17/06/2026
🐾 Wednesday Win: New Beginnings, New Responsibilities & A Forever Home 🐾
This week's belongs to two very special members of the Croft family – Jane Christine Bain and Hunter.
Many people know Jane as the driving force behind our accessible market garden, but what they may not realise is just how much she has contributed to Redberth Croft over the past year. Starting as a volunteer, Jane quickly became one of the key people helping shape our future, stepping into the role of Project Lead and Grower for our accessible market garden. Alongside rallying volunteers, supporting site development and working closely with our Clever Carpentry team, Jane has played a huge role in turning ideas into reality. Jane also regularly volunteers at other PAVS members - esteam and local business Underwood Organic Farm.
At the same time, another story was quietly unfolding. Back in October 2025, we were asked to help a wonderful Labrador called Hunter whose family were facing housing difficulties and needed to find him a new home.
Hunter certainly made an impression when he arrived. Within his first week he enjoyed an emergency midnight trip to Doggy A&E after sampling some of the less desirable farm delicacies, and it quickly became apparent he possessed the skills of an MI6 operative. Dishwashers, pedal bins, push-to-open bins, cupboards... nothing was safe. Somehow, he managed all of this during the night without waking our founder, despite her reputation for being an exceptionally light sleeper!
When Jane first mentioned she was considering taking on a dog, our honest assessment was that Hunter might simply be too boisterous. Fortunately, Jane didn't get the memo.
Through patience, consistency and a huge amount of hard work, Jane built an incredible bond with Hunter. Today he is thriving in his forever home and, with support from SPOTT, they are now working towards Hunter becoming Jane's assistance dog. Jane has even overcome communication barriers by training him using whistle commands.
We couldn't be prouder of them both. The best part? We still get to see Hunter regularly. He visits the Croft every week and comes back to stay whenever Jane is away. One of the advantages of adopting from the Croft family is that our animals always have a familiar place to return to, rather than facing time in kennels.
Hunter follows in the pawprints of Woody, our first canine success story, who was rehomed in 2023 and continues to enjoy life as a much-loved family companion in his twilight years.
Whilst we are not a formal rescue centre, we do occasionally support animals who need a fresh start. We deliberately focus on finding the right home rather than meeting rehoming targets, allowing us to truly get to know each animal and match them with the right person when the time is right.
As Hunter begins his next chapter, it also means there is now space for another large dog to experience and become part of our extended family.
If you know of a canine companion who could benefit from a fresh start, we'd love to hear from you. We don't mind a few quirks, personality traits or behavioural challenges provided we're given an honest picture from the outset.
Congratulations Jane and Hunter – a perfect example of how volunteering can change lives... sometimes on both ends of the lead. ❤️🐾