Terrier Tino that tended to tiny lamb needs loving home

Published: Tue 31 Jan 2017, 3:44 PM

Last updated: Tue 31 Jan 2017, 3:51 PM

By Elaine Keogh

A DOG who showed he has a heart of gold by giving tender care to a sick newborn lamb “deserves a special home,” according to the couple who are fostering him.

Tino, a six year old Jack Russell, won their hearts when he insisted on snuggling up with a tiny lamb that Shane Doyle christened Bowie.
Shane brought Bowie home to his wife Lorna and they helped care for him round the clock as he had been rejected by his mother.
Bowie needed to be tube-fed every 4 hours and they had him wrapped in a blanket and after being fed he fell asleep.
“Tino moved the blanket out of the way and licked clean every inch of his head and his eyes. What is bizarre is it turns out the lamb was blind.”
Tino stayed beside the lamb and slept with him. As the days passed and Bowie got stronger, the terrier would help him as he went out to the garden to go to the toilet.

Shane explained that Tino would walk into things because it turned out he had listeria and one of the symptoms of the disease is walking in a circle.
“Tino would lean against him and stand at his side to steady him. If he could not get his way back up the step from the garden, Tino intervened.”
He said Jack Russells have a reputation for being a bit grumpy.
“This guy broke the mould. Tino is a special dog. He deserves a special home.”
Lorna said, “It was just a short time, but Tino was never far from his side. It was like he knew Bowie was sick and in need of a friend.”
Sadly Bowie died in his sleep last week when he was just 11 days old.
Now the couple want Tino to get the home he deserves.
He has been with them for about two months and they say he is a very friendly dog and well used to people.
Shane and Lorna from Navan provide foster homes for dogs from Last Hope Charity and have 3 dogs of their own, all rescue dogs.
“We are 10 years fostering and would encourage people to do it.”
Hilary Bartley of Last Hope Charity said, “Tino is an extraordinary dog. He deserves a great home and has so much love to give as we saw by what he did for the lamb.”
She said that “without fosterers we would not be able to manage. It is therapeutic for the dogs and the fosterers, I don’t know any fosterers who don’t feel they got something out of it.”