My name is: Lupin
I came from: Cyprus
Now I live in: Northumberland
My favourite things are: FOOD, naps, getting attention from anyone and everyone
Follow me on Instagram: @lupintheunderdog

Lupin’s story

Adopting a dog in 2020 was a strange experience. One of us was working in a school and one of us was working at the time in support services, and our lockdowns were very different but now we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lupin came to us from Cyprus, via Leige in Belgium and up through the country to Northumberland. It was June, but we had to put the heating on because I think Lupin was hoping for the south of France not the mild northern climate he got. He was very nervous on arrival, hiding in the corners and shy around people but settled really well. He quickly warmed to my Dad who always has a treat in his pocket and our local area is full of other dog owners who similarly, armed with treats, helped Lupin to come out of his shell. Within weeks he was marching up to strangers demanding a snack and a pat on the head.

The guidance of three days, three weeks, three months for settling in, fell almost exactly to the day. He progressed really well in the early stages and we were constantly surprised coming on leaps and bounds week by week, and he still does to this day. Every couple of weeks he develops a new little trait and he gets funnier and funnier every time.

Disaster struck a month in though, on his first walk after both of us returned to work, he dived out the front door as he was going out for his walk, lead chasing behind him. He was gone for three days in total. The longest three days of our lives. However, there’s nothing like a cute rescue dog on the run to bring a town together, hundreds of people where we live went out to search for him, he made the local news, we had friends from school who’d never spoken at school coordinating search parties to walk around the woods near our house at different times of the day. It was incredible and immensely humbling. A woman brought her huge pack of fox hounds and bloodhounds to search for him, people drove around the town. We were asked several times if we’d seen him, until we explained he was our dog. Thanks to these efforts, he was spotted by a local farmer who picked him and brought him home for a drink and some treats.

Afterwards was hard, he seemed to revert back to his pre rescue days and was scared of things again. He’d lost a lot of weight and he really struggled to put it back on. Yet, we got there. He went back to being his happy self.

We’ve had him over two years now, and he’s an absolute joy. He slobbers everywhere, my house will never be free of hair and he occasionally has a poo in the kitchen when he’s eaten something he shouldn’t have but I wouldn’t change it. Okay, ideally not the poo, but it’s not his fault. He howls like a wolf, but only to a specific YouTube video or at my parents door but is otherwise quiet as a mouse. A true street scavenger he will eat anything, unfortunately this also includes other dogs poo, not ideal. He has perfected his “I’m starving” look to perfection and eats from a slow feeder to stop him gulping it.

An all round good boy, he gets on really well with other dogs and people, tries to be gentle with kids and is a genuine joy. I would (and have) recommend Underdog as a charity, we’ve been so well supported and they do fantastic work. I’d adopt every last one of them if I could. Please consider a rescue dog if its an option for you, it really is the most rewarding and life affirming experience.

- Lauren & Matt