My lovely MIL has been recently widowed, and she is considering becoming a dog owner again after many years without one.
She is happy with the concept of rescuing rather than buying a new puppy. The trouble is that she is only happy to consider an incredibly specific kind of dog:
- She wants a Yorkshire terrier. She absolutely won't consider any other breed - even breeds that are similar in size and temperament.
- She would like him / her to be an adult, no more than four years old.
- She would prefer a dog rather than a bitch (although she is, thank God, willing to consider bitches as well...this is honestly as flexible as she's willing to be)
Location-wise, we are in East Yorkshire, able and happy to travel if needed.
Her situation is as follows:
- She's in her seventies, reasonably fit for her age and with no outside commitments, so she would be with the dog for the vast majority of the time
- She lives alone in a quiet cul-de-sac in a rural village location
- She has a reasonable sized enclosed garden with high fences
- There are plenty of nice walks nearby
- She is comfortably able to afford vet care
- She has owned dogs before and has cared for them right to the end
- She hasn't owned a dog recently so wouldn't be able to be vet-checked, but she would welcome a home visit by the rescue to check that she's suitable for pet ownership
Do any of you lovely well-connected MNers happen to know of any rescue that is looking to place a dog that meets my MIL's insanely tight brief, and who might enjoy living the kind of life that my MIL can offer? If so, would you mind giving me their details so we can contact the rescue and see if MIL might be a suitable adopter?
I completely understand that this is a long shot. I'm asking because I know how many, many lovely animals are desperate for a home and I don't want her to end up buying a puppy off Gumtree or Preloved or any of the other puppy-mill favourites, and contributing to the awful trade in farmed puppies.
Thank you so much in advance for any advice you can give!