Britain's most unwanted dog finally finds new owners after 11 years in a rescue centre

Jenny struck lucky after spending 77 dog years in kennels - thought to be a British record.

She was abandoned when she was just one in 1997 when rescuers from Gables Farm Dogs' and Cats' Home found her tied to a lamppost.

Happy: Jenny finally has a new home after 11 years in a rescue home

And each day afterwards only brought fresh disappointment for collie Jenny as her canine friends were always chosen ahead of her.

New owners were put off because she was very fearful and a little aggressive when she first arrived, according to staff.

And by the time she had fully settled in, she was older than ideal because most people want puppies.

Now, after becoming the longest-staying resident in the Plymouth centre's 101 year history, Jenny has finally found a family to love her.

New owners Pat and Mary Caffrey, from Paignton, Devon, were moved by Jenny's story when they looked at the Gables website and decided to go and meet her face to face. 

Mr Caffrey, 59, a retired engineer, said:  "We read her story and we thought 'ah look at that' about her being tied to the lamppost and being there so long."

Best friends: Jenny with new owner Mary Caffrey

And recalling the moment he and his wife fell in love with hitherto unwanted dog, he added: "When I looked at her and she barked at me. 

"We walked around and saw the others and we walked back to her, looked at her, looked at each other and said: 'Yeah, we'll take her on.'

"We've always had dogs and we lost our previous dog, Gemma, in August last year and it was the first time in 20 years that we had been without a dog.

"We'd had a good few months without a dog and it just wasn't the same.  

"We always get rescue dogs and the puppies are great - they will always find a home, but the older dogs are not always as fortunate as that."

The previous record for life in a dog home was held by 12-year-old border collie Errol, which spent 10 years in kennels in Wickford, Essex, before finally being rehomed in January this year.

Katie Barkell, from the home said:  "She was here for such a long time, she was part of the family.

"We were established in 1907, we are 101 years old, and she is the resident that has been with us the longest in our history. The previous record was six years.

"When she came in, she was very nervous.

"I think that she acted a big aggressively.

"It took a while to get her trust and by the time she had settled in, people were put off by her age.

"She has a few old age problems but the new owner were not put off by that.  

"They picked her straight away.

"They were looking for an old dog that was in need of a new home."

Give a dog a home: Jenny was first rescued after being tied to a lamppost

Tony Harris, General Manager said:  "We are all overjoyed that Jenny has found a new home to call her own after living with us for such a long time.  

"It was fantastic to see her jump into the car without as much as a backward glance." 

Since living with her new owners Jenny has been on lots of adventures, and enjoys running on the local beach, chasing her ball and splashing in the water.

Gables Farm Dogs' and Cats' Home is Plymouth's oldest animal welfare charity and has a strict non-euthanasia policy.  

Staff said that Jenny's story proves that they never give up hope of finding a loving new home for an animal.

The Caffreys have had Jenny for three months and love her. 

"She has been brilliant," Mr Caffrey said. "We have had her three months and she had settled in nicely. 

"She was quiet and the vet did say that she is an old girl and she will probably just like to be quiet.

"She loves the beach and she goes walking twice a day in the woods. She loves her walks and she loves being quiet."