A Dog with An Embedded Collar.

Scamp the collie we admitted today was found to be wearing an embedded collar which had started to infect the skin. The sore goes right round his neck. He has come from a private home, how disgraceful that this was left unattended, maybe not even noticed.It is nowhere near as bad as poor Robins neck (remember him)but if it had been left for another month or two it could well have been.The photo does not show how sore it was and how infected but perhaps that is as well, its not the nicest thing to look at. Rosie will be fostering him after the weekend, she is away at an agility show with her clever dogs along with Veronica and HER equally clever dogs.Its a great life for collies, their minds and bodies are kept energised.maybe they will take ME along next time. I could do with some energising activities!

A little stocky Patterdale was taken into our Caernarfon shop after twice narrowly escaping being hit by cars, he had no ID on him but was well fed and cared for(not neutered though) The little chap was claimed later in the day which was a relief to him and to us.He had been fretting and was looking very depressed until his owner arrived.Its easy to put on a collar and tag and yet so many fail to do this .I hope that the fright of losing him will do the trick and they will buy him a collar and tag. We will try to persuade them to allow us to microchip him(at cost)It is a small price to pay for peace of mind and to know that a lost pet will be returned quickly to his home.

PS: they were happy and willing to let us microchip him and are bringing their other dog back for us to do the same.Thats progress.

Saturday:

Legend the dog which was abandoned in Dorothea Quarry has gone to his third home and lets hope this is his final one.Of course there are problem dogs which are hard to cope with but he is a nice dog and it is really no fault of his own that he has not managed to stay out when adopted. I had him in the house last night and he was as good as gold even with boisterous Gel and Dingo driving him nuts. These two worry me, I wonder if I will ever find anyone suitable for them. Dingo is nervous and barky round new people and I would definitely be concerned if he got off his lead, he panics and becomes hard to get hold of. On the good side, he is house trained, affectionate, excellent with other dogs both males and females and well behaved except when dinner is ready and he boings up and down like a jack in the box! Gel being an ex farm dog is very energetic and he is overbearing with other dogs, he wants to play but he constantly grabs their necks and bowls them over, Dingo is extremely patient with him and rarely retaliates but another less sweet natured dog may be provoked into a fight. Being 2 years and 4 years they are too young for me to keep and Meg lurcher gets fed up with their antics. Will I be stuck with them?Much as I care

for these two reprobates they both need more attention than I can give them.

I have been waiting for a visit from BT about having a phone line in the house as I only have my mobile(which I lose constantly). When he turned up, he said that he had gone miles out of his way because he had stopped a lady walking a dog and asked if she knew where Bryn Melyn was located.(the name of the property which is Freshfields)but she could not help him and he went on his way.The lady was Sue who has worked here for two years! When she returned she asked mei if she knew where Bryn Melyn was and Mei replied "Here"!She was so embarassed that when the BT man finally found us, Sue hid behind one of the cars! She is finding it hard to live that one down! Good one Sue.

Oh , as I am writing this two strangedogs have appeared in the yard, a chocolate labrador pup and a shi tzu!They have tags on their collars so I rang the telephone number. The adventurous pair had escaped from their home just down the lane and already they have been reunited with their owner. The puppy was enjoying allthe fuss we were making of him so I hope we have not encouraged his wandering streak. This reunion took 15 minutes as opposed to the entire day that Duke the patterdale spent with us yesterday.

Only one couple turned up to adopt today but as they had lost their own cat recently, they left without one , saying they felt it might be too soon to take on another. I understand this logic but dont agree with it.Like everyone who grieves when a beloved pet is lost, I have spent time feeling sometimes overwhelmed with sadness; when I lost William I was more devastated over him

than over the loss of any other pet for a very long time, but there are so many animals languishing in rescue shelters that to me it seems self absorbed to allow oneself to drown in maudlin remembrances. I could no more visit a shelter knowing I had a home to offer and walk away without a new friend than I could take one of my pets to one. That said everyone grieves in a different way and I am not without sympathy for such people. It is not a criticism of their feelings,I have great understanding and empathy for those who are bereaved but my heart goes out to the pets left behind to wait again for the next visitor who might stop at their pen and who might, just might fall for a pitiful cry or a desperate bid for attention. This is the side I see when visitors leave empty handed and that is what I grieve for more than anything -the sadness of the homeless pet.

PS: as I was finishing this someone turned up and has chosen a kittencat aged 4 months and a black one at that so the day is not a total washout AND supporters Ann and husband from Stoke turned up with a car boot full of petfood for the animals here so the day has improved in leaps and bounds already.