Please welcome beautiful Heidi to Sweet Paws Dog Rescue 💕

At just 16 months old, Heidi should be enjoying all the fun that comes with being a young dog. Instead, her world until now has been one of fear and uncertainty.

When Heidi arrived in the care of RSPCA Victoria, she was described as the most frightened of the group. Although listed as a Labradoodle, she’s more the size of a Spoodle, weighing just 12.9kg. Like so many of the puppy farm oodles we’ve welcomed into our care, everything is new to her. New people. New places. New sounds. New experiences. It’s all a little overwhelming.

The wonderful thing about dogs like Heidi is that, given patience and kindness, they begin to realise the world isn’t such a scary place after all.

Here’s foster mum Cheryl’s update after Heidi’s first day in foster care:

“Heidi came with me to feed the horses yesterday and later enjoyed a walk around the oval. She was unsure at first but listened beautifully and loved stopping to explore all the different smells. Like Maggie, she’s still not confident getting in and out of the car, but we’ll work on that together.

She slept on my bed all night and rushed outside to toilet as soon as we got up this morning. She’s eating well, which is always a great sign. She has developed a little cough, so we’ll keep a close eye on that, but otherwise she’s doing really well.”

It’s only been a day, but Heidi has already taken some very brave steps. Every gentle walk, every new smell, every peaceful night’s sleep is helping her build the confidence she’s never had the chance to develop.

Welcome to your new beginning, sweet girl. We’re so glad you’re here 💕