WHEN Bill Whittle rescued a stray border collie he could not have expected his new pet to save him from the nightmare of depression.

Shep was a stray at Glencoe dog and cat boarding kennels, Haslingden Road, Oswaldwistle. The couple were united last July, when Mr Whittle, of Dyson Street in Blackburn, was recovering from a nervous breakdown.

He had decided to get another dog after a counsellor saw a photo of his old Labrador cross, which died over ten years ago. "He said had I thought of getting a dog?" said Bill, 58, "My daughter phoned up the council and they recommended Glencoe. I went down to visit and it just clicked."

"If it had not been for Shep, I do not think I would have recovered. Since I got him the doctor has signed me off and now I have got job seekers allowance. I have had a job application forwarded and would be willing to do anything. Shep gives me something to worry about instead of me. I take him out for a walk once a day, but at the moment I have been frightened of foot and mouth."

Sarah Hargreaves, Bill's daughter, said: "They had Shep at Glencoe and my husband Barry took him to have a look and that was it. It has given him companionship and Dad had to go out of the house because the dog needed walking. Shep needs a lot of exercise and that has got his confidence back up. Shep is very friendly, but I wouldn't walk in the house without knocking though, he is there to protect Dad, and has now made it his home."

Kathy Dewhurst, owner of Glencoe Dog and Cat Boarding Kennels, said: "Shep and Mr Whittle were made for each other. We found the perfect dog for him. It provides something for people to focus on, the dog realises it has a second chance and gives the new owner 100 per cent."

Kathy runs the boarding kennels with help from her dad. They have sixteen kennels for strays who are brought by dog wardens from the Blackburn, Darwen and Chorley area.