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.

The Golden Girls

Its been a busy week, I often feel there arent enough days in the week for the jobs that need doing here.Im also backwards and forward to Liverpool a lot, for Trustee meetings or other important meetings concerning the 2 Shelters. With a new management team in place for Liverpool there are many teething problems to iron out but on a personal level I feel a great sense of relief that there are now 3 competent people taking over the running of the Liverpool shelter. When the last manager left recently after 25 years of involvement in the charity there was a time of panic, a time where there was doubt that we would find anyone to fill his shoes. I feel renewed enthusiasm with all the new ideas and suggestions being bandied about at these meetings, its good to have new people on board.
The Westie I took in 2 weeks ago has gone to a home this weekend but it has been incrediby quiet for cats, i think the dreadful weather must be putting off visitors. The rain has been incessant and once again the fields are suffering.i spent an hour last night trying to coax a racing pigeon off the kitchen roof, this is not the safest resting place for an exhausted bird.Fortunately the rain has meant that the cats are all staying inside , i dont think they have noticed him yet. I will try again today, he probably just needs food and rest so he can continue his journey.
Have taken in an elderly black labrador which was to be destroyed, his owner said he didnt even like dogs!!!!!!!!!! Laddie has lived outside all his life, why didnt he give him away years ago to someone who could have given hinm the love and attention all animals deserve.What a waste of this dogs life. i also have a new member of the household, Muffin an 8 years old Dogue de Bordeaux was brought to me from Lampeter where the owner had moved in with her new man, leaving her pets behind.The poodle and the three cats were snapped up but nobody wanted this middle aged and very large dog.Currently she is sharing space with my other 3 big dogs and they are getting on wonderfully, what a superb natured dog she is.Someone will have a great family pet if I ever find anyone suitable! I now have 4 golden coloured females, so i have nicknamed them - The Golden Girls.
Finally it has been a traumatic week too, with losing MOnty .Then Trixe the 11 years old retriever I took in a year ago(she was taken to our vet to be destroyed)has had to have a massive mammary tumour removed.Trixie was the most nervous dog I have seen for a long while,terrified of everybody she met and in 18 months she has transformed into a happy friendly animal who especially adores Molly the Great Dane.They are always lying almost on top of each other in their basket and Trixie constantly gazes adoringly at Molly.She has recovered well from the operation, however bit seems Molly who has lost some weight recently, has the beginnings of kidney failure!It never rains but it pours.
Tara seems fine without her old pal, we did try the old labrador with her but she was not at all impressed, nor was he so that was never going to be a match made in heaven. What a shame.

Goodbye Monty

Well the dreaded day arrived.We lost our dear old Monty. It was on the cards, he was living on borrowed time but nevertheless it has been a very sad time for all of us at the shelter, he was such a part of freshfields and it will seem odd seeing his friend Tara without him. He was such a funny old man, when he arrived here as a stray 4 years ago, he wouldnt look at people and if anyone went to pat him he would walk away, he was almost autistic if this is a possibility for a dog. Over the past year, he suddenly became more responsive and would actually approach the staff for attention though would not allow it for any length of time, moving away when he had had enough.Still, it was a great improvement on the aloof dog of earlier years, of course it mnakes me wonder what sort of life he had before, no dog is like this for no reason but Im happy that he became more people friendly of late.It gave him a better quality of life. We will miss you Monty.

An embedded cat collar !

Well Im back online after a period of struggling to use a very sick computer.There is no doubt computerisation is useful but when there are problems, patience (of which I have little) is most definitely required.Its a beautiful sunny day today, the birds are singing away in the treetops and dogwalking becomes a pleasure.However, not all is well with the world even on a day like this.I have had to call in the RSPCA after a young woman brought in her cat for rehoming.her excuse was that she was moving to her parents and that the cat did not like humans!!The poor cat "Tess" had her front leg through a collar which had become embedded in her flesh, she had a very nasty open wound requiring 6 stitches! How was this ignored by her owner. the cat must have been in a great deal of pain and discomfort, never mind the fact that it was glaringly obvious the collar was NOT around her neck as it should have been!!!!Totally unbelievaBLE, what did she think when she looked at her pet? Did she think the cat was nasty to her for no reason? Now the collar has been cut off and Tess is no longer in pain, she is a very sweet little soul.
Im also looking for a home for a little West Highland Terrier whose owner neglected him, he is the nicest natured Westie I have ever come across but so shy and quiet.He is so quiet the other dogs take no notice of him and he is marvellous with cats - the downside(there has to be one) is that he seems nervous of going outside to do his toilet, he did his first outside yesterday which was incredibly exciting - yes I know I need to get a life!!!!!!
The other dog is Muffin an 8 years old Dogue de Bordeaux whose owner moved in with her new man and left Muffin and her other pets for others to take over what should have been her responsibility.8years is quite elderly for this type of mastiff but she is so gentle and good natured I am sure someone will take pity on her especially as she is another who is good with other animals.That is always a bonus.
I had wonderful news yesterday.Some months ago I highlighted the problem of horses and donkeys in France which were being sent to slaughterhouses in Italy and so not only faced an untimely death but the trauma of a long overland journey. It seems my story touched the hearts of some people who were involved in a German Shepherd Club.These wonderful people raised the money to bring over 6 donkeys.I was very moved to see the photos and I am so grateful to them all for saving them.It quite restores my faith in human nature.