A Wolf ? In Need of A Home

I've had a migraine for two days so not functioning on all cylinders  I'm afraid. I hate taking tablets but was forced to do so today or could see me being out of action for the rest of the week.Anyhow they worked and am feeling more human now.

I have just heard of two little Jack Russells which were seen being thrown out of a car and which are now in the local Dog Pound. Isn't that a horrible thing toi do to an animal.Such a frightening experience for them.Now I wonder which one of my foster people would like to take on those two?
I hope they are younger than Nancy and Dodger who are 7 years old and still with me .Nobody has expressed interest in them and they really are great little characters though not cat friendly which limits their chances of being adopted.,So many people have cats in the home nowdays,I remember reading that they are the most popular pet in the UK. Probably with so many families out at work all day, a cat is more suitable than a lively and often noisy dog.

As you may know, I have two cats residing with me but last night  as I lay in bed  I noticed that they appeared to have increased in number! Then I noticed the bedroom window was ajar. Three more cats had sneaked in and made themselves comfortable at the foot of my bed. Old Sam the black cat who  has been here for several years was fast asleep on my feet, Tiny Timwho is an enormous black cat who was originally a feral, lay next to him and yet another black cat(as yet unidentified!) was asleep on the rug next to the radiator! It was pouring with rain outside and the wind was so strong I could hear doors rattling outside; I just did not have the heart to evict them so I waited until the morning when they happily returned to sleeping in the conservatory.
The photo is of Sam who is always the one to investigate new machinery or places to sleep.He is often seen on the roof of parked cars and is the one who will jump in to visitors vehicles and has been known to steal food from people who foolishly leave packed lunches in open cars.  Naughty Sam!

 I had a call today from someone wanting to rehome a wolf!

 It seems there is a breeder in Anglesey. My feeling is that it is a hybrid (a wolf crossed with a dog) so I checked with a well known authority on wolves who told me that it was extremely unlikely it would be a wolf as they cannot be kept without a Wild Animal licence and that they most certainly cannot be kept as pets, many breeders call these animals wolves but in fact they rarely have more than 15 percent wolf in them.  

Why would anyone want one anyway? Like the Husky breeds,  a wolf hybrid will not be the best family pet, they have a highly developed prey instinct which means they may chase and attack smaller animals. This one is only seven months old and as such will not have developed its dominant streak. I will do my best to find this animal a suitable home (without bringing it to the shelter)but I hope that this will not be the first of many to come to my attention.

Tilly is Adopted

Friday:
Great news.Tilly  the cross staff/collie has been reserved. What a boost that is,it gives me faith Tess and Jackson  may eventually be adopted too.

Our young ponies came back for the winter today.It is always good to see them back. They are becoming so feisty I will have to bring in someone experienced to work with them or they will never find longterm homes. This winter we will be just able to provide stabling for them all, including the returned ones.This year we have not done as well as usual rehoming our ponies so we will be operating  at full capacity this coming winter. We have sorted out shelter for all but if another is unexpectedly returned we may have to resort temporarily to livery stabling(at high cost) please,please dont let one  be returned this winter.

Did anyone see the photos of the lab chimps liberated after 30 years in isolation and darkness? Wonderful to see their joy but outrageous that we continue to use these animals, our closest relatives, in research. To be honest even the thought of it makes me want to weep. In this day and age I fail to understand why more money is not being put into alternative forms of research. I am filled with admiration for those who campaigned for 14 long years to get these animals released. Well done to them and shame on those who refused to hand them over 14 years ago. It is one of those times I hope that there is such a thing as karma!

A tiny Papillon was brought to me today having been found wandering with no ID on him. His owner has just telephoned. I will ensure he is microchipped before he leaves here tomorrow.

Saturday:
The Owner of the Papillon  turned up. I Felt very sad as little dog did not show any pleasure at seeing  them and looked bewildered when placed in their car. Nobody seemed to be overjoyed at having him back safely, the child just picked him up and took him to the car and mum just put him straight on the back seat.I could not bear to look at the expression on the dogs face. He had settled so well with me and was constantly  giving me kisses ,I just hope that the people cared for him more than they showed when they were here.Perhaps I will give them a ring to see how he is.

Bud the Retriever has left today for his new home on Merseyside. Gail was clearly upset at parting with him, we get so fond of our foster pets! I did have a home  for him in Suffolk but was unable to find anyone to do the homecheck, these people already have a Freshfields dog (from the LIverpool shelter)and have been homechecked. WE all hope that this time he stays out for good, he is such a good dog and he needs to settle somewhere permanently.Apparently they had their first dog from me 22 years ago, it is good to know that they still come to Freshfields when they want another pet.

The old cat we called Isabella(the one crawling with maggots)has moved into the conservatory. I hasten to say that she is now completely maggot free! We decided that she was not likely to find a home at this stage of her life so she might as well enjoy the same comforts as the other oldies. When I look at her, I see what she must have looked like as  a kitten, her markings are so pretty and even though she is a very old girl, it is easy to imagine her as a headturning youngster.What is her story, why did she end up in such a bad condition, had she lived on the streets for a long time? So many questions for her and for all the other strays we admit. If only they could speak and tell us their tales! How interesting that would be.

A friend of mine has just told me that he saw a squirrel with a black and white tail yesterday? I am sure it could not have been a squirrel  but he insists that it had the same gait and was  roughly the same size but it disappeared into bushes before he could take a closer look. I wondered if someone had a pet skunk that had escaped? Has anyone else seen anything like this in North Wales?

I am Caught Napping!

Monday:
We called the Vet out again to Honey, she has had another  steroid injection and is starting on her new treatment in the morning.She seems slightly more comfortable now so we hope tomorrow she will be better again. I dont want to think of the alternative just yet. Her companion Caspar was hovering uncertainly around the stable whilst the Vet was examining her, he knows something is not right and does not want to leave her side.

Kelpie Max set off to sunny Bournemouth(well it surely must be better than here?) with his new carer who has really taken him to her heart.I don't blame her. everyone fell in love with his sweet nature. I cannot wait to hear from them and to see the photos of him I have been promised. Foster mum Rosie has replaced him with another dog - Tilly is just 10 months old and is a collie crossed with a staff(Oh Dear) She is a nice animal but puppy  Tess is still looking for a home  a month after being admitted and she is the same cross. People just do not want anything with staff in, no matter how nice natured they are. I still have Jackson and there has not been an iota of interest in him after 2 months .It looks like he will be staying and I really did not want to keep another on a permanent basis. He adores Paddy but I have to keep him on a lead due to the cats here and I feel that is not the best life for such a young dog.
What is the answer?

Tuesday.

I was looking forward to a trip to the hairdressers today but it turned out the appointment is for tomorrow.Just as well I rang first! So instead I will stay in the office catching up on paperwork.Not quite the same level of enjoyment is it? I am pretty tired today so maybe I would have fallen asleep under the dryer sooner than with the cats in the conservatory! I had sat down to make a fuss of the conservatory cats and the sofa looked so comfy I thought I would just try it out for a minute - I was there an hour!
Nicky is not to be trusted with a camera, she is always looking for an unusual photo.Hope you are satisfied with this one Nicky?

Look at this gorgeous little baby brought in today,having been found in a council office yard. We have named him Marmaduke and he has a fantastic personality for one so young. He is just adorable.Could be tempted  if I did not have so many pets myself. It is a relief to have a ginger brought in because they are so easy to home, they are incredibly popular. Even if he was not ginger Marmadukes' great little character will  appeal to everyone I'm sure.

Another new arrival is stray katy, an all white cat which has been living as a stray for some months. She is very loving and does not seem to be deaf though will get it checked out this week. So many pure white cats do have this problem, especially if their eyes are the same colour,odd eyed white cats usually are found to have hearing. White cats are also popular so with some luck and some more visitors, I am very hopeful that these two will be adopted pretty soon.

Fosterer Mion has just arrived with her cat loving niece.They have brought in three mother cats she has been caring for, their kittens have already been admitted, mums are now spayed and ready to be placed for adoption. They are all young, they were probably caught the first time they had  a season. She is taking back a mother cat and newborn kittens to foster. thank heavens for people like her and the other fosterers, without them the job would be so much harder and fewer animals would be rescued.

Mion and friend Elspeth will be having a stall for Freshfields at a Fun Day being held near Dolgellau on Sunday September 18th If you live near please support us and keep your fingers crossed for a decent day weather wise.

For more info ring Jan at  Dolgellau Vets on 01341 4222212. The address is Abergwynant Farm and is open 11am - 5 pm with lots of interesting activities to see. They have had a very poor fundraising year with so many days being cancelled due to bad weather and they have felt very disappointed so it would be great for them, and for us if this one is a success.

ps: Honey is improving a great deal on her new treatment.

Cat adoptions are Picking Up.

It just MIGHT be picking up with the cat adoptions.  A very nice couple came to visit and chose TWO cats. One was the  ginger and white kitten of yesterdays blog (I didn't think he would be here for long)and the other was Luther, an eight years old cat .Tabby Luther had been admitted earlier in the year after being found scavenging in a local village.Not only that , we homed another  kitten!  Three in one day is something to celebrate at the moment.

Bud the golden Retriever adopted just 10 weeks ago , has been returned for escaping from his garden. We did a homecheck,of course but we were not told they were moving to another house and presumably that one did not have a secure garden.It is very disappointing, especially as so many people responded to the advert for him and I turned them all down! Gail is once again fostering him, she would love to keep him but already has two boisterous dogs at home. He is such a great dog, it is unlikely he will be with us for long. Also returned is Monty the little white terrier who is a real sweetheart of a dog, he has come into the house with me until he is adopted out again. His problem is that he tries to go for other dogs whilst he is on the lead, inside his home he is wonderful with other dogs, it is just an outside issue.
Cesar Milan, where are you when I need you?
A lady  from Bournemouth has reserved the kelpie(shown on flickr) so he will be off to his new home on Monday. One out, two in!

Poor Honey is breathing badly again today so the Vet has been out to give her a steroid injection and tomorrow I will go and collect some powder from the surgery,  which will help to open up her airways.  We will monitor her condition and see how she gets on with the new treatment. I have had a pony with this same health problem and I remember her struggling to breathe, its like watching a person have an asthmatic attack, not an easy thing to watch.

Still unable to upload book cover .

Kittens Left in A Box.

I arrived home from York late last night, what a welcome I received from dogs and cats. I was exhausted and couldn't wait to get into bed. Old Pwty the tortoishell cat WITh ears(as opposed to Holly, the one with No ears)sat on my chest purring all night long.That is not her usual behaviour, she is quite standoffish as a rule.I think it safe to say that she was glad to see me back.Holly. for once in her life had to take a back seat.

Anyhow it was a productive couple of days .Duncan and Cathie ,the people at the York Publishing offices were very helpful, very down to earth - how lovely that one can be rude(in a funny way not  a nasty way) to someone so soon after meeting , and vice versa. Seriously they were great ,very nice people who were  very professional and instilled me with confidence that they will do a good job for me, or rather the charity.  The book should be ready for sale end of November(all being well, and if there are no problems on the way to the production line.Knowing my luck the machinery will all break down the day before mine is due to be printed!!.No . I must not think negative thoughts.It WILL be ready on time, it WILL be ready on time. The draft copy of the book which is called  'The Dog With No Name' has been sent to Paul O Grady and I hope he likes it, especially the photo of Trixie the Jack Russell which he sponsored during his Lily Savage era.

In spite of torrential rain here, it did not prevent visitors turning up and I am so thrilled that the lovely black and white cat ,Eva has been adopted today, just as I had hoped before I went away.
Oh No, there are new  kittens on the block!

A box with three beautiful kittens (seen here)was left in the car park outside the Vets Surgery in Pwllheli yesterday, they had all escaped from their cardboard prison  and when the staff arrived to work, the three escapees were miraculously still outside the surgery.Considering it is next to a very busy road, it was amazing they were still in one piece.There was a note with the kittens saying the owner could not cope with them.Well I have a message for her, abandonment is NOT the answer and it was a miracle these three did not come to a tragic end. The answer would have been to have the mother cat neutered but hey, that takes all of one telephone call  to get a free neutering voucher and an effort to be made to get the cat to the vet. Pretty difficult!

 We are full to capacity, maybe she rang here and I told her that was our situation , who knows, but I have ended up with them anyway  now , and we are  struggling to cope ourselves. It is so easy to pass on lifes little problems to others isn't it?

This may be an animal shelter but we are not miracle workers, we do not have unlimited resources and   a large number of staff. We struggle also a great deal of the time, with lack of money, lack of space,personal problems (usually mine!) but at the end of the day we all need  to face up to whatever is troubling us and find a way to deal with it. Life isn't easy for many people, thats a fact, it should not make us abandon pets, children , our old people. Of course that is just a personal opinion and I may well be castigated for it but sorry -  being a self opinionated little madam, I am sticking to it!

I know  I do sound a little harsh, but it is very worrying when more and more cats are being abandoned and we truly are completely lacking in room for anymore. I hate turning people away but I have to be realistic.We have around 160 cats here at the moment, a huge amount to feed and care for, vets bills are enormous and I would feel happier  with at least two more full time members of staff .If Only ! That just is not going to happen unfortunately so in the meantime I tend to panic quite a bit when our resources are stretched to the limit. .

Little chestnut shetland pony Honey (on left with pals Caspar and Rocky) who is blind in one eye has developed serious breathing problems and whilst I was away, Mei felt compelled to call out the Vet who diagnosed her(the pony not Mei) to be having  an asthma type attack and gave her an injection to aid her breathing.Today she seems a little better but she does sound bad. On monday I will buy some dust free bedding shavings for her stable . The girls are soaking her hay but it is awful to see her struggling so I hope the treatment given  by the Vet will help her.

A couple turned up this afternoon who had almost run over a dog on  a busy road not too far from the shelter. They said that he was running in the middle of the road, looking in all the cars as they sped by.  First of all my reaction was of gratitude that they stopped to help him, the second thought was of sadness that they were the only ones who cared enough to do so. I am hoping Vanessa will take him home tomorrow, he is a nice quiet collie, middle aged by the look of his teeth , a little nervous but very sweet and affectionate. He does smell quite badly so he is either a farm dog or has been kept outside  for a long time.
Finally, I tried to upload the front cover of the book but failed to do so, I will sort it out and publish it on blog tomorrow.I am now going to make a dash for the house and hope I don't get too soaked doing so.It is definitely a night for lighting the fire and cuddling up in front of it(with the dogs of course)  A good book , a cup of tea and some nibbles will make it all perfect.

How little it takes to please me nowadays!

The Book is a little nearer to being published.

Just a very short blog today as getting ready to go away for two days.I have an appointment with publishing company  re publishing book. It may be remembered that I decided to self publish because of being asked to lose the real story of the charity. I did not want to write a fluffy book of  cute animal tales.It has to be real or I dont want to do it at all. All is ready now, just collating the photos, I am so sad that so many photos have been lost over the years,I have so few of 'the old days' at Freshfields. It just MAY be out by Christmas, heres hoping it will be ready in  time.

Max has been reserved today and will be going Friday. Then Rosie can foster another!
Wonder of wonders, there has been an enquiry about an adult cat, the lady sounded very nice. She wants Eva a 3 yrs old cat.I would love to come back to find she has been adopted. That would be really great.

I will be back blogging on saturday.

A New Home for Wally.

It has been decided to bring Freddie and Callie (horses)back to the shelter earlier than usual  this year. The problem with Freddies teeth means he has to have several small meals daily as he cannot graze the grass any longer.Cariad is backwards and forwards all day feeding him and it is taking up too much time. It will be easier to  sort out his dietary requirements here. They are due to return on wednesday and the three colts  Merlin, Celt and Shamrock which are at another property are going to take over Freddies summer holiday home.They have eaten up most of the  grass  where they are and so  they need to be moved on to lusher pasture.

Little Old Wally met his new family today (see photo above)and he seemed brighter than he had been since he was admitted. He appeared to like mum and daughters more than he liked me so I felt glad for him when they decided they wanted to take him home. I hope he didn't find the temporary stay here too unsettling, at 13 years of age it was a big ordeal for him to leave the family he had known since he was a puppy. It is so heartening when a family are willing to take on an elderly dog and the girls seemed as happy with Wally as with a pup.That IS unusual,but lovely to see.

Trish from our Porthmadog shop rang this morning, an injured kitten had been taken in to the shop, she thought maybe he had been hit by a car. I rang the vet to make an emergency appointment and Trish shut the shop to take him to the surgery. Sadly  the news came back later that the poor  cat  had been put to sleep. That was not a not a good start to her day. I wonder if an owner will turn up looking for him?

News of the day is that I drove our tractor this morning - TWICE! The first time I drove down the track to the road and could see John coming towards me in his car.He took one look at me in the driving seat and reversed so fast he could have been driving a get away car at a Bank Robbery!  Cheeky Sod.
Anyhow I managed very well and even took it for a second trip (Its very handy for taking the binbags down to the bins which are situated on the road.) It is a pretty ancient machine but very useful for taking bales of hay to the horses and it is also used for when the staff are mucking out stables. We bought a tip up box for the back of the tractor  and they load the muck on to this and when it is full drive up the fields to the midden(muck heap to the uninitiated!) and dump it out of sight of visitors (whose sensibilities may be affected by the appearance and smell!).

The afternoon was quiet and we only had one volunteer today - Nurse Heather on one of her precious days off from working at Ysbyty Gwynedd. Most of our volunteers come here to work during the week, they must have fantastic weekend social lives or maybe they just have family things to do ? I always thought there would be more people volunteering saturday or sunday but in fact we are always short of help those days. Mind you I have had an online vol. application form from someone who actually WANTS to work weekends so I have telephoned in the hope he/she will come next weekend to help. The only thing that makes Saturday and Sunday different from any other day here is that there are fewer people around the shelter. Otherwise I would have no idea what day it really  is ! I Need to Get A Life!!! Oops I forgot - This IS my life.

Mei is in terrible pain with her wrist, she is fed up waiting for the operation and I dont blame her,it is now nearly two and a half years since she first sought medical help.Volunteer Kim is also waiting for the same op. I cannot imagine how it must feel having so much pain every single day. This morning Mei was unable to even get the lead on her chihuahua Benjy(who is missing his pal very much) and she will need help giving the horses their hay tonight.

Time for my own dog walking now so  here endeth the Bank Holiday Weekend report in favour of romps round the fields with Meg, Jackson, Paddy , Patch and Little Old Lady(never did find a name to suit her)