Guildford & District Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue

Friday, 4 January 2013

4th January

Our 9th Dog Of Christmas is Angel.

Angel came from a home where she was rarely walked just being allowed to run in the garden with the male dog. She had a litter on her first season. Her main problem when she came in was chasing her tail, to the point where it was damaged and bleeding.

She went to a young couple, initially as a foster and her tail chasing stopped overnight.
However they were finding her increasingly difficult when meeting other dogs on a walk, this was probably due to lack of socialisation as a puppy.
They eventually adopted her but after the arrival of their son and wanting to take family camping holidays and finding it impossible to walk her beside a buggy they reached the conclusion she would be better off in another home, so Angel was returned.

She has now been back with us for 18 months and sadly her tail chasing has resumed but not to the extent where she damages it. We have worked on her dog aggression, she is much better but still requires an experienced home.

Angel is highly intelligent and well trained. She would be best with a job to do as demonstrated recently when she 'holed' up the rat in our kitchen. That focused intensity meaning the rat could not have twitched a whisker without her being on it, was exactly what was needed, but the same thing was not as welcome when directed towards another dog.
She has an off lead run each day on private land and normally comes with me wherever I go, we still hope she may one day find a home of her own but we are happy to keep her until the right home comes along.

She has developed a lump on her side. This was checked by the vet who thought it was a sebaceous cyst but on further examination decided it wasn't. It has continued to grow. The vet said it would need removing at 'some point'. We now feel that time has come. I will book her in for it to be removed sometime in the next week or two.We still have some money in our Reuben Fund left over from Saffy's Appeal which we will use to pay for the operation.

Thursday, 3 January 2013

3rd January

Our 8th Dog Of Christmas is Chance

Chance found himself as another stray Staffie in the pound kennels. Fortunately for him he caught the eye of Rebecca the manager there and she sent us several emails asking if we could help. We had no spaces and tried not to look, then we homed a dog unexpectedly and I emailed her to say we could take him.
It was during one of the fund raising weeks at Pets At Home and the next day I was in-store all day.
I got in to message after message from Rebecca begging me to get in touch as the Dog Warden was collecting all the dogs that day and taking them to Battersea. The last message said we were too late, they had gone. She sounded so sad, I felt awful, I had let her and the dog down.

However, we have contacts at Battersea, that night I messaged our friend Ali Taylor, sometimes modern technology has its uses. She said she was not at the London kennels the next day as she was at Old Windsor but she would see what she could do.
In the morning we were in mobile contact, suddenly she called me, 'They are here! What does he look like?'
The dogs were all at Old Windsor, however finding him was a bit harder. My description of Staffie,male,brindle, entire, did not narrow it down much as that described most of them!
There followed the most exciting rescue with texts flying back and forth between myself, Ali and Rebecca.
''He licks his lips when you stroke him.' was one description from Rebecca. Ali was pretty sure she had found the right one and we managed to confirm it with the registration number.
Meanwhile I navigated my way to Battersea Old Windsor.

When I walked in however there was the most awful noise coming from one of the offices. 'I hope that is not who I have come to collect,' I remarked to the receptionist. It was!
He was quiet in the car but once home and in the crate he went mad making the most awful, awful noise.
This is something we really can't cope with and I wondered what I had let myself in for.
I was given advice from a behavourist who was helping us at the time and spent the evening sitting with my back to the crate and gradually moving away. I ate my dinner and wrote the blog there! It worked but it was obvious he had separation issues and he stuck to me like glue.

Gradually he settled. He was very handsome and responsive and we felt he would make someone a lovely dog but no home was forthcoming.
Then in July Lulu got in touch about another dog. I knew a bit about her and suggested Chance might suit her. I must admit I thought nothing would come of it, thankfully I was wrong.

So Chance found a home and not just any home. He now has the freedom of a country estate but more importantly a special bond with Lulu.
A real 'Rags to Riches' story with a Fairy Godmother in Rebecca who was determined to give him a Chance!

Wednesday, 2 January 2013

2nd January

Our 7^th Dog of Christmas is Tara

Tara has been looking for a home of her own since November 2011. She was in Spangleberry kennels for a short while before going to Alison’s. Tara was handed into rescue as the children were haranguing her and she had growled at them. Who knows what happened to her as this is not usual behaviour for a Stafford.

Stuart, introducing Tara and Daisy

Tara came to us for a week whilst Alison, Dave and family went on their well deserved summer holiday. Airing on the side of caution Tara was kept separate from Daisy, Honey, Oscar and Nugget as Alison had been told that she was not good with bitches. We decided to foster Tara on a long term basis providing that she accepted our dogs and vice versa. We walked Tara individually with each dog for her and ours to get used to one another, all went well and Tara integrated with them. There where one or two moments where it became apparent that she does not like another dog going up to her face, being a trigger point where she will growl. This no longer happens and harmony now reigns. She has shown no aggression to dogs she has met on the common and will play with them.

Sadly Tara is not good with children and we cannot allow her near them or children near her. This is a problem that has to be taken into consideration when re homing her, it has to be a no children home. Whenever our grandchildren visit Tara is put into the bedroom with no problems.

Tara at work

Tara enjoying a windfall apple.

Tara also has separation anxiety and cannot be left for to long but she happily travels well in a car or van and most days comes to work with me and will let me know when she wants to get back in the van for a sleep.

Tara is a joy to have in the home undemanding happy and content to enjoy home comforts and a cuddle.


Chill out time after a days work

Tara's 5 months with us

August

We took Tara, Daisy Honey and Nugget to The Friends of Streatham Common dog show and entered them collectively in the oldies category where they won 3^rd place. The judges praised Stafford’s and said how maligned they were, on leaving the show ring they were cheered and clapped.

September

We all attended Pets in Practice dog show, Reading, meeting up with Ali, and Andrea.

October and holiday time

Stuart,Daisy, Honey, Oscar, Nugget and Tara

Exhausted having a lie in!!!!

Tara enjoying stretching her legs with Daisy, Honey, Oscar and Nugget on 7 miles of beach.

December

And so it was Christmas...........Tara enjoying a lay in, she is always the last to get up unless I am going to work!

Whilst we have Tara, sadly we are unable to foster or help out should an emergency situation arise as we are up to our maximum of dogs. Tara is still up for re homing just in case the right home comes along for her, ideally it would be with an older person or couple with no children and where she would not be left for long periods.
Why you may ask when she has fitted in with us? Alison and I have always said that if a suitable home comes along that can give more to a dog than we can it as to be better for them. I feel that ideally Tara would be best suited as an only dog where she can have all the love and affection for herself......... Until that happens if ever she will remain with us.

Author:- Valerie

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

1st January

Happy New Year from all at Guildford SBT Rescue.

A review of 2012

We began the year with far too many dogs and it was a struggle to keep them all happy especially with little funding after leaving SBT Welfare in February.
It remained like that until July when Chance suddenly found a wonderful home, Val took Tara on as a foster and later Kate took Jesse.
Then in November Boycie and Saffy found homes and there was a definite feeling of a change of tide with December seeing the donations pour in.
I am convinced it is due to Paul O'Gradys TV programme at Battersea that we have recently homed more dogs.
We have homed 7 dogs this year.
It has been a tough year but we have finished on a high.

Our thanks to all who have helped with fund raising/events, all who came on walks,all who have donated or adopted a dog and all who support in any way; We could not do it without you.

Special thanks to Val, Sam Keen and John Ayres and also my long suffering family who contribute more than they care to admit.

January.