A north-east woman has saved the lives of two dogs by opening her home and heart to them.
Rosemary Robinson started searching for a pet earlier this year, but instead of buying a puppy she decided she wanted to give a forgotten dog a new lease of life.
It led her to Spain, where in November she arranged to have two pointers driven to Scotland and taken home to her house in Strichen.
The strays’ journey took them from Spain through central Europe and over the English channel by ferry.
They arrived at their “forever home” on a freezing November 8 at midnight.
The dogs – Jacob and Edward – had been facing a grim fate without Mrs Robinson’s intervention, and last night she described the pair as “settling in” to life in Aberdeenshire.
Originally, the family had only inquired about taking ownership of one of the dogs before being told that the two were brothers.
Mrs Robinson said: “They were only six months old at the time I got them, and I was only going to get one at the time.
“I had to think long and hard about it, because two dogs is a big commitment. It’s been a lot of work.
“I really thought I was losing it at the start. Getting them to understand what I was saying was difficult to start with.”
In an effort to get them better accustomed to their new home, the dogs now go on separate walks and sleep in separate crates on the advice of vets.
“Jacob is very good,” Mrs Robinson added.
“But Edward is a bit more headstrong. He’ll need a bit more work, but we’re getting there.
“Already I can see them starting to calm down and they’re settling in fine.”
Charities across Spain have popularised adoptions of dogs to the UK in recent years.
One, SOS Animals, says that on average three dogs are adopted every week by families in the UK.
