Paddy Comes Home

Paddy came home last night and was very happy to be in familiar surroundings though he is understandably very quiet and lethargic.He has been through quite an ordeal and I really thought I was going to lose him. Today there is this great sense of relief that he is back home and having  his huge body back reclining on his bed at the side of my chair. Having lost Molly last year with the same problem, I knew it was touch and go whether he  would survive and I can scarcely believe he is back with me. Poor old Paddy. He needs to have six meals daily of a liquid diet so he will not be too happy with that as he is a greedy boy but his stomach will be very tender for a while. Pictured here this morning with his poor old tum bandaged up gaily in Christmas colours.  H e does look miserable doesn't he but he is a very lucky boy even if he fails to realise it!

This morning five puppies were admitted.Cariad (who works with our horses)and her friend were walking their dogs last night past a derelict building and they heard whimpering. Inside the Roofless building was a binbag with these tiny pups inside. They must be no more than five weeks and by rights should still be nursing with their mother. How callous to  abandon these helpless little creatures in a place where it was sheer luck that their cries were heard and the poor mother dog must be distressed also. The pups appear to be cross staffordshire bull terriers and their markings indicate that they may also be part collie. I can't help but wonder  how easy they will be to rehome? Jack the staff I have at the moment looks like he could become a long termer. Nobody seems to want this breed, I have mentioned it before several times - my heart sinks when yet another call comes through about an unwanted staffie. I do not know what the answer is other than making it illegal to own an unspayed,unneutered staff and that would probably cause outrage amongst those who regard themselves as good owners. Even the policing of that would be near impossible so there has to be another solution. Any ideas? Whatever we came up with would be just a wild dream unless the government decided to take action and  what would be the likelihood of that?
This has been a week of unusual requests. First there was a Mule needing a home, today I had a call about four sheep and just now a gentleman rang asking me to help with 4 Llamas! I will have to spend some time making enquiries about suitable places for these to go, we do not have the room here for any more farm animals, the horses need all the grazing they can get but I always  try to help as much as I am able. Where there's a will there's a way!
The girls say it is possible that the Mule 'Tiger Lily' could be introduced to one of the groups of ponies which are stabled in the agri building so we are all going to have a discussion to see if we can cope with another addition this winter. As it happens the owner of Tiger Lily has LLamas and may be prepared to take on the 4 unwanted Llamas needing a new home. We will see. It is easy for me to agree but it is the girls who will have the extra body to care for so their opinion is important.

A gentleman turned up this afternoon who was  looking for an older cat for his mother .He has chosen Bushka a 7 years female cat whose owner died a few months ago, I'm sure she will be delighted to be out of the shelter and back in a home of her own. The stray cats settle in so well, after all for many it is the first time in ages that they have had a warm bed and plenty of food.It must seem like a four star Hotel to them. On the other hand,  the cats whose lives have been so disrupted by the loss of their owner and comfortable homelife,it is a far cry from what they have been used to and can be very distressing initially. I am very happy for Bushka and hope that she will have many happy years to come in her new home.

Pictured here on the day she arrived looking very annoyed and who can blame her for that. Nobody asked her opinion about where she was going to stay and an animal shelter would definitely not have been her first(or even last choice)My apologies to Bushka, I am sorry it took so long to find you more superior alternate  accommodation and can only hope that you approve of this new arrangement!

PS: Ellie whippet has found a new home in Dorset, she will be living with two other rescued lurchers and having lots of lovely rural walks. This is an ideal situation for her, she loves to play and chase other dogs.It is so funny watching her with Jackson the cross staff who valiantly tries to catch up, she waits till he is close then torments him by  racing  off again with him huffing and puffing in hot pursuit. She is a  Minx!