A LITTLE Pomeranian is taking local Facebook page, Bude Banter, by storm, in an aim to help re-home his canine friends that are currently in the care of the team at Last Chance Hotel.

Eric ‘the Viking’, a two-year-old Pomeranian, is on a mission to help his friends at Last Chance Hotel find a new home with people from Bude, after his ‘foster mum’, Emma Middleton, has been posting promotional photos and informative details about rescue dogs, and how the people of Bude can help.

Last Chance Hotel is a Cornish charity, set up in 2011, and based in Delabole, that has a main aim of rescuing, rehabilitating and re-homing elderly, sick, abused and neglected dogs, as well as other animals. Last Chance Hotel takes in animals of any kind, but mainly dogs that other rescue centres are unable to take, including ex-bait and ex-fighting dogs, the sick, abandoned and abused — those normally at the bottom of the list when it comes to choosing a new pet for the family. The charity aims to find permanent homes for any animal in need, but specifically dogs facing death sentences in pounds.

Over the course of a year, Last Chance Hotel re-homes more than 230 dogs, and also cares for horses, cats, rats, snakes, gerbils and even parrots on some occasions. The team comes across the dogs through local pounds, dog wardens and other rescue centres, but also through responsible owners who are unable to look after their pets due to change of circumstance at home.

Samantha, who said she started the charity after becoming disillusioned at how some larger animal charities treat dogs, said: “All animals have the right to a good quality life, no matter what health, age or behavioural problems they may have.”

Once an animal comes to Last Chance Hotel, it is put through ‘rehab’, and instead of living in kennels, is placed in one of 30 foster homes linked to the charity, through its volunteers, who are also responsible for assessing the animal before a permanent adoptive home is sought.

As a Last Chance Hotel volunteer, Carolyn Harding thinks the fostering system is beneficial to everyone, allowing the fosterer to explore the dog’s temperament and how it behaves, so it can go to the most suitable adoptive family. Carolyn said: “When a dog is in kennels, what do you know about them? Not much more than how they look, what they sound like and how they walk on the end of a lead.

“But when a dog has been in a foster home, we will know so much more, enabling potential owners to make a much better choice. What is their favourite food? How does he play with children? Does he chase the cat? Does he like a bath? Can he be trusted to return when left off his lead?”

When a dog is given a foster family, the volunteer will take on the necessary trips to the vet, they will feed and exercise it, and in the meantime try and find out as much as possible about the dog’s likes and dislikes.

The charity often experiences a ‘failed fosterer’ — those who fall in love with the dog and take them into their homes permanently. However, if this isn’t the case, the volunteer fosterer will home-check possible new owners and learn about the kind of dog they are looking for, so they can help as much as possible in re-homing the right dog to the most suitable home.

Eric came to Last Chance Hotel after a lack of socialisation as a puppy. Consequently, he is fear-aggressive, and Emma, a volunteer at the charity, is fostering Eric for a short time to help him become adoptable, so that he may find his permanent home one day.

Eric was so afraid of the world that he reacted by barking at anything that frightened him, and needed calm, gentle encouragement to face each and every thing that frightened him, being taught that the world is not so scary after all.

Although Eric is still progressing, Emma continues to walk him when it is quiet, introduces him to other dogs and people, and gives him refuge for those days when it is all a bit too much.

To help promote the work of the charity, and the various dogs that are looking for foster and adopted homes, Emma has been taking photographs of Eric and posting them to Bude Banter, in the hope of encouraging local people in Bude to look into adopting or fostering a dog, or even just donating to the charity.

Emma told the Post: “Since having Eric, I have been shocked at the suffering dogs and animals go through, and have been impressed by Last Chance’s efforts to help dogs and other animals.

“That is why I started using Bude Banter, to try and encourage others to get involved by talking about Eric’s journey and sharing some of the dogs on there.”

Eric has been covering important issues surrounding rescue dogs and their behaviour. Recently, the people of Bude saw a photo of Eric modelling Emma’s ‘space needed’, luminous yellow jacket, which is used during Eric’s walks and indicates to other dog owners to ensure their own dogs are kept at a distance from Eric, as well as themselves, because of Eric’s fear and unpredictability.

In the post, Emma wrote: “Eric does not know any person is kind. Eric does not know any dog won’t maul him. He just knows he is scared and any person or dog coming towards him freaks him out.”

The post was put up in an aim to encourage people to take note if they see dog walkers and their dogs wearing bright yellow. The colour means that the dog is nervous, and does not appreciate other dogs and people coming up to them whilst on a walk. Keeping as much distance as possible from the dog in question is vital to the dog’s training, and even allowing a well-behaved dog to enter a nervous dog’s space can set the dog’s training back each time.

Bude Banter has also seen Eric sit alongside his ‘almost-friend’, another dog that Eric is gradually getting used to as part of his training. However, if it gets too much for him, Eric has his own little den area, where he can relax in his own space.

Emma also posts updates about Eric on Bude Banter, from being worn out after the excitement of seeing the Game of Thrones white horse at Maer Down, to Eric’s encouragement to Bude people about taking in his ‘friends’ at Last Chance Hotel, and offering them a new lease of life — including one-year-old Albert, the Great Dane, and eight-year-old Prince, the Pomeranian-Spitz.

A lot of dogs arrive at Last Chance Hotel with a history of biting, which is often caused by pain from bad teeth. It is not clear how many of the dogs in the charity’s care have been abused, but many show signs of previously living in environments of extreme violence.

Carolyn said: “But it is so heartwarming to see the difference a bit of love can make — and soon there is a gentle lick on the hand, a sign that their worries are being softly soothed away.”

Sometimes separation anxiety is also an issue, with dogs not wanting to be left by themselves, often barking or howling when left.

Should difficulties arise, the charity is always quick to step in. Samantha added: “We are proactive in keeping an animal in its family home. We offer training, behavioural advice and if necessary, cover vet bills. Sometimes circumstances change and people need help and do not deserve to have their animals taken from them.”

Once he is ready, Eric will go to his ‘forever home’. When an application for adoption is received, the volunteer will approach the family and see whether they would like to meet Eric, with adult members meeting him first before any children. Checks will take place during the first, third and sixth month of resettlement, to ensure everything is going well.

To raise funds for the charity, Last Chance Hotel has a shop in Redruth, selling pre-loved furniture and clothes, with a box of dog biscuits under the counter for every dog who visits. There are also dog shows and craft fairs that regularly take place at Crofthandy village hall, and various people raise funds themselves through challenges, such as ten-year-old Bella Stevens, who is embarking on a 300-mile walk along the South West coast path during her summer holiday to raise money for Last Chance Hotel.

The entire team at Last Chance Hotel are volunteers, with no wage taken, no petrol money paid and each foster dog fed by their foster family. Only the vet bills are paid for by the charity.

The charity does not yet have an official ‘base’, with most dogs living in foster homes and some requiring specific training or medical care living with Samantha. However, the charity is currently in the process of arranging a new HQ, where Samantha will live, which will have improved facilities, more ground and accommodation for the dogs. It is hoped this will come into fruition at the end of the year.

The main address for the charity is in Delabole, where the treasurer of the charity lives, and the admin centre is based in Fraddon — all of which are family homes carrying out the functions for the charity.

To find out more information about Last Chance Hotel, visit www.lastchancehotel.org. For those who are interested in adopting or fostering a dog or providing a donation, call the charity on 01209 281 159.