30th August

Chance with Lulu

I did Chance's follow up on Tuesday.
It was wonderful to see him so settled and happy, no doubts that it was absolutely the right home for him!
All the issues he had with me have disappeared.
He has met all the different dogs on the estate without a problem and is firm friends with Romeo their other dog but follows Lulu around like a shadow.
When I called Romeo had disappeared over to the stableyard but Chance came padding out behind his mistress.




Lulu was looking for another dog after tragically losing her first Stafford Rex at eleven, a year ago.
Rex sounded a hard act to follow and she has a very moving memorial to him that brings a lump to my throat whenever I read it.

Dan the keeper with Chance.

Whilst there I also met their keeper Dan. What a wonderful way he has with dogs I felt loud and erratic after a few moments in his presence.
He told us how he walked Chance with his working Spaniels and his Bull Mastiff without any problems.
Also how Chance 'picked up,' a water logged Partridge and then took it to his wife, there was not a mark on it.
What a wonderful happy ending for a pound dog who was running out of time!






Thank you Lulu and family for giving Chance a chance.

Definitely one of the highlights of 2012

29th August

Details of Paul O'Grady show on Battersea below.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

ITV1's new primetime series 'Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs' hits screens next Monday at 8pm. The seven-part series will follow Paul has he finds out what it takes to look after the 6,000 dogs who come through our gates every year. Will you be watching? http://ow.ly/djROD

New ITV1 series - Paul O’Grady: For the Love of 

Dogs starts Monday

www.battersea.org.uk

28th August

We had a very pleasant day at Winkworth Arboretum's Dog Lovers Day on Sunday. The Arboretum is owned by National Trust and this was to educate dog owners as much as anything else, with a Gun dog training display and have a go agility.
Pup was not well enough to go (details later) but Sam Keen came with her Staffy Roxy and three of her charges Jarvis Cocker, Monty (Norfolk Terrier) and Missy Staff x Pug who came on one of our walks.
Missy is only 9 months and a real sweetie. John Ayres also came with Sky. John is our Gazebo man, I would  be lost without him, I do not think he was feeling too well so thanks to both John and Sam for their help.
Roxy had a particularly good day gaining her Kennel Club Bronze citizenship Award and winning Best Trick.
Go Roxy!
Huskies In Need were there, they are fast becoming the new 'must have,' breed, they told me they have 26 in rescue at the moment.
Despite it being very genial surroundings and very local it was too quiet for me especially considering we had no dogs and I had so much I could have been doing at home and do you know apart from our dogs there was not one SBT or even a Staffy cross!
£22.11 was raised.

Jarvis Cocker

Pup was quiet and off his food again on Friday so back to vet. Jane has put him on paediatric Erythromycin and his appetite has returned but he still has diarrhoea.

Missy and Roxy

I received this lovely email from Jenny :-

Hi Alison

 

Thank you so much for helping and bringing Boris back to us yesterday.  It was nice to see you anyway even though the circumstances were chaotic!  I had been meaning to get in touch but with the baby and moving house things have been very hectic.  Unfortunately Simon's father passed away last month and then my Granny a few weeks later.  Perhaps Boris has been sensing our sadness.  He has been very good with Baby Rosa.  Now she is crawling we watch him more but so far there have been no problems.  He is still a 'Daddy's Boy' though and likes his own time with Daddy when Baby has gone to bed!

Dog Lovers Day at Winkworth Arboretum Sunday 26th August 11am/4pm

Winkworth Arboretum,Hascombe Rd Godalming. GU8 4AD

We will be there.

You will be pleased to hear that Pup is just about back to full health but still likes Yogurt on his food!

'That Dog!' Lexus after his noted appearance in the Sausage Sequels is now taking up a healthier diet as its windfall time of year again. We have some miniature apple trees which, this year have fruit near the ground, so Lexus has not waited for the apples to fall but helped himself accompanied by his apprentice the pup who chews the lower branches of the trees whilst Lexus takes his desert! That pair!


Having a reasonably free day today I had resolved to tidy out my chest drawers. At the moment the top draw remains open and my socks and underwear are squeezed into one corner, the rest of the draw being filled with redundant 'stuff.' The further three draws remain closed full of clothes I never use, whilst the few clothes I do use are in one of the three overflowing laundry baskets or draped over a chair or on the bed. I apologise if this is TMD (too much detail) for the more sensitive among you but that is how I live.

Arriving home later than intended I thought I would just have a little sit down and started answering and making calls and writing the above. I had various calls come in and I was unusually there to answer them.
Suddenly one from a mobile, not unusual. a voice with a slight accent asked if I had a Boxer dog ?? I said I was a rescue and it became clear she had found a dog with my number on its collar in Haslemere!
I only have one dog in Haslemere, Bailey,  one of the earliest I homed I see his people in Godalming quite often.
 The lady was not at all confident with dogs but managed to get him back to her house, whilst we grabbed Bailey's details a lead and headed down the A3 and through the Hindhead tunnel.
The call came in at 2.12pm we there by 3pm but the dog we found was not Bailey but I was fairly certain was Boris. Sure enough he had one of our rescue tags on plus another with a number that came up 'unavailable.'
Boris had been homed to a lovely couple Jenny and Simon at the beginning of 2010 they lived just past Midhurst, my geography is hopeless but it was not that far away but Boris was in very good condition and did not look as if he had strayed far, perhaps he had got out of the car when they went shopping?
We rang Jessie at home and she lokked up his details, confirming it was him by the unavailable number, there was also a work number for Jenny. Work were very helpful but said Jenny was away at a funeral but that they had recently moved to Haslemere, aha! They said they would try and find an address and numbers. In the meantime Jenny rang, Guess what? Their address was the road we were in. A few minutes later we walked Boris up the steps to his  home, there was his bed and Kong toy, after greeting his family he had a drink of water and flumped down on the kitchen floor on his side.

This is what had happened :-

They had moved house very recently, Jenny had been away at her grandmothers funeral in Norwich for a few days and Simon had been caring for their daughter Rosa. Normally Boris would accompany Simon to one of his gardening jobs, so with two recent changes of routine he was unsettled. Simon had gone out just for 40 minutes and left him in the house but he had obviously panicked and got out of the french windows in their bedroom. He had not gone far at all when the lady found him and we were probably on our way to Haslemere before Simon came home and found he was gone and rang Jenny who was just arriving back from Norwich. She left a message on my phone at home and then work contacted her! Phew!

The very handsome Boris (on left) with Kassi when he was fostered by  Sandi & Graham.

Here is the timing of the calls:-

2.12pm Call to me to say a dog has been found.
3pm We arrive Haslemere
3.26pm I ring Jenny's work.
3.30pm Jenny rings me at home
3.44pm Jenny rings my mobile ... Boris is returned home.

They will get a new tag for Boris asap but he is chipped to the rescue so would have been identified.

I am still using one corner of the top draw of my chest of drawers ... oh well tomorrow is another day.

P.S. Jenny & Simon are a lovely couple who have provided Boris with a wonderful home. This could have happened to anyone and I would not have shared it had I thought they were at fault in any way. I am sure we all know what they went through when they couldn't find him and hope they are recovering today.

21st August

We had a poorly pup yesterday.
He was quiet in the morning (I got a lie in) and refused breakfast. At the ponies he was not interested in his walk but kept lying down in the long grass. He then ate grass and vomited. At first I thought it was blood in it, then I thought it was red worms, eventually realising it was red thread from the lead rope he had been chewing!


 He refused his lunch and was very quiet.
In the afternoon I rang the vets. They took it very seriously and made him an appointment for 6pm.
Pup also took it very seriously lying in his bed looking very sorry for himself.
At the vets he was given an injection to suppress his sickness and antibiotic. His tum was squeezed and pronounced sore but no alien body found.
We were told he could eat and drink as normal and he was to come back if the vomiting continued.


As I pulled away from the vets a black car was coming towards me from the T junction. There was a lot of traffic in front of me and parked cars. Suddenly the black car screeched and accelerated then swerved, right then left and then again and again. I really thought he had lost control of the car and was going to hit me, not once but twice! As he straightened up and sped past me a girl outside the Co-op laughed. Oh it had been a joke. Trembling violently I found myself in a queue of cars stacked back from the railway crossing. 'Right,' I thought, found my mobile and rang 999 The police were very good locating my position in seconds and seemed to take it seriously not telling me I was wasting their time, of course I had not had chance to take a registration number and being hopeless with cars could not even identify the make, though I think I have narrowed it down since.  I do hope they get him though by linking it with something else. Shame they didn't ask me his name because I could have told them that!


Once home (in one piece, thankfully) pup remained very quiet and refused to eat but I am pleased to say that this morning he was much brighter and ate some breakfast when I put some of my probiotic yoghurt on top!
I bought some natural flavour especially for him as it seems to have done the trick and  Peach and Mango seemed a little OTT
He has eaten well all day and is back to himself this evening.

Taz homed July 2011

We have been notified by Virbac of a possible problem with the Microchips on five of our dogs.
Of those only Boycie remains with us so I have some follow ups to do on Chance, Batley, Taz and Piglet.

19th August

Our little pup is generally coming on well. He is now 15 weeks old and has grown out of his first collar. He now sleeps in Chance's old crate in the kitchen as we started putting him in it in the day and then he would not settle in his other (in the living room ) at night. He can do 'sit,' and 'down,' and waits in both positions.
We have been trying to get him to settle with us and the other dogs in the evenings but that still needs some more work.
We try and socialize him with as many different dogs as possible and walked him with Alfie (King Charles) and Ernie the Jug again last week.

'Sit!'

16th August

This is our dear Reuben (now Harley) with his 'new' charge his owner Deb's new baby. When he first went to Deb  her grandson charlie was a similar age.
He was so demanding when he was with me and hated being crated, who would have thought he would have such a sensitive side, he was also good with the cat.
If you look closely you can just see the scar above his left eye where he had the bone tumour removed.
Thanks to Deb Fox for giving him such a wonderful home and sharing this with us, what a handsome pair.


'My incredible Staffie, won't let me (or anyone else) near his beloved log toys. Yet allows the baby to crawl over and 'share' them, just as he did when Charlie was a baby. Feeling blessed watching the two of them playing on the garden.'

14th August

Just a quick update on the ex-serviceman and his dog. The situation appeared to be more complicated than we first thought, but the upshot was that the kennels were happy to take the dog without the kennel cough vaccine and so there was no need for us to help out. This conclusion was only reached after long conversations with the housing support group (on loud speaker to their morning meeting) and the vets. Hopefully we have earned some Brownie points by being willing to help!And things will work out well for the dog.



Lexus And The Sausages.

'Aha what do I see here? Sausages!'

'I want those sausages!'

'Give me the sausages! I want the sausages!'

'You cannot have the sausages Lexus! No sausages!'

'But I want them! Give them to me! Give them to me NOW!'

12th August

Well done Monty!  Winning our Olympic Gold not just for showing supreme intelligence but also for gaining first prize in a dog show, our Guildford Stafford Champion.
Pictures please Gareth.

Saffy is featured as 'Old Dog of the Week' on the Oldies website. They have done another wonderful write up (as they did for Tara) sadly for Tara we did not have any interest, though they are a really great website and couldn't have done more, lets hope Saffy catches someones eye this week.http://www.oldies.org.uk/?p=70734

As for Tara ... well just see for yourselves, I think we can say she has settled with Val and Stuart, with not just her feet firmly under the table but her body under the covers! As to where Val and Stuart sleep? Your guess is as good as mine.

Still the calls. I came in to two messages the other day one from Gavin and the other from Tracey. All want/need their dog re-homed, we cannot help. Their situations usually involve housing issues, with relationship breakdowns and babies arriving a close second though lately there have been lots of bereavements though often details of just who has died are sketchy.
Some of these are probably genuine and always there is a dog involved but if we cannot help it makes no difference, I tell them all the same thing, that we are full, that our most recent dog has been with us nine months and our longest stay over two years and there are just no homes out there for them.
Most back off then, certainly  if they are not genuine that should put them off.

However yesterday I was surprised when returning  a call it was answered by the 'Ex-servicemen Supported Housing Group,' the lad himself had rung up  but the girl I was speaking to now explained he only needed somewhere temporarily for his dog as they were trying to find him accomodation that would take the dog as well. Until then he was sleeping on the streets rather than give his dog up.
They had secured funding through the British Legion to pay for kenneling but needed Kennel Cough vaccine before he could go in. To speed things up, I offered to pay for the vaccine so that it gets done tomorrow.

10th August

Well done to Monty demonstrating the supreme intelligence of his breed and giving Gareth a proud moment.

Jesse was a star again today, doing lots of meeting and greeting at Pets At Home on what proved to be a very hot day.

Jesse meets Hector.

Pete meets Hector 2009 (I recall they were the same age.)

Sam and Roxy came too and Sam brought Hector in the morning who she was looking after. It turns out that we met Hector when he was a puppy and we were collecting with Pete in 2009 it was a touch of de ja vu when we introduced him to Jesse.

We took £52.57 which was not bad and buys a bag of food.

Also it was nice as we were just collecting for ourselves (not part of PatH charity week) so people could really choose if they wanted to give to us or not and we gave away lots of leaflets and had some good chats, educating people into the Staffords plight and raising our profile.
Most people were pleasant, interested and generous. Two ladies in a short space of each other each gave me a fiver.
Jesse was a good boy meeting lots of different people and dogs, he was a bit 'nippy,' but we warned people and most did not mind.
I gave him lots of little breaks and he enjoyed stretching out on the grass and watching the boats on the river.
Despite that the day took its toll and we have had a very quiet evening and one pooped pup!

9th August

Stop press.........

We are doing a one off collecting day at Pets At Home (Godalming)

This Friday 10th August 10am/4pm


I walked Jesse pup with a pupils dogs this morning, they were both neutered males a King Charles Spaniel called Alfie and a Jug (JRT x Pug) called Eddie.
Alfie is very laid back, Eddie quite feisty.
Jesse was very good he understood Alfie wanted to be left alone and that Eddie was not to be messed with. .Maybe Lexus was not such a bad teacher after all!
 My pupil was very impressed she said she had expected him to be all over the place. He was not so good with her two little girls aged 2 and 3 as he got very excited but with a little work I am sure he will improve.
I was very proud of him.

8th August

Tom and Sara with Sprite.

I had looked forward so much to our weeks holiday and having a break.
The number of dogs we had in had crept up steadily last year and remained at two or at times even three over our acceptable level.  Dave getting a job after over two years without was excellent news but it meant walking all the dogs during the week fell to me and I was becoming exhausted.
Homing Chance was nothing short of a miracle and took some of the pressure off.
 So being away I was able to take stock and consider the future of the rescue.
 Val had given me the story of Battersea Cat and Dogs Home, to read which was a great inspiration and encouragement.
I decided we must put a stop on taking in anymore dogs until we had homed enough to bring us down to just three rescues. It is difficult as to function as a rescue there should be some movement but we had to weigh up the strain on ourselves and the quality of life to the dogs in our care.
Having reached the decision I was still dreading the week ending and returning home.
It wasn't until our last morning that Val and I were able to talk and she told me that she and Stuart would like to keep Tara for another week and fully integrate her with their dogs and if it worked keep her as a long term foster. This would be better for Tara and also relieve things with me.

 Things are looking quite hopeful that this will work so far.
What a relief!

Angel came back today having had a lovely time with David and Pat, she did not look too happy to be back but Jess is pleased to have her owners and her home to herself again.
With two less dogs it is already much easier.
 We will continue to take calls and consider each in case a dog does come along that we feel we could help and more importantly would be easy to home.

The Battersea story was encouraging as we have face many similar challenges.
The attitude towards dogs of the 'Throwaway Society,' that we see today seems to have started back in the 1960's. One of the things they say in the book is 'Nothing has changed, yet everything is different.'
Society's attitude to dogs still leaves a lot to be desired. We will continue to do our bit to relieve the suffering of some.

5th August

Thanks Val for covering the blogs and looking after Tara whilst we were away. Thanks also to David and Pat Bennett for taking Angel, we had a lovely  and much needed break as well as having a bit of a think and taking stock, but more of that another day. 

Val did get something very wrong when she said the pup was being good, it must have been a bad signal on the phone because nothing could have been further from the truth! Yes 'That Dog' was up to his tricks but it was like a double act with 'That Dog,' and his apprentice!

Here are some thoughts I penned last week ..we'll get back to reality tomorrow.

As our holiday drew closer the idea of not taking our little pup, who had taken up our every waking thought since his arrival a few weeks earlier, seemed unthinkable. However he was growing and changing rapidly.

As it happened events overtook us with Chance taking his Chance and it paying off, so pup was with us anyway, despite now having changed from that vulnerable little thing into a robust and demanding youngster.

I emailed the owner of the cottage asking if it was ok to bring the pup promising that we would not let him chew anything!

How easy to write how hard to fulfil!

Within minutes of our arrival Lexus had chewed a hole through the base of the wicker sofa in the conservatory because his ball went underneath! Lexus! Who has been here for four years with no problems. Seconds later he and the pup were playing tug of war with the driftwood feature from the beach garden! Noooo! Removed from their jaws and what was left of it, hidden.

 Then they turned their attention to the lobster pot, those ropes just too tempting.

 And he could squeeze through the gate at the bottom of the garden which had to be blocked with a folded up garden chair for the rest of the week.

 Keeping an eye on the pup was a full time occupation as it only took seconds to inflict damage on things that just would not matter at home.

I watched him like a hawk. 

He found areas of the garden  no one else knew existed and Lexus could not keep out and lie quietly, oh no, despite sore paws and being ready for a quieter life he just had to join in and steal the pups toys and generally get involved, meaning the pup started hanging off his face, biting his ears, sitting on his head. So much of this went on it became pointless to take yet another photo, but they still had to be watched.

Holiday, relaxing?

Rather than settle down, by the end of the week Pup had extended his misdemeanours to ripping the lower leaves off a rubber plant, digging holes in the lawn and digging up the liner under the stones! I began to look forward to going home for a rest.

Once back.

I had looked forward to this break for so long it was going to be so tough coming back when the week ended ... and yet, it didn't matter when the pup chewed the trees in the garden, I didn't have to pick up every bit of poo, the house was a mess but it was our mess, the routine worked and there is nothing quite like a cup of tea in your own mug and sleeping in your own bed.

 Coming home wasn't so bad after all.

3rd August

For some a week goes slowly for others it goes all to fast.

Alison, Dave and family will be on their way back home tomorrow. Lexus has been true to form being 'That Dog!', whilst Sprite and the pup have both been good.

Tara posing for the camera

Break time and time for a fuss

Here Tara has been a delight, coming to work with me, with the exception of today. She has rolled and laid in the sun, played ball and had lots of belly rubs from the staff.





Each morning she would eagerly jump into the van, onto the seat and curl up falling fast asleep. whilst her poor fosterer, namely me, drove through the early morning traffic. When I picked up the member of staff who would be working with me she would refuse to get in the foot well firmly planting herself on the seat. Once on site she happily ran to the garden and would deposit a nice package. Thankfully more often than not it was on an area yet to be mowed.
At home our dogs and Tara have been kept separated. Tara has seen them and growled at poor Nugget, Nugget is deaf and had no idea what had happened, she walked away indifferent to what had happened. .  Although Daisy, Honey, Oscar and Nugget have been inquisitive, they have ignored her carrying on with their daily routine.

Tara, Stuart and Daisy

Stuart and I took Daisy and Tara on a controlled walk together, both were fine. We had planned to introduce each one of ours with Tara one by one, but all best plans go astray!!! It did not happen, the week went too quickly.

We had hoped that we could integrate them all so that it would not be like 'Dog Borstal', shouting "dog in, dog out!!!".

Stuart and I have slept in separate bedrooms this week so you could say we have had a holiday as well!!!
Stuart, with our 4 in the bedroom and me with Tara in the other. She has sprawled out taking up two thirds of the bed, snoring her head off with a smile on her face. In fact all I have to say is bed and she is there. I am sure Alison will  not be to happy about that, but hey it's Tara's holiday as well.


I am sure the next few blogs you will hear all about 'That Dog' and his antics.

Author:- Valerie with thanks to Tara xxxxx