The Old and the Young.

There is good news about Ken,he has made friends with a horse next door to his new home and they are having a trial run to see how they get on together over a longer period of time.So far it is looking good so I am very pleased.It now looks as though he may be able to stay out in his new home.
The terrible picture of an old dog with a head wound was taken today at the vet. This morning,shortly after Rhian and Gail had left for the Vet, a van drew up in the yard.Three men on their way to work had spotted a dog tied up by the side of some toilets in the local village Pen-y-groes. To their horror the dog which was an elderly crossbreed had a bad head wound and was clearly in a state of shock.They had some difficulty getting hold of him as he was so distressed but succeeded in lifting him into their van, they then asked a passerby for the nearest animal shelter and brought him here. It was evident that he needed immediate expert attention so I tried to take him in my car but he was so agitated he would not stay still on the seat so Rosie who has a dog crate in her vehicle transferred him to that and rushed him to the vet. All we know at the moment is that he has had a trauma to the head and his old body is just a bag of bones, his backlegs have signs of total muscle wastage. He is on a drip and the next 24 hours will be crucial.It may be that it will be the kindest move to let him go but we want to wait until he is over the shock and the vet can properly assess his condition.
Then at the other end of the age scale we were asked to help with Minnie a 10 weeks old collie pup as the owner was having great difficulty housetraining her! She had also "bitten" the 12 months baby. This is why I always recommend families to wait until their children are past crawling and toddling stage to buy a pup. Babies and pups DO NOT go together.Unless you are a very experienced dog owner I would always say no to that idea. Pups do bite, they bite for attention, because they are teething themselves but mostly just in puppy play. In fact Minnie is a darling little dog, a little shy but sweet and no different from any other puppy I have ever seen. House training takes a long time with most dogs and at 10 weeks she is only just at the start of her training. By the way Squiggles collie who was also brought to me after her owner said she was vicious(she was 16 weeks old) has gone to a home where she will be taken to agility classes and is doing well. Collies just love to be kept amused, they are too intelligent to be left unoccupied for long periods of time which is why collies are not suitable for every home.
I have not had a day off for 9 days so I will be off tomorrow until Monday, next blog probably tuesday. If there is any news of the old dog I will ask Rhian to post a short update.

Will Ken find another friend?

There is a thick mist covering the whole property today.walking the dogs this morning I could hear a cuckoo but could not see any of the surrounding trees the mist was so dense and still is as I write this. This week has seen the first cuckoos of the year arrive, I hope they can find enough food to eat, each year I wonder if this will be the last year they return. The name of the road in which the shelter is situated is called Lon Pant-y-Gog, which in English translates as Cuckoo Dip Lane so it looks as though cuckoos have nested here for many years. I love hearing their call,almost as good as the sound of flocks of geese flying overhead(always sends a shiver down my spine)
I had a very sad email this morning, poor Ken has lost his companion Taffy. As you know he went out on loan recently to be a companion to another horse and they had really hit it off well. This morning Taffy was found with a broken leg and had to be put down to the owners great distress.Ken was allowed to say goodbye to his friend and later lay down on his grave (who says horses have no feelings) which brought a lump to my throat. This is a tragedy all round because now Ken may have to come back,however Nicola is trying him first with another horse belonging to a neighbour so all may not be lost forKen. What a distressing thing to happen. No wonder Nicola is devastated at this awful turn of events. My heart goes out to her and to our lovely Ken
Anyhow there is some good news today as well- both black kittens have gone to nice people,another tabby baby reserved and the spaniels and Tilly are reserved pending the result of homechecks.Not a bad few days apart from the sad news about Kens home. I did think I had found the perfect home in Scotland for the Siberian Husky but they have not rung back so that is disappointing. there have been many people wanting her but all have had either other dogs(she is too dominant) or cats(she hates them)This home seemed ideal,oh well maybe they will phone tomorrow, she needs to go and settle somewhere permanently, this is no place for a husky.
The Llandudno shop DID do well over the weekend , the Extravaganza attracted loads of tourists which in its turn brought people to shop and a young helper Hayley ran a small tombola outside which raised £45 to add to the weeks income. I wish there were events like that every week!
.Another mum cat and babies are being admitted tomorrow from Anglesey where they have suddenly appeared in someones garden shed. This was the second such call today though I am still trying to get in touch with the other person who rang for help. Answerphones are great in some ways but a pain in others.No good at all if you both keep missing each others calls.
Tomorrow Tilly,husky Shooks and a couple of cats are going to the vet to be neutered/spayed,I have been putting it off due to lack of funds and a desire not to increase the sum already owing to the vet but if they are to go to homes it must be done. Rhian will be taking them in along with Jess the spaniel whose infected mouth needs attention. I have asked her to get some more wormers for the cats, some of the feral cats roaming free are looking a bit scrawny and we need to worm and deflea them as soon as possible.
I must go now to help Mei with the dogs afternoon constitutional! Afternoons are all about that and feeding all the animals their second feed of the day plus of course bringing in the horses. There is not enough grass to leave them out grazing all night and anyway they are queuing up to come in around this time- gates get kicked and there is a lot of hustling and bustling as they vie for the nearest spot by the gate to be the first in for food.
That reminds me of an incident which happened when friend Barry and I visited a Buddhist retreat in France called Plum Village some years ago. It was a wonderfully calm place and everyone was encouraged to think deeply about everything one did and to eat slowly and savour every mouthful(difficult for greedy old me). Anyhow NOT in the best Buddhist tradition Barry and I decided that to get the best selection of food at the buffet tables for which there were always long queues,we would hover around the dining area just before the dining bell was sounded. That way we would be first in line! There were two tables and as planned I was at the front of one and Barry the other.Barry stepped forward with his plate and immediately dropped it, the plate rolled all over the room as he vainly tried to stop it.There was real chaos as some of the monks thought he was having a heart attack as he did a rugby tackle on the rolling plate and rushed to his assistance. By the time he caught it he had lost his place in the line and I was already filling up my own plate. I was by then doubled up with hysterical laughter and as I triumphantly passed him at the back of the line I smirked and gestured towards my overflowing plate. Still chuckling I sat down on a bench under a tree to eat my meal, then leaned forward to pick up my drink which I had placed on the ground,Just then a large lady arrived and sat down on the other end of the bench - my plate was catapulted into the air, the food went all over the floorand my meal was gone in a flash ! Trudging despondently back to the dinner queue I passed Barry who had now succeeded in obtaining his meal, needless to say he was the one with the triumphant smile this time. A lesson to be learned here I believe! Horses take note.

Ffrindau Freshfields set up a second group.

It is a beautiful sunny day here in North wales which is great for us, the animals and of course the thousands of people who have travelled to the area for the Bank Holiday weekend. In Llandudno it is the annual Victorian extravanganza which features a parade and other entertainment with many dressed in Victorian costumes.It means a big influx of tourists and usually that means our charity shop will do well so fingers crossed.Our new manageress Jan has really turned things round there and providing we can get the stock in(still a problem) it makes a regular profit. I think we need to start selling furniture if we can, the purchase of a van for this is necessary and of course at the moment we are not in a position to incur extra expense but that is most definitely the path we need to take to bring in the funds we need .
We have two new rabbits at the shelter, father and son who get on brilliantly together, and there is also a female rabbit currently in temporary residence at our Porthmadog shop- until we can transport her here.Father and son pictured here.Not a great photo, they refused to pose for me and kept hiding away in their hutch. Dont blame them , I hate photos of myself too.
Great news about the 4 collies (including Robin who had the embedded coillar) they are doing so well that they are now allowed outside their pen to play and have come on in leaps and bounds under the care of my friend Sally. She believes they are not far off being ready to rehome which is wonderful to hear. Its amazing how one to one attention and kindness can turn almost feral dogs into the happy youngsters they should have always been. Thank goodness he handed them over when he did, another year and they would have been far more introverted and difficult to work with. I hope that the other six wherever they are, are also enjoying life now.
Fluffy mum with kittens is doing better nowadays,she was very very nervous and highly strung when she was admitted but she has calmed down considerably now she feels safe with her babies. A couple are reserved but as happens every year- when we finally start to get kittens admitted the telephone calls for them dry up.Nobody has rung for a kitten for a while.Pictured are mum and her tabby babies and two abandoned black kittens posing prettily.
It has been a very quiet weekend,just one couple arrived to look for a cat that was dog and child friendly.They chose Wendy a litle black cat who has been at the shelter for 18 months, a choice which made everybody happy. We have homed so many long term cats this year already which is a cause for celebration.It is not nice seeing these overlooked cats here month after month and when there are not any in the cattery it prevents me releasing more to live here. Speaking of which , the last released cat Old Jimmy Ginger has made himself very much at home in the conservatory though he is not a dog lover and William has to be wary of him. Eventually he should realise that William does not pose a threat and like others before him will live in peace with him.
Just after I wrote we were having a quiet time some morevisitors turned up, this time to see Tilly the 8 years old collie from the same home as the other neglected 4. Actually I think this collie may be their mother.Tilly was handed over by the owner several weeks ago to a friend of mine who said she wanted a collie, she then brought her to me.Good thinking! It got her away from that terrible home.As mentioned previously Rosie has been fostering her.Anyhow this family had a teenage daughter who was absolutely terrified of dogs so I was dubious about the success of this prospective home. As expected the daughter was too scared to come out the car but when I put Bonnie foxhound back in her pen she seemed happy to walk with Tilly and her parents. They are going to let me know the outcome of their visit, certainly Tilly is an ideal dog for anyone nervous, she is so calm and docile though I do not want her to go out and then be returned a few days later. It would not be fair on her.
A second Friends of Freshfields fundraising group was set up today by two of the volunteers at the shelter and Cariad who works part time with the horses. Our Welsh fundraisers will be called Ffrindau Freshfields, Caernarfon area. and if anyone would like to help them raise some funds for the animals here please get in touch.
There are loads of wheatears in our fields, scavenging for insects on the ground, they are quite brave little birds, not as brave as the resident robins but they allow me fairly close when I am walking the dogs though I have yet to get a good photo of one. I did, however manage to get a shot of a bright little chaffinch sitting on the fence by my bird tree.Not in focus though Im afraid. I was waiting patiently for a goldfinch to alight on the nyger seeds but had no luck today. Mei spotted me standing motionless with camera at the ready, she thinks I am totally out of my mind! I tell her she too will become like me when she is older.I remember my mother feeding the birds and worrying if she was late arriving home from the shops, she was insistent they knew her and the time she fed them. I am sure she is right though at the time I reacted with typical teenage scorn. I often wonder if the people who bought her house when she died bother to feed the birds but as they concreted over the front garden, cut down the aging holly tree and ripped out mums beloved rose bushes,I somehow doubt they are at one with nature.Best not to think about it.
The best time for catching the goldfinches feeding is early morning, sometimes there are as many as six goldfinches on the feeders and they stay in the tree whilst I replenish their containers so I am hopeful I will manage a photo soon and preferably in focus next time. I dont care what anyone says they definitely recognise me as the "dinner lady". Mum would be proud of me.

How will the new RSPCA policy affect us?

Once again the computer has let me down so apologies to regular readers but I am back on track again.

It is pouring with rain today, we dont know what to do with the horses, if we leave their rugs on, the sun shines and they become too hot but if we take them off and the temperature drops it could be a recipe for pneumonia. It is just so unpredictable at the moment . At least the combination of rain and sun should finally have some affect on the spring grass which is taking a long time to come through this year. Both Rocky and Ken have gone off to their loan homes and have settled happily so difficult though it undoubtedly was , I am now glad I made the decision to let Rocky go. Minnie and Georgie Girl are back grazing at Rosies smallholding and all is well with the horses and ponies here.Both Farrier and Dentist have been recently so they are all up to date on their treatment. Dentist Andre who won the animal humanitarian award from IFAW last year told me that he was very proud to receive the award and had a wonderful day at the reception in London. As I have mentioned previously he is so kind with our animals and not many professionals would give up their time to treat overworked donkeys abroad. He really deserved his award. He has offered to treat some equines at the open day and will donate his fees to Freshfields so if anybody would like their horses teeth seen by an excellent dentist and they live locally please get in touch with me.

We are searching for a good adult only home for two adorable springer spaniels Jess and Sam whose owner no longer has time for them now she has children. Both dogs were kept outside and are a little overweight and in dire need of a grooming session .This will be done by Rosie as soon as she has some free time. In the meantime they are overjoyed to be able to run free in the fields ,it is a real pleasure to take them out on the fields and watch their delight in being out.

There was another scare with William the other day.He followed Mei when she was feeding the horses and Blue took umbrage at Williams close presence to his food nd rushed at him, bowling him over.Thankfully he only suffered a grazed leg but my heart was in my mouth when Mei told me what had happened.

Although he is more like his old self he does seem to be behaving differently which could just be because he is getting old but he is much more clingy than ever before .He was always quite an independent dog so this is unusual for him. I suppose we all change as we become older.I told someone the other day how much I had mellowed over the years and he looked at me in total disbelief as though he could not believe I could have been more volatile than now. BElIEVE IT!

There were so many times I felt so close to cracking up, the pressures of money problems, the constant calls from people wanting to get rid of their pets, the abuse given over the phone when I had to admit defeat having no space for even one more animal which some owners will not accept - hence a tirade of insults . On a regular basis this would become too much. Nowadays the Liverpool shelter has a rota of receptionists taking calls and this is a much better idea. When one person is left to deal with it, even the calmest person will find it hard to deal with.

It is quieter in Wales which suits me better though we have chaotic days also. A few days ago we had a visit from local police who had been told that we might have had something to do with some missing dogs locally.It now transpires that someone has taken the remaining collies I had been concerned about and all I can say is Good Luck to them. I was not the only person aware of the poor conditions these animals were kept in and over a period of time had received many complaints about them. As mentioned in other blog entries, some were handed over to the shelter by the owner himself and a friend also had 2 dogs given to her by him.Why he refused to part with the last 6 I have no idea but I am pleased someone took the initiative to free them from their prison and I for one will shed no tears for him. I simply fail to understand why none of the authorities who were aware of the situation have dealt with this neglect. Can you inmagine all these dogs locked up for years, barking whenever they hear a noise, surrounded by houses and nothing gets done.Yet Ilive in a rural smallholding surrounded by fields and am not allowed to kennel even a small number of stray dogs. makes no sense at all.

The latest news from the RSPCA that they are no longer to take in stray animals due to lack of money is a shocking one.,If they think they have no money they should take a look at the Freshfields accounts! The implications for us and other small charities is frightening. Where will all the strays go now? There is a great need for rescue kennels here , the nearest is colwyn Bay RSPCA but if they have stopped taking in strays what happens now?( a friend of mine recently rang about a stray dog he had seen dodging traffic in the Llandudno area and was told this new policy is now in use so received no help.)

Freshfields only has a few foster homes for the dogs we help here in North Wales and these will not provide enough shelter for the many dogs which are going to be picked up. It is going to be a disaster for the canine population.

So many elderly pets needing homes.

I heard from Kens new carer today, he is ok, there was a bit of racing round the field and snorting at each other but this morning both horses were eating calmly together so it is looking good for Ken.. We now have a temporary member of staff also called Ken and he told me that I had to make it clear in the first paragraph that I was referring to horses as he is not yet in need of a carer and has never raced round a field snorting.Well thats what he tells us anyway.
Human Ken will be helping out at the shelter whilst Barbara and Gail are on holiday, he already knows all the staff as he has helped us previously and came with us to see Caesar Milan in Manchester last month. Like Rosie he is keen on dog agility/flyball ,they sometimes go to shows together. (I am sure they will both want me to point out that they are NOT a couple as both have partners.) At least John now has another male working alongside him and will feel less intimidated by the bombastic, often boisterous and outspoken female staff.(only joking - he is not the least bit intimidated although we try our best)
There are so many elderly dogs and cats needing homes at the moment,my heart always goes out to these animals who have for one reason or another lost their homes. I took some photos this morning of one of them.Poppy is 12 years old, a lovely gentle old girl whose owner is critically ill, Poppy is most unhappy in her home on her own but I tried her with my dogs in the house and she immediately growled at Patch jack russell soI was unable to take her in.( I cant risk fights with the three ancient Yorkies) I am hoping that Dogsblog may come upwith a suitable place for her. We still have Tilly the 8 years old collie and I have just taken 2 more calls requesting help with old dogs - all sheepdogs or sheepdog crosses.Poor old dogs.
There are also 2 beautiful12 years old pedigree cats,Leo and Socks whose owners are ill and can longer care for them (see photo) I am receiving plenty of calls wanting animals but they mostly ask for youngsters.In spite of this we do always seem to find people for these pets, it can just take a little time.I have decided to give old Ginger cat Jimmy his freedom of the property badge and he has moved into the conservatory with the other oldies.If Twm the old white cat fails to go soon,he may also join the gang who are all feeling the chill of today and are currently all stretched out in various poses on the sofa and chairs, revelling in the warmth. I might join them soon, I am really cold today, there is a very icy nip in the air.
Barbara and Vanessa have gone to collect Minnie and Georgie Girl from Anglesey and they will be going direct to Rosies fields.Tomorrow Rocky is leaving us for his new life and I am going to make myself scarce when the time arrives for his departure. After all this time it is silly to get upset when animals go but sometimes you just cant help it and its no good saying to yourself that they will be happy and its a great home, there is still the feeling of sadness seeing them leave.
We have 3 kittens coming in on saturday,I bet they will be in and out very quickly, there is so much demand for them at the moment. Wish it stayed like that all year round.

Callie tries on a new fascinator.

Another busy day with the farrier making his regular 6 weekly visit and Ken going off to his new home in Flintshire to keep another horse company.Poor Ken is always bullied by the other horses here and I hope that he will find a real friend in this home. Tomorrow Georgie Girl and Minnie will be back though will probably go straight to Rosies for summer grazing. Such a shame it did not turn out to be a permanent home.
I couldn't resist taking the photo of the old mare Callie complete with hair adornment! She was with some of the other horses in our "waiting " paddock ready for the farrier to see them when we noticed her rather attractive "fascinator". And of course she posed beautifully,clearly very proud of her new look! She isn't looking so bad for an old girlis she? I estimate her age to be around 37, she has been with us since she was 22 years of age and she came with me from Liverpool some 8 (or is it 9?)years ago. Is it really that long since I left Merseyside? In some ways it seems a lifetime ago, in others just the other day.
As you can see I caught the naughty Jacobs impatiently waiting for their evening meal, I think they wanted to make a point - that the food trough was empty. Point taken!
I heard yesterday that Marco had settled in very happily, he had slept on their bed,eaten a full meal and enjoyed a bath and a walk. No wonder he is a happy dog, I felt he had been fretting for his lost home life as do some of the dogs which have been in happy homes before their admittance to the shelter.I am so glad he went quickly.
The sad news is that Nell has gone missing from her second home and has not been seen for a few days,We have sent a dog trap over there but it is lambing season in this area and my fears for her safety are increased. I am at my wits end worrying about her, if and I hope we do , find her again, what can be done with her? Will she ever settle anywhere? In spite of both homes being with loving caring people she does not seem to want to be there. I had thought with another dog in the house she would feel more at home but she still waited for a chance to run and took it. If she had been happy here she could have stayed but she showed no emotions other than depression here. Poor Nell.
Tigger the lurcher youngster will be leaving us this week to live in Cornwall with 3 other dogs, a rescued greyhound and two italian greyhounds.Another wonderful home found through the website Dogsblog.What would I do without it?I will miss him dreadfully but the other dogs should make him feel at home.With a bit of luck the greyhound will take over Megs job mothering him. I used to have an italian greyhound myself, his name was Mr Whippy and he came to me after his owner took him with two broken legs to the vet. Dave who used to be manager of the Liverpool shelter fostered him for a while, then I took him over and he stayed with me till he died at the age of 13 years (The dog, not Dave who last time I heard was still very much alive)) He will remember this little dog well as I seem to remember that Whippy pooed all over his clean car and then the poor little chap fell in it making an even worse mess.. With his two front legs in plaster he found it hard to move about, it was a great relief to him and even more to me when the plasters came off. Mr Whippy was never keen on walking and cried to be carried everywhere(not something I encourage normally) but he was always frail and I think maybe his legs were not that strong after the accident.Anyhow Mr Whippy was my 1980's William! I have seldom been without a lurcher or greyhound and he probably started my love for them.

Another chance for Legend

William is so much better though not keen on the special food he has to have for his liver,at the moment im trying to hide it under his favourite Caesar but he sniffs it out and leaves it.Dont know how he is going to cope with a whole dish of it? It reminds me of an incident at the home of my (deceased)boyfriend Steve when he lived with his parents at the age of 16 and he had turned vegetarian. His mother was not at all happy with his sudden change of diet so she hid two pork sausages under a mountain of mashed potato. and thought this would fool him into eating them! Needless to say it failed to produce the desired reaction and he remained vegetarian and then vegan all his life.
It has been lovely and sunny here for a few days, Im glad Im not going away on holiday with all the airports closed due to the volcanic ash from Iceland. Mavis(Roys wife) is stranded in Dubai on her way back from visiting her daughter in Hong Kong and last I heard she was heading back to HK. I find it quite disturbing, so many environmental disasters occurring in the world and not only people suffering but animals too.Often we hear nothing about the animal victims in the media in the light of terrible human tragedy but Iam sure I am not the only one who immediately thinks"what is happening to the pets and other animals ?"
Anyhow on to lighter topics - Legend , the quarry pup has found another home and this time it surely is for good.Whilst he was in kennels the Proprietor told me that he was nothing like the animal portrayed by the previous owners (bad with strangers,dogs and cats) had been happily playing with her own dogs and in fact he made a great fuss of the couple who went to see him, by the time they arrived here with him to sign the adoption papers, he was totally in love with them and looked completely at home in their company. It bodes well for the future. So often an animal goes to a home with perfectly nice, responsible people but for one reason or another it fails to be a successful pairing. Then someone else will come along and there will be no problems whatsoever It shows how important it is to match up the right pet with the right owner. Sometimes,however we get it wrong and we have to try again though at least the second time we are armed with more information on how the pet has behaved in a house and have more chance of getting it right.
Another nice story - Marco the Dogue has already been reserved and is going to his new home today, they have had a boxer previously which slept on the bed, this will suit Marco as this is what he has been used to. I find it uncomfortable enough with William and Holly the cat in bed with me, it is hard to roll over when there are bodies in the way, bodies which groan and hiss at being disturbed from their sleep.Marco is a very big,heavy dog, good luck to them and it might be a good idea to buy a bigger bed!
Just as I delight in finding good Loan homes for two of our horses, I receive a call to say that Minnie and Georgie girl shetland mum and daughter are coming back due to their carer having serious health problems.I am particularly put out (not with the lady who took them on, it isnt her fault) because I had always said that they would stay at the shelter for life and now wish I had not parted with them. I want all of them to remain in permanent homes but realistically this is highly unlikely, there will always be those who have a change in circumstances, whose health fails and at least the ponies are returned so we know they will be safe. I would never rest easy if I thought they would be passed on and at the end of the day the charity has taken on the responsibility to care for these animals not just for a few years but for the remainder of their lives.
It has been a good weekend for the animals at the shelter, 2 dogs off to a better life and two cats today, Dragon a longhaired middle aged lady cat and Sophie a little black cat who has been passed over many times. There are lots of cats waiting for a place here so now some can be admitted in the coming week.Billy Meade who runs the Cat Action Trust in Holyhead is desperate for help with some of the cats he is rescuing, there is no cattery there and it is easy to become overwhelmed when dealing with so many problems by yourself. He is bringing in 3 abandoned cats next Friday and there are 6 more to come when we have space. All the cats he brings here are neutered beforehand so that is one less expense for me to worry about. I wish one of the big lottery winners will be one of our supporters and a big cheque will come through the post on Monday. Pigs might fly! Theres more chance of hell freezing over. That is not to say that I have no optimism, I do, I am always convinced our luck will change any day, I just would prefer it to be sooner rather than later and when it does I doubt it will be a hand out from a lottery winner. They are by and large too preoccupied with purchasing yachts,mansions and flash cars or they are not animal lovers.
Pictures here were taken the other day when the animals were enjoying the sunshine, ferals playing on their climbing toy,ferals enjoying a new cardboard box in their enclosure(oh how they love them)William the wonderdog day after his return from the Vet,Freddie Kruger ,pigwigs and Big Buster looking positively small whilst having a snooze.Why he chose this particular place instead of the grass is beyond me, only he can tell us the answer and he is not saying anything!