The Vincents and Doug came into each other’s lives at the perfect time.
Rachelle and Nathan Vincent had been looking for a new dog to accompany their first dog, Molly and cat Jangles.
“We needed them to get along with them (our cat and dog), that was the most important thing,” Rachelle said.
“It had to be the right fit, we weren’t in any rush.”
When Doug met the Vincents, he had been through a lot in his six-month life.
He had been sold from a breeder in Queensland to an owner in Victoria.
Unfortunately, Doug was mistreated in his first household.
He had been placed in a shed with little daylight or attention and had his jaw clamped shut with a dog muzzle.
The muzzle took hair and skin off Doug’s neck and left him with nasty cuts and scratches across his face.
In a specific arrangement the owners had with the breeder, any mistreatment or abuse of Doug gave the breeder the right to take ownership of him once more and get him out of the household and into a safe environment.
Luckily for Doug, the breeder did become aware of his situation.
The only problem was the breeder was in Queensland and had no way to remove Doug from the household.
The breeder called up a friend who lived nearby, and despite not wanting a dog, they agreed to pick up Doug and house him until he could be re-homed to a loving family.
This is when Nathan Vincent first spotted Doug over his house fence.
Nathan excitedly informed Rachelle about their neighbour’s new roommate, and they headed over next door to meet him.
Their neighbour explained how Doug came into their possession, and both Nathan and Rachelle immediately put their hand up to take him in.
And so Doug finally had himself a loving and happy home.
Rachelle said initially, Doug was understandably a little shy.
He would sit in the dark, away from Nathan and Rachelle, easily overwhelmed by bright lights and noise.
But over time, Doug has opened up, and he’s not the only one.
“He’s made Molly come out of her shell,” Rachelle said.
“She’s normally quiet, but now people come up to pat Doug, and she’s sort of like, what about me?
“She pushes him out the way to get some attention.”
While things are going swimmingly with Molly, his feline friend is keeping him in check.
“Doug has never met a cat before,” Rachelle said.
“He sort of treats Jangles like a toy, but he’s terrified at the same time.”
If Doug gets a little too friendly, Jangles has no problems with giving him a friendly whack.
While he was a little reserved initially, he’s now a “total goofball”.
“He knows us now, he knows we’re not going to put him in a position where he’s going to be harmed,” Rachelle said.
“If you start your relationship with a dog by hurting them and tormenting them, they are going to become terrified and aggressive.
“We need to give more understanding and care to animals because they can’t speak for themselves.
“They can’t get out of a situation unless someone takes them out of that situation.
“Have that patience and understanding for your dog because it is work, and it does take time to establish that trust and that connection.”