Romanian dogs

Romanian dogs

We Have Moved

Pleased click on the link to follow Lesley's blog ....

http://www.freshfieldsrescue.org.uk/blog

I'm Back.

Hi everyone, I'm back!
The holiday was great, I was relieved that I did not come across any needy animals on my travels.That is a first! The only stray I came across was well fed and although he started to follow me after I stopped for 'a chat'  with the idea of rescuing him from his life on the streets, when  his attempts at humping my leg was rebuffed, he soon lost interest and moved off!   Typical male.


It was good to see my own animals again and they were pretty pleased to see me too judging by the boisterous welcome I received.

The staff tell me that it has been very quiet whilst I have been away - I took this to mean that no animals were found homes , rather than the fact that my absence made life more peaceful!

Bonnie, our old  resident foxhound has a swollen toe so is off to the Vet today, Rhian thinks she has got it caught during one of her scavenging hunts.  The dear old girl (Bonnie, NOT Rhian) drives us all crazy with her constant search for food and ripping open of any available containers - bin bags, carelessly left lunch boxes- nothing escapes the attentions of  this very  determined  and focused dog. When she was first admitted 5 years ago , she was emaciated , and like many animals with  a history of neglect and abandonment,  she has never forgotten her days of hunger.

Shaun the sheep
I was so pleased to see that our little lamb is going from strength to strength and has grown fat and strong  in the short time I have been away. There is little doubt now that he will survive - well done Vanessa.
When he is old enough I will either  find him a good pet home or he will join our  small flock here at the shelter. As I type this, I can see the  staff   enjoying the sun by having their tea break outdoors and little Shaun is merrily skipping around their  chairs. He is a lucky little chap who will have a long life as a pet.


I am off to  have a panad myself (a cup of tea) and by the time  I write the next blog, I will hopefully be more in tune with all that has been happening and there will be some more photos. Also this will be the last blog accessed through the bloodspot address,In future go on to the main website
www.freshfieldsrescue.org.uk and look on the menu bar at top where you will find Founders Blog.Hope to see you there!

Lady In A Hat

Meet Thomas, he was the one eyed partner of Pasha. He apparently lost his eye as a kitten and his previous owner had no idea what happened to him. We had noticed a few sores on his neck and feet and showed them to the vet when he went in to be neutered earlier in the week. Initially, like us Roger thought they were fight wounds but on further investigation he realised that he had a condition called "Plasma Cell Pododermatitis"

"Plasma cell pododermatitis is a rare disease of cats, with a probably immune origin. It is characterized by swelling and softening of multiple footpads with ulceration sometimes developing."

Treatment - "Suppression of this immune reaction is the core of therapy for cats in which therapy is deemed necessary. This involves injections of methylprednisolone acetate (depomedrol) or high doses of oral prednisone. A response is generally clear in 2-3 weeks with peak improvement taking as long as 3 months. A newer therapy that is emerging for this condition is pentoxifylline. Doxycycline, an antibiotic with immuno-modulating properties has also been used with some success"

I know we can all get sick of photos of Vanessa on here (Only joking honest) but I guess we can never get fed up of seeing photos of Larry Lamb, or Shaun the Sheep as some of us call him! At only 2 weeks old the little man is doing so well. Of course either Beckie or Suzi have to get in on the act, here Suzi making sure she gets in shot!

Mei is having her Operation on Tuesday, after wanting it so much now she's dreading it! Still hopefully it will be worth it for her in the end!

Can I take this opportunity to thank CK Internation for the donation of cat food. We really appreciate your efforts and the cats loved the pouches.

This is Lady, she is another dog rescued from a local pound. She's a fantastic looking dog with a great character. I do hope her breed type doesn't go against her having the opportunity of a home and a great life. I think we all know what fantastic characters Staffies can be when not placed with irresponsible owners.

Lady was spayed 2 days before coming in to have her photo taken, I must admit trying to get her out of the crate in the car with her hat on was quite funny, she just didn't get the joke!

Can I just quickly thank you all for your kind words regarding Kai. Following a spleenectomy earlier in the week he was diagnosed with lymphoma on the Friday and given 2 -3 months to live. Sadly the cancer went "wild" and we had no choice but to let our beautiful big boy go on Monday. I'm heartbroken and feel cheated of the time we should have had left together.

Rhian

The Lucky One

Week after week some cats are passed by in the cattery. Some maybe don't "sell themselves" when the opportunity arises, others sadly are just not the right colour!!! (No comment!)  Others like Pasha (previously known as Snowy?) are a lot more fortunate.She has been in a short time and is going in to be neutered tomorrow, pending a home check she has a home waiting for her. Lucky lucky girl, sadly her black one eyed partner Thomas has not been so lucky!

Meet Pharaoh

This rather unusual little man came in from the pound last week. He is now well settled in a foster home full of dogs and cats, so at least we know he's safe with other dogs and indifferent to cats! We believe he is a Whippet x Staffie and is probably 8-10 months old. Though he came in in poor condition I hear he is improving daily.
I'm sorry for the shortness of this blog, I will try harder later in the week. The death of my 6 year old German Shepherd Dog Kai yesterday, has left me in pieces. He was diagnosed with lymphoma last Friday and given 2 - 3 months to live. I feel cheated of the time we should have had left together and loosing him so young has left me heartbroken.
Rhian

Vanessa had a little lamb.

s 

Its looking good for Shaun no 2

The little lamb is doing well, he is feeding voraciously and is regarding Vanessa as his mum (photo above) Everywhere  Vanessa goes , the little lamb goes too .

A certain nursery rhyme comes to mind!

It is looking very hopeful and I am  increasingly optimistic about his future.  A very small dog coat has been found  for him which is keeping him nice and  warm  and doesn't he look cute  in it? The little chap is hopping and skipping around the stable yard, endearing himself to everyone who meets him.
How can anyone want to eat something so adorable and gentle?

Thursday:
This morning a  very young cross whippet/staff was admitted from a  dog pound in Anglesey. We have named him Pharaoh because his enormous standy up ears make him look a bit like a Pharaoh hound.I took him to the Vet for his first vaccination so he can go in to kennels but he may go instead to a foster home until his second vaccination. Rhian  has offered to care for him until then.
There is  a staffordshire bull terrier  female in another local pound waiting for a place here but we are so inundated with requests to take dogs at the moment , that I want to home a few from kennels before we take in any more. There are only so many at one time we can concentrate on in order to do our best for them. We have had her first vaccination so hopefully we will take her on early next week. It is so storage, the numbers of animals we are asked to take varies from week to week but we can have a real lull where we have more prospective owners than dogs, then 3 weeks later the tide turns. Veronica suggested today that the high volume of calls this past week or so could be down to the Moon!
Don't ask me, I'm no astrologer but there is definitely something in the air.
The cynical side of me  think it's far  more likely to be that people are starting to plan and book their summer holidays so its time to get rid of unwanted pets.

Diesel finds a home.

 He has gone on a seven day trial to see how he gets on living with another(older)dog. He is such a nice animal, it is unlikely to be his fault if the pairing fails to work but we are all rooting for him. Like many dogs which have part staff in them, he has had no interest shown  in him at all  and the fact that he has Glaucoma(albeit mild) meant that  the odds seemed stacked against him finding a loving home

Radio Interview.
BBC Radio Cymru came today to interview a Welsh speaking member of staff about the problem of abandoned animals in North Wales. Everybody hates doing this sort of thing  but Veronica was coerced into giving the interview and  did very well  - At least I think she did because I could not understand much of what she was saying! For all I know, she was telling the interviewer what a difficult boss she has and how she came to work for me  as a book keeper and ended up fostering  dogs, doing vet runs and sweeping the office floor! Oh and giving interviews! Thanks (I think) Veronica. You're a gem.


I go on Holiday.
This will be my last blog for a short while.
From this Saturday I will be away on holiday in Portugal until the 25th.
I can't wait to get away for a break from work, I need to recharge my batteries! I am going armed with details of local animal rescue centres in case I  need them (It will be a miracle if I don't)
Mei is holding the fort and will be caring for my own animals also; I have asked Rhian if she can find the time to write  a couple of blogs to keep everyone updated on whats going on here so  bye for now and I will be back online on the 27th march(or thereabouts)  xx

A tale of two lambs

A Tale of Two lambs

Sadly our little lamb Shaun did not make it, he had lost the will to live and as I mentioned in the last blog, it is likely that he was a weakling so had little chance of surviving. We wrapped him warmly in my old dressing gown and gave him a heat pad to keep his temperature up but it was not to be. He closed his eyes and went into a deep sleep from which he did not wake up.

The following day we admitted another newborn lamb which was asleep next to his dead mother who had just given birth to him. This baby is stronger altogether and he has a good fighting chance, he is drinking greedily and is altogether brighter and livelier. We will take each day as it comes but we have hopes he will survive. Shown here is foster mum Vanessa and  trying to get in on the action is Amy one of our resident cats!

At this time of year there are hundreds of lambs gambolling in the fields, and the better farmers check them daily, however many fail to do this and lambs are left like this little one, orphaned and cold,lying in mud with little chance of being found before hypothermia sets in. Reporting them to the authorities seems to bring little  or no response which is extremely frustrating.

Fingers crossed for Shaun no 2.

Noddy goes to the Dentist

The Dentist has been out to see Noddy and his treatment will be over three appointments.Due to the little mans great age(Noddy, not the Dentist!) Andre is not keen to give him the treatment in one go as a big anaesthetic given to a pony of 39 years could cause more problems than his bad teeth and even prove fatal.  So Noddy is not quite sorted yet but his treatment has begun and he is already a lot more comfortable. Animals may be more stoical than humans but decaying teeth cause a lot of pain and it was quite apparent by Noddy's recent demeanour, that he was feeling very uncomfortable and not his usual bright little self. I am always amazed by how few of the equines admitted to Freshfields have ever been seen by a  dentist. One would think this was part and parcel of horse care and welfare but it seems to be very low on the list of priorities of some owners. Invariably, most  new horses and ponies need immediate  dental treatment. On his next trip to the shelter (on Monday) Andre will be checking over the teeth of new pony Tomos, and of course, continuing Noddys dental care.

Andre, as usual has been over to Greece to do his bit for the donkeys and horses over there. He truly deserved the animal welfare award he won last year. He is a genuinely kind man.

From Wales to Cornwall.

Merlin, a  beautiful collie rescued from the Pound has been fostered by Elaine for the past few weeks .Poor Merlin was attacked by another dog and badly hurt so she has been caring for him at her home and on Thursday he is going to his new home in Cornwall. His new people know that Merlin is no longer the handsome dog they fell in love with on the website (he had his neck and head shaved)but they know he needs them more than ever and his looks will return when his coat grows back. He is a  great dog and I know he is going to enjoy living on the Cornish Coast.

Two Happy Ponies

It is not often we receive updates and photos of the ponies out in loan homes so it was particularly nice to hear about Freddie and Ember(now called Will and Jac)  This lovely pair of shetlands went to a new home last year and are clearly well loved and cared for in their new home. We have been busy lately doing follow up checks on our ponies and it a very time consuming job. We could do with volunteers to help us do this and are particularly in need of people who live in the Anglesey and Aberdarron areas, also Wrexham and Conway. If you could help or know someone who may fit the bill place let me know. It would be  great help to have a team of outside helpers who could home check and do follow up checks on the horses.(also needed for cats and dogs)

Cat in trouble
We sent in 8 cats to be neutered/spayed  last Thursday and when hey returned one seemed unable to recover from the anaesthetic. He was taken back and given another injection to 'wake him up' (the following day!!) It was clear to me that it was not that and I feared that he may have sustained brain damage under the anaesthetic. He  remains at the vet surgery and I am awaiting news of his condition.It is distressing to know that he went in as a healthy normal young cat and has returned unable to balance and walk properly.
Poor little cat, but I am sure we will find someone kind to take on this little chap whatever the outcome.

The squabbling Llamas.

Saturday:

It has been a lovely day (weather wise) It has been a treat not to be bundled up in winter clothes. It certainly looks like spring with all the daffodils in bloom along the roadsides and the birds must think so too. My visiting flock of 200 plus starlings seldom visit the bird table now. They can find food elsewhere easily enough as can the other garden birds.I am so glad that their constant foraging for food is a little easier with the onset of this warm weather but confess to missing their chattering and lively presence in my garden. Only the loyal chaffinches and sparrows  remain faithful to my daily treats.

Boys  behaving badly:

Rudy(at the back of photo) and Santa are squabbling daily.It is always Rudy who bullies Santa, he is clearly the dominant male.The vet has not got back in touch with me about castrating them, though in truth I am unsure that neutering them would be that effective at their age. Still, I can't think of anything else which may work .Llamas really do make the most  extraordinary sounds.

Santas screeching makes each tussle sound like an animal is being slaughtered.

Not a good sound to be heard coming from an  animal sanctuary!

Adoptions

We had a few visitors today - Olive cat (below) has been adopted and Teddy terrier has been reserved. He and Bertie , who were abandoned together, have started scratching and it appears that they have mange which will take some weeks(?) to clear/At least Teddy  has a home waiting for him when he recovers,  and Bertie has several people interested in offering him a home so that too is looking hopeful.Little Ella who was returned after 12 months, has been reserved too, and pending her home check will be leaving the care of Stefan within the next few days.

There has been a terrific response for these three terriers, small dogs are so popular and easy to rehome,.They are seldom with us for long. Perhaps tomorrow  will be the day of the bigger dogs! 

The animal welfare situation has changed so much since I  first became involved in it. Rarely did pedigree dogs end up in rescue centres(the few that existed) and now it is common to see them in all shelters throughout the Uk.  Everywhere I drive around here I see notices pinned to gates offering puppies for sale; it seems that many people who own a pedigree dog feel compelled to allow them to have at least one litter and this is , unfortunately,  often on veterinary advice. The old adage was to let a dog have one litter but nowadays the more enlightened vets advise people to spay as early as possible to prevent unwanted litters. Each time I see one of those notices advertising pups, I wonder how many will end up in rescue centres and I think if one were to know the answer it would be a frightening number!

Sunday:

A Rejected lamb.

Vanessa is fostering a day old lamb which was rejected by his mum. Last night,  Cariad was attending to her horses when  she spotted a sheep with twin lambs in the adjoining field. The mother was butting one lamb away every time it tried to feed so she informed the farmer who told her that "thats life, it will be dead in the morning!' Undeterred by his words Cariad decided to try and save the life of the little lamb and asked Vanessa to help with the round the clock care he needs at this tender age.

He  may be a weakling which his mother recognised,  but we can try, where there's life there's hope! He has been to the Vet and received colostrum which his mother may not have supplied if she has not allowed him to feed from her,  and without which he will definitely not make it. Tomorrow, if he survives he will go on to Lamblac, a substitute for ewes milk. In the meantime he is wrapped up warmly and has a heat pad to keep his body temperature up. We can only hope and do our best.

Patch comes to say hello:

Colin and Barbara from Saddleworth  brought Patch collie back to see his old friends at the shelter.

Patch had been an unwanted farm dog who was in imminent danger of being shot when he was rescued by Freshfields.If anyone has a doubt about adopting an ex farm collie they should visit their home and see what a well behaved, wonderful pet he has turned out to be. Colin told me that Patch is the best dog he has ever had and is so intelligent and loyal. They also said that you get back what you put in and I could not agree more.  If you fail to give a dog the exercise it needs, or basic  training  and companionship, then you will have a badly behaved dog on your hands. Seemple!

A Quiet day

No animals were adopted today, we seem to have hit a very dull patch for rehoming .Still, that gives me more time to catch up on the dreaded paperwork which is mind numbingly boring , but a very vital and necessary part of the job of  running a shelter. Fortified by several cups of coffee, I just about managed to keep awake during this exciting part  of  my day! I was chatting  this morning to my  old pal Dave who deals with the feral cat trapping and neutering for the Liverpool shelter.He feels that  he has completely changed from the radical youngster he used to be and that he likes a slower pace of life nowadays. Bearing in mind that he is 10 years younger than me, I was quite bemused by the vision of a laid back, sedate Mr C.(my nickname for him). I , on the other hand am always yearning for excitement and as the years pass, I find that has never left me.In fact I am more adventurous nowadays than I ever was.  I long for new experiences and challenges.  My 'get up and go' has most definitely not yet gone!

News from Romania

Today I had a visit from a very special person. Carla is the co-ordinator for the  rescue of  dogs from the shelter in Romania and four times a year she travels there from her home in Manchester. to give assistance to Gratiela, and to visit and help out at the local orphanage too. I know she will not thank me for saying she is special but I was awed by her determination  and strength. Carla was accompanied by her lovely mum Janice who is her biggest supporter in all she does,  and it brought to mind the closeness I shared with my own mother causing a lump to come to my throat.

The trip has been postponed for a few more weeks so it is likely to be the end of April when the dogs finally  arrive. Actually this suits me better than the original date of 1st of April, because it gives me more time to find foster homes for them. If at all possible, I want to place them in private homes sooner than kennels so they can experience the every day routine and noises of a normal household and perhaps have more of a chance to become lead /house trained.Any offers?

All are used to being around other dogs, most are middle aged between 6 -7 years old , with the exception of young Spikey who is the youngest at 12 months but whom suffers separation anxiety.

Finally, I would like to thank the people who took the time to send messages of support for our Romanian Dog Rescue.Your words meant a lot and were much appreciated.Thank you.

I do realise that we cannot save every animal in the world , but oh how I wish that it were possible

Criticism

Criticism Received
We have received some criticism  from Welsh supporters over our decision to help the Romanian dogs. I expected that. I even understand (to a degree).Helen and I mulled over this decision for some time  and we still believe we are right to help.
The issue here is whether we limit ourselves to helping dogs in the UK. and whether we offer help to a bereaved young woman fighting an impossible battle in the most adverse of conditions.
Helping those dogs from overseas is not going to affect our work with Uk dogs , we continue to give shelter to these and neither Helen and I believe that an occasional helping hand given to animals (and a person)in dire distress in another country is going against the policies of the charity.

Normally I refrain from writing things which may be too distressing for readers but in order to explain the reason behind our decision, I would like people to understand is that the dogs we are helping come from a country where dogs are considered to be vermin and as such are treated in the most appalling ways imaginable. Our stray dogs have it good in comparison. 


Humane euthanasia would be a gift for some of those strays rounded up by the vicious dog catchers. two of the dogs we are taking were part of a stray pack and they are the only survivors - the others were caught and beheaded! One  sweet little female was raped and had her back legs cut off! That loving young dog Petronella has been fortunate to be homed in Germany where a  good life and a mobility cart is waiting for her. Thank goodness they did not turn their backs!


I  know that there will always be those who fail to understand and will feel all our funds should help animals here in the Uk  and they are entitled to their opinion but  If we can help just a small number  of these vilified , tortured dogs and in doing so  help  Gratiela with her enormous burden just a little, we believe it is justified. It will not affect the help given to dogs in  our area
Finally, we have mostly had a good response and those who have visited Romania have been particularly supportive, having seen for themselves how these animals are treated. A foster home (and possibly a permanent one) has already been offered for one of the dogs for which I am very grateful. Thank you Sara.


New Pony Tomos
Tomos is very quickly settling into his new routine and already is following the other ponies in at night.They all trot into their respective stables and Tomos too, heads to the correct place. He appears happy to be with the other ponies and  follows them everywhere. He has lived out for several years and his companion was rehomed  a year ago- he must have missed her company a great deal. All he had was a lone sheep for companionship. A neighbour had kindly put the sheep in his field for that purpose but I am pleased to know that he will go back to his original home now.

Noddy seems depressed
Our little old shetland Noddy does not seem to be himself this past two weeks and seems downcast.
He is eating but having some problems with the pony nuts and it seems likely that he is in need of another dental.Fortunately , Andre,  the  Equine Dentist is booked to visit soon  but he is making a special trip to see to Noddy this Friday. In the meantime we have placed Noddy  on a  diet of chopped grass  with sugar beet and his usual vitamin supplements, garlic, msm and seaweed.
I can scarcely believe that Noddy will be 39 this year and that he has been with me since he was just eight years!  Noddy's pal Grandad  who is pictured below kindly helping Rhona distribute the hay,  must  also be in his  thirties now .The years seem to fly by so fast.

Fundraisers 
5th April
Our next fundraiser is The Easter fair at The Royal Sportsman Hotel on the 5th April, 11am - 2pm.
 If you are local please do your best to attend or if you can bake a cake or two , donate a raffle prize or help in any other way please let me know as soon as possible.

19th May.
Cheese and Wine evening;
Church hall, Dingle Car Park, LLangefni, Anglesey LL77 7DY
Tickets £5 (available currently  from the shelter)   Ring 01286 880808 More venues for  tickets will be published soon.
Cheese and Wine evening with talk and slide show by local birding company' The Biggest Twitch'
Come and see pictures of  Alan Davies and Ruth Millers amazing experiences on their world travels to successfully beat the world birding record. A must for bird lovers but also an opportunity for Freshfields supporters to get together and enjoy a  chat. Their  interesting and often funny book  about their travels will also be on sale and they will be happy to sign copies.
I will  also be signing copies of my book (The Dog with No Name) If you have already bought a copy and would like me to sign it, please bring it along.I look forward to meeting some of you.

22nd July
The date for our annual Open Day. Please make a note in your diary
More details at a later time.

Blog will soon be on Main Website

The blog is changing location!
It will shortly be on the main website.
www.freshfieldsrescue.org.uk . If you have problems  accessing it in next few days , just go straight to that website.We have decided on this course of action because we feel it will attract more readers that way.

Merlin Leaves us and Tomas Arrives.

Have A good Life Merlin.
Our lovely Merlin was collected today and driven off to his new home.I was so thankful to hear he had entered the horse box without panic and had travelled well. Just before I started writing this blog, Mei had a call to say that he was grazing happily and his new companion was accepting of the newcomer in his field. All appears to be going well. Just before he left, I took a photo of him (in the middle)and his pals Shamrock and Celt in case I don't have an opportunity to do this again! At least the remaining two have each other and as I write this I can see them in the field and they are fine.They were a little troubled for the first two hours after Merlin left and were looking down the track for him but they soon settled
.I do hate this part of rescue, if I could I would keep them all!


New Pony Tomas Arrives.
Tomas arrived an hour before Merlin left and the three youngsters  were very interested in the new boy.Tomas, on the other hand was pretty laid back about being moved to his new home. Perhaps he was tired after his walk from the next village! He has quickly adapted to the different environment and after he has been wormed he will meet his group (in a few days). He will be joining the group which consists of Blue,Tangy, Rusty and Bobby and Murphy shetlands and he should fit in well with them.

Sallys progress
The news about Sally is encouraging, already she is starting to learn sign language and is showing great potential. Today  I feel loads better about parting with her  and realise that it was  not in her interest to stay here with me.I can't even train my own dogs, let alone a deaf one! I am ashamed to say that my dogs are an unruly lot, I think they take after me!! They say that dogs turn out like their owners and  mine are all a little 'off the wall'!

In which I am a coward twice over!

Bookend Cats

I snapped  two of our free roaming  feral cats sitting back to back on the top of Kitty Kottage. They were enjoying a  rare sunny day ' up here in hills' ! You can see from their faces that they have that resigned look  and are no doubt  thinking ' Oh no she's got that bloody camera out again!'

From Liverpool With Love.

The Liverpool shelter sent up a van full of tinned cat food for our many felines. We were thrilled to bits as we have so few donations of pet food ,and our food bill is enormous. We feel like the poor relations ! The supermarkets around Merseyside  are generally very helpful to  local charities and Freshfields is allowed  pet food collecting  bins in various ones. Unfortunately we do not have the same success, we have tried local supermarkets but have been turned down repeatedly. Pets at Home in Bangor is the only place we have a donation bin, so we are forced to spend around £200 a week on cat food alone.

Receiving this donation  from Liverpool was a real boost and it was good to see Assistant Manager Collette and driver Sean again.

Thank you Freshfields Liverpool.

Bunny News

Rabbits Cinammon and Fudge came in separately  but have looked very lonely in their pens, so with some trepidation as rabbits can fight ferociously if they do not take to one another, we allowed them to meet. This is always done on neutral territory and in this  instance we used the kitten room as a place to introduce the pair. Having ensured all kittens were safely shut in their pens,  Gail put the two down on the floor of the room and within half an hour they seemed perfectly at ease. They are now two much happier bunnies sharing the one pen.  Cinnamon on the left is a neutered male and Fudge was spayed a few weeks ago. These are the only two we have at the moment , apart from Rogue Rabbit who is doubtful to ever find a home due to his aggression,  both with other rabbits and occasionally with his human carers too. I hate to see a rabbit living a solitary life  but  in his case it is imperative as he will attack another bun whether it is male or female. Such a shame.

More cats arrive.

Beautiful black cats Julius and Jess were admitted yesterday.Their owner has died and there was nobody in the family able to care for them. There was a third  cat but he managed to escape the basket  he was being placed in, but we hope he will arrive sometime  this weekend . These cats have been on our waiting last for three months and it is only now we heave been able to admit them. The flu in the main cattery is almost gone now but I still don't want to risk putting new cats in until the last cat is clear from it so we are still limited to just one unit in which we can put new cats. It is very frustrating when there are so many desperate for places but our hands are tied. It has been a particularly virulent strain.

The Grey Pony

The owner turned up yesterday to sign him over to the charity and she is bringing him tomorrow. His name is Tomas and he is 20 years old , I will be glad to know he is under our care , having been concerned about his welfare for quite some time.

Merlin Finds A Home.

One of our youngsters, Merlin (the coloured  gypsy type pony  )has found a home.

I write this with feelings of both pleasure that he will have a home  where he will receive more one to one attention, but also dismay that a great character and favourite will be leaving us. Merlin has been with us since he was four months of age and he is now 5 years  so is ready to be moved on, however he has such a lovely personality, there is no doubt we will all miss him.

He will be leaving us tomorrow and I for one, do not want to see him go! I will stay away when the horse box arrives, coward that I am.

I am a coward once again.

Little Sally the cross jack russell I have had in the house, has gone to a lady who runs a sanctuary for disabled pets. After three months, I feel I have got nowhere with her training and although I loved her dearly, she needed a home of her own . I did not feel she was going to find one whilst she was with me and she is going to be taught sign language and rehomed  once she is able to understand signing.  That said , although I know it was for the best, it did not make it any easier having to part with her. Once again I was cowardly and after  I had handed her over to John who was taking her to her new carer, I was so upset I had to stay in the house until the car had disappeared down the driveway! I don't know where I was when the bravery gene was handed out but clearly I was not around then either!

We receive news of the Romanian dogs coming to Freshfields.

Communication with the Romanian dog shelter increases as we start to finalise details. So far six dogs have been chosen to come to the Uk . The remaining two have yet to be chosen but we have received photos of six of the lucky dogs . The final  eight will arrive on the 1st of April. Some of the dogs have been at the shelter for four long years and each time I speak to the  people trying to help these animals , I come off the telephone with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.
If I thought we had it bad here, my god I really don't t know how they cope in Romania!

Theodora, the lady who  founded this rescue and who died recently, was my age and she collapsed after rescuing an abandoned pup in minus 24 degrees!! Her 25 years old daughter (who works as well ) has been left trying to run the sanctuary with the help of just two men who go in to feed the 300 strays  on the plot of land which does not even belong to them. Food is donated and sent from other countries. It is a  terrible situation for Gratiela to find herself in  and what we are doing is a drop in the ocean but we can do only what is possible for us , and there are many other rescues  both in the Uk and other countries which are doing their best to alleviate some of the problems these welfare workers face in truly dreadful adversity.

Six of the Chosen Ones.

These are six of the chosen dogs which will be travelling to the Uk .  They will arrive in England on the 1st April. Four will be going to Freshfields in Liverpool and the remaining four will be boarded at local kennels here in North Wales. Their names are from top to bottom - Spikey, Lizzie, Crispwel,, Honey,Panda and Geno. Some have been at the shelter for four long years and are crying out for attention and love. Panda and  Spikey's  stories  are  particularly horrific but they somehow  managed to survive and  along with their companions,  they  now have  their  first chance of a new and improved life.


Can you Help?
Please help us spread the word that those dogs need forever homes, they have had  extremely sad lives and we need dog loving families to come forward and offer them permanent loving homes. All will be passported, vaccinated and neutered and all have loving natures and get on with other dogs.

These photos to show conditions over there.The boxes are  covered in a desperate  attempt to give the dogs extra protection against the freezing conditions.

Can't think of a Title!

 

Photos at last!

Here are two of the three cats admitted the other day. I was unable to get a good photo of Lucas but anyway Lucas its actually a female(?) and is almost identical to Mum Queenie shown here. Ginger  cat Cochyn (now called Corky)is a handsome little cat but I have a liking for tabby cats and tabbies with ginger interspersed with the stripes are so pretty. My very first cat when I was a child was a tabby and it has remained my favourite colour in felines.

So  how is it that I have three jet black cats ? (currently asleep on my bed)

I have also never been a great fan of Jack Russells but have seldom been without one and have three  at the moment!

Having always been a fan of big dogs, I always hankered after an Irish Wolfhound and have never had one. I think we animal welfare workers have a sense of guilt about choosing animals which would 

be easily rehomed and we tend to keep the ones with problems which nobody else wants. Even the pedigrees I have kept have been either very old or had health or attitude problems. Not that I have any feelings of regret over those, in their way they have all been characters and I have loved them all in spite of their difficulties(sometimes this has endeared them to me even more!)

So many people want a specific colour , especially when they look for a  cat ,and yes, we may all  have our preferences but I often wish that the overall deciding factor every time should be not colour or appearance but which cat is most in need. When that happens I know that the person is a genuine cat lover who wants a cat for the right reasons and that I can truly relate to. Having said that , I know many want to replace a pet  they may have lost and because they ask for only a ginger or a grey, it does not mean that it is not a good home. I would say that a high percentage of our cats go to people who are looking for a cat to fit their criteria, either by age or colour and I have no doubts about the quality of       home offered but when someone asks for the cat which has been here the longest, it warms my heart just that little bit more.

Adoptions

One dog and one cat rehomed this weekend.

Tipsy the cat had been here since last June so we are all delighted for her that she caught the eye of cat lover Margaret in Pwllheli. Eight months is too long for any animal to be in a shelter.

Mindy the scared little collie found a home in Formby,Merseyside.(10 minutes  from the Liverpool shelter). so when she  develops her confidence, she will have lovely walks in the nearby sand dunes and pinewoods.

I know where Mindy  is going to live, as I lived nearby when I was married and I walked my dogs along Formby beach and surrounding area It is a dogs paradise so she is a very lucky little lady.

The  deliberate breeding of crossbreeds.

Someone emailed me with  the idea that a cross border terrier/yorkie could be called a 'Borkie'!! Freshfields own 'Borkie' now named Dinky is  desperate for a home or rather it is me that is desperate for her to find a home! She is so loveable and affectionate but she is racing round the living room, on the sofa, off the sofa, on my head, off my head and round the room again and so it goes on until she falls asleep exhausted! Its exhausting just watching her.

Really she is  just a typical terrier pup and I do love her and hope someone nice turns up for her soon - Very soon!

Tuesday:

A Dog Pound Lurcher gets lucky.

One of the pound dogs went to a foster home in Dolgellau and has been there for three weeks during which time we had him neutered etc. Elaine, the foster lady has been reporting back  to tell me how well he has behaved and what a nice dog he is, so of course I was able to tell any enquirers how he behaved in a home(many lurchers are kept outside as working dogs)which was of  great benefit. Danny Boy, as we named him was adopted yesterday by a couple on holiday but who had a Freshfields dog previously and has also had lurchers before.We hope that this proves to be a successful matching of dog and owners.

The Westie Sparky who was in foster care in Anglesey has also been adopted ,.Our foster person there Stefan has proved to be a great help with the smaller dogs which have needed emergency accommodation. His own spaniel loves  to play with the 'guests' and keeps them occupied for hours at a time. Lately there has hardly been a time when there has not been an extra mouth to feed in his home.As always we are very grateful to our foster carers. They are invaluable to a rescue centre like this which has to rely on such kind people offering their help. If we are to rescue some of the many unwanted dogs of this area  we depend on these temporary homes.  May they keep on coming!

Abandoned terriers.

Whilst the owner of the Pound kennels was busy elsewhere, someone abandoned two little terriers inside one of the empty pens! They look as though they may have been working dogs and they are most definitely from the same home. The two males appear to  know each other and get on well and they both have the same visible symptoms of neglect -  poor bodyweight(especially the older  one)no hair on noses and ears and dull coats.

Bertie and Teddy are being fostered together by Vanessa who works here with the horses; I do think the two dogs  could be separated from each other.They get on , but Teddy the larger one seems quite indifferent to her companion. We never split bonded animals but in this case there does not seem to be the sort of bond which would make one dog fret for the other if they were to be parted. It would be  easier to home separately but if they proved to be truly attached, we would make the decision to keep them together even if it took a lot longer to do so.

Bertie is on the left here  and ginger Teddy below.

Sorry about the names, lack of imagination I'm afraid. Every black patterdale or cross which comes in is named Bertie! Even the name Teddy has been given to numerous cuddly little dogs residing at Freshfields. Next time  I am going to throw the name finding over to my blog readers and hope that  we can find appropriate and more unusual  ones for the next admittances.

Still waiting for the grey pony's owner to sign him over.
The owner of the grey pony in need of an urgent place here, has still not been to sign him over officially and we are unable to do anything until this has happened. At least the weather is reasonable at the moment but I am keen to get him settled in/wormed etc as soon as possible.
I will give her till the weekend but after that something has to be done to secure the pony's future.


Fundraising
The Holyhead charity shop opened for the week raised just under £700!
Gwynedd Paranormal held a 'spooky' night at Glynllifon and raised £250

Thanks to all concerned for this very welcome help.

Seven in, One out.

More new cats.
We have admitted  seven cats into the one unit which is infection free. Suzy was the first. The next to arrive  were found abandoned and are fully grown - perhaps around 9 months of age.We were told they were kittens but as happens so many times, when they arrived we could immediately see that the kittens were  in fact fully grown adult cats. A little timid at the moment but young enough to appeal to the public who usually are after youngsters and they are attractive little cats.  We have named them Olive and Oscar.
Then youngsters  pictured below were joined today by three more newcomers -  Cochyn (Welsh for Red) Sox and Queenie whose owner was waiting to move into sheltered  accomodation.  They are so scared at the moment that I don't want to distress them further by doing my David Bailey impersonation! If they settle a little more, I will try to take some photos tomorrow.

A rather nicely named cat called Martini  was admitted after several weeks in a boarding cattery.Her owner has been  in hospital and it has now been decided by the relatives that Martini will need a new home.as her owner will be unable to care for her when she leaves hospital for sheltered housing. That scenario is a common one  and it can be greatly distressing for both pet and owner.At least we can do everything in our power to ensure that Martini is found a loving home not too dissimilar to  the one she has enjoyed for the past few years.
Before I finished this blog Martini found  a new home. What a fantastic result.
That makes seven cats in and one out!



Neutering turns an owner against her dog!
Yes, I find this hard to believe too ,but the reality is that the owner of Dinky a small terrier cross found wandering, announced that she  no longer wanted him as he was no use to her if he was neutered. We had asked the Vet to neuter him if we were to take him as it was believed  that the person who 'found ' him was in fact the owner. Normally we wait much longer before we take this action but as it was genuinely believed that nobody was going to come forward for him  so  the vet went ahead and neutered him. The owner was none too pleased at this and flatly refused to have him back because she had bought him for breeding!
This little dog is not a pedigree and as such it is completely unethical to breed yet more crossbreeds but there is a current trend to cross two breeds to make  dogs called labradoodles and maltiepoos as well as other crosses. What would this little chap have fathered ? (he is a yorkshire terrier crossed with a border terrier)
 As if there are not enough crossbreeds in animal shelters everywhere!

A   Little Grey pony Needs Help.
Last summer I was concerned about two  ponies being kept in a field local to the shelter. They   did not appear to have anyone caring for them and on investigation I discovered  that there were sporadic visits only made to him.. I  then received a call from a man asking  me to take the grey pony  and  his companion but the following day he rang again to say that one had been homed(she later died) and the other which belonged to his wife was no longer in need of a home as his wife wanted to keep him.
Since then I have kept an eye on the pony and made enquiries of neighbours. Satisfied that one neighbour was  watching out for him and that the World Horse Welfare had also been in touch with the owner,I felt that the situation was being monitored enough for me to relax over the remaining pony,
Today I received an email from the owner(who now lives several miles away) telling me that her ex husband has left the property and that the rspca had been in touch with her  over the abandonment  of the pony. The situation is now desperate for the 20 years old  grey, and having spoken to Mei about the feasibility of introducing him to one of our groups of ponies here, she feels he will fit in with one group which are not stabled individually - this group are  kept in one half of our barn.(we have no spare single stables)  Now we have to have him signed over and then it is just a matter of walking him from the next village to the shelter.

 I have been in touch with the Vet about castrating the Llamas and I am waiting for a date to be given.  I have emailed the prospective owners to see if they could cope with the warring pair and as yet am still awaiting a response.

A Decision is made.

A decision is made about the Romanian dogs.
Liverpool manager (Freshfields, not football club!) Helen and I have decided we must do something to help the Romanian dogs. We may have a burgeoning unwanted/stray dog problem in the Uk but few,if any, face the horrific treatment meted out to them that these poor creatures faced daily before rescue.


Theodora, the lady who gave shelter to these 300 abused dogs and did the best she could for them with limited funding , would want to know that they were not going to be rounded up by the authorities and killed. She saved them from this fate and believe me , many  of the cases are truly shocking. Her sudden death 3 weeks ago has placed a question mark over the fate of the dogs and local English people are doing their utmost to find safe places for them in other countries.
The conditions at the shelter are basic and with recent weather conditions causing the temperature to drop to minus 20c and deep snow everywhere, there is little protection other than the wooden boxes provided for them to sleep in.
Between the two shelters we will be giving eight dogs the chance of a bright future. The rescue is set for April, after the dogs have had all their necessary injections/paperwork prepared. We have left the choice of animals to the helpers over there . They will choose the dogs they believe are  most needy(what a difficult choice to make!) and we will eventually receive the details and photographs  via email.
There will be those who criticise the decision we have made  but Helen and I believe firmly that we cannot turn our backs on the situation.


If   I  did not have a back up system with this charity, and was entirely on my own without support , I would like to think that  when I died, kind people would rally round to help the animals I had rescued!


We start to admit cats again.
At long last we can admit some of the cats waiting for places here. The main cattery is still off limits to newcomers but the old dog kennels which we use as isolation for new cats , is clear from infection now. The first to arrive came in yesterday.Suzy belonged to a young family and when she scratched one of the children, she found herself homeless.  At the moment she is not too keen on being photographed so looks a little apprehensive but she is a lovely cat and I have high hopes she will be adopted fairly soon

Torrential rain has caused flooding in one of the stables.

This mornings downpour resulted in  the shetlands stable being flooded.  There was a veritable river gushing down from the top fields  and the ditch we had dug at the back of the stables overflowed. The three shetland ponies have had to be temporarily evacuated to another part of the site, until we can dry out the stable and improve the drainage at the back of it. We have also had to move the ponies which were kept in that field.At the moment it is unfit  for grazing ponies though the 4 sheep seem content enough and have managed to find dry land in the stonier parts of the field.

Feral cat Break out!

The feral cat enclosure is proving harder and harder to contain its inmates! Usually at least one makes a bid for freedom  when the dinner lady  enters with trays of food. They never go very far away but it needs to be more secure, so  Dave is building a small porch which will provide the extra security needed when staff  need to  enter the enclosure  to clean and feed the ferals. We have not found any suitable homes for any of the feral cats for a long time.We definitely  need some good farm and stable type homes. Please let us know if any of you know anyone who could find space to take a couple of our cats to live outside in rural properties. They do need a shed or outbuilding which is secure enough to contain them for a month until they adapt and it is best to have minimum of two.They are less likely to wander off if they have companions.  Ferals deserve homes too.

Interest in both new collies.

There are people interested in collies Merlin and Mindy which are currently in boarding kennels. I  am about to find a home checker for Merlins prospective owners - they live in Cornwall. First I need to check what he is like with cats so we will have to bring him  here to test him. 

Before anyone calls the rspca to report us for cruelty, there is no risk to the cats!

All we do is walk the dog(on a lead) up to the cat enclosure and watch for a reaction. Some immediately change their body language to  'ready to attack' mode  and we can see that they are not tolerant of felines. Others walk up nonchalantly and have a look, then walk away, totally indifferent.This is the reaction we are hoping for.  Fingers crossed for Merlin being one of the latter.

Moles in the Shetland Field.

Strange mounds of earth have appeared in one of the fields. When I first spotted them I mistakenly thought that the staff were being lazy and instead of picking up the horse poo, they were just covering it up!  Mei thought that highly amusing and  told me that no, it wasn't the staff covering up manure, that we had an invasion of moles!

I have in the past been the unwilling recipient of  the gift of a  dead  mole from one of the cats but I have never noticed these mounds before. I do hope that it does not mean more limp lifeless little moles being deposited in the conservatory. I'm sure not many country dwellers like them but I happen to be very fond of the little creatures and I would not like to see a mass slaughter occurring under my very nose.

Lots of Donated Food this Weekend.

We had snow overnight, sleet and rain this morning and as I finish this blog, the sun has come out and the birds in the trees are singing like it is a spring day!




Unclaimed strays
Two more pound dogs were admitted today and have gone to local kennels until they can be found homes.Both collies, they are strikingly different in both appearance and demeanour. The older dog which we have named Merlin is a big handsome longcoated collie with an outgoing personality.The female Mindy is a small timid short coated collie who seems scared of her own shadow.Although they have both been sent to kennels, I am planning to move Mindy as soon as I can to a foster home where she can have the attention she so obviously needs. If I leave here where she is,I cannot see her coming round enough to be able to have her adopted.  Often when we admit unclaimed strays, the first reaction is to wonder why their owners failed to claim them but usually after a short time we can see the problem.It's not that the problems are usually major but but an impatient irresponsible owner would not bother to try and correct the problem.Far easier to dump the dog!

Merlin

One common problem is the habit of jumping up and snatching food out of the hand.If the dog lived in  a home where there were children this could be the reason for abandoning the animal. The sort of owner who would buy a dog, then not bother to train it, is typical of those who will have numerous dogs over a short period of time. We have seen evidence of this with many owners who bring  a dog to us claiming it is a very difficult animal. Most are lovely dogs just in need of someone with patience and a little common sense to go with it!
Now, I have very little patience and some would say not always much common sense, however I love my pets dearly and over the years have put up with quiet a lot of bad behaviour from them . I am sure many blog readers will identify with this, but how many of you would abandon your pets?  It is not about the animal, there will always be those in our society who are unwilling to put effort into anything, whether it be their families, work , pets , or anything else. We see evidence of this all around us don't we?


                                                                 Mindy

Oddie likes being back home
Having been on his holidays to the nearby village, Oddie  the wandering cat has decided he has had enough of holidays and decided he prefers being at the 4 star accommodation provided at Freshfields.He has scarcely moved off the sofa in the conservatory and is first in line when meals are served.
Who can blame him!


The cat flu is going, there are only a few cats with mild symptoms now,it will be good to draw a line under this particular bad bout of infection.Taking in stray cats does mean that there will be a higher chance of some bringing in the virus, but even isolating those infected has not helped this time. The new batch of colloidal silver has arrived so all cats have it in their water bowls now, that should help bring it to an end very soon.

The last of Enids cats.
Old Fleckie has passed away this week, He was the constant companion of Big Ginge who died a few weeks ago. We all  knew his time was near and although saddened by losing two of our longterm residents, it helps to know that they both clearly enjoyed their lives here. They had both been rescued by a lovely lady in Holyhead. Enid was a great cat lover and her home was a haven for the unwanted cats of the area. Both Big Ginge and Flecky were feral cats she took in and had neutered but like many of her cats, they remained so nervous she was unable to find them homes and  so they stayed with her.When Enid  unexpectedly died several years ago, her friends were very concerned about the  beloved cats left behind.When they approached Freshfields to help out with the situation we agreed to take them and admitted around 15 cats. We were able to find homes for a couple but not all were friendly  and some were already getting on in years , so  after a month or so of settling in time, we released them here.
These two were the last of the bunch and staff had become very fond of them over the years.
Fleckie and Ginge, we loved you.

Jay has been adopted.
Ninas brother found a home today, I was so pleased as I had been concerned about him missing his sister when she was homed a week ago. They were lovely little dogs and at nine months of age they were never going to be in kennels for long. It would be great if they all stayed with us  for such a short time.

Romanian Dogs
Most of us know that the animal welfare situation  in many other countries is very poor  and Romania is one of those countries. Some of the tales coming out of Romania are truly shocking.  I have been asked to help with some of these unfortunate dogs. The elderly owner of a sanctuary in Romania has died and there are 300 dogs needing homes, many of which have been very badly abused.  The tales are so horrendous I will not write about them here ,for fear of causing untold distress but take my word for it, things are bad there.My feelings are ambivalent -tthere are  dogs here in the Uk needing help  without taking in dogs from other countries but it is hard to ignore such a plea, especially when these are all good natured,homeable animals with no hope whatsoever of finding a better life over there. The people trying to help are planning a trip to the Uk in April when they are bringing some dogs over to other shelters. They need more places ready for these dogs. Of course I have no room here but at the moment we could afford to board  a few for a short time, maybe 4! They are all vaccinated and have their pet passports so are able to travel to the Uk without facing quarantine. What do others think?

Tescos Food Collection
Yesterday,  stalwarts Mion and Elspeth stood outside Tescos in Bangor collecting cat food.It was freezing cold and they were both shivering but they stayed from 9.30am - 4 pm and in doing so collected hundreds of pounds worth of donated cat food for the shelter. It was like Christmas again,
Thanks ladies, you are stars.


Pets At Home, Bangor
A big thank you to the manager of this store who keeps our food bin  topped up with goodies for our animals. Any slightly out of date food or imperfect toys and pet accessories all come our way. I am always excited to see what is waiting for us -Yes I know I am sad ! but when there are so many mouths to feed, donations of this kind are so welcome to anyone  running an  animal shelter.
I was about to say that it is  more exciting than finding a forgotten bar of chocolate in a cupboard but in truth I would be lying!  It comes a close second though!

Stermat Staff Help the Animals.
Two members of staff from  the Stermat  store in Valley(Anglesey)turned up today with a car boot full of bedding for the animals, dog coats and pet food. This is the second year they have kindly helped us.
After nine years here , we are finally becoming known to the community and receiving much needed help.What a difference it is making.

Holyhead Charity Shop.
This coming week ,volunteer Elsie and her sister  are taking over a charity shop in Holyhead to raise funds for the shelter. if you have goods to  sell please take them in or  just pop in to support us. The shop is  in Market Street, next to Careers Wales and opposite the entrance to St Cybis  Church.

Jake Beagle.
Finally , Jake the Beagle has gone to a new home,His new people have had a beagle before and know their foibles inside out. Jake had reputedly nipped  a lady who went to see him in his last home. I can see now that although Jake has a very loving nature, he is unruly and has a tendency to grab anything out of a proffered hand,He is very greedy and if he thinks that hand reaching down to him may have a juicy titbit in it, he will not hesitate to make a grab .He is not yet a year old and he needs some basic training but he is most definitely  NOT a dangerous dog as I had been led to believe.
Beagles are notoriously independent and determined dogs, they are not for everybody and I have never thought they make ideal pets for anyone not used to dogs in general. Their temperaments are generally very good and lacking in malice either towards humans or other animals. This docility of nature has, unfortunately, made Beagles the most popular breed used in research laboratories. When Freshfields took in  twenty five Beagles intended for research, they were all extremely gentle creatures - scared witless after their ordeal in holding kennels and unused to kindness ,but even in their fear, not one of them growled or nipped a member of staff. A true Testament to their gentle character

PS: 
Mei is going for her pre op tomorrow and is beginning to feel nervous about the approaching operation, After three years of waiting, and feeling that nothing was ever going to happen, reality has taken over  and her nerves are kicking in. I have seen her crying with the pain(and she has a high pain threshold too!) and if the op brings an end to that,  she will be overjoyed.
Kim, another of our colleagues has the same as Mei, and she too is waiting for the same op, this carpal tunnel  problem seems to be so common.