From homeless to HOUSE FULL

Sarah Gale is bringing comfort and joy to rescue Dobermann Merlin this Christmas

-  FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK

This time last year, Sarah Gale was content with life and had no intention of getting a new dog. Christmas was approaching, as was retirement, and freedom beckoned for Sarah, 51, and her husband Pete, 53, from Ware, Hertfordshire. Not that they weren’t animal lovers, but they were already the proud owners of eightyear-old Dobermann Lyra.

‘Pete grew up with Dobermanns in his family, so since we married in 1992, we’ve only ever had Dobermanns,’ Sarah explains.

The couple, who are parents to Jason, 20, Jess, 19, and Jack, 14, got their first dog, Lexi, soon after their wedding, and never looked back.

‘They’re big dogs, but they’re so intelligent, loving and fun to be around,’ Sarah says. ‘We’ve had Lyra since she was a puppy. She was our third Dobermann, and they generally have a life expectancy of 10 to 13 years,’ she explains.

So, after reaching their 50s and with their youngest, Jack, entering his teens, the couple decided Lyra would be their last family dog before they retire. ‘Being a pet owner is incredibly rewarding, but dogs can be a tie. Dobermanns don’t particularly enjoy being in kennels, so holidays can be difficult, and we thought we’d take a few years to enjoy some freedom,’ she says.

But earlier this year, all that changed.

‘In April, my daughter Jess decided to get a guinea pig, and as she still lives at home with us, I went on to the RSPCA website with her to see if they had any available for adoption. Instead, I stumbled across a picture of a beautiful Dobermann in desperate need of a new home,’ Sarah smiles.