Lord Whisky Taught Us So Much

We discover how one amazing dog inspired decades of animal rescue at a sanctuary which specialises in giving troubled pets a forever home.

- Lorna White

After being rehomed several times, it seemed like little Jack Russell, Lord Whisky, would never find his forever home. That was until Margaret Todd took the problem pooch into her sanctuary, which became his safe haven for the rest of his 22-year life. Margaret had no idea, however, that Lord Whisky would become the inspiration behind the amazing work she now does every day.

Taking care of animals is something Margaret has always been passionate about. Aged 18, she managed to save enough money to buy a pet shop, which became her first animal sanctuary. Here she built pens in the back garden to house all the animals that needed a home. As time moved on, and she married and had two children, more and more animals were being brought so the family moved to a new, much larger site near Canterbury in Kent.

As people brought in cats, dogs and all sorts of animals, she was given a very special dog named Lord Whisky. “We realised we’d have to keep him for the rest of his life because his problems meant that, sadly, he couldn’t be rehomed again after biting some of his previous owners,” says Margaret.

She tried to train Lord Whisky, but he was having none of it. Nevertheless, he revelled in Margaret’s company and became a much-loved part of the family.

“One particular morning, I went into the garden where Lord Whisky was in a pen and my daughter, who was only three at the time, was sitting in his bed feeding him some biscuits!”