A chance viewing of the London Marathon on TV brought a beloved German Shepherd which had been adopted running back to his original family home.
Zak had been part of the family since he was a pup, growing up alongside police officer Adam Wrigley’s young son Connor – but Adam had been forced to have Zak adopted by the German Shepherd Rescue Scotland (GSRS) charity due to his changing work shifts, a lack of pandemic-era dog walkers and other family reasons.
Adam recalled: “He instantly became a lovable hit with my little boy and the two of them were as thick as thieves. Zak had a wonderful life growing up and was often stopped and told how handsome he was and how well behaved he was.
“Fast forward to that horrible year for everyone – 2020 – and I had to make the heart-breaking decision to rehome Zak. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I am not ashamed to say there was many, many tears for the next few days.
“Zak was successfully rehomed in a loving family and as the years passed we thought about Zak often, my son asked questions about him and I always told him he was up in the Highlands enjoying his life, running around chasing balls with a family there that loved him.”
But there was to be a twist in the tail when Adam’s partner, Lyndsey Rafferty, happened to glance up at the TV when the London Marathon was being screened.
He said:”At the perfect moment the postman came to drop off a parcel and Lyndsey took it into the living room where she glanced up and saw an interview with GSRS volunteer Derek Adamson who was raising money for the charity.
“We often looked on the charity’s Facebook page and website to check the good news stories about dogs being rehomed and remember how much Zak was helped, but it had been a while so Lyndsey checked the website and there he was, our Zak.”
It became apparent that Zak’s “new” owner had sadly passed away and the beautiful beast was back up for adoption.
Adam added: “When I got home Lyndsey showed me her phone and I froze. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t think, I just saw him, slightly older, slightly greyer, slightly fluffier but unmistakably Zak. I could feel the tears again but I had to do it, I picked up my mobile and called the charity.
“I knew he had to come back home if it was possible. Life had changed, I had moved into a new home with Lyndsey, I no longer worked shifts, I had room again in my life to fill the Zak-size hole I could never bring myself to fill after the pain of rehoming.”
Meetings were arranged, Adam, Lyndsey and Connor were assessed for suitability to rehome Zak in Dunbar and a reunion date was set.
Adam said: “I didn’t know what to expect. Would he remember us, would he be happy to see us, has he changed, have I changed, could I hold it together in front of other people?
“Out he came, the handsome but slightly wilder looking Zak. He didn’t notice us at first, he went straight to the bush to do his business. Then he saw me and he bounded straight up to me and jumped up. He knew. I was overwhelmed and crouched down to have my moment and Zak did what Zak had always done in the past and still tries to do now – sit on my lap.
“It was decided Zak would be coming home! I couldn’t believe it, I was getting a second chance with my puppy and a chance to give him the life he should have had if the circumstances had allowed.
“I had to pinch myself repeatedly, just to make sure this was real. He was here and it was like he had always been here. He relaxed, he found his favourite ball and we were back to playing fetch in the garden just like things had never changed.
“I didn’t realise how much our new house was missing Zak until he was there. He slotted straight in, like the house was built with all four of us in mind. Zak is still loving his home life and has settled so well, it is honestly like he had never been away.”
To find out more about German Shepherd Rescue Scotland visit here.
Stephen Rafferty is a former crime correspondent at The Scotsman and was a staff reporter for the Daily Record and Edinburgh Evening News. He has freelanced for many of the Scottish and UK national newspaper titles. Got a story? Get in touch - stephen@theedinburghreporter.co.uk
