Blind collie finds a new home

The heart-rending tale of blind collie Clyde and his guide dog Bonnie being abandoned on a Waveney street has prompted an 'overwhelming' response from the public, who have flooded the rescue centre with offers for the loveable pair.

More than 500 dog-lovers from all over the world have contacted the dog rescue centre since staff appealed for someone to take in the border collies found in Blundeston, near Lowestoft.

And yesterday the appeal paid off when the collies were taken from the centre in Hales Green, near Loddon, to start life with an un-named owner at a home in South Norfolk

Cherie Cootes, from Meadow Green Dog Rescue Centre, said she had been staggered by the level of interest in the dogs and had not had time to respond to most of the enquiries.

'It's been bizarre to say the least,' she said. 'We've had calls from America, Australia, a Brazilian TV station who want to come down and do a bit of filming, and a German television station.

'I got about 200 emails and in excess of 300 phone calls.'

She said the centre had been inundated with offers after the EDP reported the story last week which was then picked up by media outlets across the world, adding: 'We've got people from Fife to Devon, five calls from Northern and Southern Ireland and a Dutch lady in Spain who wanted to come across. I've got an Australian couple visiting Norfolk in a month's time, who are very interested in returning home with the dogs and asking what can we do to sort out pet passports to take them back.'

Miss Cootes added: 'We want to say thank you. It's lovely how good people have been, but it's overwhelming on a scale you can't believe.'

She said centre staff were continuing the work to re-home the other 50 dogs at Meadow Green.

t Visit www.dogrescuenorfolk.com to find out about other dogs at the centre.