'Niko' finds his forever home

FOUND dog Niko, who was picked up in Reading, has found his forever home thanks to the Council’s animal warden.

Niko the Weimaraner was found tied to a fence at Rivermead in April this year. He was taken in by a kind member of the public until the animal warden, Lisa Clements, could pick him up.

Niko had been microchipped in France, but after Lisa had established contact with the chip company, no further contact was made by Niko’s registered keeper.

The Council’s animal warden worked closely with Margarita Booker of Weimaraner Club of Great Britain to find a suitable foster home for Niko, which has now turned into a permanent home.

Lisa Clements, Reading Borough Council’s Animal Warden, said:

“When I picked Niko up, he seemed very confused and frightened. He spent some time in kennels and coped well, but Weimaraners are very sensitive dogs and love to be with people so I limited the time he spent in kennels.

“Niko is the most loving dog and a real gentle giant. I am in contact with his new owner, and it seems he has well and truly made himself at home! His new owner has a great understanding of the breed, and they seem to be perfect for each other.

“If anyone is struggling to care for their pet for any reason, there are many specialist organisations who can help, such as the RSPCA, Cat’s Protection, Dogs Trust, or specific breed rescues.”

Cllr Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said:

“Thank you to Lisa for all her efforts to rescue Niko and find him the safe and loving home he deserves, and to Margarita at the Weimaraner Club for your invaluable help and advice in this matter.

“Rescuing stray dogs is one of our many hundreds of valued services at the Council and this is an excellent example of work that frequently goes unseen. We always aim to do our best and Niko’s story is just one of the successes our staff deliver daily at the Council across those service platforms.

"I’ve experienced it myself when Lisa, our Animal Warden, went above and beyond to help me with a lost dog I had found and so I’m delighted that Niko is wagging his tail again in a happy new home!”

If you find and contain what you believe is a stray dog you can contact the Council’s animal warden on 01189373787 between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday so we can check if the stray is microchipped and reunite with its owner quickly.

If a dog is found outside of these hours, where possible people should check for a tag which may offer owner details or take a stray to the vet. Any injured animal should be reported to the RSPCA.

ENDS