Our pet sheep are investigated!

A bit of good news,I had an email from the lady with the shetlands,she has found a good home for them.That is a load off my mind.The other bit of good news is that someone has been to see the FIV cats and is returning Saturday with her partner but is adamant she will be taking one of them.Susan lives in a flat which is ideal for an FIV positive cat. There are still 4 more from this feline family but its a start and one less means more room in the pen for the remaining 4.The 2 kittens were old enough to be tested yesterday and unfortunately they too have tested positive for the virus.What a shame.
We have had a visit from the Trading Standards today about our pet sheep!! Ijust knew our horrid neighbour was going to make waves about something,he has been watching the staff walk the dogs recently and when I say watch I mean not just glancing over but standing and staring.They just wanted to know if they were registered but what is behind it? My thoughts are that the sheep annoy him with their bleating in the morning as they are waiting to be fed.It IS loud but for heavens sake he has moved to live in sheep country, what on earth does he expect?.This is the only way he can try to do something because if he complained to the council about bleating sheep he would be laughed out of their offices. I would hate to live his life,a professional complainer so embittered and discontented that his spare time is spent watching his neighbours (not just me) and searching for yet another reason to contact the Council etc. What a waste of a life.
On to more pleasant things,it was my day off yesterday so I joined a friend to climb up Mount Snowdon and at the summit saw a bird I did not recognise.On returning home I looked it up in my bird book and found it was a red legged partridge.They are not indiginous to the Uk, rather they were imported from France a long time ago.If I can upload the photo from my mobile I will post it on another blog.It was an attractive little creature and almost tame, we were able to get quite close to it for a photo opportunity.Whilst on the topic of birds, there was a fantastic documentary on television wednesday night .Land of the Volcano featured amazing wildlife including the most stunning birds of paradise.What an experience to see them so close,must remember to watch it again next week.
I still have been unable to contact the woman with the cat and kittens, she is not answering her messages.I will have to resign myself to the fact that theres nothing more I can do. A tiny kitten has been found today in Porthmadog,Mion is going to collect and foster. It may be that her mum cat will adopt this little orphan and if she does that would be the best result of all.Its so hard to raise a tiny kitten and they really do need the comfort of a mother cat and of course the antibodies from her milk.Fingers crossed.
Mion has just rung,the kitten has sniffles so she cannot take the chance of trying her with the resident mum and babies.It is a tortoishell and white female - nearly always female though I read recently that someone had one which turned out to be a male,the odds of which are incredible.
Well it is 5pm and dogwalking time, the last one before the final 7pm exercise so time to go.The hounds are waiting!

The cats enjoy a nibble of Grass

We have been growing grass in pots for the cats in the feral enclosure and before anyone reports us for sending our animals into a drug induced stupor it is plain ordinary grass we all have in our gardens! The cats showed great interest and within minutes were investigating and enjoying a nibble.I thought it would do them good as the enclosure has a concrete floor and some of the cats have been in it for almost a year now.I would love the ground to be grass but it would be impossible to clean with so many cats so this is a way of letting them have access to it whilst they are incarcerated.
Today I visited Thandi in her new home. Thandi was the neglected German Shepherd brought in by the police a few months ago after she was abandoned on the bypass.What a difference in her now, it was heartwarming to see her running round with the other dogs.Of course when she was admitted she was unable to do this because her muscles were atrophied through lack of exercise(we think she had been chained or left in a shed for a long time) I just love doing these follow ups,its a great feeling.I think she knew me though nowadays she gives kisses to everyone she meets so it was impossible to know but I like to think she did recognise me.
Whilst I was out someone was meant to bring in a stray mother cat and kittens because her dog had killed two.As it was urgent I told her to bring them in immediately,she was so concerned but guess what, she failed to turn up and is not answering her phone, why do they do this? We will all be worrying now.I will keep trying her phone.
One of the builders who already has a neutered cat has been showing interest in the kittens and his wife came today and chose two of the fluffy tabbies,also an adult cat has gone.They are moving but very slowly and there is such a long waiting list now. There are about 12 cats on the list and several litters of kittens waiting for a space here.
Calls and emails are starting to come in with requests to take in ponies.This happens every year at this time.When winter beckons people start to think of the extra work and expense so this is the time they take action to find somewhere to take their unwanted equines.Today there is a request to take in two section a ponies and yesterday a call came to help with two shetlands though in all fairness that call seemed a genuine one.The problem is that we are now full and cannot posssibly find space for another.This leaves me with a problem, what advice can I give? All the shelters I know aRE full and many of the larger ones do not take gifted horses (those owned by people)but keep their spaces for cruelty cases.We have a couple of homes we are checking out for ponies for but there is only so much that can be done and so few homes available. Its hard to face up to the fact that it is not possible to help every animal which we hear about and believe me it is not something I will ever get used to. I prefer to try every option I can think of before facing up to this fact. If only there was less indiscriminate breeding of ponies, this summer almost every field in this area has contained mares with foals at foot.It seems that owning a mare means that she MUST be put in foal.WHY,WHY, WHY????I would like to send these people to the horse sales to see for themselves where so many end up.Oops Im off on another rant so I had best put an end to it before I lose my blog readers.Apologies everyone.

Krystal will soon be joining our family in Wales.

The break is over and I am back refreshed and raring to go!! The weather is so good we have put off bringing our horses back until next week, another week for our own fields to rest will not do any harm at all. I had a lovely email and photos from Gels new owners and they are delighted with him.He has started his vaccinations ready to become a jet setter so he will be ready to visit his second home abroad next year. Lucky dog.I am seriously thinking of putting myself up for adoption!
I have been contacted to help with 13 unwanted ferrets so if any blog readers can offer help or have any contacts pleaselet me know,I know that Liverpool Freshfields is full so no point trying there at the moment and we already have a ferret in situ which is taking up the only suitable residence.
We have just had a visit from the new Donkey Sanctuary Inspector for this area, Heulwyn and her regional manager Molly had been on a callout to check the condition of one nearby and came to introduce themselves.There are not many donkeys round here though last week I received a call about a neglected one in Anglesey which later turned out to be a false alarm.So often calls like that ARE false alarms but of course we never know, so every call needs to be followed up and now I have a contact to whom I can pass on such calls which is very useful.
I have always loved Donkeys and my first sight of a really neglected donkey came when I was on a seal saving mission with the conservation organisation "Sea Shepherd".In the seventies A group of us travelled to Ireland where fishermen had in previous years killed baby seals in the belief they were threatening their livelihood.We camped out on a remote island called Inishglora in County Mayo and watched over the seal pups during the breeding season.It was quiet an awesome experience but no pups were killed that year.However, I was very disturbed to find a donkey on this remote island, he had swollen knees and could hardly walk.He had been alone on the island for 18 years! Can you imagine that? He had been abandoned there by his owner when he no longer wanted him.There was a local superstition that ill luck would come to those who harmed a donkey so this was deemed a better way of dealing with them.many such animals faced the same or worse fate. Unwilling to leave this poor animal once I had seen him,I contacted the Donkey sanctuary and to cut a very long story short he eventually was taken there and spent the rest of his life in luxury and even found a donkey friend with whom he became inseperable.He was named ISlander and featured in much of their earlier publicity and reading material..I will never forget my first sight of him in that lonely plase and donkeys have always since then held a very special place in my heart.
Back to Horses - We have an old grey pony called Krystal (pictured here)in Liverpool which is cared for by two members of the Liverpool staff.Krystal is stabled just a mile away from the shelter but her main carer Kirsty is studying to be a vet and this year she will be away from the shelter quite a lot so it has been decided to bring the pony to Wales where we can continue her care.It is hoped she will join the Anglesey ponies and fit into their little group.The only foreseeable problem could be in the spring when she comes into season,mares can cause high jinks in their fields if surrounded by eager (though impotent suitors)Anyway she has to come here, she is our responsibility so it is likely this will happen in the next couple of weeks.
The two cross labrador pups have gone off to their home but not before all the staff had fallen in love with them.Henry and William had the nicest temperaments of any pups I have seen.Even when they met horses for the first time there was no aggression, no barking, just waggy tails and curiosity.Lovely little dogs.If only all dogs were of the same disposition.There have been some hairy moments with Purdey the cross dalmation/collie who most definitely does not like cats and has to be kept on a lead now at all times.She can only have a free run when out of sight of other animals which is very restrictive in a place like this.It is such a shame because in other ways she is a perfect animal, great on the lead, loves children,house trained and friendly with everyone she meets.There will be the right person for her,I just wish he/she/they would turn up soon!
Now Ben is on tablets for his arthritic pain,he seems happier in himslelf and even jumped up at me to make a fuss which is the first time ever.Clearly they are doing him the world of good already.

Lots of new Arrivals

I have had more trouble with computer or rather the electrics in the office so Roy from the shop has been up to help put me back online again.There have been a few animal abandonments lately.Vanessa was disturbed the other night by her dog barking and when she went to the door there was a box on her doorstep with a mother cat and her kitten inside! This can be a problem when people get to know that someone works at an animal shelter -its even easier for them to dump their unwanted pets there than perhaps having to answer any uncomfortable questions.Then I went out to collect 2 pups whose owner had abandoned them,fortunately a neighbour had taken them in to his garden so they were safe until I arrived. I have a home for them already , this adorable pair (pictured here) will be going together.After I posted their photo on the website I was deluged with calls for them and to be honest more than a couple sounded excellent but I think I have made the right choice. Then I went over to Anglesey to collect some cats and kittens whose owner was terminally ill.Pictured here are Tippy and her week old babies, Tishy(Tippys sister) and her 2 kittens which are about 12 weeks of age and another litter of 4 which were abandoned and brought in by someone who discovered them today in a box on a local estate.
Another rabbit has arrived, Hugo is a black male bunny abandoned locally,another one to have his bits off as soon as posssible! If everyone neutered their rabbits, the males would not have to live a solitary existence, they can then be paired with a female or sometimes as mentioned before another male.Whatever takes their fancy!
Its been lovely weather today, the sun has been out and both humans and animals seem more cheerful.There are builders here at the moment making some alterations to the passageway outside the kitten room,making it more weatherproof ready for the winter.Well actually we need it now, the rain has been torrential here.Anyway by mid afternoon it was really warm and the builders had taken off their tops (as they do) soI thought it was time I had a little sun and vitamin C on my skin so rolled up my trousers,settled myself in a good position for the sun and guess what- the sun went in and clouds filled the sky.TYPICAL!
Im not sure if I mentioned some months ago that I was temporarily caring for a 12 years old collie called Ben whose owner had lost his home.Well six months later I still have him and not a word from the owner.Theres gratitude for you.Anyhow I have become very fond of Ben, he lives with Molly and Meg in the house and I have come to the conclusion he will be here for life.Lately he has seemed not so strong on his back legs so he has been to the vet for a check up and he has arthritis in his spine.Poor old man will now be on pain killers daily to alleviate the pain and Im sure this will improve his quality of life. He is a good dog and very affable with the others, his only problem is that he has a tendency to run in the garden and have a good bark over the fence which of course worries me so I am constantly calling him indoors. I keep expecting my delightful neighbour to make a complaint to the council.In fact I am sure he has already done so,it would be out of character for him to ignore it!
Mion and Trish from our Portmadog shop have been up to collect Tippy and her new babies,Mion will be adding them to her little family of foster babies and they will come back to us when they are weaned and ready to set out on their own without Mum. Foster homes are wonderful because they free up a pen which would otherwise be occupied by mum and babies for up to two months.They really are invaluable to an animal shelter like ours with limited space and facilities.
Now this weekend I AM going away for a few days so next blog will be Monday.I hope nothing untoward occurs whilst I am away though if all is completely without problems and crisis and I receive no calls requesting my advice/help I am always a little put out because it proves I am not TOTALLY indispensable! UNTHINKEABLE!

Our horse trailer arrives

Well the weekend did not materialise but I decided to have a "Blog Break" anyway,it can be hard to think of interesting things to talk about every day and I thought a break might give me some inspiration though that remains to be seen.
So whats new? Washi the returned dog which upset me so much has settled down well in his new home,he is now called kai and I have had photos of him emailed to me today,he looks happy and has found a new companion in Belle with whom he is sharing his home.
New dog Ty is improving as the week goes by though I have had no interest in him at all, whoever said looks dont matter should work with rescued dogs and they will soon see that is untrue. The pretty ones are always snapped up and the plain ones left behind. Just every now and again someone will turn up who actually prefers to take on a less than beautiful animal and they can see the beauty which others fail to recognise. Thats the kind of person we need for Ty and for Purdey(pictured here)who has been here too long already.
2 more adult cats have been homed and a few more kittens but 2 adults Boots and Sox have been admitted and another litter so the numbers remain about the same.Its a nice day today and the permanent cats are enjoying being outside in the warmth.Out of all the cats roaming free here we only have a couple of hunters amongst them but this morning I found 2 dead voles and I am almost certain I know which cat is the culprit. The two tortoishell sisters,one of which is now domestic and her sister who remains feral also have different personalities.Domestic cat likes to be comfortable on the sofa in the conservatory,feral sister likes to be out hunting and rarely enters the conservatory.I am sure she is the phantom Vole killer.Upsetting though it is to find lifeless bodies in the conservatory this is the nature of cats and I cannot be annoyed at something which is natural to her albeit repugnant to me. Im just thankful there are not more with her instincts patrolling the property.
Rosie is fostering the little Staff bull terrier called Needles,she is a sweet friendly dog who appears to love everybody she meets.I am not the biggest fan of bull breeds but have to admit this one is very loveable and I hope she will not be with us for too long.
I have just realised the photo I tried to publish last week of Gail with her dogs did not materialise so here it is again.
The farrier has been here today,nearly £200 it has cost! How can I bring more money in to the shelter? More thought has to be given to this, organising events is not my forte and what I need is a fundraising group to do this.Perhaps its time I asked the local newspaper to give us some publicity.
We have our horse trailer now and I am so excited,now we will be able to transport our own horses instead of paying other people.It is an old one but in excellent condition and being an Ifor Williams trailer it is hardy and well built. I cant believe we have been donated this, so few people give something for nothing and I am so grateful to Jane and Jonathan for being so kind.I doubt I will be able to tow with my 4x4 as I can barely drive let alone tow a horse trailer but Barbara is experienced at this and maybe one of the other girls might learn in time.

Who really writes this blog?

I am away this weekend on a much needed break from the shelter and will not be back until Monday.In the meantime I found a photo of Gail walking her dogs during her teabreak and couldnt resist publishing the photo of Felix on my shoulders whilst I was writing my blog last week.Or is it Felix who writes under a pseudonym?You decide!

Connie gives us a fright.

The swallow babies have reduced in number,one has vanished, the remaining two are being fed by mum,I havent see them fly yet and hope the cats are not responsible for the disappearance of baby no 3.The rafters are too high for me to replace the nest, even an extending ladder does not reach.All we can do is keep an eye on them during
2 adult cats have been homed together ,3 gone altogether so I am delighted that they are starting to move and it makes room for a few of those which have been on the waiting list for some time.Of course often when I contact the owners of these cats, they have already managed to place them which is good and means I can cross them off our rapidly expanding waiting list. The litter of kittens which came in are beautiful, real chocolate box cats(see photo)very fluffy and prettily marked- the black one has shades of brown in her coatand the tabbies are simply stunning. My very first cat was a tabby and I have always had a soft spot for these.I have often mentioned Rhian (on the right of the photo)who cares for ther cats here so it is time I introduced her so people can see her and know about whom I am speaking.Mei,ofcourse has been featured in my blog before.The other member of staff who cares for the cats is Gail and I will introduce her as soon as I have a photo.
Another chaotic evening occurred -last night Mei was going home late, around seven forty five and thank goodness she was! Connie one of our elderly shetlands was fitting and staggering around the field,by the time I arrived there she had collapsed so the vet was rung. We covered her with a rug and she remained in this state for sometime though by the time the vet arrived(having been held up by driving rain through which he was unable to see)she was on her feet again and we had managed to move her into the dry field shelter with the other ponies. He diagnosed a serious heart murmer and gave her an injection,he is calling again this morning to check on her though today she seems back to normal.Usually Mei goes home at seven and last night she was late,what a stroke of luck(fate?) that she spotted her, otherwise poor little Connie would not have been able to make it to the shelter and would probably have contracted Pneumonia. As from tonight we are bringing them all into the stables so we can be sure Connie is under safely under cover.Pictured here is Connie(on left)with Noddy our oldest shetland.We think Connie is around 30 years old but we have had her at the shelter for 4 years, she came to us from a wildlife centre in the midlands who could no longer care for her. Her original owner had placed here there and was furious when he discovered she had been moved here though after visiting once and promising to help financially we never heard another word!!
Ty dog is only slightly calmer,anybody who takes him on needs to be very active and Misty the red and white cross bearded collie has gone on a trial basis to people in Gloucester. When they arrived Misty was a bit overbearing with their smaller dog though no aggression was shown so I am hopeful it will work out.Watch this space!