Mei gets a Soaking and Lad is Released From Cage.

For once I did have my camera on me when one of the Jack Russells chose to relieve himself on Meis leg.Little tinker!Champ, the naughty one is proving to be rather difficult, he is not used to having a collar and lead on and has to be lassoed in order to take him for a walk.He will need an experienced terrier owner, he will prove too much of a challenge for most prospective adopters.He reminds me very much of my own JR Charley Patch who took months to settle and would not let me touch him for about 4 months.Of course I wouldn't part with him for the world now, these naughty dogs have so much character and when eventually there is a break through with them it is so satisfying. Still they are not everyones cup of tea.

Rosie is fostering ANOTHER couple of dogs , someone turned up yesterday with a 6 months staff pup, now they really are not my favourite breed but this one is a sweetie and today I went to check on a farm collie in appalling conditions, he was being kept in a small wire run after his owner had retired, the water bowl was disgusting(see photos of him in his pathetic home and the water container) but before I even opened my mouth the man said he wanted a home for him so it was all so easy which is not very often the case.So another foster dog for Rosie.What would we do without her?

Yesterday Mei and I checked out some free grazing which had been offered in the Criccieth area, there is 8 acres of rough pasture which may do some of the hardier, younger ponies, we will be having a meeting this week to organise which ponies will stay the summer and which we will put out to other fields.It is still so very cold, icy even and whilst it is this cold I do not want the horses and ponies to leave here, at the moment most still need overnight stabling but as we all know,the weather could change anytime.I notice lots of newborn lambs in fields and wonder if they will all survive if this icy wind continues. For a few weeks the birds were not quite so noticeable on the feeders but now they are ravenous again and demolishing everything in sight, as soon as the feeders are filled, they descend on them and the next morning all are empty again.Its a never ending feeding frenzy and it is costing a fortune keeping them in seed, nuts and fatballs.

There has been no sign of the badgers so maybe I was wrong or perhaps they WERE here but have relocated.Shame I was longing to see one that wasn't stretched out lifeless on the side of a road.My sister(who is doing well now after her operation) has them in her garden and when I have stayed overnight the highlight has been watching them come out of the bushes around 9pm and scuttling over to the food she puts out.Sandra puts on the outside light so we can see them really clearly,I am so envious of her nocturnal visitors.

I have set the date now for the next Open Day here, it will be on the 24th JUly and we are also holding a sponsored dog walk on Sunday 15 th May.I will be sorting out the sponsor forms this weekend - if anyone would like some please contact me at the shelter. What I am trying to do is have a fundraising event at least once a month to supplement the income, the next one is organised by supporter Lindsay and is a quiz night at the cross foxes pub in Trawsfynyfdd. 8pm.If you are keen on this sort of thing please support Lindsays evening and help the animals here in the process.

There are lots and lots of cats waiting for places here now, the list is getting frighteningly long and they have to be prioritised depending on the urgency of the situation, the problem can be when most are desperate cases- people leaving their homes, owners who have died and the mnost urgent of all - those cats with no homes or owners to care for them.How does one prioritise these? they are all so needy. For every cat which is adopted another 50 are vying for that single place. I had no idea what an enormous task I was taking on when I set up the cattery here.If there were 200 pens, there would still not be enough for all the homeless and unwanted cats in this county. What I find strange about living here is that there are so many rural properties, so many people with land and yet there are fewer animal rescuers than there are in Liverpool and as for wildlife ,well finding injured wildlife creates a real problem; as far as I know there is only one person in the whole of the county who can help. A wildlife rescue is desperately needed here and a dog shelter AND a rescue cattery.I do wish the big National Charities would think of North Wales and

set up their next sanctuary here.Maybe they too are suffering from the recession! It is just so overwhelming trying to do so much, there is only so much one impoverished shelter can actually do and there are so many animals needing help.

Finally , a lovely white odd eyed cat was admitted as a stray(see here) I was so sure she would be claimed but a week has gone by and nobody has come forward for her. Tomorrow two more cats are coming in - their owner is moving house tomorrow and Veronica is collecting them from Anglesey on her way in to work.They are middle aged cats, 10 years and 8 years which takes the number of middle aged and elderly cats here waiting to be adopted to around 19.