In July 2023, a member of the public found a dog tied up on a roundabout in Maidstone, Kent. He was hurt, frightened and alone. What nobody could have guessed was that it would take two and a half years for him to find his people.
Found on a roundabout
Teddy is a lurcher cross. When he was found on the roundabout, he had a serious wound to his back right leg.
The RSPCA collected him and treated the wound. It was believed to have been caused by tethering: Teddy had been tied up on the roundabout.
He had clearly suffered a tough start to life.
Months of healing
The road to recovery wasn’t only physical. Teddy was traumatised, and staff spent months helping him recover in body and mind.
Each step forward took time and patience. But slowly, Teddy started to heal.
A home that didn’t work out
In March 2024, it looked like Teddy’s wait was over. He was rehomed.
Sadly, it didn’t last. Teddy struggled with behavioural issues while settling in, and he was returned to the centre.
For a dog who had already been through so much, it was another setback.
The team that wouldn’t give up
The RSPCA staff didn’t give up on him. They kept working patiently with Teddy, building his confidence and helping him cope better in public spaces.
Teddy kept waiting. Later, the headlines would call him “Britain’s most unloved dog”.
“The work our team has put in to allow Teddy to get to a point of rehoming has been incredible,” said Animal Centre Manager Hannah White.
“There was no chance we were giving up on him, but it’s been a long road.”
Fifteen visits
Then, just before Christmas, Teddy’s luck finally changed.
Gaz and Wendy White, from Gillingham in Kent, picked him out. But they didn’t rush him.
They visited Teddy 15 times, making a 90-mile round trip each time.
It wasn’t easy at first.
“We had cold feet a few times because we didn’t think he liked us,” Gaz admitted. “But on the fifth visit, I fell in love with him.”
The RSPCA team noticed their patience.
“Gaz and Wendy were so patient with us and with Teddy, and understood he needed time to figure them out,” Hannah said.
A new brother called Buddy
Teddy has now settled happily with Gaz, Wendy and their other lurcher cross, Buddy.
For Buddy, Teddy’s arrival came at just the right time. The couple had lost their previous dog, who had been Buddy’s companion.
“Teddy has brought Buddy back to life after we lost our previous dog, who was his companion,” Gaz said. “He’s like a puppy again.”
The RSPCA team has even seen Teddy “singing with his new canine brother”.
“Teddy-roo”
The dog who once couldn’t settle now has a nickname.
“We call him Teddy-roo because he jumps like a kangaroo,” Gaz said.
He’s affectionate too.
“Teddy loves a cuddle and sleeps on our bed at night,” Gaz said.
“He is an absolute delight. We think we fell on our feet, and he fell on his paws.”
A long road, a happy ending
Staff at the RSPCA Isle of Thanet Branch said Teddy’s journey had been a long one, but one they were determined not to give up on.
“We are so delighted to have finally found Teddy his perfect forever home,” Hannah said.
“Now we get to see Teddy at home, relaxed, happy, and even singing with his new canine brother.”
Why Teddy’s story matters
Some dogs are adopted in days. Others, like Teddy, need much longer: more time to heal, more time to trust, and people willing to wait for them.
Teddy had a painful wound, a failed first home and two and a half years in care. What changed everything was patience: from the RSPCA staff who never gave up, and from a couple who kept making that 90-mile round trip until Teddy was ready.
“If there was ever a dog who needed a home, it’s Teddy,” Gaz said.
And now he has one.
“We will love him forever.” ❤️
Story retold from public reporting. Credit: Need To Know / Jam Press / RSPCA (https://needtoknow.co.uk/2026/01/26/britains-most-unloved-dog-found-dumped-on-roundabout-finally-gets-new-owner-after-two-and-a-half-year-wait/). Photos are reference only; usage rights are pending and images will appear only once permission is granted.
Images in this article are illustrative recreations made for this story, not photographs of the dog.
