News you can trust since 1924 Lifestyle Homes and Gardens Would you have space in your heart and home for one of these dogs? This week sees our regular feature, in association with Dogs Trust, Ballymena, highlight two of the adorable dogs currently in its care who are looking for their ‘forever homes’. By Elinor Glynn Wednesday, 22nd September 2021, 7:00 am Oreo Age: Less than a year Breed: Shih Tzu Staffordshire Bull Terrier Hunter was taken to a local dog pound and the team at Dogs Trust Ballymena took him under their wing.. Hunter adores the company of humans, one of his favourites is snuggles on the sofa. Oreo is a sweet little 11 month old Shih Tzu cross who is a bit of a sensitive soul but has found that having a small confident doggy friend helps him. Oreo can be worried by over-handling, so a quiet home with kids aged 16 plus would be ideal. He is very keen to learn and loves his food. He adores going for adventures in the car. Oreo would need a couple of meets at the centre with adopters to gain confidence before going home. Oreo is a sweet little 11 month old Shih Tzu cross who is a bit of a sensitive soul but has found that having a small confident doggy friend helps him. Hunter Breed: Staffordshire Bull Terrier Age: Seven Hunter was taken to a local dog pound and the team at Dogs Trust Ballymena took him under their wing. Despite not being in the best condition when he arrived at the centre, with lots of love and some special baths, he is now back to full health and ready to meet the family of his dreams. Hunter adores the company of humans, one of his favourites is snuggles on the sofa. We don’t know much about Hunter’s history, but he can be very wary of dogs coming into his space. Hunter would love to be the only pet in his new home. He is happy to jump into the car for adventures in quiet areas, so he doesn’t get frightened by approaching dogs, he would love someone about the house a good part of the day as he adores attention. Hunter is very friendly and could live in a home with children aged 14 and over. He is fully house trained and loves to play with toys. Conor O’Kane, Dogs Trust Ballymena Rehoming Centre Managerm explains the changes at the Centre as restrictions ease. He says: “Since the pandemic hit, Dogs Trust Ballymena has been continuing to take in, care for and rehome dogs, thanks to our amazing team and local supporters. “During this time, we have established a virtual rehoming process which has been a huge success, levelling the playing field for many dogs who have been previously overlooked by potential new families. “Amid the upheaval of the past year, we have been incredibly proud of how our team has overcome the challenges faced to do the best by our dogs. “The pandemic has allowed us to try new things and take valuable learnings away to inform new processes. “As restrictions lift, we will be continuing with our successful virtual rehoming process to match dogs with their new owners. “However, we love being part of the local community and want to start welcoming people back to the centre, while continuing to put the wellbeing of our dogs and staff first. Members of the local dog-loving public can book a slot to visit the centre on one of our Information Days, held every Sunday between 12-4pm. Visitors will be able to meet our friendly staff, see the best of Dogs Trust Ballymena including our state-of-the-art kennels and – most importantly – see some of our gorgeous dogs spending time with their canine carers. “Information Days will not have a rehoming focus, and anyone who is interested in rehoming a dog from us will be directed to the virtual rehoming process to begin their rehoming journey. “We believe these more intimate visitor Information Days will help our dogs to start to feel comfortable again in the presence of members of the public, while helping us to keep staff and visitors safe. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank local dog lovers for their continued support and for helping us do what’s best for the dogs in our care. “To book an Information Day slot visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/ourcentres,” said Conor. *If you are interested in rehoming one of the dogs currently at the Ballymena Centre visit the website at www.dogstrust.org.uk/rehoming This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) Follow us on Explore News Sport What's On Lifestyle More from Portadown Times Announcements Jobs Public Notices Must Read Buy a Photo Directory Useful Links Contact Us Advertise My Business Advertise a Job Place your Ad Subscribe Events Archive Readers Charter ©JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Cookie Settings Terms and Conditions Privacy policy Modern Slavery Statement