A THREE-year-old border collie who’d never experienced any human interaction until recently is still waiting for a home to call her own, 450 days after being rescued.

Ellie was raised in a ramshackle barn with 44 other dogs.

She was rescued from that run-down premises in Ceredigion by RSPCA Cymru in January 2021 and has been in the care of the charity’s Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre in Upper Colwyn Bay ever since.

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Along with the other dogs, she was completely unsocialised and had never gone outside, worn a collar or been on a walk.

But, she has since come on in leaps and bounds thanks to the hard work, patience and dedication of the North Wales centre’s staff.

Fifteen months later and Ellie, along with Charlie at the RSPCA’s Newport Animal Centre, are now the only dogs from the barn who are still looking for their perfect matches.

The Leader:

PIC: Just look at those lovely ears! PIC: RSPCA Cymru

Bryn-y-Maen’s manager, Victoria Williams, said: “When Ellie arrived at the centre she was unsocialised and understandably nervous. She’d been living rough in inappropriate conditions in a dilapidated outhouse with 44 other dogs and had never experienced a normal life, so we’ve worked really hard to build up her trust and confidence.

“For the first couple of months we’d sit outside her kennel and throw in high value treats. Once she was comfortable with that we fed her through the kennel bars before letting her out in the main block, leaving food bowls in different areas and gradually introducing more staff around her.

“The next step was to get her used to a collar and a lead, and about three months after she arrived, she was finally ready to go for a walk. It was really important not to rush Ellie and to let her do everything at her own pace.

The Leader:

PIC: Could you be the one to offer Ellie a loving home?

“She’s been with us a long time and has seen her friends from the barn all go off to new families, so we’d really love to see her settled and happy in her own home after everything she’s been through.”

Ellie will need a quiet rural or semi-rural environment with understanding owners who are going to be able to continue to build her confidence in an adult-only home as the only pet.

Please visit the Bryn-y-Maen website to find out more information about her and how to start the adoption process.