Britain's most unwanted dog finds forever home after nearly five years in care

Jake the Lurcher was first taken in by Dogs Trust aged just one in 2015. And while they managed to find him a home, he was returned in 2019. Despite thousands of requests for other dogs in the charity's care, Jake spent a whopping 1,700 days in its centre in Leeds.

But the charity has revealed he's now found a loving home with a couple identified only as Veronica and Keith in nearby Keighley.

Kevin Johnson, who cared for Jake at the centre, said: "Jake is such a lovely boy, and we've loved spending time with him in the centre. But four years is too long for any dog to be with us, and we were desperate to find him his forever home.

"Jake literally bounced out of the car, straight into his new home and on to the sofa. I'm not ashamed to say there was quite the lump in my throat. Seeing him happily and confidently standing at his new home front door with his family as we left was so emotional."

Jake was described by the staff caring for him as one of the sweetest dogs they had ever met, with a playful and affectionate nature. However he lacked confidence around dogs and people and had very specific re-homing requirements and was overlooked by potential adopters.

Staff created a bespoke training programme to build his trust with new people and develop his social skills around other dogs. This included taking Jake for weekends away to to help build his confidence in new environments, designed to get ready for re-homing.

Veronica and Keith spotted a video of Jake enjoying a weekend hiking in Wensleydale with Kevin and said they felt an 'instant connection’. Their home and lifestyle were assessed by staff who then began to gradually introduce the nervous pooch to his new owners. Initially they visited the rehoming centre weekly to spend time with Jake, which gradually progressed to off-site walks.

He then started spending time in Veronica and Keith's home, including some overnight stays.

Kevin added: "We were delighted when Veronica and Keith got in touch with us about Jake, and even more pleased that they understood his adoption wouldn't be a quick process. After so much upheaval in his life, and then spending so long in a rehoming centre, he needed time to adjust to a new way of living."

Last month, he was able to move into his new home full-time, where Keith and Veronica say he has settled in perfectly.

Veronica said: "I knew the moment that I saw the video of Jake on his holidays that I wanted him to come and live with us. He'd had a tough start to life and lacked in confidence, but it was clear from our first meeting that he was an affectionate and friendly dog who just needed someone to give him a chance.

"The introduction process was quite long, but it was important we moved at a pace Jake was happy with, and the staff at Dogs Trust Leeds supported us through it all. We love having Jake in our home. It feels like he's been with us forever, and we couldn't imagine life without him."

The charity currently has over 400 Underdogs - the name given to dogs in its care for more than six months - that need re-homing. Visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/underdogs for more information.