Meet the Team
Libby
I’m Libby and live in Aberdeen with my partner Jay and our 2 boxers Milo (just over 2) our rescue Sira (7).
I’ve loved the breed since I was a child. It’s quite difficult to try to sum up why boxers are the best, but I do think it’s because you really don’t know what boxer mood you’ll get from day to day. One moment they can be bouncing around like Buster from the John Lewis ad, the next, they are curled up like a fox snoring their head off whilst forgetting that they aren’t lap dogs and have made your whole body have pins and needles. The fact that they follow you everywhere and the excitement when you reenter the room after literally leaving to put the kettle on is unrivaled.
When I first moved to Scotland I found TBR and applied to adopt, during the home check I loved what I was hearing about the charity and what they were trying to do so I asked if they needed any help. So what started out as volunteering with some initial home checks and ideas on fundraising, has led me to now be one of the Charities Trustees.
Seeing a dog that comes into our care that hasn’t had the best starts in life, or has unfortunately not been able to stay in the family that they are used to, then being matched with their forever family really is the best. Watching both the dog and the family thrive with each other and start the next phase of the dog’s life is really amazing.
As a small charity we can’t help all of the dogs in need. That is really hard, especially when the dogs are older and have been in kennels for a long time. If you are thinking of rescue, please do your research. Whilst it is an amazing thing to do, it’s not for everyone.
Stacey
I’m Stacey and I live in Cardenden with my 2 children.
I have lived with dogs my whole life and with the boxer breed for 13 years.
After losing our rescue boy Terry at the ripe old age of 15, our house felt empty. This encouraged me to join as a volunteer/fostered with Thistle Boxer Rescue last November.
Since then, I have fostered 5 amazingly crazy, fun loving and adorable boxers and I have loved every minute!
No two boxers are the same and some come with challenges that they need support with, but this makes my role as a fostered even more fulfilling.
When I was asked to become a trustee, I jumped at the chance of helping run a charity that is not only close to my heart but also invests in the boxers and their new families for a life time.
If you are thinking of volunteering or adopting, please ensure you are fully committed and can provide the time, resources and love that a boxer needs. If you have these, trust me you will be rewarded by the boxer bucket load!
Fiona
I am Fiona and live in Aberdeen with our 3 dogs, a Boxer, a Spanish Water Dog and a Bodeguero (a Spanish Jack Russel). We have had 6 boxers, so plenty of experience with the breed over 25 years.
I began helping in dog rescue we moved to Spain 18 years ago and was asked to help out at our local shelter. It was then that I realised the plight of the huge number of abandoned dogs throughout Spain. There are many shelters which are all overflowing with dogs desperately needing help. I then became involved in a UK charity which specialised in bringing dogs from Spain to the UK on adoption. All these dogs were living in atrocious conditions in a pound that relied on donations to operate. It was wonderful seeing these dogs with loving families after seeing them living in the miserable pound where they were kept in cages 23 hours per day.
After returning to the UK (with 5 dogs – 3 boxers and our Spanish breeds) I met Libby, a fellow boxer lover and when she asked if I would be prepared to help out at Thistle Boxer Rescue I jumped at the chance. It is a privilege to help rehome boxers who have not had the best start or whose families circumstances have changed and can no longer give their dog the home it deserves.
There is something very special about boxer dogs – they make you laugh – I have always thought boxers are like cartoon dogs, definitely the clown of dog breeds. Those squishy faces and soulful brown eyes makes me want to help any boxer dog in need. I have not been with TBR for long but hope my contribution to the charity will be worthwhile. I know it will be very rewarding for me.
Kate
I’m Kate and I live in Kilmacolm with my two boxers Archie 7 & (Dotty 4 who we adopted from Thistle Boxer Rescue).
I’ve always loved this wonderful breed and have been so privileged to own six over the last twenty years. Our first boxer came along just prior to my son being born as I wanted to complete our family by introducing them together. This proved invaluable both were inseparable from day one.
Boxers have their funny goofy side and are always up to mischief there’s never a dull moment with a boxer. But they are also highly intelligent, super loyal, loving and the most beautiful natured breed I have ever owned. They have a real sense of always wanting to be a part of a family unit and love attention. It’s true what they say they are very bouncy and always on the go when they’re awake but they can also be very lazy too real couch potatoes.
My journey with Thistle Boxer Rescue started after I lost my beautiful adopted girl Missy (Archie‘s surrogate Mum), Archie became extremely depressed. This was truly heartbreaking to watch and after speaking to the vets at great lengths we were strongly encouraged to look into adopting or fostering another Boxer. Dotty came to us initially as a foster but we knew instantly that the two dogs were compatible and their love for each other was almost instant. Archie got over his depression the minute Dotty arrived and their relationship has blossomed ever since.
I knew at this point that my passion was to give something back to Thistle Boxer Rescue and joined the team as one of their Volunteers, it soon became apparent that my key strengths were helping organise events, fundraising opportunities and meeting people. I will always be eternally grateful to our Thistle Boxer Rescue family for the support and overwhelming love, friendships and kindness they have shown throughout the years.
Diane
