A WARM WELCOME
TO PAWS2FREEDOM
ABOUT US
Thank you so much for taking a kind interest in our dogs and rescue projects.
Whether you are a new visitor or already part of our lovely Paws2Freedom family we are delighted to see you as we could not do what we do without our kind and much treasured supporters.
We thought that maybe you would like to know a little bit more about us…
ABOUT US
Thank you so much for taking a kind interest in our dogs and rescue projects.
We are delighted to have you as part of our lovely Paws2Freedom family as we could not do what we do without our kind and much treasured supporters.
We thought that maybe you would like to know a little bit more about us:
HOW CAN I DONATE?
As you can probably imagine, a small charity like ours is entirely dependent upon donations in order to survive.
Your kind support is so very much appreciated and absolutely vital for us to continue our rescue work, advance our therapy dog service and provide the food and care all the furry paws need.
If you would like to find out more about all the different ways to donate please follow the link below.
OUR FEATURED FOSTER to ADOPT DOG is CORRIE
Corrie is a much-loved family dog who has been with his current people since he was a puppy…
HOW CAN I DONATE?
As you can probably imagine, a small charity like ours is entirely dependent upon donations in order to survive.
Your kind support is so very much appreciated and absolutely vital for us to continue our rescue work, advance our therapy dog service and provide the food and care all the furry paws need.
To find out more about all the different ways to donate just follow the link below.
NEWS AND EVENTS
BOW - OUR AMAZING LITTLE FIGHTER
LATEST ON FACEBOOK
🐻 BEAR – FOR ADOPTION 🐻
FOR ADOPTION IN CORNWALL, DEVON & DEVON/SOMERSET BORDER ONLY!
Hello! I’m Bear 🐻❤️
Yes, I know... I am ridiculously cute. I’m also super cuddly, funny, clever and full of personality.
But before you fall completely in love with my little face, my Paws2Freedom humans say I need to tell you something important...
I am NOT a low-maintenance little teddy bear! 😂
My brain runs at about a hundred miles an hour, I have lots of energy, I’m still learning things that other doggies my age mastered ages ago, and if you don’t give me sensible boundaries I will happily make up my own rules. I need someone who will love me to bits, but who will also teach me, manage me and help me become the brilliant little dog everyone knows I can be.
RESCUE STORY:
Bear came into Paws2Freedom foster in October 2026 after his previous family recognised that their busy household was not the right environment for him. He was very loved and they had sought help from trainers and behaviourists, but Bear was struggling with over-arousal, barking, resource-related behaviour and difficulty switching off.
He has now been in foster with our team for around three weeks near Crediton, Devon, giving us the opportunity to assess him for ourselves.
And what have we learned?
Bear really is a gorgeous, sweet-natured little chap – but he is also much more immature than his age would suggest and needs a significant amount of ongoing training, management and consistency.
He certainly isn't a dog who can simply arrive, be given the run of the house and slot effortlessly into family life. But for the right person who enjoys training and wants to build a relationship with a clever young dog, we think Bear could absolutely blossom.
SIZE:
Small-medium, around 10kg.
SEX:
Male
AGE:
Born 2nd July 2025 – approximately 16 months old. Behaviourally, however, Bear often seems much younger. His foster mum describes him as behaving more like a 6–8 month old puppy in many ways.
NEUTERED:
Bear is not surgically neutered. He received a Suprelorin 4.7mg chemical castration implant on 14th July 2026. This is temporary. The licensed effect lasts for at least six months, putting Bear's six-month point at approximately 14th January 2027, although the effect can persist beyond this and does not suddenly stop on that date. His longer-term neutering plan can be considered once we have a clearer picture of him without making assumptions about how hormones may or may not affect his behaviour.
VACCINATED:
Yes. His last recorded booster was September 2026.
MICROCHIPPED:
Yes.
HOUSE TRAINED:
Yes.
CHILDREN:
Adult-only home. Bear is very sensitive to sudden movement, particularly around his head and can communicate his discomfort with a growl or snap if pushed beyond what he can cope with. We are therefore not looking to place him in a home with resident children.
DOGS:
Bear can potentially live with another dog, and he currently lives alongside an adult female dog in foster. However, this comes with a fairly large Bear-shaped BUT! He can initially become wildly excited on seeing another dog and then suddenly panic and try to get away. Once he knows a dog, the opposite problem can occur: Bear wants to play and can relentlessly pester them, even when the other dog is very clearly saying, “Enough now!” He plays well with his foster sister in the garden and can walk alongside her without pestering, but indoors she needs regular breaks from him.
A calm, balanced resident dog could therefore be possible with careful introductions and sensible management. However, Bear would undoubtedly be easier to train and manage as an only dog, simply because he needs so much individual work and can become even more excited when another dog is present.
CATS:
Not tested. A home with cats would not be ideal for Bear at the moment.
BEHAVIOUR, TEMPERAMENT, UNIQUE TRAITS & TRAINING NEEDS:
Bear is an affectionate, friendly, cuddly and fundamentally sweet-natured young dog.
He loves fuss and being stroked, enjoys human company and is generally very sociable. Meeting new people can be extremely exciting for him and he may jump, bounce and forget every manner he ever possessed!
His biggest challenge is his very busy brain! Bear finds the world incredibly exciting and can become overstimulated very quickly. He needs a home that understands the importance of balancing physical activity and enrichment with genuine downtime.
He is energetic and needs an appropriate outlet for that energy: walks, secure running opportunities, training, sniffing, enrichment and using his brain. But simply keeping him constantly busy would create an even more wound-up Bear. Learning to settle is equally important! At present Bear has a playpen with access to an open covered crate. This has become his safe, relaxed area and is an important part of his routine.
Supervision and stealing...
Bear cannot currently be left loose in the house unsupervised. If something interesting exists, Bear will probably find it. Shoes. Towels. Bedding. Cushions. Firewood. Yarn. Things from worktops. Things you thought were safely out of reach... Bear is an enthusiastic opportunist and chewer!
He has also learned that stealing something can result in human attention and sometimes a tasty trade, so good management is important rather than giving him endless opportunities to practise the behaviour.
His foster mum uses a training lead when he is loose indoors so that he can be calmly moved away from situations without confrontation.
When his humans go out, Bear settles happily in his safe playpen/crate area with a chew. In foster he has been left successfully for around 2–3 hours; longer periods have not yet been tested.
Resource-related behaviour...
The picture we are seeing in foster is a little more specific than Bear's previous history suggested. He is not routinely guarding his food, treats or toys. His foster mum and resident dog can walk past while he is eating without difficulty. However, if Bear steals an object and someone simply reaches in to take it from him, he may growl or snap. He should therefore be traded rather than challenged, while simultaneously working on training so that stealing becomes less rewarding in the first place.
His previous family also reported resource-related incidents, particularly when Bear was tired or overstimulated in the evenings, so this remains something his new person needs to understand and manage.
Bear has occasionally used his mouth when pushed beyond what he can cope with. His previous history includes one contact incident which caused bruising/denting but no puncture injury, alongside warnings and snaps.
We don't see Bear as a dog looking for confrontation. He is a young dog who needs humans to recognise his quieter communication before he feels he needs to make himself clearer.
Training...
Bear has some catching up to do! He knows his name, Sit and Paw and is currently learning Wait, Come and Close. His recall is still unreliable unless there is something very worthwhile on offer.
Lead walking needs considerable work. Initially Bear pulled and weaved erratically towards whatever caught his attention. He is improving with his foster mum, but is still strong and capable of sudden enthusiastic yanks.
Traffic is particularly difficult for him. Cars and vans passing on country lanes can trigger spinning and sudden lunging, so Bear needs to be kept very securely managed around roads. A quiet rural or semi-rural home with a secure garden and access to safe walking away from busy traffic would suit him far better than busy town life.
Handling...
Bear needs gentle, thoughtful handling.
He is sensitive about sudden movements towards his head and needs his collar and lead approached calmly. He does not tolerate a slip lead or harness being pulled over his head. He has accepted a step-in harness, although the one tried was not sufficiently escape-proof.
Paw drying is improving and his foster mum can now generally manage it, although there have been occasional mild warning growls.
He loves cuddles and fuss and has tolerated being lifted when necessary, including getting into the car, despite his previous family reporting that he disliked being picked up.
Car travel...
This is currently a work in progress. Bear doesn't willingly get into the car and needs to be lifted into his travelling crate. During short journeys he may whine/warble and pant and doesn't completely relax, although he doesn't bark or become travel sick. This behaviour may be due to him still settling into a new life and the insecurity that often comes with that.
So far journeys in foster have only been around 20–25 minutes, and he is a little better on the way home when tired.
IDEAL HOME:
Cornwall, Devon and Devon/Somerset border only, please. Rural or semi-rural.
Bear needs an experienced, calm, consistent adult home where someone genuinely enjoys training and isn't expecting an easy little lapdog.
His ridiculously cute face can be deceptive! He needs clear household rules and boundaries, plenty of appropriate exercise and enrichment, structured training and – equally importantly – help learning when it is time to stop.
An adopter needs to be comfortable using management such as a playpen/crate, puppy-proofing the environment, preventing access to things he shouldn't have and supervising him closely while he learns.
Bear needs a lovely secure garden to romp around in and relax.
He could potentially live with the right resident dog, but being an only dog would make it easier to focus on Bear's training and behaviour.
Give Bear an inch and he will cheerfully take several miles 😂
But give him clear, kind and consistent guidance and he is already showing that he can learn.
He is not low-maintenance. He is not finished. He is not perfect! But he is affectionate, funny, bright, cuddly and very lovable, and we genuinely believe that with the right person prepared to put the work in, Bear has the potential to become a fabulous companion.
HEALTH:
Bear has no known ongoing physical health problems.
He is currently taking Fluoxetine 20mg once daily, originally prescribed by his previous vet for his behavioural/anxiety difficulties. Now that Bear has been with Paws2Freedom long enough for us to begin forming our own picture of him, his medication will be reassessed later in November 2026. Any changes would be made appropriately rather than stopping or altering his medication suddenly.
As above, Bear also currently has a Suprelorin 4.7mg chemical castration implant, administered on 14th July 2026. The six-month point will be around mid-January 2027, although its effects may persist longer.
LINKS:
If you think you genuinely have the time, experience, patience and sense of humour for our little Bear, please read our settling-in guide:
paws2freedom.org/new-rescue-dog-faqs/
You can read about our adoption process here:
paws2freedom.org/adopt/
And our application forms can be found here:
paws2freedom.org/links-and-downloads/
AND FINALLY, FROM BEAR...
So there you have it. 🐻❤️ I told you I wasn't just a cute fluffy face!
I need quite a lot from my human at the moment – training, patience, boundaries, adventures, brain work and somebody who won't let me run rings around them just because I give them my best innocent little Bear expression. 😂 But I also have an awful lot to give back. I'm cuddly, funny, clever and full of life, and my Paws2Freedom humans think there's a really fabulous little dog waiting to emerge as I grow up and learn how the world works.
I need someone who enjoys giving me what I need and who will stick with me while I learn.
Could that be you?
Woof you,
Bear xx 🐻🐾
BEAR'S FULL ALBUM HERE: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1516511070512240&type=3
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
🐻 BEAR – FOR ADOPTION 🐻
FOR ADOPTION IN CORNWALL, DEVON & DEVON/SOMERSET BORDER ONLY!
Hello! I’m Bear 🐻❤️
Yes, I know... I am ridiculously cute. I’m also super cuddly, funny, clever and full of personality.
But before you fall completely in love with my little face, my Paws2Freedom humans say I need to tell you something important...
I am NOT a low-maintenance little teddy bear! 😂
My brain runs at about a hundred miles an hour, I have lots of energy, I’m still learning things that other doggies my age mastered ages ago, and if you don’t give me sensible boundaries I will happily make up my own rules. I need someone who will love me to bits, but who will also teach me, manage me and help me become the brilliant little dog everyone knows I can be.
RESCUE STORY:
Bear came into Paws2Freedom foster in October 2026 after his previous family recognised that their busy household was not the right environment for him. He was very loved and they had sought help from trainers and behaviourists, but Bear was struggling with over-arousal, barking, resource-related behaviour and difficulty switching off.
He has now been in foster with our team for around three weeks near Crediton, Devon, giving us the opportunity to assess him for ourselves.
And what have we learned?
Bear really is a gorgeous, sweet-natured little chap – but he is also much more immature than his age would suggest and needs a significant amount of ongoing training, management and consistency.
He certainly isn't a dog who can simply arrive, be given the run of the house and slot effortlessly into family life. But for the right person who enjoys training and wants to build a relationship with a clever young dog, we think Bear could absolutely blossom.
SIZE:
Small-medium, around 10kg.
SEX:
Male
AGE:
Born 2nd July 2025 – approximately 16 months old. Behaviourally, however, Bear often seems much younger. His foster mum describes him as behaving more like a 6–8 month old puppy in many ways.
NEUTERED:
Bear is not surgically neutered. He received a Suprelorin 4.7mg chemical castration implant on 14th July 2026. This is temporary. The licensed effect lasts for at least six months, putting Bear's six-month point at approximately 14th January 2027, although the effect can persist beyond this and does not suddenly stop on that date. His longer-term neutering plan can be considered once we have a clearer picture of him without making assumptions about how hormones may or may not affect his behaviour.
VACCINATED:
Yes. His last recorded booster was September 2026.
MICROCHIPPED:
Yes.
HOUSE TRAINED:
Yes.
CHILDREN:
Adult-only home. Bear is very sensitive to sudden movement, particularly around his head and can communicate his discomfort with a growl or snap if pushed beyond what he can cope with. We are therefore not looking to place him in a home with resident children.
DOGS:
Bear can potentially live with another dog, and he currently lives alongside an adult female dog in foster. However, this comes with a fairly large Bear-shaped BUT! He can initially become wildly excited on seeing another dog and then suddenly panic and try to get away. Once he knows a dog, the opposite problem can occur: Bear wants to play and can relentlessly pester them, even when the other dog is very clearly saying, “Enough now!” He plays well with his foster sister in the garden and can walk alongside her without pestering, but indoors she needs regular breaks from him.
A calm, balanced resident dog could therefore be possible with careful introductions and sensible management. However, Bear would undoubtedly be easier to train and manage as an only dog, simply because he needs so much individual work and can become even more excited when another dog is present.
CATS:
Not tested. A home with cats would not be ideal for Bear at the moment.
BEHAVIOUR, TEMPERAMENT, UNIQUE TRAITS & TRAINING NEEDS:
Bear is an affectionate, friendly, cuddly and fundamentally sweet-natured young dog.
He loves fuss and being stroked, enjoys human company and is generally very sociable. Meeting new people can be extremely exciting for him and he may jump, bounce and forget every manner he ever possessed!
His biggest challenge is his very busy brain! Bear finds the world incredibly exciting and can become overstimulated very quickly. He needs a home that understands the importance of balancing physical activity and enrichment with genuine downtime.
He is energetic and needs an appropriate outlet for that energy: walks, secure running opportunities, training, sniffing, enrichment and using his brain. But simply keeping him constantly busy would create an even more wound-up Bear. Learning to settle is equally important! At present Bear has a playpen with access to an open covered crate. This has become his safe, relaxed area and is an important part of his routine.
Supervision and stealing...
Bear cannot currently be left loose in the house unsupervised. If something interesting exists, Bear will probably find it. Shoes. Towels. Bedding. Cushions. Firewood. Yarn. Things from worktops. Things you thought were safely out of reach... Bear is an enthusiastic opportunist and chewer!
He has also learned that stealing something can result in human attention and sometimes a tasty trade, so good management is important rather than giving him endless opportunities to practise the behaviour.
His foster mum uses a training lead when he is loose indoors so that he can be calmly moved away from situations without confrontation.
When his humans go out, Bear settles happily in his safe playpen/crate area with a chew. In foster he has been left successfully for around 2–3 hours; longer periods have not yet been tested.
Resource-related behaviour...
The picture we are seeing in foster is a little more specific than Bear's previous history suggested. He is not routinely guarding his food, treats or toys. His foster mum and resident dog can walk past while he is eating without difficulty. However, if Bear steals an object and someone simply reaches in to take it from him, he may growl or snap. He should therefore be traded rather than challenged, while simultaneously working on training so that stealing becomes less rewarding in the first place.
His previous family also reported resource-related incidents, particularly when Bear was tired or overstimulated in the evenings, so this remains something his new person needs to understand and manage.
Bear has occasionally used his mouth when pushed beyond what he can cope with. His previous history includes one contact incident which caused bruising/denting but no puncture injury, alongside warnings and snaps.
We don't see Bear as a dog looking for confrontation. He is a young dog who needs humans to recognise his quieter communication before he feels he needs to make himself clearer.
Training...
Bear has some catching up to do! He knows his name, Sit and Paw and is currently learning Wait, Come and Close. His recall is still unreliable unless there is something very worthwhile on offer.
Lead walking needs considerable work. Initially Bear pulled and weaved erratically towards whatever caught his attention. He is improving with his foster mum, but is still strong and capable of sudden enthusiastic yanks.
Traffic is particularly difficult for him. Cars and vans passing on country lanes can trigger spinning and sudden lunging, so Bear needs to be kept very securely managed around roads. A quiet rural or semi-rural home with a secure garden and access to safe walking away from busy traffic would suit him far better than busy town life.
Handling...
Bear needs gentle, thoughtful handling.
He is sensitive about sudden movements towards his head and needs his collar and lead approached calmly. He does not tolerate a slip lead or harness being pulled over his head. He has accepted a step-in harness, although the one tried was not sufficiently escape-proof.
Paw drying is improving and his foster mum can now generally manage it, although there have been occasional mild warning growls.
He loves cuddles and fuss and has tolerated being lifted when necessary, including getting into the car, despite his previous family reporting that he disliked being picked up.
Car travel...
This is currently a work in progress. Bear doesn't willingly get into the car and needs to be lifted into his travelling crate. During short journeys he may whine/warble and pant and doesn't completely relax, although he doesn't bark or become travel sick. This behaviour may be due to him still settling into a new life and the insecurity that often comes with that.
So far journeys in foster have only been around 20–25 minutes, and he is a little better on the way home when tired.
IDEAL HOME:
Cornwall, Devon and Devon/Somerset border only, please. Rural or semi-rural.
Bear needs an experienced, calm, consistent adult home where someone genuinely enjoys training and isn't expecting an easy little lapdog.
His ridiculously cute face can be deceptive! He needs clear household rules and boundaries, plenty of appropriate exercise and enrichment, structured training and – equally importantly – help learning when it is time to stop.
An adopter needs to be comfortable using management such as a playpen/crate, puppy-proofing the environment, preventing access to things he shouldn't have and supervising him closely while he learns.
Bear needs a lovely secure garden to romp around in and relax.
He could potentially live with the right resident dog, but being an only dog would make it easier to focus on Bear's training and behaviour.
Give Bear an inch and he will cheerfully take several miles 😂
But give him clear, kind and consistent guidance and he is already showing that he can learn.
He is not low-maintenance. He is not finished. He is not perfect! But he is affectionate, funny, bright, cuddly and very lovable, and we genuinely believe that with the right person prepared to put the work in, Bear has the potential to become a fabulous companion.
HEALTH:
Bear has no known ongoing physical health problems.
He is currently taking Fluoxetine 20mg once daily, originally prescribed by his previous vet for his behavioural/anxiety difficulties. Now that Bear has been with Paws2Freedom long enough for us to begin forming our own picture of him, his medication will be reassessed later in November 2026. Any changes would be made appropriately rather than stopping or altering his medication suddenly.
As above, Bear also currently has a Suprelorin 4.7mg chemical castration implant, administered on 14th July 2026. The six-month point will be around mid-January 2027, although its effects may persist longer.
LINKS:
If you think you genuinely have the time, experience, patience and sense of humour for our little Bear, please read our settling-in guide:
paws2freedom.org/new-rescue-dog-faqs/
You can read about our adoption process here:
paws2freedom.org/adopt/
And our application forms can be found here:
paws2freedom.org/links-and-downloads/
AND FINALLY, FROM BEAR...
So there you have it. 🐻❤️ I told you I wasn't just a cute fluffy face!
I need quite a lot from my human at the moment – training, patience, boundaries, adventures, brain work and somebody who won't let me run rings around them just because I give them my best innocent little Bear expression. 😂 But I also have an awful lot to give back. I'm cuddly, funny, clever and full of life, and my Paws2Freedom humans think there's a really fabulous little dog waiting to emerge as I grow up and learn how the world works.
I need someone who enjoys giving me what I need and who will stick with me while I learn.
Could that be you?
Woof you,
Bear xx 🐻🐾
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🐾🏡 THE FIRST DOG CABINS ARE GOING IN!!! 🎉❤️
Another exciting step forward at our Paws2Freedom Sanctuary! The first cabins for our temporary setup are being put into place, and of course Midge and Corrie had to have a good nose around and try everything out for size 😂🐾
A MASSIVE thank you to our wonderful helpers, who have been working their socks off to get us this far. We really couldn't do it without you!
Still lots to do before we can move our doggies in and we're getting there! The main sanctuary build will follow next year, but for now it's all hands on deck to get our temporary setup finished.
And if anyone near Crediton fancies lending a hand, even for a few hours, we'd absolutely love to hear from you! Good DIY skills and a willingness to muck in are all that's needed! One muddy step closer to getting our doggies home! 🥰🙏
A huge THANK YOU from all of us at Paws2Freedom for your continued support. It really does mean the world to us and our doggies! ❤️
🌐 Website: paws2freedom.org/
🎥 YouTube: www.youtube.com/@paws2freedomdogrescuechari749
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
