13th September

Thanks to Val for doing the blog on Monday and letting us know how Tara is getting on with the 'gang,' I think they may become quite famous, also filling us in on Battersea Reunion.

I am sorry you have not heard from me, the reason for this is I had taken the difficult decision to have my old pony put down as he had become very thin and I did not want him going through another winter.
 It was not a decision I made lightly or easily and I went to great lengths to make sure it was done as humanely as possible. This was arranged for Monday morning.

 At 5 O'clock on Monday morning Dave received a call from Torbay Hospital to go immediately along with his three brothers, as his mother was very poorly.

 After the phone call I found it impossible to go back to sleep.

Dave was arriving in Devon about the same time as I was dealing with the pony.
 I think it was one of the strangest days of my life, with so many texts and calls flying around my phone was flat by lunchtime!

I am very pleased to tell you that Mum in law made a remarkable recovery (she is 83 ) and is now out of critical care and eating porridge for breakfast!

'Go Rhea!'

However, due to this I did not remember to watch Paul O'Grady at Battersea Programme on Monday night ITV 1 8pm or remind you to watch it. This episode showed the Stafford Agility Display at Crufts particularly featuring Kerry with Rhea who is a Guildford Stafford (one of our pups from 2009)
There were only a few of the Staffords doing the display who were rescues and all the others rescues were from Battersea.

 So we are VERY, VERY PROUD!

Do watch it on i player if you can or look out for repeats.

Well done Kerry and Rhea!

10th September

                                                         Sorry folks it's me today!!!!

Alison has her hands full today so to give her some respite I said that I would undertake today's blog.

The christening was lovely and such fantastic weather made the day even better.
The feed back that I have received on Battersea Reunion was good although many did not take their dog due to the heat none the less there was a great turn out of staffies. If there was any skirmishes, I can happily report staffies were not involved but smaller dogs!
Ali and co worked tirelessly to set up the designated area on Saturday only to go there Sunday morning to find it has all been trashed, their work in vain and they had to start all over again.

Stuart and I took Daisy, Honey, Nugget and Tara to Streatham Common dog show held by The Friends of Streatham Common last Sunday. Although this is very local to us I was not aware of the show until Ali told me about it as Battersea Dogs & Cats Home had a stand there and Ali was attending.

Ali  with Nugget

Nugget was fostered by Ali whilst she was in Battersea and Ali was tempted to keep her herself but she knew if she did that she would be unable to foster another dog as she would be up to self agreed limit. So when ever we can we take Nugget to see Ali.
 Tara was micro chipped free of charge by Battersea D&CH which we are grateful for. Tara was as good as gold, not a peep from her.
We decided to enter all four into Best Rescue,  not as individuals but collectively as one, after all they go everywhere together. Whilst waiting for Best Rescue so many people stopped, amazed at how good they were altogether, people stopped to take photos and stroke them. Honey who really knows how to play the crowd was in her element, Daisy and Nugget took it all in their stride. I was unsure whether to take Tara as she was an 'unknown' in this sort of situation. We decided that we had to take her and try, she was a star, she did not put a foot wrong or could this be due to the polish sausage I had for reward!
Ali was one of the judges so I knew we would not get a place as I had judged Squirt her Stafford in a show and did not place her explaining that I could not seem bias.

superstars

The judges came round asking about them, the mayor for Lambeth was in awe to see them. I explained they were all rescues and that responsibility had to be on the owners, he gave Stuart his personal card, why I don't know. perhaps he wants a staffie!!! Then Ali with the head vet of the local veterinary practise, she explained that she knew us and that she had fostered Nugget whilst she was in Battersea. He said that he had never come across a bad stafford all the time he had been practicing.
To our amazement Daisy, Honey, Nugget and Tara won third prize for Best Rescue, to cheers from the crowd. when we walked out people came up and congratulated us but to us it was they dogs who won the day.

Tara has settled in with Daisy Honey, Nugget and Oscar, quickly learning the routine. She has tried to push in front of Nugget at meals times, this as far as we are concerned is a No,No. Everything we do is in order of when they came in, first in etc She does not go to any of their food bowls and is learning her place. When our grandchildren visit Tara is crated in our bedroom as she has shown signs of not being good with children. She readily goes into the crate and does not stir until we let her out. She loves nothing more than cuddles and is a very undemanding dog. She is a little gem and it is hard to believe that nobody wants her.


Author:- Valerie

8th September

It is Battersea Reunion tomorrow in Battersea Park. John and Gwen Laker will be there representing South Eastern SBT Rescue. Val and Stuart would normally be there but they are at their grandaughter's christening.
We hope a wonderful day is had by all and send our best wishes.
If you are at Battersea Reunion do pop over to the SBT rescue stand to say 'Hello' and offer support.

John & Gwen in blue tops.

This is Val's daughters dog, Henry, he is 15 years old and still going strong. Isn't he lovely?

7th September

Here is little Chloe enjoying a Sunny Afternoon with Sam Keen.
What a difference to the frightened little pup we picked up a week ago (these photos were taken on Wednesday, less than a week since we took her in.)
This is what makes rescue all worthwhile.

Thanks to Sam.

5th September

A busy day on Monday.

Little Chloe went to Sam Keen first thing.
 Sam couldn't wait and was there bright and early awaiting her arrival. Chloe had a wonderful first day with Sam and Roxy and was so tired by the end of it.

We went through all the usual odd mix of emotions. Relief that we had one less dog yet also a sense of loss. It is as if the part of you that stretched to make room does not just spring back into place but is left empty and hanging loosely for awhile, despite all the hard work and effort and extra time it took, this seems to be the case and for the rest of the day I felt out of sorts.

Chloe saw the vet on Saturday and it was confirmed she had Demodex Mange. She is still too small to have the usual treatment so on Sunday Sam, my son, and I gave her a Malaseb bath and then applied Advocate. Her skin was looking less angry by Monday.

At lunchtime I took Taz for his microchip check (it was fine, as were Chance and Boycie's.) A year on he is looking good and he and Bullet (Sprite's sister) are firm friends.










In the afternoon I spoke with Kate, wife of the Keeper at Chance's estate. She used to work at the Blue Cross so knows all about Rescue and the Staffie problem as well as owning a rescue Staffie x Boxer herself.
She is coming to meet Angel to see if she can help with her on Thursday.

In the evening I watched the Battersea programme with Paul O'Grady and thought it very good. Do try and catch the next 6 episodes ITV 8pm Monday nights.

This is probably something we as Stafford owners knew already but if you wanted evidence ...

ttps://www.petnet.co.uk/parkbench/species/dog/news/dogs-really-do-feel-our-pain%20?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&

2nd September

Below is a link about our dear friend Ali Taylor who works at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and features in the Paul O'Grady programme.
Ali owns Squirt they work as wonderful ambassadors for Staffords and are very supportive of rescue.
Ali has vast experience and has helped and advised me with Jesse pup.

http://www.battersea.org.uk/about_us/paul_o_gradys_for_the_love_of_dogs/meet_the_cast/ali_taylor.html

Ali and Val with Squirt.

Sunday Morning.

A rare chance for a lie in.

The' goat noises' that have been my early morning alarm all week have not yet started so I drag my tired body out of bed to get started on the day.

 Little Chloe has been very good and quiet on both nights we have had her.

 Even so the golden rule is to get the youngest out first.

 So out she comes, squirming and wriggling with excitement, and we have a successful wee down the garden, as nothing else seems forthcoming  I pop her back in and take Jesse out.

 He is a good boy but was obviously pretty desperate for that wee! He does all he needs to pretty quickly because he is so excited about Chloe and wants to get back in to say 'Hello.'

Youngest out first but fed last. So next our three go down the garden, come in and are fed, followed by the pups.

 I give Chloe some yogurt with her kibble to get her eating, it works!

I take Chloe back down the garden and not too long a wait and we get a poo.

  

So far so good.

Then I try popping Chloe's antibiotic capsule into the back of her throat. 'The speed of the hand deceives the teeth,' I seem to remember our old vet saying when I was a child.

 On this occasion it doesn't work as clouds of antibiotic powder keep puffing out of her mouth! I panic and try to find something yummy to feed her so she swallows some of it instead of it covering the kitchen counter and Dave's morning cuppa!

 I grab a little puppy treat (the only one left in the box) but she anticipates and squirms and it pings into the nether nether under the pile of shoes. More powder puffs from her mouth as I desperately grab an unopened bag and try to find scissors to open the packet which seems to have been sealed to withstand a nuclear blast, almost impossible to hold a wriggling pup and manoeuvre scissors, Chloe sticks her nose in the way as she can smell the contents of the bag, more powder escapes!

 Eventually success, any remaining powder is swallowed and she is returned to her bed. 

I take Dave his tea.

 Now it's Boycie's turn, it has started raining, Boycie is unimpressed as we head down the garden I pick up the spade with Jesse and Chloe's poo on it to put in the bucket.

 Boycie cocks his leg then charges after me, in an effort to keep out of the mud he collides with my leg, the poo flies up in the air and a piece lands on his back right between his shoulder blades! You can see him thinking 'What the heck is that?' I let out a groan of despair, he does something between a wriggle and a shake and the poo rolls onto the ground and he hightails it back up the garden without completing his toilet. I try to call him back but he is a sensitive chap and what with the rain and Mum chucking things at him and then telling him off it is all too much.

Dave comes down having ingested more antibiotic than Chloe, and takes Khan his walk (Khan is OCD and needs his walk even if he has been down the garden.)

Angel and Saffy visit the garden and eat their breakfast without incident.

So some things worked, others not quite so well.

Half an hour later they are all settled and quiet listening peacefully to 'Steve Wrights Sunday Love Songs' as I go off to church.

Happy Sunday.

31st August

When I returned from holiday I was determined to cut down on the dogs we have in and Val said she would only help out by keeping Tara as a 'longterm foster,' as long as I didn't take in another dog in her place.

This has to be looked at in the light of how many phone calls and emails I receive asking me to take dogs in.
This week alone I have had thirteen calls and two emails and most I tell we are full and cannot help but yesterday I hesitated whilst answering , one reason was the lady was so determined the dog should go asap, the other was the age, 3 1/2 months, the reason, she had bitten a child, plus it was local and a female. I was seriously tempted!

I rang Val.
Val pointed out it could be a disaster with Jesse, to which I had to agree, I began to think of other rescues I could ask to help. As soon as I put the phone down from Val the girl rang back. She said she could not trust the dog anymore, she wanted it gone! Still not promising anything I agreed to 'have a look' the next day.
In the morning I contacted Sam Keen and asked if she could foster a pup. She had no boarders for a month so said she could help from Monday and agreed to come with me to see her.

You never know what you are going to find on these occasions and I have had many times, especially in the early days when my heart sank, the 'small' 'puppy' you had been told of turned out to be the size of a Labrador and have a habit of leaping to eye level and grabbing at your arm!
Other times you were pleasantly surprised by finding a very nice puppy marvelling that they were just giving it up, but I have never seen anything quite as tiny as this little girl.

There were four children in the house and the mother told me that the older boy had turned against the dog since she had bitten her daughter and was pushing her away!
The little pup was cowering and hiding in her bed.
 They had taken her to the vet and she had had both vaccinations but she had a skin condition which had not  been dealt with.

In short she needed out of there and I have NEVER been quite so pleased I said 'YES!'

Once out she was a different dog, wriggling and squirming with affection, Sam's boyfriend came to meet her and was smitten!
I will keep her for the weekend and Sam will take her on Monday as she has commitments on Sunday, she will just be fostering, so she tells me!

Pup was called Sniffles but we have changed her name to Chloe. So far she has been a dream. Little Jesse looks huge next to her. She plays with him through the crate just as he used to play with Chance.
He is a bit rough with her but they are best friends.