Dudley News
Wayne is all smiles again
10:30am Wednesday 22nd February 2012
TWO weeks after his beloved four-legged companion was stabbed and died in his arms, Wayne Bird is smiling again after rescuing a new friend.
Tyson, the German Shepherd was stabbed to death in an incident in Lower Gornal on Tuesday February 7.
Wayne, aged 37, who has a mental age of 11 years, was left completely heartbroken and struggling to cope with his loss.
Wayne’s aunt, Rose Beedles, said: “We have always said we would look into getting Wayne another dog in a few weeks, but he really wasn’t coping at all, so we decided to try and get a rescue dog as soon as possible.”
And after looking on the website of Shropshire-based charity, Dog Samaritans, Rose was stunned to find a 16-month-old German Shepherd cross, called Blade, which “could have been Tyson’s twin”.
After explaining their situation, Wayne and Rose travelled to the rehoming centre on Friday, where Wayne and the dog “clicked straight away”.
Rose added: “None of us could believe how they both hit it off immediately.
“It was if they had known each other forever and they let us bring him back with us there and then, which is not usual practice, but even they couldn’t believe how they reacted.
“Blade is such a lovely dog, with such a loving temperament.
“His name is a bit unfortunate considering what happened to Tyson, but he recognises his name, so we won’t change it now.
“He can never replace Tyson, but you can see the change in Wayne already.
“He is like a totally different person now. We just couldn’t have waited.”
Wayne, said: “I was missing Tyson and it was great to meet Blade. I’ve been showing him off to everybody.”
The family were able to get Blade following generous donations from kind-hearted Lower Gornal residents who rallied round following the attack and collected £782 to help Wayne retrieve Tyson’s ashes from the vets.
Not only has the money gone towards the ashes and a donation for Blade, but also a microchip and pet insurance, bowls, bedding and food.
The family have also ordered a memorial plaque for Tyson for the village,which was paid for outright by a resident, as well as a dog hook to go outside the shops in Lower Gornal, so dog owners can tie up their dogs while shopping.
The remaining money will be donated to the Dog Samaritans.
Simon Lee Follos, aged 38, of Abbey Street, Lower Gornal is set to appear in Wolverhampton Crown Court on March 8 for sentencing, after pleading guilty to stabbing Tyson.