A “BOISTEROUS and bouncy” dog who “gets a bit psychotic” when he sees a vet has been stuck in an Oxfordshire rehoming centre for eight years.

Despite people from as far away as Finland showing interest in giving 10-year-old Reggie a loving home, none have been deemed “suitable”.

Now his handler at Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary, Aaron Denton, is hoping someone will finally be able to take on the Great Dane and rottweiler cross.

Assistant warden Mr Denton said: “Reggie is generally a very calm dog but gets very excited when you play with him.

“When he sees a vet he gets a bit psychotic. He might have had some sort of trauma in the past with a vet, and he used to be very protective of men.

“He is so boisterous and bouncy. We’ve had so many people interested and I get so hopeful but no-one has been suitable.”

Reggie was brought to the Stadhampton sanctuary in 2007 after his former owners moved into a new house where the landlord did not allow pets.

Mr Denton said Reggie’s ideal home would be one with a couple or a single person, based in the countryside or a quiet village, with no other pets. He does not like traffic or meeting other animals.

Mr Denton, who has worked at the sanctuary since 2003, added: “If a lorry goes past he sometimes tries to chase it. If you’re not paying attention you can get knocked off your feet. He weighs around 43 kilograms.”

He added that anyone thinking of getting a pet should consider rescue homes and sanctuaries, to give dogs like Reggie the chance to find a loving home.

He said: “It’s no different getting a puppy from a breeder to getting a rescue animal. You’re always going to have problems.

“The issue is that a lot of people keep buying puppies so more are bred.

“It’s easy money breeding puppies but then 10 to 20 per cent end up in rescue homes.

“And then a few more will go through the council pounds and end up getting put down.”

Mr Denton said he is keeping his fingers crossed for Reggie, who could live for up to another five years.

He added: “In 1997 we got a puppy named Soldier Boy who was with us for 10 years.

“He was a headcase and would do back flips in his kennel.

“But then a couple came in and fell in love with him. The only problem they’ve ever had with him is when he jumped on the table once while they were all having dinner.”

A whippet-cross called Maggie has become a nationally-known name in the past week after being dubbed “Britain’s loneliest dog”.

The 13-year-old hound has been at Serendipity Kennels in Stoke-on-Trent for 11 years and has yet to find the perfect home, despite 50,000 people coming to look at her.

Yesterday, animal charity Blue Cross launched an appeal to find a new home for a pet every hour by the end of 2015.

Anyone interested in finding out more about Reggie or any other pet at the Oxford Animal Sanctuary can call 01865 890239.