A non-profit organisation set up to rescue and re-home shar peis in need.

Your Stories

Please send us your stories regarding you and your shar peis.

You can email them to admin@shar-pei-rescue.co.uk

Whilst we can't guarantee that you contributions will be published here, you can be assured that they will be greatly received.

Wrinkles
Thank you for matching Wrinkles to us Roma he is such a wonderful dog. He makes a great friend to my daughter Beth, who has learning difficulties, he seems to know when she needs a friend. Even our shih-tzu Oscar loves him. They often sleep together. Once we found the right lead for Wrinkles, after my daughter Megan aving a few near misses with the pavement, he walks along well now, after your advice about the training harness. Megan now walks him just fine. We as a family would like to thank you Roma for all your advice and support. Keep up the good work.

Please remember all, when you find your friend, like we have in our lovely Wrinkles, Roma trusts you to care, so don't let her down when it's time to donate! This could be life or death for the next shar-pei. Wrinkles has a
home with us for the of his life, so make sure Roma is able to find home for all.

Kind regards,
The Bowman family

We Just Love This Picture!!!

Hi Roma & Neill,

Well we are now two weeks in with Rocco and I would like to thank you for your advice, help & support.
I contacted Shar Pei rescue after reading through the stories on your fantastic site as I believed that we could offer a rescue a safe foster home as we already own a 7 year old Shar pei bitch. Within one week I had the details of an owner desperately trying to re home a male 5 year old Shar pei named Rocco who had been listed with another Shar pei rescue organisation for a while with no joy.
We arranged for Rocco to be brought to us so the owner could meet us and see where his dog was going. He was happy to leave him with us and we promised to care for him as if he was our own. I have had regular contact with Roma who has sent advice on how to settle a rescue, help to prevent any fights that may occur due to changes in the pack with existing dogs etc and general shar pei advice. We are really happy with the whole experience. We are new to fostering and it was all explained by Roma and paperwork as well as info on the site. We felt no pressure and Roma would sign off her emails or phone calls with 'Let me know how it goes and I'm here if you need me'.
We are now delighted that we have filled out the adoption forms (hopefully you received our cheque by now?) and have decided to keep Rocco. He is still settling in, he has his quirks and is a grumbling, stubborn monkey at times (aren't we all!) but in two weeks he has brought us so much happiness and laughter already. We love him, his wagging tail & his slobbery kisses and he feels like a part of our family. He loves our kids (more than us it seems - he goes off upstairs to bed when they do & sleeps by their door until they come down for breakfast!). He enjoys his regular walking routine and his food and he is getting a lot better with strangers. We took him to a busy fun dog show yesterday and he allowed several people to pat his head with no problems. I would get annoyed if people kept approaching me to touch my face so I don't blame him for giving them the odd growl.
We met lots of people who were very interested in SRAWUK and especially a couple who had a shar pei x staffy who said they were looking for another Pei as company for their gorgeous and well socialised dog- I gave them Roma's details. Their dog was obviously very well loved and I think they could make great fosters or adopters.
Rocco is having his second vaccination on Tuesday & we are going to have him chipped so I will send you his identity details when we get them. I have attached a few photo's of Rocco & friends enjoying the dog show.
Thanks

Tracy, Dan, Dillon, Jaiden, Jazz & Rocco x

Is a rescue worth it?

My name is Sue and I have a sharpie called Teddy, I contacted you a couple of months ago for some advice after I found him running on the dual carriageway outside and no one claimed him at the pound, and they said they probably wouldn't be able to rehome because he was unhandleable. Well we are now a few months down the line and he doing great, he gets on great with my other dogs ( 2 previous staffs and 1 that has joined us since as he was placed into rescue at 14 - do you believe some people) he loves walks, loves all other dogs from great Danes to Yorkies but unfortunately other dogs who are normally nice do sometimes like to snap at him for no reason and he then falls to the ground as he doesn't understand why and he never retaliates just blinks and looks bewildered. He does love people but I believe he will always have an issue with them coming and going through the front door but that is just a blip and once they are in he loves everyone and just want's to be friends and anyway isn't it a good thing to have a dog that barks when the doorbell is rung and you open the door in case they are not friendly.

So to sum up:
From a dog that you couldn't get a collar or harness on and tried snarl, growl and snap at you (because he was so afraid) and where even the dog warden couldn't take him from inside our house without a catch pole (at the 2nd attempt and after 4 hours effort) after it took us 2hrs to coax him in with food. To 7 days in the pound to being dropped back in the van because you wouldn't be able to get him in a car, and spending the next week in the garage until I could get a harness on him and start to integrate with my other dogs and take him to the vet.
To a dog I can carry around like a baby, can bath, groom, cut his nails and clean his ears out ( every couple of days) who I can kiss and cuddle and kisses me back despite the effort of getting his tongue pass all that extra skin, who lays on the bedroom floor at night on his blanket by my side and should I move, moves with me ( I can't seem to explain I don't need him to look after me its my job to look after him) in case I might need him .

To a dog that now loves everyone and everything (including the ferrets) whose not only whole face lights up with happiness when you come home but whose whole body trembles with joy whilst trying to kiss and cuddle you all at once ( not easy when all 4 dogs do it so unfortunately he jumps up we are working on this). He can be left up to 4 hours and is absolutely fine with his other doggie friends for company.
He has learnt to play with toys, knows how to sit ( his tail wags even them) and would love to have a younger dog to play with as my older dogs do get feed up with his excitement levels sometimes ( he is approximately 2-3 and my next youngest one is 8ish), he is incredibly patient with my new old boy and will move to let him have the space if he thinks he wants to lay there or on that bed, he is never pushy or try's to play with him understanding he is too old to play.
He sits and waits for his dish to go down with his food and knows his dish is 3rd and never goes to the others until they have finished or you tell him its ok (that's the way I feed and train them all). He never try's to steal food and takes treats very gently after a good sniff and never takes the others unless he is allowed and they don't want it. I can take anything out of his mouth with no reaction and he will share anything of his happily with the other dogs.

I wouldn't say he is perfect; his recall is definitely not perfect, it is if there are no distractions but how can he come back immediately when there is so much exciting stuff in the world and he will come back when he realises you are calling him it just sometimes takes a while. I had hoped to start him at dog training but had to wait for the new class to start so I start next Monday, when hopefully his recall will improve as he will get used to all the dogs around and realise I am much more exciting.
I have to often wash small patches of wall, and it really is advisable to wipe his mouth after feeding as this causes extra special slobber but this is a very small price to pay, and at least I know my walls are nice and clean.
I have written you this email as I thought you might want to put elements of it on your website to show that they can so easily be turned around from their bad starts (That I haven't done anything special that can't be done by anyone that all it takes is a bit of love and patience) and turn in fantastic loving companions as it breaks my heart that dogs like Poppy (who looks very similar to teddy) on your website could loose their lives through no fault of their own.
I can honestly say of you saw the Teddy of 5 months ago to the Teddy of today you wouldn't have thought it possible, and he isn't special ( except to us) just loved.

If I could squeeze in another I would happily come forward for Poppy or another in need as Teddy would not then be in a minority against the Staffs but I can't really do it due to working commitments, I have good friends that will help if we need to be gone the whole day and I don't need to leave them more than 4 hours at a time normally but I think it would be unfair to all to try to have more than 4 at present (I only ever meant to have 2) but wouldn't be without any of them.
Sorry to go on such at lot, but then Teddy is worth a lot of going on.
Sue

************************************************

Just thought you'd like to see this picture? Don't you love the fact that he has a picture of himself beside the bed!!!

One of our very special friends has this to say about Blind dogs!!

A rather special little man came into our lives a few weeks ago. Mr Oliver, the Shar Pei. We have had Shar Pei for about 4 years now, and have a special affinity for older dogs. We already had 2 old ladies, when Roma asked if we could foster for her. When she said that the dog that needed fostering was blind, we just shrugged and thought 'and....?' We had an old lady who sadly passed away a few months ago, and she lost most of her sight before she died. As it was a gradual process, and she was in a familiar environment, it wasn't an issue at all, she knew her way round the house & garden, but would occasionally bump into things like laundry baskets. When we got Oliver he was very stressed, he had been left tied to a lamp post, taken to a kennel, and then arrived in an alien environment. He went off his food for a couple of days, and just looked sad & dejected. Things must have been doubly confusing for him as he couldn't see his new environment. But with time & affection he realised nothing bad was going to happen to him, and he began to perk up. Was he harder work than a sighted dog? Not at all.

Oliver is a bit clumsy, and bumps into things, (legs, doors, furniture and other dogs!) so I would advise anyone with priceless Ming vases to maybe wrap them in bubble wrap, but other than that, he is no more demanding than any other dog. Indeed, it's really funny to watch him playing with the other dogs, as they literally run circles around him! When he jumps up, he's very gentle, as he's not sure how far away you are, and I'm amazed at how quickly he can get down stairs. When we walk him we keep him on an extending lead, he has very good recall, but he does bump into trees & lampposts, and has fallen down drain grates as well, so you have to keep a bit of an eye on him & guide him round things.

I'm sure that blind dogs come with a range of temperaments, happy, grumpy, lazy, excitable, but being blind doesn't seem to faze Oliver at all. He has been with us about a month now, and seems to have 'mapped' the house, he seems to know where the furniture is, and uses the walls to guide himself.

Have we done anything different, or changed our lifestyle to accommodate him? Not at all. We have a fairly small house, with 2 other dogs, 2 adults & 2 teenagers. We both work. Oliver seems just as adaptable as any other dog, he just needs patience, love & care. But don't they all?

=======================

Hello,I recently (October 2008) rescued a shar pei in North Wales, Alfie
is his new name ,he is a fantastic dog great companion and very much loved by myself ,my family and everyone that meets him when we are out walking .
He had been abused and left to wander in a terrible state ,I was informed
he was aggressive no good with other dogs and all the usual comments that sometimes label the shar pei however , I have been patient ,calm and most of all shown him the respect that he deserves, in turn Alfie has turned his life around and now he is a well behaved fantastic dog.
My reason for contacting you is -I thought you would like to know about
Alfie and how he has improved and maybe this information can be of help to potential adopters to explain that rescue dogs and dogs with bad behaviour can change .I was informed that my shar pei is a monster how wrong these people were .Alfie walks every day with a Labrador and he even allows a husky's to sniff all over him although I am very careful and fully responsible constantly assessing the situation.
Best Wishes Susan and Alfie x

Sue has recently taken on another rescue dog who she has called Oscar. Like ALL rescues he has a few problems, but she is a dedicated shar pei mum and he's already coming round and has much better manners. Good luck Sue, I know you'll end up with a lovely, loyal boy. Alfie has obviously accepted him too!

My story of our rescue Shar Pei dogs.
My Daughter Clare adopted Marvee and I must admit being he was an adult dog I was a bit worried as she has 2 boys one 5 years old and the other nine years old but Marvee being a big softy took to the boys at once. Marvee started to come to our house
and slowly I began to think how I missed having a dog as our Rhodesian Ridgeback had to be put down at the age of 14 years of age.

We missed him so much but Marvee seemed to fill this gap I then decided to logon to The Shar Pei Rescue website and this is where I spotted Ralph I was put into contact with his foster parent Juliet and after hearing how many times he had been moved about and cast out I thought it was time that he had a loving home. We made arrangements to go and see Ralph it was about a 2 hour drive away from our house but after chatting to his owner I could see that we needed to move fast and agreed to take him home that day. Ralph took a while to take to my Husband I think he had been ill treated

by men but after a couple of months he was fine. I was very worried that Ralph would not take to Marvee being they are both male dogs but we introduced them over the local Park and they sniffed at each other and decided they would be friends.

We have had Ralph eight months now - I wave good bye to him as he looks out of the hall landing window each morning when I go to work and he knows when its time for me to come home as he is looking ou of the window for me. I have managed to get him to walk nicely on the lead now but I haven't let him off on his own yet. He still has a bit of an aggressive thing with other dogs and strangers so I think it may take a bit longer.
Ralph has his own cushion bed in our bedroom on the floor but each morning he nudges me for cuddles and ends up next to me on the bed.
Ralph has now found his forever home at last !!!!
Well it does go to show that patience and a lot of loving can really help.
I would like to thank Roma and her rescue team for doing such a good job and all the foster parents for their patience and help.

CHLOE

My husband Andrew had wanted a Shar Pei for about 20 years. We were advised that Shar Pei don't mix with small children, so shelved the idea.

Last year we rescued a dog from a nursing home, when her owner died. She was about 13 years old, and we knew we wouldn't have her long. She was with us for about 9 months before she died, but it was so rewarding to give this old lady a happy loving last few months that we decided to look for another older dog.

As our children were older we thought again about a Shar Pei, which is when we got in touch with Roma. Roma told us about a 6 year old girl who had been used as a puppy factory. She emailed us some photos, which really did not do Chloe justice. She didn't look like a Shar Pei in the photos, she looked sad, dejected and unloved. We couldn't resist.

Unfortunately Chloe was nearly 300 miles away, and transport proved to be a stumbling block, but by then we already thought of Chloe as our dog, and so off we went to Yorkshire , from Kent , for a day out!

When we met Chloe in the kennels it was love at first sight. She looked so different to her photos I wasn't sure we had the right dog. She was total classic Shar Pei , small soft, wrinkly.

At first Chloe seemed confused and bewildered at these strange people making a fuss of her. We gave her time to have a good sniff, and then off we went, completely strange dog, in a car for 300 miles home.

She was the perfect lady on the journey. She let us know she wanted to stop for a wee, and cried for the children when they went into a service station to wash their hands. When we got home she sniffed everything in the house, laid down next to me in front of the fire and went to sleep.

She has fitted our family like a glove. She is so soft, gentle and loving, it is amazing. She sleeps on my daughter's bed, and if we go out without her we get the most enthusiastic tail wagging greeting when we come back.

We were warned that Chloe might have behavioural problems as she had been kept in a shed, and neglected. But she is obedient, gentle and clean. She just needed loving.

I hope we will have Chloe for many years, but even if she had been much older we would have taken her. Older dogs are just as rewarding as younger ones, in fact I think more so. To think you have given a dog who has had a miserable life, the love and joy that they deserve in their twilight, is very rewarding. They don't have to be part of your life for long to leave a paw print on your heart forever.

When we collected Chloe she had two 'breasts' which we were assured were mastitis due to being constantly bred, and that they would go down in time. When we took her to the SPR&W.UK vet it transpired that it was not mastitis, but a double hernia, caused by a defect in the abdominal wall, but made worse by breeding.

Chloe had to have a very major op, comprising: being spayed, a double hernia repair, and a bladder repair as the vet discovered her bladder had slipped down into the hernia. She is just recovering as I write this. She is in pain and shaky and confused at what the hell happened, but she still wags her tail and wants to be cuddled. Because of the hernia repair she has to rest as much as we can get her to, and no walks for two weeks.

To think that Chloe had to go through this because of a Kennel Club registered breeder's greed, makes me so angry. The breeder must have made thousands of pounds out of Chloe, and once she needed something in return she was cast away like an old boot. If I ever had the misfortune to meet Chloe's ex owner, I think I'd need restraining, 'cos that person is asking for a Hartlepool Handshake!

Any one thinking of buying a puppy, please think carefully. Look for a dog that is loved and cared for; treated as a family pet, not kept in a shed or kennel and used as a money machine; because when the mum's useful days are over, if she's lucky she'll come to the attention of Roma and find a good and loving home, if not. who knows where she'll end up?

Hi there,

My name is Rebecca. I'm 29 years old. I first fell in love with Shar Pei when I was about 9 yrs old and had spent many a weekend going to dog shows over the years with my parents, who kept Rottweilers. I finally got my dream come true with my 1st little baby boy when I was 19 years old. Ten years on, and with my 2nd little boy, and my love for this breed just keeps on growing - and I now have my fiancee totally hooked as well !! We could not imagine our home without one - and the snoring, the water trail through the house after he's been drinking, being squashed on the sofa whilst he tries to sit on us, the endless bouncing and sloppy licks & kisses when coming through the front door, wet nose smudge marks all over the car windows, and the list goes on. . . . . but we wouldn't have it any other way.

I came across your web site and felt compelled to contact you. Reading through all the pages of your site has made me laugh and cry. You deserve so much praise and recognition for the excellent work you do. Sadly, there are too many people who see the breed and buy a puppy purely based on its cute appearance & they have none or very limited knowledge of the breed, so when they can't cope with an adult dog or health problems arise, then they hand the dog over or even worse abandon it. It drives me mad when I get approached when out walking with my dog, typically by young men, and the usual comments are something like, "oh your dog is wicked, isn't that a fighting dog, how much did it cost ?" They don't even know what sort of a dog he is and all their concerned about is looking macho with a big dog. They don't ever get the answers they are looking for from me. On reading the stories on the site, it is so good to see that there are people who are patient and caring, and allow for some of the typical traits shown in a distressed dog, and give a dog a chance rather than just put it to sleep. At the moment, we have one shar pei . He is a red fawn and his name is Coby and we have had him since he was 8 weeks old. He's going to be 4 next month. He is such a character and everybody who meets him falls in love with him.

At the moment, it would not be practical to home another dog ( as much as I would like a little army of shar pei running about the place) , but I would like to make a donation to your resuce service. I'm sure there are plenty of things it could be spent on. Please can you advise of the correct payee name and the address to send the cheque to - I could not see details on the site - unless i missed them - apologies if I did.

Keep up the good work !! We would love to be able to do something as special as what you do one day. I'm sure there are lots of shar pei angels in heaven cheering you on & glad to have crossed paths with you in life. Even if their lives were not as long as they should be, at least they all get to be happy & loved.

Rebecca, Marvin & Coby.

To all those willing to adopt a Shar Pei

I decided to write a few lines about the two Shar Pei I have adopted from Shar Pei Rescue & Welfare UK. Norman (previously known as Charlie) is easily summed up. After being rescued very late in the evening, from the most appalling conditions in a 'so called' approved shelter, he was fostered and gently brought back into the real world. He had over 100 stitches (hand stitched with everyday cotton thread) removed and his skin was so badly damaged it was like paper. He came to me still fragile and what can I say about him?

Well, he's a true gent. Gentle, loving, well behaved and a now adored Teddy Bear.

Then came Mr Barlow..Roma says he's a full Shar Pei , but full of what I'm not sure? Picture this; the head of a Shar Pei but the body of a pig !

At the moment he's got a work party of my other dogs organised doing a bit of work in the back garden. Three holes are being worked on at the moment. They don't seem to be following any actual plans but He hopes to be finished by Spring of 2007..

He climbs trees so that he can bark at the neighbours, has twice landed on the chicken shed, turning it upside down and sending chickens in all directions and occasionally argues with Norman , about who's going to lie in the washing basket.

He has many party tricks. One of his favourites is watching the cat catch a mouse. He will then chase her till he can rob it. With great aplomb he flips it into his own mouth and then bounces into the kitchen and waits to be noticed. The trick, is what is hanging out of his lips? Is it a shoe lace? A piece of liquorice? A piece of string? No..it's the mouses tail !

Once, when trying to get him to drop the mouse I decided to tempt him with a piece of ham. In an amazing feat, he catapulted the mouse across the kitchen, grabbed the ham and in 0 to 60 seconds lept across the room and caught it again before it landed !!!!

When he first came to us he was a right grumbler, but now he's as sweet as toffee, though mice don't think so.

I love him dearly and our Norman . Thank you Shar Pei Rescue UK.

BeeLin's Story

My name is Nicola and I am a gardener in Carr Bank Park, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Earlier this year I moved into a flat on the park and I felt very lonely as I am used to having dogs around my family home with my mum, dad and sister.

I really wanted a dog for company and my family and I went around the local rescue and RSPCA shelters. Although there were some lovely dogs, none of them were good with children or other dogs, which is a must, as the dog would be working on the park with me. As you can imagine, I was very disappointed.

My mum suggested I go on the Internet and we found the www.Shar-Pei-rescue.co.uk website. I saw lots of lovely dogs; I fell in love with Denzel who was on there at the time. We decided to Email Roma and told her of my plight. She was very honest and told us that Denzel did not get on with other dogs, but she would let us know if there were any other dogs available.

She was soon back on the Email with details of a little girl that may be up for adoption, the owner lived in the South of the country and was very reluctant to let her go, but the owner had very good reasons for this. The owner of the dog wanted to meet us first and make sure I would be a good mum, so my Mum and Dad and myself travelled down to where the doggy lived. She was beautiful and I fell in love with her straight away. We must have fitted the bill as we brought Bee Ling back with us. The owner was very sad to let Bee go and we have fulfilled her wishes by emailing her periodically to let her know about Bee.

We are now inseparable. She goes everywhere with me and is thoroughly spoiled with my Mum and Dad when she visits there. I feel we were meant for each other.

She is very stubborn and hates water, I have never met a dog with such attitude before, I can't help but laugh at her, and I love her to pieces.

Everyone who walks through the park knows Bee now and she has lots of friends, I have bought her a lovely diamante collar, which stands out wonderfully on her dark fur and also a sheepskin coat, as she hates the cold.

She is a regular to the hotel that backs onto the park. The landlord and landlady are sorry they encouraged her in as she is never out now in the cold weather; she even pinched the cat food and waits by the kitchen for the chef to find her!! - very embarrassing, who says these dogs are not intelligent!

Any problems I had to start with, I contacted Roma who put me right. I filled in all the relevant forms and got things sorted correctly.

Roma still keeps in touch now and it is lovely to catch up, she is so funny. How she has the time to do what she does and look after all her dogs and a home and partner - in that order I think, I do not know.

It is nice to know that people do care so much about the dogs that are adopted and that they get to the right people.

Thank you Shar-pei-rescue & welfare UK

The Story of my flower, Daisy

Finding and joining Shar-Pei-rescue & welfare UK was the beginning of a destined friendship. When I got 'the call' and heard about a 3 legged, 10 year old female nobody else wanted, Roma verbally "sold" her to me and I couldn't say No.

There were all sorts of complications getting Daisy to me, as she had to come from the other side of the country. There were several abortive attempts, involving all sorts of people and I'd already got several things ready for her homecoming, including a bed.

Things got hairy because after three attempts at getting her to me, I knew her owners were discussing putting her to sleep but thankfully Roma got her 'mum' to call me direct. After another couple of abortive trips I finally got a call from her 'dad', and this time he turned up!

I had fallen in love with Daisy even before she arrived and when I saw her, overweight, in bad condition, skin problems, terrible ears and eyes, I couldn't help myself.I loved her even more!

When we reached our home I introduced her to my three other babies, all Yorkshire Terriers. Binky, fearless as always, just trotted up, had a good sniff and then trotted off. My thirteen week old puppy, Willow, just brought Daisy alive! She struggled to play, wobbling on her three good legs, but Simba, who is less socialised, bit her on the end of her nose.the start of ever blooming friendships!

She was very worried about coming in the house. She stayed next to the door and ultimately became a bit grumbly, so we left her to it and gave her some time to settle in.

Sure enough, at four in the morning I heard her struggling up the stairs to join me in my room and we've never looked back!

I learnt a lot about Daisy's early life and what a well travelled dog she was.

The blackness on her skin is more or less gone. She no longer smells. Her ears and eyes are good, she's down to 22 kg and she now sleeps beside me on my bed.

This Christmas brought me nothing but joy with her and she's even playing with teddies now!

So altogether this story is nothing other than the story of my year. It's taken me and a lot of other people time and trouble to get to this point, but Daisy is here and she loves it..and so do I !

The lovely Max

I fell in love with shar-peis when I saw one for the very first time at about the age of 12, and since then I have always wanted to own one. After having not much luck with suitable shar-peis, I was so excited when I was told by Roma in April this year that there was a possible Shar Pei available for me to home.. She had been told it was a male, 2 years old, albino colouring, very friendly, gets on with other dogs and his name was Max. It turned out he was actually 18 months and more like cream coloured rather than albino and his previous owner was being deported back to Colombia. Roma fell in love with him as soon as she met him! I was told I could go and collect Max (preferably sooner rather than later as shar-peis do not have a good reputation when it comes to vets and animal shelters.)

A couple of days later, I went with my brother to pick Max up - Kerrie watched us load him into the boot of my hatchback and my brother sat on the backseat to keep him company. On the way home, he seemed to relax a bit and somehow managed to climb over the backseat on to my brother's lap for cuddles - looking in the rearview mirror, his face was so cute, fascinated by the journey's going-on .. I knew he was the one for me!

2 hours later we arrived home and I brought out Max's step-sister Magic (or more like grand-mother as she's 6 yrs older than him), a German Shepherd to meet him; but they didn't seem interested in each other at all - they had a very brief sniff then completely ignored each other! I didn't complain as it was better than them arguing, so we took them for a walk in the fields together (and even let them off the lead). We got back, he sniffed his way round the garden and every inch of the house and then lay down and relaxed in the lounge - the rest is history.. and I have never looked back!

It didn't take long for Max to become part of the family and he and Magic get on really well. They love winding each other up with Max pulling Magic's long fur and Magic grabbing Max's legs so he falls over - a typical brother and sister relationship! Although Max thinks he's the boss with his deep, scary growls, we all know he's not really.. he's all talk (like a lot of men) and not much action - Magic puts him in his place when she has to!

Training Max has been interesting. When I first got Max home I'm not actually convinced he knew any English, as the Spanish word "sientate" for 'sit' seemed to be all he would respond to but that may have been coincidence. He knows his basic commands now in English but it's funny to go through them with him. He's like a stroppy teenager He really doesn't want to do it, but he's so desperate for the treat that he goes through every command he knows, throwing both paws at me, until he gets the right one! Either that or he will make a point of doing it in his own time, making sure he's telling me about his reservations vocally!

I'm not sure I will ever be able to train him on recall - when I call his name, he pretends he can't hear me or stops still and pretends he doesn't realise who's calling his name. He looks in all directions pretending he doesn't know which direction his name is coming from! He then carries on running and sniffing.... Once, he herded up about 10 cows in a field, except it backfired when the cows turned on him and started trotting after him in a long line. He came running back to me followed by these cows, so of course I had to run too (it's alright for Max he could outrun them!!)... Luckily the cows gave up in the end.

Max loves anybody and everybody and goes bounding up to anyone that walks through the front door no matter who they are! When we're out for walks I always get stopped so people can say hello to him (although I have to make them say hello to Magic too otherwise she gets jealous!).

Max has a cheeky streak too and likes to think he's still a puppy - he knows he's cute and uses it to his advantage. His favourite pastimes are food, going for walks, playing 'ragger' with Magic, curling up under the duvet on my bed, having his belly tickled, stealing tissues and chewing them up. He also loves sucking on people's hands (if they let him because it is very slimy) and does mouth a lot, although he is ever so gentle!

Max also has an awful lot of energy - he has these funny moments every now and again where he races round and round the house and garden (and you have to let him get on with it - there's no stopping him!). Magic looks at him as if he's weird! But once he's tired, he will go upstairs and put himself to bed.

Max also has a fascination with birds: he loves watching and chasing the geese that fly over the nearby fields. Unfortunately he also likes eating the remains of dead ones, and I once found a dead blackbird in my toilet!! I'm presuming Max put it there! Lovely.... (Maybe he thinks he's a cat?)

Overall, Max has to be the friendliest, happiest, cheekiest and most talkative Shar Pei I've ever met; his tail is always wagging happily and I'm proud to be his owner. Max is gorgeous and I love him to bits (and his silly quirks)!! Thank you Shar-Pei-Rescue & Welfare UK for giving me the opportunity to look after him - I wouldn't give Max up to anyone now (including you Roma)!

Benson and Lucy

My name is Dodie and for 14 years I had wanted a Shar Pei. Thanks to Roma, I got more than a Shar Pei. I got two of the cutest and loving dogs I have ever known.

I remember the day Roma telephoned telling me she had a female, aged five, fawn horsecoat that was in need of a loving home. I was so happy I couldn't wait to pick her up and a week later my husband and I went to get her.

The first thing I thought was 'how can such a small thing have such a loud bark?' After an hour she finally stopped (very stubborn was my second thought).

We got her home and she didn't want to know us, so we left her alone. At night I would put her in our room and for three days she continued ignoring us. On the fourth night I turned out the light and very gently, she jumped up onto the bed. Hehe! I screamed so loudly someone listening may have thought we'd been broken into. Ever since that night she has been my shadow and I love her so very much.

About six months later Benson came to live with us. He is about four years younger than Lucy and very, very handsome. He's typically stubborn, very playful and hates having a bath. The first bath I ever gave him I literally had to fight him, but thankfully I won!

Benny and Lucy are very close now. They had their moments in the beginning, but nothing too bad and when he thinks no-one is watching, Benny licks Lucy's face. Awww. I think they are in love?

Both my husband and I love the two of them very much.

Everybody who reads this should know that Lucy and Benson have made me so happy and it's also a good feeling to know that I am giving them a life where they can feel safe and loved.I'd like to thank Roma for what she has given me and my family but most of all I'd like to thank her for sticking by these wonderful dogs.

ERRMMM.well I couldn't see outside!

Please, help more Shar Pei's in need by fostering, adopting or a small donation.

Every little helps.

...............

Testamonials

Sue Morrisey : We are all well, and Jake is the most affable dog.

He is getting more loveable every day and he is so-o-o-o well behaved.

Thank you so much for everthing you have done for us.

My dream has been to own a Shar-Pei, and thanks to your rescue service,

I finally have my Jake. It is like finding my soulmate.

You give so much, yet ask so little in return, I don't know how you do it, but I am very glad you do.

There are so many that see these dogs and think "money",

it's reassuring to know there are people like you who think "Welfare".

Jake and I owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid,

so thank you, and keep doing what you do.

Shar-Pei Rescue and Welfare is a much needed service.

I can not speak well enough of you and your hard work on behalf of the Shar Pei population. I don't know what we adoptive parents would do without you. Love and "woofs", Sue and Jake and family . Lidd

We are very happy with our dog that is called Xena. She has settled in very well and is a great pet. We have Roma at Shar Pei Rescue and Welfare UK, to thank for the dog. Long may the rescue continue. Denis and Joan Hoggart.

Minnie is a lovely dog and is settling down very well. We are very happy with your services. How you handled the adoption, the back up and after care we have received from you, is amazing. We love her so much. We both fell in love at first sight. We will back you to the hilt. Dee and Francisco. Essex

I truly believe you are doing a great job for the breed Shar Pei. If it wasn't for you the Shar Pei I was fostering, would not have found such a wonderful home. Cara. Canvey Island

The work Roma and Neill do for Shar Pei Rescue is invaluable, so please don't ever consider giving it up. Jane. Lancs

We will always give you our support for the wonderful work you do. The Shar Pei rescue needs people who are as dedicated as you are. Best wishes. Adam and Tracey. Kent

I can't thank you enough for all the hard work and dedication you have shown in helping me adopt Daisy. I fully support everything you do for these dogs and I will help you in any way I can. Good luck with everything Roma. Kaylee. Northumberland