A quest for friendship

Elizabeth and her family have always shared their home with dogs.

"For me, the house just isn't a home without a dog in it," says Elizabeth. When their beloved golden retriever Penny passed away, everyone felt the loss deeply.

Elizabeth has three grown-up sons. Two live independently, while her eldest, Dan, lives at home. 

"Dan has a learning disability and autism, which means he needs 24-hour care," Elizabeth explains. "One of Dan's carers is also a volunteer for Dogs for Good and mentioned that the charity had a rehoming service. So, when we were all emotionally ready, I decided I'd give the charity a call in the hope that maybe there was a dog for us."

Before long, Dogs for Good Rehoming Coordinator Erica Styles got in touch.

"Erica told me about Quest, what a lovely boy he was and how she thought we might be a perfect match," says Elizabeth. "She couldn't have been more right."

A meeting was arranged and Elizabeth says it was love at first sight. "I walked in, looked at Quest and felt an overwhelming sense of 'you're the one'. Any reservations I had, and there weren't many, were forgotten. He gave me such a huge welcome and I said there and then that we'd be honoured to have him join our family."

Dogs for Good volunteers Rick and Carol were looking after Quest at that time and naturally, wanted to be sure he was going to the right home.

"Like all the volunteers that welcomed Quest into their lives, they'd poured so much love into him," says Erica. "Elizabeth completely understood and invited Rick and Carol to visit her house the following week, so they could see where Quest would live and know he'd be happy there."

Almost immediately, Quest settled right into his new life and Rick says, "I believe he's exactly where he should be."

Quest is now devoted to his new family. Especially Dan. Elizabeth says that without any prompting, Quest plays a significant role in helping her son.

"The relationship Quest and Dan have is something very powerful," she says. "In its purest form, Dan's got a best friend. He tells Quest all his troubles, strokes his ears and draws comfort from the feel of his coat. He'll come for a walk with us both, even if it's raining! Exercise and being out in nature is so important for him."

Building on that friendship, something happened recently which, says Elizabeth, is a huge milestone. "Dan's never been too keen on a dog getting up close or overly tactile with him. But recently, I was sitting on the floor with Quest who had flopped down on my lap. Dan looked at me and said 'I'd like to have a turn' and Quest obliged by flopping himself down on Dan's lap instead. Dan loved it!"

Elizabeth says that Quest seems to instinctively know things that haven't been taught to him. "For example, Dan always carries his sensory ball with him – he throws it up into the air and catches it as he walks along. And Quest's absolute favourite thing in the whole world is a ball. But he somehow knows Dan's ball is Dan's ball and never touches it."

As well as helping Dan, Quest's also having an impact on Elizabeth's mental wellbeing. "I have a lot of caring duties with Dan and my elderly mum, so my 'escape' is to take Quest out for long walks," she says. "It's just wonderful. He's such a joyful dog to take on a walk. At home, he's my shadow. I was painting the lounge the other day, and he was such a good boy, just sat in the same room, keeping an eye on me. He's so affectionate and cuddly and shows his love in so many ways. 

"I hope he knows just how loved and perfect he is for us. He's been with us for about three months now and it feels like he's always been here. I am so grateful to Dogs for Good and the many volunteers who care for the charity's dogs for bringing such a special boy into our life. One who continues to have a significant role helping our autistic son."

Dan himself has some things he’d like to share about his relationship with Quest. 

"The best thing about Quest is that his ears are nice and soft, he lets me stroke them. It is very calming and makes me relaxed. He puts his head on my lap and comes for a cuddle."

He wants Quest to know: "I am very happy to have you for my friend. I don't like car journeys very much but love sitting in the car with you. I'm happy next to you on the back seat stroking your ears."