A very Hungry dog.

The sun is shining today, so different from yesterday, I thought the rain would never cease. The fields desperately need to dry out but the rain doesnt stay away for long enough.I felt sorry for some of the old cats in the cattery so decided to take on 3 more as permanent residents.Trevor and Tomas are lovely friendly cats but nobody seems to want them and last week an elderly black and white female cat was brought in with very weak back legs.The vet says its probably from an old injury but she cant jump up on the sleeping shelves.So all three are now in the conserevatory with the other oldies.They will have the run of the shelter but Ill lock them in for a while to settle them down.As it is they all seem to have made themselves at home on the sofa and are purring away happily. There are 2 others I am considering but i could go on for ever and there has to be a limit.There are already around 30 living here permanently. The other 2 are Inky an 18 years old black cat and Toots a 10 years old deaf cat - though maybe someone will take on Toots, she is a very sweet little cat.Ill give her a bit longer but will introduce Inky to her new home tomorrow.
When I went to the vet on Friday a farmer had taken in a 4 months collie pup he no longer wanted, well she came back to the shelter with me and 24 hrs later went to a home.As luck would have it , Leila who has some of our animals was looking for a young collie for her daughter. I wish all animals would go so quickly.
Pal does not seem to be missing Sally but he has a new friend to share with now.An elderly and very neglected Foxhound was brought to us last week,Although she is rather old for a hunting hound, she was found at the foot of mountains where hunts regularly take place,Novbody has claimed her and if they did I would have more than a few questions to ask! Now named Bonny, she has terrible pressure sores all over her skinny frame, undoubtedly caused by lying on concrete and she is constantl;y searching for food.Walks are of no interest to her, she wants to stay round the kitchen where the food is prepared.Considering she has been starved, its of no surprise she is so obsessed with food.(I have no idea what my excuse is? I think i am just plain greedy)
I have had a few calls and emails this week to take horses but although our numbers are down, the fields are in too poor a state to consider taking on any new ones just yet and most of thepeople who contact me for equines, want them to ride.Most of the horses admitted here or on the waiting list are suitable as companions only due to various healthy issues.

Sallys Big Day

It must have been fate that I mentioned Pal and Sally in my last entry. They have been here over ayear and after this length of time there is always the feeling that they may NEVER find homes and will become permanent residents here. That is not what I want, this is a rehoming centre as well as a sanctuary and young animals should have a chance of a loving home whenever possible.Well yesterday Sally went off to a new home, she immediately fell in love with the lady, it seems a match made in heaven and I am so anxious for it to work out for her.hardly had any sleep last night thinking about her and wondering how she is.I know it is the best option for her, but I still worry.After all , this shelter became her security blanket after her traunatic life leading up to the police finding her dead owner and bringing her here late one evening.Poor Sally had little trust with people she didnt know and needed a sensible person who can deal with this. I will be waiting anxiously for news. Now I have to concentrate on finding Pal a good home, his problem is not insurmountable, he just needs someone with patience and experience of boisterous dogs. Pal is tireless when it conmes to exercise, I have yet to see him tired after a walk, he can be overpowering but if the right person has turned up for dear Sally, then I know there is someone out there for Pal. Like me he is missing her but he just needs another lively young dog to play with and he will be fine.(wish I was so easily pleased!)
Today William and Walter, the shetlands went off to their new home on Anglesey, their field needs to be rested now until we get some new grass coming through.It wont be long before we will need to think of fertilising the fields again to promote new growth and we neeed to blitz the weeds before they take control this year. Quite a bit of fencing needs replacing though this will have to wait until there is more money in the pot.The jobs here seem never ending, a volunteer turned up the other day and painted one of the field shelters with wood preserver, it took him several hours but he did a good job, one down 2 to go!Slowly but surely we seem to be attracting a few volunteers and a couple have even turned out to be regulars which is exactly what is needed.It would make the world of difference if just one helper turned up every day(chance would be a fine thing)but maybe it will happen eventually. I think we are moving in the right direction.
When I was returning home yesterday evening it was dark and as the car turned up the track, a nightjar(at least I think it was) flew up in the field and for just a moment was exposed by the lights.I knew there were some about but have never seen one before so was quite excited.
It surprises me that in such a rural location I have only ever seen one hedgehog and that was 6 years ago, where have they all gone? have they been poisoned by insecticides? Its a mystery.There are foxes about, one has been seen here and when I first moved here I saw an albino badger a few miles away though not seen any since.I believe there are otters just outside Porthmadog which i would love to see, must take a trip out there.

Pretty in Pink

Rocky our lovely Gypsy Cob was given a new turnout rug which happened to be red, He wore it all day through a heavy rainstorm and when we brought him in and took of the rug, part of poor Rockys coat has been stained pink!! He is pictured rushing in for his evening meal, he refused to look at me wielding the camera and who can blame him, very embarrassing for a red blooded male!(well one without his bits anyway)
Its been a good weekend for homes. Jack the collie has gone today to a home 140 miles away from the shelter, he joins another young collie which was rescued from North Wales and he will Im sure be very happy.Collies need the right people, people who enjoy exercise and understand the need to keep these intelligent dogs motivated and occupied. I am often asked if I am sorry to see animals go and the answer is always NO.I am delighted to see them going to a proper home, its no life for any animal at a shaleter even if we give them as much love as we can, they all need individual attention and it distresses me when some animals seem destined to remain institutionalised.
The sad fact is that for some pets shelter life is the only life they have known where they receive kindness and care and to some, the shelter becomes a real home.Nevertheless I believe there is someone out there for each and every one of them and I will always endeavour to place them if I can. Unfortunately we have 2 such dogs at the moment, collies Pal and Sally but I live in hope they too will find the right home eventualy.
Also rehomed today are the 2 Maine coon cats Tia and Theo They have also gone to live in another area, they are off to live in South Wales.Im sure they will give a great deal of pleasure to the cat loving family who have taken them to their hearts.I hope their two resident cats will not feel too put in the shade by the sheer magnificence of these 2 beauties.
Its been a real success story for cats this week,Elderly Jack a stray ginger was chosen by a prospective owner and 3 more elderly cats have been reserved to go next weekend.Homing oldies is never easy so to home 4 in one week is amazing and a real morale booster for the staff who like me feel so sorry for these geriatrics who should never be here in the first place.(I wonder do they feel that way about me?)

Its been a Hard Days Night.

Last week we admitted a heavily pregant Tortoishell cat, this morning the proud mum presented us with her 5 babies. She tucked into her breakfast with the greatest of enjoyment and doesnt she deserve it.These are the first babies born this year at the shelter.

Jack, another unwanted collie

Funds are so low at the moment I am really worried, Ive contacted the local Newspaper in the hope they may print an article appealing for funds.My forthcoming trip to |Peru hasnt so far raised many sponsors so Im panicking about that also.I thought when i had the link put on the website, it would be easy for people to donate but not so.Will have to think of other ways to raise some money.I always wonder who wrote the saying that money doesnt bring happiness.lack of it certainly doesnt either!!!!Im sure the person who wrote it was wealthy!When you are involved in animal welfare there are so many things that need doing, animals in need of help everywhere.What it must feel like to be able to give that help, to do good with the money, now THAT would bring happiness.Ive already spent my lottery winnings, just need to enter it now!
Someone turned up with a lovely young collie yesterday,there should be a rescue kennels in this area, there is nowhere for these dogs to go. This one is so sweet natured I decided to try him with my dogs- BINGO, he gets on well so he can stay until a home is found.Ive called him Jack.He was a stray, I dont think he has been a farm dog as although slightly nervous he is not as cowed as most.
Muffin(dogue de bordeaux)it seems is now wanted by the owner who parted with her 4 weeks ago!! There are inconsistencies in her story so I checked with the animal welfare society who passed her to Freshfields, they gave me a totally different tale, it seems that the other dog from the same home was in a sorry state and it took 3 hours to shave off her matted coat!!She also had massive dental problems and lost an eye through an untreated infection, there is a vets report so it checks out. I want only what is best for the dog and she is happy and content here so Muffin is going to stay.
The latest newsletter is now ready to go to print, however it will have to wait until funds improve.This one is bilingual so I may get a little help from the Welsh Language Board who are keen to help businesses and organisations who promote the language.
last nights horrendous storm frightened poor William so much he shivered and shook all night long, I had bought Bachs rescue remedy which was waiting for such a time and also some herbal calming tablets but nothing seemed to work.I dread these nights because I feel so helpless to help him but with not getting much sleep myself Im fit for nothing the next day.I really dont know what the answer is.
At last Ive had an enquiry for feral cats, there must be around 25 here waiting for suitable homes but most of the rural mproperties her already have ferals.She is coming at the weekend so I hope it will turn out to be a good home for a couple of the cats in the feral enclosure.I havent homed any of these for over a year.

Marigolds group enjoy the sun

The vet came out and gave the pig a steroid injection but this morning he was no better and he died in his sleep before the vet arrived to euthanase him.Poor old piggy, there are just 3 left now.They must be quite old as I inherited them 6 years ago and they had been here for several years before that, nevertheless the loss of any animal old or otherwise is always distressing.
It looks like Elliot our little deaf cat is going soon, a lady from London is taking him, poor little Elliot also has respiratoty problems and isnt the bonniest of cats but a dear friendly little cat who will thoroughly enjoy his new home especially as his prosepective owner is thinking of taking one of his companions too.Once again thanks to the catchat website we have homed one of our more difficult to home animals.
Today the sun is shining and from the office I can see the ponies enjoying the sun on their backs, Marigold is cantering round the field followed closely by Minnie and her daughter Georgie Girl and Leroy the shetland.This little group is not up for adoption for various reasons.Marigold, a very pretty Welsh pony took a long time to settle here and is still very nervous of strangers, she thrives on familiarity and is very close to her companions. Minnie and Georgie Girl are permanent also, Minnie has had a very hard life at the hands of several owners/horse dealers and after 5 years here is still very mistrusting of people.Her daughter Georgie has been here since she was 2 weeks of age and has never known abuse but as Minnie has lost other foals, we decided to keep them together and they are seldom far from each others side. Leroy came from the Shetland Islands where he was saved from the "meatman", we dont know his age but he is quite an old chap.generally we dont try to home the oldies, most have been through too much change in their lives and need a settled existence which they find here.
Its a nice day to exercise the dogs, its not much fun walking them on the fields when it is raining , cold and windy, we are so exposed here and the higher up you walk with the dogs the colder it becomes. Its quite a performance exercising the dogs, One of the collies Sally doesnt like cats, so before she comes out we have to round up as many of the cats as possible and shut them in the conservatory until she returns from her walk.Needless to say the cats do not always take kindly to this round up and it can be very frustrating, as soon as one is popped in the door, another races out, this can go on for half an hour until we are red in the face and almost too tired to walk the dogs.We all take turns to walk them, I do the early morning shift usually, first out are the littlies who live with me, them the big dogs, Molly and the rest of The Golden Girls.Then Sally and Pal, 2 longterm collies and last but not least old Tara who really just wants to potter round the yard.
Rambam our rescued sheep has just been castrated earlier this week, and we let him out a few days ago, hours later he vanished from his field, the girls went looking for him and today had a sighting, he has been seen next door where our unpleasant neighbour resides (he was the one refused to help the old horse in a ditch next door to him on the other side!)and what happened- surprise surprise, he saw the girls on the public footpath which runs between our properties , drove after them and asked what they were doing and then gave them verbal abuse. What makes people so unpleasant? I believe they must be very unhappy people to spend so much time causing aggravation and distress to others.he used to make me very angry but nowadays I just feel sorry for him(except when he refused to help the neighbours old horse!!!)
Anyhow no rambam yet but at least we know he hasnt strayed very far so well keep trying to get him back.

A very popular pair of cats

Well, Laddie the old labrador found a home and I hear he has settled in well.To find him a home so quickly was a great piece of luck for the old man.Its just a matter of the right person turning up at the right time. iM SO pleased for him, he is a lovely dog and so badly needed a decent loving home for the remainder of his days.
Weve had two Maine Coon cats in and within an hour of posting their photo on the catchat website, enquiries started to come in.If only all cats were so easy to find homes for.Admittedly they are beautiful but so are the ordinary moggies.Tia and Theo are such big cats, as big as my dachsund, if not bigger.I can see the appeal even though I prefer the common and garden cats here!
Ive been struggling to find space for a donkey, a goat and 2 sheep, it was giving me a real headache as the goat shared his stable with the donkey and goats are notorious for escaping.All the perimeter walls here are most certainly NOT goat proof.Anyhow as luck would have it Ive managed to find a good home for all of them together so thats one less thing to worry about.One good thing about living in this area is the number of rural homes available to equines and farm animals.Ive had several calls this week requesting places for horses but I need to rehome some before I can contemplate taking in more.The 2 shetlands William and Walter are most likely to be going as there are people interested in them but I need to find homes for a few of the other youngsters.
I cant believe its March and last week we had snow!!!! Its set all nature completely out of kilter,I hope others are putting out wild bird food as many baby birds will die this spring because of the lack of insects for them to eat.Usually I stop feeding them in spring but this year I will continue to provide food to sustain them through the abruptly changing and irregular seasons.What damage human beings have done to the environment.We have so much to answer for.
Meirwen has just called the emergency vet to come out, one of the potbellied pigs has collapsed, his back legs seem to have lost all strength, it does not look good.We are going to try and move him somwhere comfortable until he arrives.