Sheyla… where do I start. This girl is amazing, after everything she has been through she still continues to give and show us love. She will put her two front paws on your legs and give you some kisses and if you sit on the floor she will cuddle up on your lap. She walks lovely on the lead and is harness trained too.
She can be selective with which dogs she likes and we have tried her with a variety of different dogs of all breeds, ages and sex. We’ve come to the conclusion that she prefers larger male dogs, so with this in mind we would recommend homing her either with a larger male dog or as an only dog.
Sheyla will be looking for an adult only home as she needs a calm and relaxing environment where she can flourish. She is such a sweet girl and most of the staff here absolutely love her, and don’t understand why she’s still here. Please give her a chance and she’ll be the best decision you’ll make. Sheyla has been with us for 3 months now and deserves nothing more than to be in a warm fuzzy bed with a loving family she can finally call her own.
Sheyla
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I need an adult-only home where I can settle in at my own pace.
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I could be an only dog or live with a large male dog - I’m happy either way!
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I’m active and would love a large, secure garden to play in!
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I would like an active home and love to go for walks.
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I have never lived in a home so I will need help to learn house training.
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Please read my information below.
This is a very special write up about a special girl who needs a very special home…A girl who has had a life full of unrest and uncertainty and desperately needs her happy ending… Our resident angel, Sheyla!
Sheyla is around 5 years old, she initially arrived with us over 9 months ago after being rescued from war torn Ukraine, where she spent her life in kennels and got completely stuck without hope due to the ongoing conflict. When the opportunity presented itself, she was swiftly rescued by War Paws and then transferred to our care in the hopes that we could find her her very own family. Sheyla is the absolute sweetest of girls and we were so sure that she would find a home in no time at all, especially with her cuddly nature and beautiful, pleading eyes. It brought us great sadness that such a precious dog has had such an empty life. The second we met Sheyla, she came over to us, rested her front paws on our lap and nuzzled into us gently, it was love at first sight. However, that’s when we were met with some complications…
During Sheyla’s initial health check, we noticed minor respiratory issues that quickly escalated, one side of her nose began to erode and lose pigment, with excessive mucus production. This meant more time in kennels and testing, as if she hadn’t already been through enough. Several vets confirmed the same diagnosis: Aspergillosis, a difficult fungal infection caused by inhaling mould spores.
But did Sheyla let it break her spirit? Absolutely not. Despite the discomfort, she remained her gentle, loving self, as brave and resilient as ever. A nasal sample was sent for culturing (which came back clear, as is common with invasive cases), and a rhinoscopy thankfully showed no severe internal damage. She underwent nasal flushes and began antifungal treatment, a medication that carried serious risks to her kidneys and liver. While her nose healed beautifully and her pigment returned, follow-up blood tests showed her kidneys weren’t coping. The treatment had to be stopped.
Fast forward a few weeks, and today we’re thrilled to say Sheyla’s latest bloods came back completely normal, a huge relief and a testament to her strength.
However…This leaves us in a position where we now have to look for a super special home who is willing to take Sheyla on exactly how she is. Despite still producing mucus (a lot less!) and getting sneezy at times, the signs of erosion disappearing is a very good sign and at this point, the owners would just have to be happy cleaning her nose a few times a day to keep it comfortable and manage the symptoms. There is now no medication involved, she just needs a home who understands that she may well lead a full life, but that her situation could also deteriorate at an unknown point in time and cut her life short.
Although there’s that uncertainty looming over her, this girl would be worth every second you get to spend with her. She is a blessing and once you’ve won her heart, you will know about it. She will rest her front paws on you, nuzzle into you and at that moment, nothing else exists to her, she is the most affectionate girl in the world once you get through the initial guard she may put up. She can be selective with new people and understandably lacks trust, so it’s important that the match is right for her, an adult only home without lots of visitors is preferable to manage this and even better if you have experience with overseas rescues.
Sheyla being a long staying dog has enabled us to state confidently what types of dogs she gels with too! She can be very selective and at this point we now know that she only really seems to get on with male dogs, her best friend in the world in kennels being Dave the Chow Chow! She would love a home with another male, but as she is so people focused, she could also be an only dog in her forever home!
If you think you could offer our Sheyla her forever home, for however long it may be, please reach out to us or put an application form in for her on our website, you won’t regret it!
Sheyla's Diary
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Sheyla is a very sweet, genuine, active girl who loves a fuss and has come to us from Ukraine via War Paws Rescue. Sheyla is a sprightly girl who enjoys going for walks, playing in the yard and having a fuss. Sheyla seems to prefer women to men at the moment, but despite some nervousness with men she will accept them once she gets to know them. She is a lovely, confident girl who just wants to be in your company whenever she can.
She gets zoomies and loves to play and jump all over her kennel friend. She definitely enjoys her doggy pals company but we've found she would be best homed with a large male dog as she can be picky with which female dogs she likes.
Sheyla walks on a lead and loves to investigate all the smells and will be looking for an active home.
Her adopters will need to build a bond with her, give her plenty of time to settle and be mindful that she is new to the UK, so when out and about may never have seen/heard things we consider normal so will need to be introduced into the big wide world slowly and put in environments where she can grow in confidence and flourish.
She has never lived in a home before so she will need help learning new skills such as house training and given plenty of understanding as she finds her feet. She does have a small umbilical hernia our vets have checked over and can be discussed with our rehoming team.
Sheyla has been tested for Heartworm, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis, Borrelia, Babesia and Canine Brucellosis while in the Ukraine between 2022-2023. She was positive for a Heartworm test in 2022 which was followed up with a scan a week later which was negative. Sheyla has also been re-tested for these since her arrival at the rescue using Bionote rapid tests and all were negative. We understand that vets have differing policies in regards to imported dogs and may request testing again in the future, which is why she is by a reduced adoption fee. She has a passport.
This special dog is one of our Diamonds in the Ruff!
These wonderful souls may be older, have medical needs, or come with a few unique quirks—but they have endless love to give. Full of personality and deserving of a second chance, they come with a reduced adoption fee to help them find the perfect home. Could you be the one to give them the love they’ve been waiting for?
See more of our Diamonds in the Ruff hereCan live with other dogs
This dog can be homed with a resident dog.