28th July

Alison, Dave and Family are on their long awaited holiday.  I hope that it is the well deserved rest that they hoped for. Let's hope they do not have to look for a new fish slice!!!!!!!

It is not an easy task looking after so many dogs, answering the never ending calls and emails from people who want to re home their dogs. especially when it is for 349 days per year.

David Bennett, is kindly looking after Angel, we have Tara,with Saffy and Boycie in kennels.

Tara fast asleep with a smile on her face.

Whilst I am typing this blog Tara is firmly asleep on the bed, snoring her head off, oblivious to everything that is going on. Tara would undoubtedly suit an older person or couple as she is so undemanding, all she want is a quite life, and love. Yet she has been seeking a new home since November 201l even though she is also included on The Oldies website there has been no interest in her.

It is lovely that Chance has at long last found his new family. Alison I were both ecstatic when this happened. Although you learn to let go, you cannot help but worry that everything is alright.





 We had a lovely email from Mike, Jo and family about Molly (formally Luci). I could not contain myself and  looked at the photo before I read the massage, a bit like reading the end of a book when you are only half way through it!!!!

Molly Relaxed

 

Had to share this picture with you

Molly had an hours walk and spent 3 hours in this position dead to the world ( despite the noise we were making)

Had to wake her up to take her outside for a wee before her main sleep.

I remembered that Mike and Jo had only just got this new suite of furniture and they had expressed that Molly would not be allowed on it. It did not seem to be happening!!!!!  I welcomed Mike and Jo to the world of staffie ownership and that life would never be the same.
 I received this response:-

Hi Val

Glad you enjoyed the picture

Its funny that when we got her..i was keen to keep her off the Sofa ( its new)..its changed to she is only allowed on 1 part of the sofa ( with her blanket) to she goes where she pleases…she always maneuvers herself so that her head is on a pillow

She is such a part of the family that we cant imagine being without her..i think its 4 months since she came to us

I was reading the old blogs about Molly from back when you got her..and she has certainly changed and she is a credit to all the hard work and sleepless nights you put in

We were saying that the advantage of getting her from you( rather than Battersea etc) is that you really knew the Dog and understood her..so taking her in was a lot easier because you knew her little ways and were on hand for advice

She isn’t perfect but she is so lovable and very clever….she now spins round on command and shakes Paw…the girls are now working on roll over ( she will be a show dog)..not sure if its good for her dignity getting her to do tricks but she seems to love it and it’s a good way to control her when she is excited

Thank you to Mike, Jo, Nancy and Martha for adopting Molly and a big thank you to all those who have adopted a Guildford & District dog. We cannot express how happy we are when it all works out and a dog in need finds it's new home. xxx

Author:- Valerie

27th July

They are keeping Chance!

I had left it that they would ring me on Thursday (yesterday) to let me know how things were going as long as things were ok until  then, of course, so I had been holding my breath, relaxing a little more as each day went by. Then Thursday afternoon the call came, right number, then a strange voice saying, 'Regarding Chance,' my heart stopped, 'who should I make the cheque out to?'
It is the most wonderful home on a farm which is part of a country estate and the dogs are not confined at all which I thought would suit him perfectly as long as he could cope with so much freedom, it seems he can.

Chance has a new home!

What a lovely 'rags to riches' story, pound dog to country estate!
It is a miracle! But we were certainly in need of one!

I take Saffy and Boycie to Wey farm kennels later this morning, not a happy task but at least it is not for long.
Val and Stuart are picking Tara up tonight.

25th July

Ok we are in survival mode now. All outside jobs including dog walking first and last thing, siesta in middle of day!
Cooler tomorrow? I hope so!


Angel has been collected by David and Pat at great personal cost. A seventy mile drive taking nearly two hours.
I am so very grateful to them and for Angel's sake that she doesn't have to go into kennels.
David and Pat you are stars! Thank you.


Ha ha ha! Thanks for putting us right in your comment Mark! No I don't follow football and I probably am the only person in the world not to recognise Michael Owen! I stumbled across a bizarre link on facebook.
We all know the Staffie was the real celeb, look at that big Staffie grin, looks like Toby adopted by David and Diana. 

Is this Michael Owen?

Not only did I not recognise Michael Owen,  I said he was a human, I was wrong, he is a footballer!


 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-2177729/London-2012-Olympics-Michael-Owen-Battersea-Dogs-Home.html?ito=feeds-newsxml


Finally tired of Jesse pup haranguing Tara when she was in her crate, so we let her out. She was fantastic with him! Gently and patiently putting him in his place until eventually he backed off, at least for a bit.
Anyone with an older female Stafford want to adopt a feisty male pup?
Better still adopt Tara and the pup together!

24th July

I know we shouldn't complain but it's too hot! Especially if you have animals, nightmare trying to get all dogs walked (puppy tired) and keep them cool.
The ponies are being driven mad by horseflies even at six in the evening.
 However, there are some good things, the mud is finally drying up down the garden, the kitchen floor was washed and has remained clean and the dog blankets dried in less than an hour.

Lexus started the day in fine fettle by devouring an entire unopened bag of tripe sticks and another of salmon and potato treats, while I took the puppy down the garden, I had been too tired to put them away the night before.


A lovely surprise today, I was just on my way to the shop to replace the (very cheap) dustpan, puppy had chewed off the rubber strip rendering it useless to pick anything up, when an organic compost lorry parked right across the end of the drive. I was about to shout something when the driver started to shout at me asking if I remembered him. It was none other than Tim who adopted Fawley from us four years ago.

 He was delivering an order of compost to my neighbour.

Fawley travels with him the cab. When I did his follow up I asked how Fawley was when he was left, to which he replied, he didn't know because he never left him.
 What a lucky dog.



The Olympic Torch was carried past Dave's place of work today and yesterday a Battersea Staffie helped carry it. I am sorry I don't know who the human was.

23rd July

Still the phone calls and emails. One rang at 6.30pm on Sunday saying she needed some advice, she told me she had two Staffies and had just had a baby, the advice she was after was how did she go about getting us to take in her dog! I did my usual speech, she sounded most put out and asked if I knew of anywhere else, when I said no she all but slammed the phone down.
Another message, looking after a friend's dog and couldn't keep it, an email, started a new job and did not have time for dog anymore!
As well as that I have heard from two boarding kennels today. One had had a dog dumped, booked in for a week, paid the deposit, gave false details and never came back.

The kennel owner said he had done a bit of rescue quite successfully but this one, a dog aggressive Staffie, had defeated him ... welcome to my world!
The other from a girl who manages a large kennels, I knew her when she was dog warden for one of the councils. This dog had been in kennels since November whilst his owner desperately tried to pay for him until he was in a position to take him back  having split from his partner, or until he found a rescue place for him.
He became further and further behind with payments and she had had him sign the dog over to her. She was horrified when she heard from me how bad it was, this dog also was not good with other dogs.

And so it continues ...

David and Pat Bennet have now agreed to take Angel whilst we are away, this at great personal cost to them, we are very grateful.
Val is somehow going to squeeze Tara in with her pack.
Chance has a place booked in kennels but hopefully will stay in his new home.
That just leaves Saffy and Boycie  to go into kennels unless they get a better offer.

20th July

The torch came! ... We were there! ... But did we see it? ...

Everyday this week I have written my list of 'things to do,' and everyday 'Cut the hedge,' was one of them
.
Dave's electric hedgecutters were broken and in any case he is never around of late so I was determined to borrow some hand cutters and do it. My life being what it is, it was 2.30pm this afternoon when I eventually started (torch due 4.45pm )
We have had signs for two weeks threatening to tow away any vehicles parked on the route and the road was already amazingly clear, the traffic light and the atmosphere beginning  to build.

Being out the front was exactly the place to be!

Sam helped me and it took just over an hour.
 I spend my life doing similar tasks but the difference with this one was, everyone saw me, it made a huge difference and I had numerous chats with neighbours I normally never see all the time keeping an eye on the events as they unfolded. Fantastic!

Police cars and tow trucks did indeed clear the route, though we didn't actually see anyone being towed away.
People came out to the front of their homes, some putting up chairs, a crowd gathered outside the village shop.

We were out there too with Lexus and Jesse.

Suddenly some coaches and minibuses came through led by policecars and a police helicopter in the sky! We waved and cheered, cameras flashed ... 1minute 16 seconds ... it was gone!

That was it!
We went back inside. I took Khan and Spryte down the garden only to meet my neighbour coming back up the drive, 'That wasn't it,' she told me, 'The actual torch is still to come.' Sam ran up the drive I went inside to tell the others, suddenly another coach sped past with police motorcycle outriders shooting past, another helicopter roared overhead.

So technically we missed it!

 But as far as catching the spirit of the thing we were most certainly THERE!

And it was great!





Things are going well so far for Chance in his new home, he has met many of the dogs on the estate, more introductions over the weekend.


An increase in emails and calls asking us to re-home dogs.
 One was moving abroad and said they were very impressed by our website and wanted to start the process as soon as possible. I told them what I tell everyone, we have no spaces and no homes. That one of the dogs with us has been here for over two years and our most recent intake eight months.
Some of them sound genuine but one cannot help  but feel suspicious at the increase as the summer holidays start.
 One it was barely disguised, saying they wouldn't be around much in the summer and the dog needed to go asap, they didn't even tell us the dogs age or whether it was a Stafford, but the biggest twist, they were in my village.
 I replied at length, saying I was happy to see the dog but because I said we couldn't take it in I have had no reply.

18th July

Unbelievably, after all this time, it looks as if chance may have found a home!
He goes for a two week trial to a home tomorrow (Thurs PM)
In light of recent events I do not want to say too much at this time, only that it is on a farm and there will always be someone around, which will suit him perfectly.
There is a bit of a story behind it which I am not at liberty to share at this time.
I am sure you join with me in wishing him all the best and praying he doesn't blow it!

Chance, you have a chance ... please take it!

Other news :- Really have had enough of the rain now. Our garden is under water making it impossible to even get dogs out for a wee without them getting covered in mud which is resulting in sore paws.