Magical Hagrid searches for a home as blind Barry receives the happy ending rescuers hoped for

A 36kg Romanian rescue named Hagrid is searching for a new home after his instinct to protect his pregnant owner became too difficult for his family to manage.

Hagrid is looking for a loving home

But there is happier news for fellow rescue dog Barry, a blind St Bernard with a troubled past, who may finally have found the forever family he desperately deserves.

Both dogs recently appeared in a television segment with celebrity vet Dr Scott Miller and dog behaviour expert Hannah Molloy, highlighting the vital work of Saving Saints, a small, volunteer-led rescue network operating across the UK.

Hagrid had lived happily with his mum, dad and border collie brother for four years after being adopted from Romania. However, everything changed when his owner became pregnant.

As a guardian breed, Hagrid appeared to take his new responsibility extremely seriously. He began warning people to keep their distance from his owner and correcting the family’s other dog whenever the border collie became too excited.

Although his behaviour was driven by devotion rather than malice, the family decided they could no longer keep him.

During filming, Dr Scott found Hagrid to be very friendly and showed that, with time and patience, he can be successfully reintroduced to other friendly, non-dominant dogs and walk calmly near them when out and about.

Rachel Wesley, 53, who runs Saving Saints, said: “Hagrid’s story is incredibly sad because he had lived perfectly happily with his family for four years.

“When his mum became pregnant, it appears that he decided it was his job to protect her and the baby. He got that job wrong, but our behaviourist Julian assessed him in his home and believes his intentions were entirely honourable.

Blind Barry may be soon going to his forever home

“Hagrid is loving, devoted and ridiculously handsome. He is good with people, housetrained, gentle on the lead and not destructive. With loving, firm and consistent guidance, we believe he could make a fabulous family pet.

“He deserves the opportunity to show people just how magical he really is.”

Andrew Hale, a canine emotional wellbeing expert with Pet Remedy, said Hagrid’s change in behaviour could have been prompted by the significant changes he detected during his owner’s pregnancy.

He said: “Dogs are exceptionally sensitive to changes in scent, hormones, body language, routine and the emotional atmosphere within a home. Pregnancy can therefore represent a huge shift in a dog’s familiar world.

“For a dog with guardian traits, those changes may lead to increased vigilance and a feeling that they need to take responsibility for keeping someone safe. Hagrid would not have understood pregnancy as we do, but he may have recognised that something important was changing and responded in the way that made sense to him.

“Behaviour like this should not automatically be interpreted as a dog being bad or deliberately difficult. It can arise from uncertainty, stress and an inappropriate sense of responsibility. The key is to help the dog feel safe and show them, through compassionate and consistent guidance, that protection is not their job.”

Hagrid must be the only dog in his new home, although families with children aged over 14 are welcome to apply.

His appeal comes as Saving Saints celebrates a potentially life-changing development for Barry, a St Bernard who has been blind since birth and whose early life was marked by instability and fear.

Barry was bred and owned by someone involved in crime which led to a lengthy jail sentence. He lived alongside two Dogue de Bordeaux and another St Bernard, and the dogs were left in limbo after their owner was imprisoned.

It was initially believed that Barry and the other St Bernard, Delilah, were a bonded pair. However, after they were rehomed together, it became clear that Barry was struggling.

He displayed reactivity towards men, believed to be linked to his past, and became increasingly stressed while sharing his home with another dog.

Saving Saints moved him to its kennels in North West Cambridgeshire, where he received a full behavioural assessment and the calm, structured support he needed.

Following his television appearance, Barry may now have found the special family his rescuers have spent so long searching for.

Rachel said: “We are being cautiously hopeful, because it looks as though Barry may have found his forever family.

“We never want to celebrate too early, particularly with a dog who has complex emotional and practical needs, but this could be the happy ending we have all wanted for him.

“Barry has been through so much. What he needs is stability, kindness and people who will allow him to relax and simply be a dog. If everything works out, it will be absolutely wonderful.”

Despite his blindness, Barry confidently navigates familiar surroundings using his exceptionally acute hearing. Like most St Bernards, he is highly sociable and forms deep emotional bonds with the people he trusts.

Rachel added: “Barry may be blind, but emotionally he is incredibly tuned in. St Bernards want to be close to their people and know that they are safe.

“They slobber, they shed and their size means they can be expensive, but what you receive in return is a dog with an enormous heart.”

Saving Saints relies on volunteers, foster carers and public donations to continue helping giant-breed dogs with nowhere else to turn.

The organisation is included on the Pet Remedy Rescue Map, a directory designed to help prospective adopters find trusted rescue organisations throughout the UK.

Rachel said: “Being featured alongside the other rescues on the Pet Remedy Rescue Map helps more people find responsible charities and understand just how many wonderful dogs are waiting for a second chance.

“We hope Barry’s potential happy ending will encourage someone to look at Hagrid and realise that he deserves that same chance.”

To learn more about Hagrid or support Saving Saints, visit https://www.savingsaintsrescue.co.uk

The Pet Remedy Rescue Map can be accessed at https://www.petremedy.co.uk