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❤️ SPENCER’S STORY – THE DOG WHO TAUGHT US EVERYTHING ❤️

Fourteen years ago, a terrified Romanian dog came into our lives. We thought we were saving him. We had absolutely no idea that he would change us, teach us and shape so much of what Paws2Freedom would become...
Spencer became one of the greatest teachers we have ever known. He is one of the reasons we fight so hard today for the dogs labelled aggressive, difficult, dangerous or unmanageable. Because Spencer taught us to look beyond the behaviour.
Sometimes aggression isn't anger. Sometimes it is simply terror with nowhere else to go.

Our story with Spencer began on a date that already meant so much to us. Exactly one year earlier, on that very same day, our first beloved Spencer – our soul dog and the dog who inspired Paws2Freedom to be born – had crossed Rainbow Bridge. We would never normally give another dog the same name. But something about this frightened, fluffy soul thousands of miles away pulled at us. Somehow it felt right. Something told us that this troubled dog needed to be Spencer... So Spencer he became.

At first though, he didn't even have a name. He was simply a desperately unhappy-looking dog in a Romanian high-kill shelter, and initially we were told that he had a home waiting for him in Germany. Then his adopter pulled out. And suddenly his days were numbered. New photographs arrived. The dog in them now looked utterly terrified, making himself small… trying desperately to hide in a place where there was no place to hide...

We heard that firecrackers had been thrown in with him, that he had been poked with metal rods and pallets banged around him to provoke a reaction. The aim was to make frightened dogs appear aggressive so that they could legally be killed. With Spencer, it worked. By the time we managed to get him out, Spencer was a true biter. But! … He wasn't bad. He wasn't nasty. He was absolutely petrified of people and completely overwhelmed by the world around him.

Thanks to the dedication of one incredible volunteer who was occasionally allowed into the shelter, somehow, against the odds, we managed to get him out. Travel rules were very different back then and Spencer had to be tranquillised simply to make the journey possible.

We knew before he arrived that the bite risk was extremely high. We had never dealt with a dog like Spencer before, so we contacted a local dog trainer and behaviourist for advice before he even reached us. Her suggestion was that we build him his own house outside, with a secure section of garden, so that toileting, feeding and day-to-day care could be managed without putting either Spencer or us under pressure.
So that is exactly what we did! We built him a generous little house and fenced off part of our garden. Everything was designed so that we could care for him without needing to touch him.
There would be no forcing. No grabbing. No expectation that he simply had to "get used to us". The plan was that Spencer would come to us when he was ready.

And then he arrived… We were handed a pair of leather gloves, a packet of tranquilliser tablets, a warning not to let him out of his crate… and wishes of good luck. That was pretty much our behavioural handover 😳 We had no special experience, but what we did have was a huge amount of love and an absolute determination that somehow, some way, we were going to make this work. Because we knew we were his last chance. And so our journey together began…

Almost immediately, we made an awful discovery. Hidden beneath all that thick fur was a choke chain. Someone had clearly tried to control him with it and something had gone very wrong. The chain was caught tightly around his neck and underneath one of his front legs. It had to come off! So Susan sat with this terrified dog – the dog we had been warned would bite – for around an hour. Slowly. Quietly. Millimetre by millimetre. Somehow, Spencer allowed her to remove it. And from there, a true love story began…

Susan spent every lunch hour with Spencer and would sneak out to sit with him whenever she could break away from work and caring for the other dogs. No demands. No pressure. Just time. They shared food. They shared company. They even shared tea. Yes… Spencer tried tea too. Clearly his first important step towards becoming a true Brit. 😂 And little by little, trust began to grow...

Then one day came the tiniest nose nudge. We called it Spencer's first kiss. To anybody else it would probably have looked like nothing. To us, it was enormous. This dog who had every reason in the world not to trust people had chosen to reach out to one.

From there, his world slowly began to grow… First he explored his little garden. Only four weeks later, we opened his enclosure and gave him access to the main garden, where he met our other dogs. Another couple of weeks passed. He watched them. He watched us. And he began to learn from them that perhaps these humans weren't quite as frightening as he thought.

Then we started leaving the door to our house open. One evening, Spencer appeared in the doorway. We barely dared breathe! He stepped inside… scared himself with his own sudden bravery… and shot straight back outside again. Then he tried again. And again. For around two weeks he repeated his little dance… Inside. Panic. Back outside. Until one day… Spencer came in and stayed. He was finally home!

The other dogs became his guides, his confidence and his family. And eventually that family became something very special indeed. The FAB FOUR. Our very own Beatles. Spencer, Moko, Baby and Tito. Four incredibly close friends who became a little unit of their own. They were Spencer's safety net and, with them beside him, he blossomed.

His world was still small for a long time. He remained far too frightened to venture beyond our garden and it took another three years before Spencer finally found the courage to explore our field.
But Spencer was never on anybody else's timetable. And that was another lesson he taught us. Real trust cannot be rushed.

There were difficult moments along the way. Vet visits initially meant sedation and new people could be frightening. But year after year, little by little, those walls came down. And then something quite extraordinary happened. The dog who had arrived with leather gloves, tranquilliser tablets and warnings about his teeth became… a sweet-natured lamb. A dog who enjoyed cuddles. Being brushed. Walks. Affection. And eventually even meeting new people.
Last year our lovely team member Jean came over from the Isle of Wight and Spencer happily soaked up her attention and affection.

The dog who once couldn't cope with a person coming near him had learned that people could actually be rather lovely. Even going to the vet – once something that required sedation – eventually became just another little adventure Spencer could take in his stride. That transformation still takes our breath away!

Today, heartbreakingly, Spencer is the only one of our beloved Fab Four still with us. And now we know that our extraordinary journey together is entering its final chapter. Several years ago, a tumour was discovered on Spencer's spleen. His spleen was removed and, incredibly, the tumour turned out to be benign. Then came the diagnosis we had feared… A tumour on his liver. Later, another tumour was found in his eye and an undefined area in his nose.
Nearly three years ago, euthanasia was recommended… Apparently nobody told Spencer! Because he carried on. And on. And on. Defying expectations. Surprising us. Enjoying his food. Enjoying his family. Enjoying being Spencer.

Now his old legs don't work as they once did. His senses have faded. His digestion is incredibly sensitive. A chronic urinary infection means we now express his bladder every day, which has helped enormously. He has daily physio, massages and very short exercise walks. And when his legs can't take him where he wants to go? We take him for walks in a wheelbarrow filled with duvets and cushions ❤️ Because an old boy still needs his adventures!
And after losing his beloved Fab Four, Spencer has found himself another little family. Truffle and Ron. Watching them together is so incredibly heart-warming.

He is old. He is frail. His liver is failing. We know what is coming. But he is not going today. Today he still wants his dinner. Today he still wants to know what everyone is doing. Today there are little adventures to be had, friends to spend time with and interesting smells to investigate from the comfort of his wheelbarrow. Today his pain is managed. Today he is still showing us that he wants to be here.
And so today, we carry on. We don't know how many tomorrows we have with him any more. Perhaps that's why every ordinary day feels so incredibly precious.

Our first Spencer was the inspiration behind Paws2Freedom. But this Spencer taught us what true rescue really means. He taught us how to love the so-called difficult dogs. The frightened dogs. The dogs whose fear comes out through their teeth. The dogs people are scared to take a chance on.
Spencer taught us not to ask simply, "What is wrong with this dog?" but instead, "What happened to you… and how can we help you feel safe?" He changed the way we see fear. He taught us to question labels. To look behind the growl. Behind the teeth. Behind the dog desperately shouting "stay away"… and see the frightened soul underneath.

Every fearful dog we have fought for since carries a little bit of Spencer's teachings. Every time we choose patience over pressure… Every time we give a frightened dog space… Every time we refuse to give up on a dog because their fear looks ugly from the outside… Spencer is there. Our teacher. Our inspiration. Our guiding light. And quite simply, one of the most extraordinary dogs we have ever had the privilege to love.

If anyone would like to help us care for our beautiful old boy during this precious final chapter, we would be incredibly grateful for support towards Spencer's ongoing medication, supplements, special food, physio and veterinary care. Find our darling dog here: paws2freedom.org/donate/

There is nothing we can ever give him that could repay what he has given us. So for however long he tells us that he still wants to be here, we will be right beside him. One meal. One wheelbarrow adventure. One cuddle. One beautiful day at a time.

We love you, Spencer.
More than you will ever know ❤️🐾x ... See MoreSee Less