A lurcher dog that ran wild around Gosberton for three months has a chance of a new home after appearing on a TV chat show.
Lucy, the nine-year-old lurcher, now living at the South Lincolnshire Jerry Green Dog Rescue Centre in Algarkirk, is appearing on Channel 4’s Paul O’Grady Live at 5pm – and dog warden Rachel Thompson couldn’t have been more surprised.
Rachel, who covers the South Holland area, said it is five years since they managed to catch Lucy after she had been left out in the cold over Christmas.
She said: “We get a lot of lurchers that are just left by harecoursers, but every time someone tried to get Lucy she ran off.
“She had a nasty lump on her chest, which is probably why she was dumped.
“Eventually we managed to get her and she had an operation to remove the lump.
“She’s a lovely girl – she’s just been overlooked. I just hope someone who saw her on TV gives her a home.”
Lucy will be joined by a handful of other dogs also up for adoption.
Rosie Myers, behavioural advisor at the rescue centre, will be on hand to make sure Lucy is well looked after. She said: ““It’s an honour to be invited onto the Paul O’Grady show for the second time; we all know how much Paul loves dogs and is a supporter of adoption from a Rescue Centre”
“Plenty of viewers will fall in love with her kind nature and I’m confident that she will find the caring owner she deserves.”
Lucy’s story comes days after concerns dognapping is on the rise across the district.
Even though she has so far not been lucky enough to find a new home – according to Rachel with the current pressure on rescue centres she is lucky to have one at all.
Time is running out for a seven-month-old black and white cocker spaniel puppy that was found in Gosberton last week.
Rachel said: “It’s not looking good. By now we would have expected if it had been lost the owner would have been in touch.
“Fortunately with this breed there are rescue centres for them. But there are not an endless supply of centres and one day a dog will not be so lucky and will have to be put down.”
The problem is being fuelled by the number of thefts of dogs from cars.
Rachel said: “The most valuable thing in your car at the moment is not the Christmas gift police will be warning you to hide in the boot, it will be the dog you leave on your seat.
“They are being stolen to be sold on the internet. But then people can’t afford to keep them. It’s heartbreaking.”