My name is: Meli
I came from: Romania
Now I live in: Scotland
My favourite things are: Eating, snoozing, lazing about, going for walks and going out in the car
Follow me on Instagram: @misadventureswithmeli

Meli’s story

Miss Meli first arrived at our door in November 2020 and our lives have forever been changed for the better.

My husband had been desperate to get a dog for years but prior to lockdown we both worked in the city and there was no way we could manage to keep any pets when we would be away from home for up to 12 hours a day. After a few months in lockdown, it became clear that life would no longer be the same and as remote/hybrid working would be the new norm, I relented and said ok to getting a dog. My only condition was that it had to be a rescue.

We looked at the local shelters first and most of the dogs we came across had a lot of severe behavioural issues, which I didn’t feel was something first time dog owners like us would be equipped to deal with. That’s when I remembered my friend, Lauren, who’d adopted Gertie from Underdog a couple months prior. I asked her to share the website details and Lauren was so excited that she started sending me links to various Underdog bios! One of those bios was our Meli.

Meli who lived in the shelter for five years, was estimated to be seven years old and potentially had never lived in a house before, I just knew this was the dog for us. We put in our application and had chats with Eve and Leanne who were fantastic throughout the full process. They were very, very thorough and wanted to make sure we were right for Meli. I was very impressed at how they vetted us as they want every dog to go to their forever home and it is clear just how much they cared for the dogs.

There was actually another couple who also submitted an application for Meli and Eve was upfront with that information. She said that both parties would be vetted and they would proceed with whoever was the better fit for Meli. I can remember how agonising the wait was! I kept checking my phone to see if I’d missed any emails or calls. I was lying in bed and I said to my husband that I would be devastated if we don’t get to adopt Meli, which really took him by surprise. He couldn’t believe I felt so strongly for a dog I hadn’t even met but I just knew in my heart, in my bones, that she was meant for me. I can’t explain it, I just knew it.

When we got the news that we were successful, I immediately started buying doggie things. That was the easy part! Leanne prepared us and said that every dog’s transition is different. Wee Gertie settled in very quickly (you can read her story here) but there were other dogs that took much longer.

When Meli first arrived, she was nervous and timid and scared and refused to come into the house. She stayed in the garden for about two hours. We walked her round the garden, gave her lots of belly rubs and bribed her with food, and eventually she came into the house. She was uncertain of the house, and she seemed especially puzzled and anxious about doorways, like she had never lived in a house before. She would stand at the kitchen door and cry. She wanted to come in but she was scared and uncertain of this new environment.

It took a few days before she would eventually walk into the kitchen by herself. Hard to believe this is the same girl who now never leaves the kitchen! She is so confident and settled into her home now that she actually swings the kitchen door open when its meal time…it’s her way to telling us its dinner time and to hurry up, finish work and give her her dinner. If you are even five minutes late she’ll grumble so loudly you can hear her from upstairs.

I’m not going to say that it was all sunshine and roses. It was a lot of hard work at the beginning. She needed to learn how to live with two humans, to understand the rules of the house, to wear a harness (which she hated at first!), to walk on a lead attached to a human that she didn’t know and didn’t fully trust. She was so afraid of other dogs and children that she would try and run in the opposite direction. She was anxious and timid and clearly this was a lot for her. She was scared of large noisy vehicles and got spooked very easily by everything…and I mean everything! But we persevered. Plenty walks, plenty treats, plenty love and plenty patience. She has not once pooed or peed in the house, nor has she ever chewed up the furniture or destroyed anything in the house. She never barks, she is so quiet my neighbour couldn’t believe we had a dog! She is so gentle, she licks her toys instead of chewing on them. She is so loving, she loves to snuggle and rest her head on my lap and snooze, as I sit on the sofa and watch telly - that’s our daily evening routine.

Meli is now so laid back and chilled, that I can lift her leg up and vacuum under her and she’ll just lie there, not caring. She’s gone from being scared of other dogs to being super excited to go out with the dog walker weekly and play with her doggie friends. I’ve watched her grow from a shy, scared, timid dog into this beautiful, confident, radiant wee grubber. Putting that wee application in for Meli has been the best decision I’ve ever made and I just can’t imagine my life without this beautiful girl.

- Divya