***UPDATE***

True love may take time, but it is always worth the wait!

Maestro, one of our longest-standing residents, has finally found his forever home! The big, loveable pooch, now named Boss, is settling in with his new family and is getting on very well with his new fur sibling, Bruiser.

Maestro had become a firm favourite amongst staff and volunteers at SDCH, so it was a little sad for us to say goodbye, however nothing could beat seeing him head off to a loving home where he belongs.

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He’s dashingly handsome with big, brooding deep brown eyes – how could you resist him?

That’s what staff and volunteers at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home are wondering about their current longest-standing resident, Maestro.

Arriving at the Home in May, the 3 year old Bull Mastiff cross is available for adoption, yet is having some trouble finding his forever family. “He is like a goofy puppy in big dog’s clothing and he sometimes doesn’t realise his own size and strength, so he needs owners who have experience with large dogs and are keen to work with him. Maestro has already shown improvement in his manners as he is so eager to please and to become a great family companion” says Caroline Hamilton, Animal Care Manager. “He has spent some time away on a trial adoption. While it did not work out for the potential owners, it gave us a great ‘at home’ report card, which we can add to Maestro’s behaviour assessment and personality profile.”

Maestro was found lost at a park in Mortdale and while his microchip was able to be scanned for its unique 16-digit number, it was not registered against any details in Australia. Despite looking through countless lost and found logs, contacting a number of veterinary clinics, and a social media push, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home was unable to locate Maestro’s family, so they began the search for his new forever home.

Based in Carlton since 1946, Sydney Dogs and Cats Home is Sydney’s only charity pound and receives over 3300 lost and abandoned animals each year. Servicing 8 council areas across the city, they have reunited and rehomed 192 animals in the last month alone. The average wait time for an animal to be adopted is 17 days and the shelter relies on donations from the community to ensure an animal’s stay is as enjoyable as possible.

As no time limits are placed on any animal awaiting adoption at Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, Maestro has become a familiar face after being there for almost 4 months. The team have also picked up on a few quirks, which could hint towards the kind of person with whom Maestro would like to go home…or at least his preferred mode of transport. “We’ve noticed, during his walks, that if Maestro sees a ute, he will get excited and try to jump up on the back”, says Ms Hamilton, “so he might enjoy the tradie life where he can join you as work mate – we’ll even find him a vest!”

In the meantime, he will continue to be lovingly cared for by staff and volunteers. “He’s become a real favourite amongst the team here”, says Ms Hamilton, “Everyone is lamenting the fact that they can’t be the one to take Maestro home, whether it’s because they’ve already got too many furry family members or their couch just isn’t big enough for a 40kg lap dog.”

Anyone who thinks this loveable pooch could fit right in at their home, can view his profile or call Sydney Dogs and Cats Home on 9587 9611.

Check out this beautiful video of Maestro.