Britain’s loneliest dog Freddie has been in animal shelter for NINE years

THE LONELIEST dog in Britain is still without a home after living in an animal sanctuary for nine years.

Staffie-cross Freddie, ten, has twice been briefly adopted before returning to watching the goats also at the shelter.

Staff there say Freddie is “the perfect pet” but is also “complex” and needs a strong owner as his tendency to over-guard puts people off.

Volunteer Hayley Georgiou explained: “The issue with Freddie is that he gets very strongly attached to his owners, and takes it upon himself to guard them.

“As such, he needs a strong ‘pack leader’ as an owner, who isn’t afraid to set boundaries and is consistent with his training.”

Freddie remains a firm favourite with staff at Holbrook Animal Rescue in Horsham, West Sussex, where he has been since he was around eight months old.

Hayley said: “In many ways, Freddie is the perfect pet.

“He’s house-trained, obedient, and has good recall so can go off-lead on walks. He loves cuddles, tummy tickles and riding in the car. He has a little cheeky personality and really is a total sweetie.”

At one point, Laura Santini, who runs the sanctuary with her husband Cliff, decided they would no longer actively search for a home for Freddie as he had been there so long.

Instead he would stay there for good, living like the other dogs in the sanctuary’s house, not kennels.

But Hayley said: “He’s made great progress with his behaviour and we think that if the right person were to come along, we would love him to find a home of his own.”

His website profile describes him as “a complex, intelligent boy” who is “fascinated by the goats and spends ages just watching them”.

However the sanctuary is currently at risk of closure so homes can be built on the land, with Laura and Cliff looking for a new ten-acre plot.

Holbrook Animal Rescue

Staffie-cross Freddie, ten, has been there since he was eight months old[/caption]