A good day for Dogs.

Sunday was a  great day for dogs,pups Dolly and Daisy were adopted together and little  Alfie too has found a home.Patches people arent coming to see him until Tuesday but that is looking hopeful.He is so gorgeous I can't imagine anyone saying they don't want him.
Sadly nobody came for cats although one person did ring to collect a reserved kitten but was so obstreperous I was quite glad he failed to turn up.Some people expect us to fit in with their routine, rather than the other way round and do not seem to care whether we work 12 hour days as long as it means that they can come here when it suits. I always say to the staff, remember that no shop, office or rspca centre would open especially for someone who could perfectly well call beteen opening hours. Every day here is a working day and sometimes it is more difficult attending to visitors eg: if we have staff off sick or on holiday  but we try our best .That does not mean we allow ourselves to be bullied into seeing people out of hours when we are impossibly busy or are in the middle of a crisis. We are open 7 days a week with 2 hours in the morning set aside for visitors/prospective adopters and we allow people to make afternoon appointments IF there are enough staff on duty and it is not often we have to refuse.  To my mind that is a pretty good service we offer  but I'm afraid you can't please everybody all of the time. There will always those who want to visit at unreasonable times - I often have people turning up here after 6 pm.Where is open at this time? Why come here at that time? Well thats my rant for the month over!

 I finally did the cat poster so it should be available for download from our website within the next few days so I am hoping all readers in this area will download it and place in shops,offices etc. Anywhere you can think of where people may read it and take note .There  has to be a way to find homes for all these cats,Please help in this way of you can. I would really appreciate it.

Photo is of our lovely foxhound Bonny who is constantly disappearing into the undergrowth, usually with a stolen sachet of cat food! She is a real character and it seems impossible that she was once a  very thin working hound, she is so scared of men and most strangers.That life must have been a miserable one for a dog like her.Even now, 3 years on, she still acts as though she will never see food again.Dear old Bonny.She is so gentle natured and a great favourite with me.
I cant believe it but someone is coming tomorrow to see Wally the old Yorkshire terrier, he is a funny old dog, very nervous and wary of strangers so I just hope that he will 'sell' himself tomorrow. I feel he would be better off in a home where he will have more attention. It would be so nice for him to go now instead of getting used to being here with me and them being moved, he is too old to be passed about which means I would probably end up keeping him.(I dont really want to keep another at this moment)

Must go, I need to let the conservatory cats out for the night, Its the other way round in cities.I always got the cats IN and I continue to advise people to endure their pets are in by dusk.So many are run over at that time.The shelter cats are lucky , they are  so much safer living here with no traffic and lots of fields for them to wander in.

William Meets the Pups Dolly and Daisy.

Friend Nicky was over to take a photo suitable for the cover of impending book. It MIGHT be out before Christmas if we are lucky, I am hoping so but struggling a bit for a title. Any ideas? I have narrowed it down to two posible ones but still think could do better. I cant believe how hard it is to find the right words. Anyhow This was one photo she took ,which did not quite turn out , largely due to the interference of William who just had to come and investigate the intruders in his field, he was so curious about the pups who were not altogether impressed with having his huge head so close to them. She did manage to get a good one later though so all as not lost.

The lovely collie Tyler with the cleft palate has been found home. I had a call from someone who said she  didnt want a pedigree dog, just a crossbreed would be fine  and she was not keen on collies. I told her that this one was really well behaved and sweet natured but there was not a spark of interest until I told her that he had a deformed face. That did it. Immediately she said she wanted him. A woman after my own heart! Today she and her husband came to see him and they fell in love with him straight away. When they were introduced , there were smiles from them  and a wagging tail from a very happy dog  who was just loving all the attention they were giving him.  A Happy ending for Tyler. It proves that not everyone wants a pretty chocolate box pet, that some look beyond the outer appearance. It restores my faith in human nature.

A stray terrier (See left)was taken into our Machynlleth shop and although Elinor, the manager was told he had been wandering about for several days, he has the look of someones pet so he may yet be claimed. He is  a sweetheart of a dog, very cuddly and gentle, not as old as he looks , I estimate his age to be around 4 years.  I wonder if he has been tied up becaus e as you can see from the photo there are remains of a lead attched to his collar. Maybe he is from a farm after all, time will tell.
Another collie has been admitted due to her owner moving to a pensioners bungalow where they are not allowed pets. The collie although a pet has lived in a shed and been left for long hours so I think we can do better for her. After not having any collies for a few weeks , all of a sudden we are receiving lots of calls asking us for help with them. Usually if we have a good response via the internet for one collie, we end up rehoming all those we have so I hope that will be the case again.

Our pink pig is not doing so well, she is so old now and arthritic and she can barely walk, I am dreading the day she goes, her companion will be very distressed and they keep each other warm throught he cold winter days.(which appear to be soon on the way!) I have to make a decsion very soon , this is the worst part of this job. I was so glad when the craze for Potbellied pigs faded but now there is a similar craze for micro pigs(which arent micro at all!) The Liverpool shelter has had its first unwanted Micro pig admitted and I was fortunate to meet little Hooper last time I visited. Unlike our  anti social pair Hooper likes his tum tickled and rolls over for you to scratch his tum. He is still a youngster but he is hardly tiny as people expect them to be.Its such a con and apart from that , pigs are pigs and as such like to do piggy things like rolling in mud and enjoying rooting around in the soil.

Sean the sheep will not be joining our own rescued sheep, he has apparently been found another home.I hope its a good one!

(Almost) The Great Escape.

I have a new friend in my living room - Wally is a 13 years old yorkshire terrier whose owner  has died. Poor little dog, he is very bewildered but he gets on fine with other dogs so mine have accepted him with no trouble at all. Normally I would have kept him but I am taking on a  collie from the Liverpool shelter.Rory is agaraphobic and has to be forced out for a walk, he has been at the shelter for three years and it is unlikely he will ever get a home so as sooon as my garden fence has been reinforced,he will be coming to live with me permanently. I think that  Wally will be happier in a quieter home than mine so I shall start advertising him straight away.

New cat Molly is a lovely pale ginger and white and was brought in because the owners dog was trying to attack her all the time! She is very appealing, she will probably be the next cat to be adopted.There are so many gorgeous young cats here, look at these two black brothers.Tom and Jerry who were initially in a foster home and then admitted for rehoming.They are so loveable but are still here two months on! I have just remembered I had promised to do a general poster for cats in need of homes for people to download off our website and then distribute. It completely slipped my mind so I will make a note to do this tomorrow. I have notes everywhere reminding me to do certain jobs but half the time I lose the notes too!

We almost had a disaster when rabbits. Tilly and Lucy almost escaped from their hutch when the floor collapsed. Fortunately for us (and ultimately for them)they were found just as they were preparing to make a break for freedom through the bottom of their hutch. This is no place for bunnies to be roaming free, far too many predators about. I had to buy them a new house quickly but all the rabbit hutches I looked at were so flimsy and inadequate that there was no way they were built to last. I also noticed that very few had an overhang on the roof so if it rained there would be little protection for the buns inside. I ended up buying a chicken coop! Perhaps because hens need protection against marauding and hungry foxes, they are built to stronger specifications but don't rabbits need this  protection too? all the hutches I looked at could be knocked over so easily, I wonder why they are made this way, they are not cheap either! MInd you neither was this but at least it is sturdily made.

We have had some donations of cat food today, I am very grateful for these donations, our cat food bill is astronomical and the extra food really helps keep our expenditure down.Keep it coming!

I have just spotted Mei running for shelter (run Forrest, Run!) there has been a torrential sudden downpour and the sky has gone very dark. Another early night for the horses methinks. 

I have been trying to think of more fundraising events and had been considering doing something at the shelter for Halloween in October . The trouble is I have never ever attended any event for Halloween and so have no idea what would draw people and their children in to this kind of event. I would be glad of opinions and ideas.I am unsure yet whether it is a viable idea but I have to think of something to bring extra funds in. If only I had a creative side to me this sort of thing would be much easier for me to contemplate. We will be holding a Christmas Fair in Porthmadog but this year I would like to also hold one in LLandudno so have to find a venue and helpers  for that. As Rhian would say, tongue in cheek "Its all such a Ghastly Nightmare! It certainly is. When I started doing animal rescue I  definitely did not envisage that I would end up organising fundraisers and doing office work most days. I had a nice image of being with the animals all the time.How wrong I was. Oh well too late now to stop. I started so I'll finish!

From Farm Dog To Film Star!

This has truly made my day.take a look at this wonderful video of ex farm collie Rosie who now goes by the more appropriate Lady Penelope!
It brought tears to my eyes, knowing how sad and timid she was when she arrived at the shelter.Just look at her now. 

A Very Neglected Cat is Admitted.

Yesterday afternoon we had a cat admitted which was in a very poor state. A very pretty but elderly pale tortoishell female, she was very thin and had a large wound on her side which was full of maggots.UGH! Thankfully it is very rare for us to admit animals with these and I showed Sue (holding the cat)how to get rid  of them.We use  a hairdryer directed at the spot which makes them wriggle to the surface and clean out the wound with hibiscrub. Mei and Sue did it between them, a very unpleasant job but far worse for the cat which would have been suffering from its unwanted guests. Apart from this infestation she was full of tapeworms which is likely to be why she is so thin.Today she went to the Vet and she thought , as we did, that this cat is around 12 - 13 years old, she badly needs a dental also which she will have once she has gained a little strength. We have named her Lottie.

Mei has been very distressed today, Ella, one of her chihuahuas who was on medication for a heart problem, died at the Vets this morning. Although we are all used to animals passing away, it is always harder when that animal is one of our own beloved pets. This past year several of the staff have  lost one of their own own dogs so we can all empathise with Meis grief.

I have been to our charity shop in Machynlleth today.The main reasons were to erect the new Freshfields sign and to take a memorial plaque for manager Elinor whose husband Gareth died not long ago.We all wanted something to remember him by, he was such a great help in the shop and now there is something tangible to show for our appreciation of his support to Freshfields over the years . Elinor is seen here in the doorway and her son is just putting the finishing touches to the sign.  I always enjoy a visit to this shop, apart from seeing Elionor of course, I come back loaded with books to read!

After saying goodbye to them it was off to a farm  in that area to collect Patch, a 5 years old sheepdog who is not interested in working, he just wants to be with people and have a fuss made of him. I was more than happy to oblige. He is a really good looking collie and once all his matted coat has been dealt with, he will be a stunner. He is one of several we have admitted from this farm . I prefer to stay friendly and help the dogs and even though I am often tempted to say something I refrain from doing so. It is the welfare of the animal which is the most important issue here. isn't he beautiful? Volunteer Kim has offered to foster this one so I am just waiting for her to arrive.

Tiny Tim  the JR pup has left us again and this time I hope for his sake that it will be for good, I hate it when they are returned and each time it happens the animal becomes more and more bewildered. I am really hoping that I have chosen the right home for him this time.It is a great responsibility choosing where an animal is to spend its life and when it fails to work out, I begin to question my intuition and my ability to match the right pet with the right owner.  Fingers crossed for Tim everyone!

Bad Weather but A Good Day.

What a horrible day.It has been pouring with rain and blowing a gale. Great weather for ducks if we had any! All the animals are unhappy being out in this and we have just brought the horses in early, they were all waiting impatiently at the gates to their various fields, they had had enough, you could see it in their expressions. Know how they feel.
In spite of the appalling weather we have homed Marley the last collie to be admitted. He has gone to live near Wrexham with another lovely collie Ellie, and her humans .The two dogs really got on well together and make a lovely pair. That brightened up the day for Mei and me who are soaked to the skin!
The pregnant mum cat has been collected by Mion who will foster her until her babies are born and old enough to be put up for adoption. IN exchange we took in 4 of the kittens she had been fostering and who are now ready for homing.  What can we do to find homes for all thes lovely kittens? Please spread the word around friends and relatives , surely there must be some homes out there or will we end up keeping them all until they grow into adults? I fear this will be the case.
I have just received two lovely telephone calls. The first came from Angie in Milton Keynes.Angie and her husband adopted a cross labrador from us early int he year, she was a difficult dog, not good with strangers but they persevered and they think the world of her now, we are kept informed about her exploits regularly and it si a real pleasure to hear that Jess is doing so well.they ahve put a great deal of effort into training her but as they say it has been so worthwhile now that she is improving all the time.They would not part with her for anythingThat is so good to hear.
The second call came from the couple who took Toby the Jack russell rescued from a Dog Pound. They tell me they have had one and a half days of fun and enjoyment with him! He is already much  adored and is marvellous with the old cat and their daughters Retriever. We are so grateful to the kind people who adopt our animals and  when we receive thanks for allowing them  to adopt one of our pets, it is truly cheering.
The Day has improved already!

Billy and Harvey come to Visit.

I couldn't resist taking this photo of Squirmy one of our resident cats posing in the long grass. He has lived at the shelter for 7 years, he was an ex factory cat and the business closed down leaving him homeless. One eyed Squirmy  has always been too tempermanetal to home but he enjoys the freedom of the shelter and a fuss off the staff (when he feels like it!)

One of the pound collies has been claimed, this has to be a first! He IS a  farm dog, 8 yrs old and his real name is Jim(I had called him Joe) I will be sorry to see him go , he is a really nice dog but I have mentioned to the farmer that if he retires him or doesn't want him any more that I will have him.You never know!One of our volunters has brought in a heavily  pregnant cat this morning belonging to one of her neighbours.This is the cats fourth pregnancy.Why oh why do people not get their animals neutered?  I would like these irresponsible people to come and work here for a week answering the telephone and caring for all the unwanted kittens! To add insult to injury this neighbour has now left her flat and abandoned her pregnant cat. Is this the way she will go through her life, showing no responsiibility or commitment?  I wish I had the answer and more importantly the solution to this behaviour because that apathetic attitude will show itself in many ways throughout her life and it will not just be animals which bear the brunt of it. If only it could be stamped out early in  the lives of such people. if only......

Today old Nell the 12 yrs collie has gone on trial to two ladies who wanted a companion for their 11 yrs old dog.I just hope the two dogs will get along.That is why occasionally I will allow a dog to go on trial, sometimes the resident dog will take umbrage at the interloper in his/her home and the only way to find that out is if the dogs are together in the home.  I am keeping my fingers crossed for her,it will be a wonderful home if it works out so Nell please behave!

It has been a day for reunions - two of our rescued dogs have been back to see us and how lovely it is to see them looking so happy and well,I just love seeing them again. The first to pay us a visit was Billy the staffordshire bull terrier, he was a Dog Pound rescue and his photo and story was seen in our LLandudno shop window 18 months ago by holidaymakers Dennis and Margaret who had just lost their old Staffie. They fell in love with Billy and he is a much loved part of their family in Stoke. Here they are with the greatly adored Bruiser Bill!
Then in the afternoon we were visited by terrier Harvey Moon and his owner but I did not have my camera handy to snap them unfortunately. Harvey looked wonderful, a happy and contented little dog, just what I like to see. I know I am always saying this but it means so much to see our animals again and we are very lucky that so many people do keep in touch with us.

Just look at this adorable litter of feral kittens.They could almost be saying"We are fierce so keep your distance' In actual fact we managed to cuddle all three almost immediately , who can blame then being scared of big noisy humans? These three had been born to a feral mum but she was taking them in to a busy garage premises and the staff were scared that they would be run over. I was very pleased that an enquiry was also made about catching mum and having her spayed.Veronica has dropped off a cat trap at the premises so with a bit of luck  there will soon  be at least one cat in Caernarfon which will be breeding no more unwanted babies.
The situation with unwanted cats and kittens is frightening. I feel quite helpless most of the time.With all our pens full and all our cat foster homes brimming over with mother cats and kittens  I dread answering the telephone.What can I say, what help can I offer when there is no other cat sanctaury in the area? It is a hopeless dilemma.

We have had to have the vet and Dentist Andre out to Freddie Kruger who is at his summer grazing with his pal Callie. Fred has lost weight which with all the lush grass was clearly not right. Cariad who has been checking on him was  worried there was something underlying wrong with Freddie and  after Andres visit we know that he is no longer able to masticate the grass due to his teeth having worn away quite badly and so he will now have to have several meals of hard feed daily. This poses a problem with him not being at the shelter and I am afraid his days of summer holidays are over, this will be his last trip abroad(well to Caernarfon actually!) To be able to monitor his diet correctly he will have to be at the shleter where staff can control his food more efficiently.Above is pic of him last year when his teeth were still working well.

We have so many old horses and ponies now, I took this photo of Tangy and Blue who are both in their late thirties.I have just checked Tangys record and he is 37  now. The oldest horse I have had was  in Liverpool, ex riding school horse Romney was 45 years of age when he died.
That is a great age for a horse, not quite old enough to be an entry in the Guiness Book of Records but still pretty ancient. I remember a couple of years ago seeing  a photo in a local paper of a Welsh pony aged 54. Amazing.