I first heard about Casa de Griffon/Hope for Hounds a few years ago, when my friends adopted with them. So, I’ve been following their work, but only passively.

I lost my own dog – my soulmate and best friend, Stella, very suddenly, just before Christmas. I was absolutely devastated, and my older dog, Alfie, was struggling to adjust too. I was too upset to even imagine getting another dog, even though I knew it would help Alfie.

Then a couple of weeks later, I saw a post on the Casa de Griffon Facebook page, and something tugged at my heart. I sent a message and explained my circumstances, the loss of my girl and my old boy’s loneliness. Within a few short days, we had exchanged many messages, phone calls and video calls and everything was in place.

From then on, the level of support, encouragement and advice has been outstanding!! As keen as I was to adopt, I also had reservations, but the team were incredibly understanding, supportive, and I felt absolutely no pressure.

Connor has been an absolute godsend. I can already see the difference in Alfie – he has a sparkle and an energy back that was missing. And Connor is a dream. He’s such an affectionate, calm, gentle and friendly wee soul. He has settled in so well and is enjoying every adventure we are having together.

The team at Casa de Griffon have continued to be fantastic. The level of aftercare, check-ins and advice have been second to none. Their genuine interest and care for not only Connor but also Alfie and me have been wonderful. They really are a holistic, caring group whose passion and drive are like nothing I’ve experienced before.

My only issue now is that I want to adopt ALL the dogs!!

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to Jayne and her team. Not only for the amazing work you all do, but for introducing us to Connor.

With thanks and love,

Neil and Alfie