Britain’s loneliest dog is a Blue Cross Staffordshire bull terrier who has spent 500 days in care

A Staffordshire bull terrier is among Britain’s loneliest dogs after spending over 500 days in care. The lonely dog, who “just wants to be loved”, is still looking for a forever home after having a rough start in life.

The Staffordshire bull terrier, named Duke, came into care of the Blue Cross at the end of January 2022. His owner sadly became ill and was no longer able to care for him.

Duke, a 10-year-old pooch, hasn’t had a home for more than 460 days – the length of time he has spent with the Blue Cross charity. The pup has been let down by potential new owners who have overlooked him after numerous appeals.

Staff say the pooch would make “a wonderful pet” and have been working with him to prepare him for a forever home. He is currently staying at the rehoming centre in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

“Duke found kennels so tough”

Sadly, no one has been willing to offer the adorable mutt a home, despite being a “sweet and loveable boy brimming with personality”. Laura Coveney, a rehoming supervisor at Blue Cross, said: “Duke found kennels so tough, to the point it was affecting both his mental and physical health.

“He was so stressed and was not coping at all. He was then in and out of what we call ‘bed and breakfast’ foster care, which meant he didn’t need to stay in kennels overnight, but he still wasn’t coping with the back and forth.”

“He just wants to be loved”

Duke found himself in a permanent foster home with Christine Tilt, who became a foster carer for Blue Cross in 2022 alongside her late husband. Christine said: “He’s got so much character.

“He just wants to be loved. It will just be so lovely to see him go to a new home. I know he’ll be happy and know that he’ll settle down easily as he’s so loveable, and very easy to live with.”

“He’s the ultimate rescue dog”

Laura visits Duke every week for training sessions and said he is the “ultimate rescue dog”. She said: “It’s frustrating that we can’t show what a lovely companion he is, and how easy he is to live with.

“It’s such a shame as he would perfectly fit into so many families’ lives. He’s the dog people are looking for – they just don’t realise it.

“And so, they don’t look in his direction. If you ask them what they want from a dog, it’s Duke. He’s the ultimate rescue dog.

“Duke’s the dog who proves the saying ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ is wrong. He’s learnt so much since he’s been with Christine. He’s just been really unlucky. It’s heartbreaking.”

If you’re interested in offering Duke a forever home, visit the Blue Cross website.