Dylan is coming back.

Another pony is being returned - Dylan the coloured black and white cob from Anglesey (pictured)needs more care than his new owners are able to give him.They have worked hard with him but I feel he may have to remain at the shelter for the rest of his life.His laminitis has come back with a vengeance and there is a chance that in spite of treatment, remedial shoes and pain killers he may not have a good quality of life ahead of him.Out of the 8 ponies from that home, not forgetting the 2 we lost, only one is completely healthy now.Its hard to believe that their owner called herself an animal lover and that these were rescued by her, only to be allowed to get into such a terrible state of health.,I think because they were all overweight, she thought that was proof of a healthy happy horse!Instead it started off the severe health problems which have now become irreversible.
We have been offered some more free grazing in the spring, such a relief as we need to be able to put many of our ponies out for the summer months.There is someone coming next week to look at Rollo the shetland pony.If he doesnt suit, there are the 2 abandoned shetlands in anglesey which are on a waiting list for a place here.
Its much warmer here at the moment, Im glad for the sake of the animals, not to mention the staff who in spite of wearing layers of clothes have found it so hard working outside with frozen fingers! This past week the yard has been like an ice rink and several members of staff have taken a fall, fortunately only pride was hurt and no broken bones.
Im caring for a little old dog called Sally whose owner is in hospital, she has joined Molly in the kitchen, I think Molly is glad of her company, since Cindy died she has been very quiet.Strangely , although she and Cindy merely tolerated one another, she stood for long periods of time staring at Cindys empty basket. Can animals see things we cant? Or is this just being fanciful?

Snow falls on the shetlands

There has been very little snow here but i took the photo of the three old shetlands Maggie, Noddy and Connie just as it started to snow last week.They were not in the least bit peturbed, why would they be when there is plenty of food around, like most horses and ponies they prefer to be outside than in the stable.They come in every night to a warm stable and a meal but in the day most prefer to have some sort of freedom, even the old ones like to potter about.All ours also have field shelters available if they choose to shelter from the elements.What I hate to see is ponies in a field devoid of any type of shelter whether it be natural or manmade.
Well - Tammy has gone off to her new home, she really is such a timid dog, I hope she settles well in her new home, she deserves a kind loving home, as indeed they all do.Its been very quiet for homing cats this weekend, perhaps its too cold for people to want to venture out or maybe everyone is grocery shopping,maybe sunday will be busier. Just as I typed that sentence people turned up to view the kittens, they are all becoming quite big now,(the cats not the visitors) the last of last seasons kittens.We have had in a suspected pregnant cat who turned out to be already spayed, she was just a fat cat, however she does have several lumps which need to be removed.When cats like that turn up there is no way to find the owners unless it has been reported missing or is microchipped. I wonder how many cats brought to shelters are not actually lost but live close by to where they were picked up? I will make some enquiries about this cat becasue she looks well cared for and is a lovely friendly girl.It would be nice if we could reunite her with her owners though I cant say I am too hopeful.We have very little success with cats being claimed.
Mei has just popped in to say there was nothing suitable for the visitors, shame but most of the kittencats left are very very timid, almost feral.Most people , understandable want an affectionate animal to take home.
I have had lots of phone calls from people concerned about horses in this Big Freeze.many appear to have no access to water and of course water buckets are freezing up so rapidly. Im going to check on 2 locally who appear to be in afield littered with broken glass and rubbish with no evidence of food being left(there is no grass either) Another call is about a pony in Clwyd which seems to have been abandoned for months and is now in a poor condition.I pass them on to the ILPH (now changed their name to World horse welfare)as they have more clout with the authorities and therefore can do more to help in an emergency.
Time now for the afternoon feed and start heating up Microwave pads for the ferals which live outdoors, they keep warm for up to 12 hours.It was so cold last night I think I may just heat one up and pop it into my own bed,That should keep me, William lurcher and the cats warm! Years ago I had a little chinese crested dog(the hairless type) he used to snuggle down the bottom of the bed to get warm and would heat up immediately, he kept my feet lovely and warm all night.I was told their body temperature is different from other breeds? The Chinese Emperors used to use them as hot water bottles so I believe but I have no idea if this is fact or fiction,another fact which needs to be looked up on the net.Ive been meaning to look this up for ages and never seem to remember to do it- All my middle aged friends seem to have the same memory problem.I keep blaming the fact I have so much on my mind, Im not ready yet to own up to middle age.After all its just a number ISNT IT?
We have a volunteer here today, a young man who has been kept busy walking the dogs and mucking out stables, what a difference even just one volunteer can make.

2 new cats arrive

2 beautiful cats were brought in today, Fluff and Tigers owner was found dead so the cats have become homeless through no fault of their own.It would be nice to home them together but Fluff is extremely timid and not too keen on being handled. We will see how he settles in the weeks to come.The relative who brought them in thinks they could be homed separately as they are not particularly close, if this is the case it might be easier but if they are bonded they will stay together, I never like to split animals unecessarily.They form close bonds with each other the same as humans and they cant speak and ask so we have to make a decision what would be in their best interests and hope we have done the right thing by them.
Denise and Mike from Lincoln have come to see Tammy the very shy collie, they will be staying overnight locally and hopefully taking Tammy home with them tomorrow.Its hard for them to see what she will be like because she is so scared of new people and new situations but it doesnt take long for her to develop an affection for people.I hope they will be able to see ahead, she desperately needs to be in a home where she can settle and feel secure.Often these very shy dogs remain nervous of strangers for the rest of their lives, each one is different and there is no way of knowing how much they will change once in a loving home.Some never forget their past abuse and will always need that extra understanding and patience.

Marley, Another neglected dog

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After an anxious wait to hear news of "The Dorset 3" I heard all are settled well in their new homes . Im so relieved that they arrived safely and seem ok after their long journey.Now I need to try and place Marley the emaciated collie found on Abersoch beach.UNDER HIS LONG COAT HE IS SKIN AND BONE.He is only about 12 months old(photo above) and has obviously been living outside as he is filthy dirty and just about the smelliest dog Ive smelled for a long time.The poor dog was terrified when I picked up a brush to move it, he fled to the other side of the kitchen and cowered in abject terror. It makes me so
mad. There was a dreadful case in the news today of a gsd starved almost to the point of death, did the owner get a prison sentence - NO. just banned from keeping dogs for 25 years!!! Id like to know how that will be monitored.Years ago I had dealings with a woman in Crosby,Liverpool who was banned from keeping dogs for 5 years, 12 months later she had a housefull of thin neglected dogs, when I reported this, I was told that there was little could be done!!!!! WHY? What is the point of taking these people to court in the first place if the sentence cant be carried out successfully?The happy news is that the German shepherd has a wonderful home now and has made a remarkable recovery.
We had the vet out today, Freddy, one of our horses who has been with us several years, has a eye infection , his eye looks sore and swollen.Heaven knows how this happened, yesterday it looked fine.The vet was unable to give him an injection of antibiotics, even with Meirwens help to calm him, Freddy was terrified and reared up on his hind legs.The injection plan had to be abandoned, instead he will have to have it in his food, these horses can be so naughty. Mind you Fred is so much better than when he arrived 6 years ago from Jersey.He was due to be destroyed after several unsuccessful attempts to settle in homes.His problem was that he refused to stay in a field without other horses and would jump fences causing chaos on the roads.He is badly scarred from his run ins with motor vehicles .Here he always has company so pther than the fact he is a little shy with people, he is so much improved.When he arrived he would not allow anyone within yards of him. We called him Freddy Kruger as he was such a horror to deal with(now shortened to a more pleasant sounding Freddy)He is around 21 years of age now and is close friends with Callie our elderly bay mare.
We are still waiting for Cariads blood test results, I have moved her into the conservatory as it is so much warmer, though whether she will deign to stay there is another matter! She can be very determined when she decides she doesnt like something , even a new bed can annoy her and make her fractious.We homed a black half grown cat today, always a morale boosster, there are still many left over from the last kitten season, it would be nice if they all go before the next season begins.

Christy, Pip and and Freddy go to Dorset.and Emmy finds a home at last

I think the mystery bird may have been identified, seems that a white backed Indian Vulture escaped from a park in staffordshire a year ago.There had been sightings in Snowdonia though not recently but it must be the same bird as the sheer size and shape indicates it is not an indiginous species.Rhian has looked up the bird on the net and is sure this is the bird she saw! Amazing.
3 dogs are off to Dorset tomorrow having been found homes in that area, Christy the middle aged collie will be travelling with Pip the deaf jack Russell and Freddy the very shy cross staff/lurcher is going also.They are being transported by an animal taxi whose costs have been covered by the prospective owners and a generous donation from the proprietors of a doggy hotel in the Poole area.Tammy, the shy collie also has someone interested in her, some people are travelling from Nottingham on Friday.
I wish there were more local homes but this area is flooded with unwanted dogs, especially ex farm dogs and homes are so thin on the ground.I am just thrilled to find good homes, no matter where they are.
One of the cats which went at the weekend was Emmy a sweet little white and tabby who had been here since 2006.She was a feral kitten who took a long time to become friendly and even now she is very timid.Emmy needed a very special home and on Sunday that home turned up for her.Lovely cat minded people who already have a few of our cats have given her a chance along with Finlay a handsome black longhaired male.I am over the moon about Emmy, each day I had thought I would keep her but kept thinking she might yet find a home.It was a long time but worth the wait in the end.
Andre, the Equine dentist has been today to check our horses, there were no major problems today, he was pleased with them all though he had a terrible time with Ken the new boy.He was unable to check his teeth as ken was determined not to allow this indignity! Andre will return in April so we will have to have a vet here to administer an anaesthetic in order to sort out any problems ken may have in his mouth.
It snowed briefly yesterday but today the sun is shining and the frost on the ground is starting to clear,Im pleased for the sake of the wild birds who have been so desperate scavenging f0r scraps.I wonder what the Vulture is living on? Im glad it ios not flying round here, I would be scared for my cats, though maybe vultures only eat carrion, must read up on them.

Drum and Ken

Drum and his friend Ken arrived back yesterday and have settled in well.I was a little worried about introducing them to the main herd because newcomers can often cause excitement amongst the resident horses and this can lead to mad galloping about the field, With the ground being so hard there is a fear of a horse tripping and injuring itself, however after a period of time in an adjoining paddock enabling them all to see each other, the introduction went without any problems.Drum was originally admitted here when his owner could no longer ride him, he is a bit arthritic and has a problem with his vertebrae, Ken apparently has no health problems but is an ex riding school horse who was too strong willed for his job!!!
I was telling a member of staff Rhian about the birds in the garden and that I had had a visit from a reed bunting when she told me about an enormous bird she had seen and neither of us could think what it could be.It was bigger than a buzzard with black wings and a light underbelly, could it have been an eagle? I cant imagine that it would be as they are not seen in this area so it would be unlikely, has anyone any ideas?Oh and it wasnt a heron, we see loads of them here and even Rhian who is no bird expert can tell one of those a mile away.
We are having a bit of a surge in interest in the cats and they are moving very slowly but at least they are moving and we have been able to take in 2 new cats. One is a heavily pregnant stray, a beautiful dark tortoishell with a thick coat almost like a pedigree british blue feel to it.The other is a very timid black 7 years old female called Toots whose owner was moving to a flat and was unable to take pets with him.I worry for her as she is timid and not the kind of cat who is found a home quickly if at all!The fact she is black doesnt help either as this colour seems so unpopular.Poor old Toots.
Charlie terrier has been returned , Ive put him on the dogsblog website so hope he will go quickly, he is a happy little dog but not good with small animals, cats, hens etc(in other words he is a typical terrier)

Cariad undergoes blood tests.

Cariad(pictured above enjoying a roll in the hay!) is back from the vet but we have not had the results yet from her blood tests.The vet suspects she has had a trauma to her back at some time in the past and this is now causing her some neurological problems.In the meantime she is doing Ok, still grumpy and unpredictable but perhaps she is in pain and this is why she is so bad tempered.Cariad has been here for 5 years and could have been homed dozens of times over as she is so attractive looking , but she has always lashed out and bitten whenever anyone stops to admire here.She can roam freely and her bed is in an igloo type affair in the passage of the main cattery .Every evening a heatpad is placed in her bed to keep her warm though at the moment because of the icy weather, she is having one in the day also.
There are 2 new cats being admitted tomorrow , one of which is reputedly heavily pregnant. Another half grown kittencat went today and another adult yesterday so at least they are starting to move again.I havent been able to make any inroads into the massive waiting list until now. I am going through it picking out the most urgent cats to come in.
Tomorrow our coloured cob Drum is being returned, along with his companion .Drums new owner says she cannot cope any longer due to health issues so not only do we take Drum back but the pony to whom he went as a companion,One goes out, two are returned!I am happy to do so as I hate splitting up horses which have bonded and have become firm friends but this is extra strain on our resources.There are also problems in the foster home caring for Romana and Rusty so it looks as though they too will have to be found space here.We will definitely need some more local grazing facilities in the spring/sumer months.The problem is often that such offers come without shelters for the ponies.
Poor William spent another night in terror with the fireworks going off in the village here. Its not a happy new year for him and animals like him who suffer so badly.As I was watching Jools Holland as I do every new year, I turned the volume up even louder to try to drown out the bangs and flashes of light. It worked to some degree but he was not fooled for long and the usual shakes and trembling began.Eventually there was peace and quiet and around 2am we all managed to get to sleep,
Happy New Year to animal lovers everywhere.
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