28th September.

Yesterday, Thursday,  was taken up with an urgent situation where we were asked if we could help with the removal of  a Staffie bitch and seven five week old pups plus the father, another dog, cats and rabbits  from a lady's home as they had been left by a relative. As well as the call from the owner of the house, we were also contacted by a rescue we know who were closer and also involved.
We could not help directly and the whole thing was not straightforward but it seemed to take hours of phone calls and the usual mental/emotional gymnastics that always seem to accompany these things, we reached a solution this morning after I finally managed to speak to the other rescue.
All the animals are now in a safe environment.

Chloe playing!

Today started with a text from Dave to say he had heard on the travel news that Cranleigh High St was closed due to vehicle hitting a building.
As my son is at school in Cranleigh with an increasingly unreliable bus service, I offered to give him and his friend a lift.
It was not the High St but the road to the school. It was indeed closed with police tape and a large police presence, a huge green digger was across the road with a large hole in a building.
When Sam came home he filled us in on the details. The thieves had stolen the huge green digger and rammed the Lloyds Bank Cash Point inflicting little damage they had then reversed (possibly to get a better run) but had hit the building behind creating a huge hole. At this point the police had arrived and the failed robbers made off!
 The school children had taken photos on their phones and Sam was most amused  to note, when he passed after school, that the cash machine was still working, flashing its lights, inviting you to use it, whilst the innocent building behind was annihilated!

Shake them big ears!

In the evening Jessie (daughter) and I gave Chloe and Angel a last walk along the bridleway, the ponies were eating their hay across the field. As we came back Chloe ran into the sand school and then into the field focusing on the ponies. We called but to no avail and she ran closer to them. Jessie went into the field to call her (trying to make herself more interesting to Chloe than anything else) it didn't work and to our horror Chloe ran up to Basil, trying to play,then dashing off again. We thought she was going to come back to us but she ran in a second time and then as we watched helplessly, went right up to his hind hoof and sniffed. Basil lifted his foot and kicked, there was a sickening thud, Chloe flew through the air making a horrible noise, something between a yelp and a growl, she landed and twisted then lay still. I shouted to Jessie to pick her up as I thought she had had a blow to the head and may have stopped breathing, I thought if we were quick we could revive her. I asked Jessie if she was dead, but thankfully she was breathing and conscious. I rang the vet as Jessie carried her to the car, a short journey up the road. She had a nosebleed which stopped quickly and by the time we reached the vets she had recovered considerably, they came out to meet us, but seeing her conscious and alert we were downgraded from an immediate emergency and waited our turn to see the vet.
The vet (not lovely Jane as she is away) gave her a thorough examination and concluded she had had a lucky escape.
We took her home where she seemed fine, eating her dinner and giving lovely cuddles to everyone.
She has continued to look well today, I can hardly believe it when I replay that ghastly moment. We have delayed treatment for her Demodex, which should have been yesterday, just to make sure.
 She now weighs 5.30kg so could have the treatment anytime from now.

27th September

The only thing that kept me going today was the promise from the weather people that tomorrow is going to be better.
 My sympathies to those who are effected by floods, I heard one man speaking on the radio say it was worse than being burgled because you lost your home.

I am grateful for a dry home, though at the moment not always warm or with hot water as the problems with the boiler continue. However, I found myself by 8pm having not only fed everyone including Dave before he went out, but also, taking advantage of a moment with hot water, done the washing up (this is unheard of in our house as Dave usually does it before he comes to bed at some unearthly hour.)
I came upstairs to the 'office,'  really just our bedroom, but where computer and phones and the 'rescue' is run from, and felt momentary at a loose end, no calls to return, emails to reply to.  Chloe was lying quietly on Sara's lap in the lounge all other dogs quiet and settled, I had forgotten I had seen Lexus making his way into the kitchen with that 'intent on evil' stance, dismissing it from my mind, and sitting down at last after a long day decided to ring Val, who has something very interesting (it could only happen to Val ish ) going on in her home, which we cannot tell you about!!  During the conversation I heard Jessie go downstairs and start shrieking, I thought it was at the site of the puppy looking cute cuddled up but 'no,'  LEXUS!  Yes, 'That Dog' at it again, he had opened the sliding cupboard, taken out a bag of flour and eaten it, creating mess all over the kitchen floor!
He is still searching out windfalls on his morning foray down the garden, having been unsuccessful the other morning I caught him helping himself to one of the unripe apples off the miniature tree, he held it between his teeth and reversed before devouring it with relish!

 What with flour and apples perhaps I should bake him an apple pie!

Chloe in her jumper!

I visited Jesse pup at Kate's yesterday evening. He is doing very well, hardly looked up from playing with Lara and Moose but he is beginning to calm down and settle more quickly with them. We walked them and he is fine on a walk
. They are happy to keep him for the moment as he fits in with their dogs and it is obviously doing him lots of good and was a timely move for him.
 Moose was very affectionate towards me, all 55kilos of him! He is gorgeous!



I spoke with the dog warden about the 7/10 year old stray female and they had managed to find her a rescue space.

Little Lola has settled in to her foster home with SOS dog rescue, she has seen a vet and her skin treated.

Well lets hope the forecasters were right and the weather is picking up for the next few days.

24th September

I hope you watched For The Love Of Dogs this evening and saw the lovely Marcel and the visit to the Chelsea pensioners.










Here is Marcel modelling a Battersea knitted coat (patterns provided) just what Chloe could do with.

I have had four calls today asking us to take dogs in, one from a 71 year old gentleman with a male and female, brother and sister, 3 year olds. He said he could no longer walk them.

Another from a dog warden about a female past her seven days and in urgent need of a rescue space. She was from a family home but had been in the pound on several occasions and the family did not want her back. She was between 7 and 10 years of age!

I so wish we could help more dogs. If anyone out there could think of anyway we could help this older lady please let me know ... she could be a gem like Marcel.

23rd September

How do you manage to get a puppy (with very little fur ) outside to toilet on a day like today?
Poor little Chloe just shivered and cried until I scooped her up and took her back into the dry.
. I know we have done well for most of this month and it is Autumn and we should expect it but it was horrible,horrible,horrible!

Jesse is becoming calmer with the other dogs but Kate said she caught him this morning stealing underwear from the washing basket and burying it in the garden!

Remember to watch Paul O'Grady at Battersea  tomorrow, Monday ITV 1 8pm.  This episode features a lovely old Staffie called Marcel whose progress I followed during his stay at Battersea.














This is Rhea's winning run at agility from this morning. Rhea was one of a litter of pups we took in during the summer of 2009 She is owned by Kerry and Simon Crick and Simon was running her today.

21st September

A good day at Pets at Home with lots of good conversations and most people who gave money taking a leaflet.
Sam and Roxy came to help and Sandi popped in. It was good to see as it has been awhile and she was looking great.
Chloe was more than cute, happily sitting on my knee for hours. Although her skin is less angry she is shedding hair and in danger of becoming bald ( thankfully we can treat her with Promeris Duo in a weeks time.) However it was a chilly morning and she was shivering with cold so we bought her a sort of doggy jumper, even more cute if that was possible.

A couple of people were interested in fostering or adoption at some point and we saw some old friends like Heather with Chester and Carol with Tilly and Tilly's new friend Alfie who looked just like her!

Total raised was £49.91 but lots of good networking.



Jesse has finally become worn out and stopped playing.

The little dog I saw last week has gone to SOS Rescue.

20th September

We are at Pets At Home Godalming Store today Friday 21st September 10am/4pm  we would love to see you.

Kate has sent the following photos of Jesse playing with Lara and Moose. I cannot believe how big he looks (Moose is enormous!)

Kate writes :-
He stayed still for 2 minutes! Moose is getting picked on, he won't stand up for himself (or even stand up...still on his back!) but Lara is doing a good job of sorting the mad puppy out

Jesse with Lara

Using Moose as an Umbrella!

That Jesse look!

19th September

Ice on my windscreen this morning, heating on tonight, just in case little Chloe gets cold of course!

Speaking of Chloe she has had a busy day. she especially enjoyed playing in the ponies sand school, a huge sand pit to her. She is a crazy little thing and very bold, so different to the tiny, frightened little thing we picked up. She is fascinated by the ponies and has been running the gauntlet dancing round their feet and not coming away despite my urgent pleas. Now Jesse, for all his faults, always knew when I used a certain tone of voice and responded, but not Chloe. She is filthy from rolling in the dust which she seems to enjoy. We popped into the vets and she has almost reached the magical weight of 5kg, weighing 4.95kg when she stopped wriggling long enough for us to read it!



Jesse is still behaving, was a good boy overnight and is continuing to get on well with Lara and Moose but Moose is still spending most of the time on his back. Hmmmn ... I wonder where all this started?

When Kate had the grand tour of Oakden Mansions, including the 'poo pit,' she met each of the dogs and you will never guess who she described as 'a real sweetie,' yes 'That Dog' managed to pass himself off as as 'A real sweetie!' Wonders will never cease.
'That Dog,' is busy foraging for windfalls again each morning and generally stirring things up in the house. I have got up at least four times from writing this to chastise him and Sprite who have spent the evening rumbling at each other, note these are our own dogs acting up not the rescues!

We are having another collection day at Godalming Pets At Home store this Friday and again on Friday 19th October and Sunday 18th November. I think we will hold another Stafford Walk on Sunday 18th  November and then remain in store collecting for the rest of the day.
This is all in an effort to raise funds which are very,very low in fact we do not have enough to pay our vet bill this month.

I am aware I need to get on and get charitable status for Guildford Staffords and I am reluctant to do any high profile appeals until this is done (a very daunting task) but we have six dogs in our care who all need feeding and veterinary treatment which all costs money.
 Our only funding is from public donations and the donation when we home a dog ( which as you are aware is few and far between of late.)
I realise I am 'preaching to the converted,' and do not want to put pressure on those of you who are very generous already but do please spread the word.
 Small amounts, small regular amounts, giving a little if you would like to help by fostering but are unable ANYTHING but please help us to continue helping Staffords especially those we have taken in and committed to help.