A most difficult dog.

Well this is the start of the 6th year Freshfields has been in North Wales.looking back there have been many times I have seriously wondered if I had done the right thing by trying to set up an animal shelter in such a predominantly farming area.So many farmers display such a callous attitude towards animals and finding support in suchg a community has proved very hard.Nevertheless - support we have found, the past year has brought us more supporters,. nmore volunteers and also more charity shops.The shops are our only regular income and are also a good way to raise the profile of the shelter.We now have 3 in Powys plus the two local to the shelter, in Caernarfon and Porthmadog.We have also received a grant from a charitable trust which has enabled me to purchase a couple more mobile stables for the horses.The weather is so very cold now and its such a relief to know that our horses are all going to be warm and dry this winter. In order to extend the stabling facilities I have had a hard standing and small yard built round two of the field shelters and also a turn out paddock which will be used in the spring for those ponies which need to have restricted grazing(those with laminitis).Once we have replaced the old stable which had to be pulled down due to structural problem, the horses facilities will be almost complete and then I need to turn my attention to the cattery which badly needs refurbishing.So lots to plan for this coming year.
It has been a quiet Christmas though the weeks leading up to it were hectic, it seemed as though everyone in Gwynedd (and other areas)wanted to part with their pets! We managed to take in all the cats we were asked to home and also to find homes for several of the dogs though there are still several needing homes.Although we were prepared to take in the 4 horses from the family in Cheshire and had aranged transport, nothing mnore has been heard from them! This happens a lot, we receive desperate calls, rush round organising everything and then No response from the people who instigated it. Often several weeks or months later another call will come through from the same people with the same problem and sometimes then we do not have the room, it can be very frustrating.
The dreadful hurricane type winds a few nights ago caused me a sleepless night worrying about the possible damage to the animal buildings but fortunately we survived, however friends in the village lost several of their animal houses though thankfully no animals were hurt.Its so exposed here high winds are a constant concern.
Honey the foxhound is still with me and I am struggling to deal with her behavioural problems. she is possibly the most difficult dog I have ever known! I feel a failure becasue with all my years of experience I am unable to make headway with her.Another shelter has offered to take her and I may have to accept the offer though I hate to give up on any animal and I also dont like to pass on a problem to someone else.The most worrying habit she has is that of chasing sheep and I am surrounded here by sheep so that is a major problem, she does not want to harm them but farmers will ask no questions, they will shoot first ask questions later.I wonder what her past history is. no animal is born difficult,Honey is no doubt a product of her background, |I believe she may have been originally from a hunting pack and has had to fight for food, hounds are not fed individually and the strongest nmore dominant ones will get to the food first.Her greed is amazing and she will thieve and fight to get even a small morsel of food. I am in a quandary about what to do with her though my common sense tells me one thing, my heart tells me another.