who will blossom slowly, beautifully, and meaningfully — for the person who sticks by her.

Hope is looking for someone special. Someone patient, soft-natured, and committed. Someone who understands that healing from trauma takes time. Someone who won’t give up when progress is slow. Someone who truly wants to give her the final, forever home she deserves.

Hope has been neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, and is in foster in Dartford Kent. 

If you offer Hope safety, space, and time, she will give you something truly precious in return: her trust — and eventually, her love.