Brinsbury dog groomers’ pawsome makeover for rescue dog

Dog grooming students at Brinsbury College gave a rescued German Shepherd cross some well-deserved pampering.

Under careful supervision, the students groomed and improved nine-year-old Lora’s coat and skin condition, helping her feel much better and left her looking like a new dog.Lora arrived in Sussex from a Halkida Dog Shelter in Greece after being rescued by Desperate Greekies, a UK-based organisation that works with charities to support and rehome abandoned or stray dogs in Greece.

She has now found her home with Sue Dougharty and Keith Pysden in Adversane, where she has become a much loved member of their family – which includes eight other rescue dogs.

Lora had lived most of her nine years on her own, in a small enclosure. During the autumn months, caterpillars would fall from the trees above her, causing her pain and discomfort due to an allergic reaction.

So when she arrived at Sue and Keith’s farm, she looked sad, scared and dishevelled. And that’s where Brinsbury’s students were delighted to help out.

A visit to Brinsbury’s Distinguished Dogs grooming parlour in October saw her receive pampering and a needed trim, coming out looking like a new dog with a clean and shiny coat.

Sue said: “Lora is just the happiest dog now. She had such a sad life, but she’s really been transformed.

“We help Desperate Greekies by fostering dogs usually, helping them to adjust and find their paws in a new environment and we support rehabilitation for the dogs. But we just couldn’t give Lora up, so we adopted her.

“She’s so full of life, although she is still very afraid of things falling from trees!

“We couldn’t believe the difference that the team at Distinguished Dogs made – she came out looking very pleased with herself! They really went the extra mile to make sure she felt safe and looked amazing – like a little queen!”

Sue Nas is a lecturer at Brinsbury College and manages the dog grooming parlour. She added: “It was a real pleasure for us to meet Lora and to be able to help Sue and Keith in their work.

“Dogs, like people, need to have regular trims and tidy ups. As well as looking smart, it also helps to ensure they feel comfortable and keeps their coats healthy.

“It’s important for our students too to be able to work with different breeds of dogs, and dogs from different backgrounds – it gives them a well-rounded learning experience.”

Distinguished Dogs is open to the public, following all precautions in line with Government advice. To find out more, please call 01798 877422.