Welcome to Kim’s Home

It started unofficially 15 years ago when Kim came to us as an eight week old pup. Her litter were advertised in the local paper. Mum was a pedigree Bassett and Dad was an Opportunist Terrier who managed to get over the fence at the right time. My son wanted a dog, particularly a Bassett. However, I wouldn’t buy a pedigree dog and so we compromised on a Bassett cross pup.

When Kim was about 6 months old we welcomed into our house a very damaged dog from the pound, Max. He had been in the pound for almost a year and had given up on life. He was the first of Kim’s friends. And what a great friend he was! Those two were devoted to each other.

Over the 15 years of her life, Kim welcomed into her home about 200 dogs. Some stayed only for a few hours, some a few days, many a few weeks and months. Some went off to their new homes but came back later for a variety of reasons. Some stayed for ever.

Kim reassured the terrified, calmed the neurotic, civilised naughty pups. She was the matriarch of the family, the one everyone deferred to. Almost until her last day she still played with the youngsters and came out on at least one family walk a day. She was my beloved companion.

So Kim’s Home – the Sanctuary for elderly and abused dogs – has been so named as a tribute to a truly great dog who left us on 19th October 2012 – her fifteenth birthday. Her departure marked the passing of an era. But she will live on in my heart and her name will live on in the sanctuary that she watched over all her life.