Goodbye Washi, hello Ty

After beating myself up over the return of the young collie " Washi" a few days ago I am pleased to say that he has gone to his new home,they brought their rescued dog Bella to meet him and decided he WAS the dog for them.I am so pleased and can only hope that this time I have found the right home for him.Judging by the wonderful condition and obvious contentment of Bella who had been a very sad and nervous dog when they adopted her some years ago it seems like an excellent home for him.
Another dog has been admitted. (this is is the cross german shepherd collie whose owner turned up here the other day) Ty is 12 months old, a cross german shepherd/kelpie(not a collie) and although he is not perhaps the prettiest dog we have had, he seems a generally amiable youngster but in dire need of training.Usually with regular and free exercise in the fields these sort of dogs calm down considerably.For some animals a walk on a lead is not enough especially dogs from working stock who have vitality and intelligence bred into them. many problems with canines can be,if not resolved,improved with the right,regular exercise.It makes sense, even with human beings. Depression and bad moods can be miraculously lifted by a half hour run or similar exercise.I speak as one who knows!
I have had an urgent request for a place for a staffordshire bull terrier -as she is good with other dogs and generally good natured so Rosie has offered to foster her,Perhaps we will be as fortunate finding her a good home as we were with Billy a few months ago. As mentioned before they are hard to home because of the bad press they receive but if this one is half as nice as the owner says she is then she needs to be given a chance.They seem to be dogs that people either love or hate,I have already mentioned her to a couple of callers who have enquired about dogs but have been met with a silence when I say she is a staff.What a shame.
My friend Jane who lives in Oxford fostered a staffordshire bull terrier after I forwarded an email plea for dogs on death row in a pound. He was then homed with my eldest niece Vanessa who lives in Wordsley with her husband Avtar and her two teenage stepdaughters.This once condemned dog is so loved by the family, I receive regular news bulletins about how wonderful he is and how much one of the family he has become.They have nothing but praise for him and they cannot believe he was left unclaimed in a dog pound.He is a perfect example of how these dogs can so often make the best family pets.
There are two litters of kittens arriving tomorrow,it is the first time we have had empty pens for some months which is great because it means that we are managing to place most of those which have been admitted.Just a few of the older kittens remain,once they reach 14 weeks or so,they seem to lose their appeal though not tome or the staff of course. When there are younger ones available they have less of a chance which is why I have put off bringing in younger litters for the past week.
Well it is pouring with rain again today,is there no end to it? Even waterproofs fail to keep out the heavy driving rain so we are all perpetually soaked to the skin.Oh Happy Days. The only good thing about this awful weather is the sheer pleasure experienced at the end of the day when wet clothes are discarded,a hot bath is run and then afterwards snuggling up on the sofa with the dogs and a good book. I am a woman of simple pleasures!
Oh dear, last problem of the day - the swallows nest has fallen from high in our barn and the babies are balancing precariously on the girders.I dont know if they are old enough to cope with this, can they fly? I THINK they must be old enough now, but I am taking the ladder down there to try and replace the nest. . More tomorrow.