MEET Jelly – a “sweet” dog who is looking for a new family after a difficult start in life.

The five-year-old Lurcher has been patiently waiting at the Ashley Heath Animal Centre, near Ringwood, for a year but has sadly not yet found her perfect match.

And the Ashley Heath team said they can’t understand why “this lovely pooch hasn’t yet been adopted”.

Gee Mantle, behaviour & welfare advisor at Ashley Heath, said: “Jelly is a sweet girl – just like jelly pudding – but a sensitive soul who has had a turbulent past.

“However, under her scruffy sometimes shy exterior, she has a big, warm heart and a secret silly side.

“She’s a goofball who loves rolling around with her toys and will often be found carrying around her favourite soft, squeaky toys, or zooming across the field with them; she’s so fast.

“She’s smart and loves to learn new tricks and play games. And, during the day, spends time in reception at the centre helping staff.

“Jelly loves people and wants to be around her friends, resting her chin in your lap and playing with toys. But she can be shy around people she doesn’t know well so her new owners will need to give her time and space to build this trust.”

Jelly is a bit of a loner and doesn’t enjoy the company of other dogs, they said, but doesn’t mind seeing dogs on walks yet prefers her own space, so is “looking for owners who will advocate for her and allow her to have her boundaries when socialising”.

She wears a muzzle when out walking as, like many sighthounds, she has a strong desire to chase, the experts said, but “really enjoys walking on her long line so she has freedom to explore, sniff and play”.

Gee added: “We’d love to find Jelly an adult-only home with calm and patient owners who understand that she needs time before she’ll show them her sweet, soft side.

Jelly is looking for a new home after a difficult start in life. Pictures: Ashley Heath Animal Centre

“She’s been having a break from kennels and staying in foster with one of our staff where she’s loving the quieter pace of life, snoozing in her bed, and has really come out of her shell, so we know she’ll be a wonderful pet for the right family.

“We’d love to find a home where she’ll have a large, secure garden where she can enjoy the zoomies and really stretch her legs.

“She relies on people for her confidence so can find it difficult being left alone and we hope her adopters will be able to introduce this to her very gradually once she has settled in.

“She’s had a difficult start in life and was often shut alone for long periods of time so it’s unsurprising that this can be traumatising for her.

“But we’ve seen so much change in her over the last year and we absolutely adore her playful, affectionate and goofy side. We know she’ll make a wonderful pet, we just hope someone will give her a chance.”

To find out more about Jelly, visit the Ashley Heath website, email ashleyheath@rspca.org.uk, or call 0300 123 0749.

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