Coping With Dementia!

Dementia is something that can happen to anyone at any time... don't worry its not me... but I do have a dog who suffers with dementia. Prince is one of my oldies, and to say he is a challenge is an understatement. Everyday is like groundhog day..... show him where to walk, show him where food, and water is, remind him of his name, and the next day repeat!

Basically Prince is like me, getting old and loopy, but thankfully just like me he loves routine, so as long as we keep everything the same it can be controlled. Even the smallest thing can set him off, and when he starts oh boy do we know it.

I'm guessing that is why his delightful owners dropped him off to the kill pound at the grand old age of 14.

I didn't know at the time that he had dogzheimers, it was only when we got him home, and the howling at the walls, and the walking into things started that we begun to realize.

Prince has days where he is great, he is with us, he knows his name, and responds to everything. Then there are other days where he is simply...... somewhere else.

Although Prince is a challenge usually at 3am when he is pacing, and howling, and you have to explain who he is. Some people struggle to understand this, and ask why we don't simply put him down.

This always amazes me, and I do ponder if they would simply put their granny down if she got old, and needed care. he is one of us, and he isn't going anywhere!

When The Adoption Goes Bad!

As with everything to do with rescue, small things never happen, and when it goes bad it really goes BAD. Thankfully I have had only 2 bad adoptions in 5 years, which is a good amount, however, there should be no bad ones. Sadly, yesterday one of our adoptions went really bad, really quickly, and we nearly lost a dog at the hands of some psycho.

Sofi one of our long termers had been in the UK for a while, and was with an excellent foster mum who had taught her that the world wasn't such a scary place. The foster mum had done everything by the book, the home checks had been completed, she had met the adopter a few times, they had all met Sofi, she had sat her down many times to explain the usual " don't let her off the lead, give her time, allow her to settle"

Off Sofi went, we were all delighted, and then the message came " she wants to give Sofi back, can you speak to her" So, obviously I stopped what I was doing and sent her a very long message explaining all the usual tips and advice, in fact I sent her 6 messages, which is more than I send any member of my family in a day.

All I got back is "we are beyond that Sofi has savaged my husband" now if you know sofi you will soon realize this was a huge shock, I didn't believe it, but had to take this woman's word. So I asked for photos and the police report, so I could decide the next course of action. This was when she went all lethal attraction on us, and turned into fruit loop mode.

The foster and I spent ALL day hundreds of messages trying to get sense out of this woman, all we could gather was she had ignored EVERY bit of advice, let Sofi off the lead, she had freaked, husband had stuck his face in Sofi's and Sofi had snapped. Still I needed photos, I needed to see what damage Sofi had done.

Still the photos never came, but the next message was when I kicked in with protective mumma mode, when she informed me that she had spoken to her vet and on seeing the injuries he advised destroying Sofi. As I sat there deciding how quickly I could get on a plane to save Sofi and kick arse, I found it strange that a vet would advise putting a healthy loving dog down that was in fact still chipped to me.

Something wasnt right, and I was determined to get to the answer, the woman was just too calm, her messages where creepy, and she repeated herself over and over. I had a gut feeling she was lying, and simply didn't want sofi anymore. Fair enough but don't bullshit me, she told us Sofi would have to live in the garden, and that was when I saw red, Sofi's days of living outside were over, and I vowed she would never go back to that.

I called the police, and made them aware, I called a friend, and he arranged to collect our beautiful Sofi before any harm came to her. I also called the vet who state they had not even seen this fruit loop, and would not put a healthy dog down. Whilst this was happening she sent the photos of the vicious dog bite......

Yep...... I will leave those here for everyone to make up their own minds. Apparently she was TERRIFIED of Sofi after this attack.

We got Sofi back, and all breathed a sigh of relief, but it is worrying that someone so mentally unstable could slip through the net. I have reported her to the police, and placed her on the black list for adoptions.

Sadly Sofi is still looking for her forever home, but I am confident that somewhere out there is a home for her.

Cats!

We have so many cats it is now past the point where you can count them successfully, and where we might have to start calling them ALL kitty so we don't have to remember names. Ironically, I don't actually like cats that much, I am much more of a dog person, so how the hell did I end up with nearly 70 of the bloody things.

We used to have one cat, like a normal average house, that then grew to four when we moved in here, Still a manageable number, sadly then we became a magnet for cats, they appear, they give birth, they are left at the gates, they are thrown over the walls. I just seem to attract cats, and sadly there are so many that need homes.

When the kittens started appearing, I soon realized rehoming was pointless, as everyone wants cute and fluffy without the responsibility of sterilizing.

So, I made the decision hey would stay, we would steralise and this would be our way of helping the problem. We then started attracting ferral cats who realised we had food.

The ferrals were trapped, steralised and released, and the rule became you step foot on my property you were being done. This also meant any neighborhood cats, even ones that were owned.

Yes, I kidnap peoples cats have them snipped and then return their cats with blue ball sacks, or tummies, and typically a clipped ear. Do I care it belonged to someone... nope they should have had it done. Just as we thought we were over the worst, and the numbers had risen to at least 20 cats, more appeared in boxes.

The cat problem on this island is HUGE it is beyond what any of us imagine, and it is not helped by stupid people letting their cat have "just one litter" That one litter will produce so many kittens, it is crazy, and some days I feel like they are all here! As the numbers grow, the feed bill grows with it, and as we approach 70 cats I pray that no more appear. How do you go from not really liking cats to having 70 all individually named..... oh yeah because I am crazy!

Milo- Poundie Number 1

When I started my journey I had no idea where it was going, I simply knew I wanted to help. I started out like many wanting to save the world, but soon realized after much heart ache this was never going to be the case. I wanted to do more than take in the hand ins, the dogs that people simply couldn't be bothered to take back to the UK.

I wanted to help animals that no one else would, the animals that were "un adoptable" in the world. The ones that had no chance, no kerb appeal and turn them into animals that people would go wow! I also believed there had to be more people like me in the world, who could see past the flaws, and love the animal for who they were.

So, I found myself at the biggest pound on the island, not sure what I was expecting, but knowing there must be dogs that needed saving, and sadly I was right. As I wandered past rows and rows of pleading eyes, a dog caught my attention.

Milo as he was soon to be named was dirty and matted, and stank, but friendly, and was the reason I was there. He launched our SAL (save a life) project, and proudly became poundie number 1

Milo became the reason we did this, and stole so many hearts as he battled filaria, but proved he was a fighter. We spent hour cutting the knots from his infected and sore skin, and he sat so patiently, knowing we were trying to help.

Milo had a way to charm people, even people that preferred larger dogs, loved Milo, he was quirky, and funny, and he was certainly our number 1 

Ready to leave us Milo went up for adoption and he found an amazing home in the UK, we receive regular updates, and when I look at his happy face, I remember why I do this. EVERY dog deserves a chance, and there is a home for every dog, you just have to search a little harder with some. 

I Would Love to do What You Do!

As I sat today shaving yorkies with matted fur that have been left to sit in their own poo, until it clumps and sticks, I chuckled and thought why do people state they would love to do this. My partner in crime was helping me, and as we argued who was having the biting end, or the dog shit end, I smiled and thought do people actually understand what we do!

So many times I am messaged with a cheery "oh I would love to do what you do" and I think REALLY..... What do people think I do?

because if I could look in on one of my days there is no way I would want to do it! Take today....







Boiling hot AGAIN... so me and a huge number of animals are ratty, tired, and stink
Wood shaving delivery with one grumpy driver, who refuses to help off load
Dog catcher at the gates with yet ANOTHER DOG
Two of the new dogs from the pound, have taken a chunk out of me several times..... yes they are scared but come on!
One yorkie with shit clumps on arse which needs shaving, whilst trying to bite me at every moment
One yorkie that is so scared she bolts and heads face first into the water bowl, not sure if she is hot, or trying to drown herself.... life isnt that bad here
One scared dog that literally shits itself when I pick him up, so now hot, sweaty and covered in dog shit
Dogs all hot so decided to make a HUGE mud pit which is great apart from the jumpers want to share their mud
25 messages unanswered as no times, 7 voice notes from people who have messaged and not got an answer
4 shitty messages from people moaning at me that I have not answered them quick enough
Paperwork up to my ears
4 dogs that need collecting, releasing, and saving
Vets needs doing, but no time today so bumped to manana....
Scooped 2 chicken nuggets out of horse water where they fell in
Chased Igor around the property... why because its Igor..

I am sure there is so much more that happens that I just think is normal now..... and when I am exhausted, and had enough I fall into bed ready to repeat it all again manana.....

Bryn The Bucket Pup

Puppies are not kept in nice lovely beds here, when they are born they are often seen as an inconvenience, and if not drowned at birth, they are not given the best chance at life. We had a call one day back in Nov 15 that some pups were being kept in a huge bucket. The guy didn't want them, and was keeping them in awful conditions feeding them scraps, and bread.

Sure enough, when we got there, he had the skinny, flea infested pups, in a huge black bucket. How the pups had survived I had no idea, but we agreed to take them straight away.








The pups were of course christened he bucket pups, and
slowly they found homes. However, one pup remained,

Bryn had no body ever ask about him, he went to a foster home for a while, and she said he was an angel, but he came back to the kennels.

Bryn grew into a medium sized, funny and lovable dog, but still no body ever asked about him. He is still here, still searching for his home. Some dogs seem to slip under the radar, and basically get forgotten.

Bryn has been here nearly two years, which is the longest any dog has ever been with us, which is just so sad. He has never known what a sofa feels like, or to have an owner of his own.

 No matter how many times we share his photos, and his story, no one has ever offered him a home. Come on people please help to get Bryn a home. He deserves a chance so much. 

Bottle Feeding Lambs

Lambs and sheep were things I knew nothing about, and then like buses a few came along at once. Chops we were given with Donkey, and I had to bottle feed him, which was a huge learning curve, and soon I had a little shadow that was demanding, but rather cute.

Chops soon grew, and just as I had him onto solids, a volunteer found another lamb whilst walking her dogs. A frantic phone call later, and I had yet another demanding lamb to feed.

Harry again was very good, and soon grew out of the bottles, thank god, and just as I had put them away another call came.... same volunteer same desperate.. "I found a lamb" 

Come on people do I look like a shepherd. So, little legs was here, bottle in mouth following me around....

 Three rams all wanting attention, lucky me NOT .... strangely it is the bottle fed ones that cause the issues. The lamb that was born here from the infertile sheep! (dont ask) ignores me and doesn't try to kill people, however, the bottle fed ones want to cause pain! 

Thankfully we have had no more sheep calls for a while, as a property full of rams is not what I need. However, like all of the animals they are part of our dysfunctional family, and we love them. 

What Breed Is It?

Being asked what breed a dog is, must be the most asked question I get, and although some would think this was logical, I sometimes think it is really stupid. Unless the breed is obvious, or they are  a full breed, we have to go with mix.  So, then I get asked, "well what mix?" so tempting to say.... lab x elephant.

Yes we can guess, but apart from that, no idea, and people still argue with me " well you must know"  why must I know? These dogs do not end up in the pound, or wandering the streets with a booklet attached telling us all their habits, breed info and vaccination history we get NADA.

The best one is when we have day old puppies, dumped in boxes, and people say "oh, what breed are they"

Typically I reply with "sorry the arsehole that threw them in the bin didnt write on the box and tell me"  how the hell do we know what breed they are, but on this island mix is going to be the answer.

Then you always get the expert, so you have a tiny puppy, smaller than your hand, weighing under 500G and someone says ...... oh they are going to be big, they look like pitbulls..... WTF do people not realize how big pups are when they born.

Small breed dogs are small, and big breed dogs are born bigger. Again depending on what mum had a fun night with will determine how big they grow, and on this island that can be anything,

So, when it says mix, what we actually mean is HAVE NO IDEA...... although I do try and classify every dog we have at the vets as Lab mix....

It NEVER Rains in Gran Canaria

The adverts will all tell you it NEVER rains in GC, and that we have the most sunshine than any other place in the world, what a load of bollox. Yes, we have less rain, but when it comes, OMG it rains. A few years ago it begun to rain, and when I say rain I mean RAIN.

The wet stuff brings many issues, as we leak, and every time the water runs down the walls the electrics go off. So although the rain is nice, I like it when it stops, but this time, it just didn't stop, the speed, and force the rain came we didn't have a chance! As I watched my property be engulfed in water and mud, I sat and cried.

We are on top of  a mountain, my stables, kennels and sheep enclosures, are perched on a rock, and although the kennels were dry, and the dogs were safe, the water swept through everywhere else like a river. From our top gates the river traveled, straight through my stable gates, and into the stables, every single one went under water.

One of the back walls of the stable actually fell off the building, and crashed down the mountain.

My dog pen went under water, and the chicken pens were no more. We were in the chicken area, up to our waist in water, chicken shit, and mud, screaming at these stupid birds to get out but the chickens wouldn't leave, they simply drowned before we could save them all. 

 Every part of the property was three feet under mud, and the mess was indescribable. after what seemed like an eternity the rain stopped...... and we took a deep breath. So much was destroyed, but thankfully not too many animals were affected. My "house" was under water, but I had to rebuild, and clean for the animals. 

We learnt so much after the rain, we learnt where to bash holes for rain to escape, and where to build walls to divert. We also learnt that nature is a force far stronger than us, so, when it starts to rain again, I pause, take a deep breath and pray it will never be as bad as that day ever again. 

Big Is Beautiful...

We rehome a lot of dogs, and I am grateful that I have an amazing team in the UK, who help us to make sure the dogs get fantastic homes. Sadly, the majority of what we rehome are small dogs, don't get me wrong this is great, but come on people big is beautiful. I love big dogs, therefore, they pull on the heart strings when I am at the pound, so we end up getting dogs that my head knows will be here forever!

Raven is the perfect example, I walked past a corral that had a huge dog laid at the front, bleeding, and in pain.

She would not even lift her head, and I was told she had come in that day and the other dogs had attacked her.  she simply laid there, with a look of please kill me now. She was huge, my head ruled, and I walked on past her, but all the way around the pound I kept thinking about her.

I thought oh well by the time I am done, she will be up, and moving.... nope 30 minutes later still she laid blood ripping from her ears, on to her white feet.

I crouched down, and got nothing, she didn't even lift her head. I knew I couldn't take another large dog, we would never rehome her, so off I went to the office. Whilst reserving the other dogs, I battled heart and head, and as always heart ruled..... the HUGE Pressa was reserved.

Raven came home, and was like a bull dozer, wanting to say hello to everyone .... magic included.

Raven is a beautiful dog, so loving, so funny and so friendly.... but I know she will be here a long time which is a shame. 

There must be someone out there for Raven..... please have a look at her album, and share her until we get this girl into a home!    Raven's Album

Humans Are Miserable!

I live on a tourist island, therefore, it is full of tourists, and although I try to avoid resorts as much as possible, sometimes I have to venture into them. Now being a tourist island, you would think the tourists would be happy, yeah right, miserable, rude, and unaware of anyone else is more realistic! The tourists have long faces, and certainly have no manners.

As I maneuvered around the shop, bread in hand, on a mission as always, I watched the shuffling, zombie like people. They look like they have no interest in being there, so why come, no one forces you onto the plane. Aren't holidays supposed to make you happy?

I headed for the wine aisle.... it had been a long day! A man approached the same area pushing past me to get to a carton of paint stripper, I mean cheap wine. Apparently pushing, was easier than a simple "excuse me" Perdon or even "entschuldigen"

He was oblivious to his rudeness, which drives me mad, there is NO excuse for rudeness, maybe we should bring back capitol punishment and hang the rude people.

I continued to the till, remembering why I live up a mountain surrounded by animals, and and why I hate humans.

Its Not a School Playground!

Something that really gets on my nerves in animal rescue is the pathetic squabbling, the he says she says behind each others backs. Come on people we are all adults, this isn't primary school, and the telling tales is boring. I get messaged all day, and when it is messages whinging, and bitching I really cannot be bothered.

Don't get me wrong I love to rant about bad rescues, but when they give me a good reason, not just for the sake of it, and never whine like a 5 year old. I also will say it to their faces, and do not ever write, or say anything that I wouldn't say to their faces. The people that message me to whinge about someone else annoy the fuck out of me, and yesterday I told a few people to grow up.

Most of these people have no idea what is involved with animal rescue, they are sat at home, bitching and writing to me... like "miss miss she pulled my hair" "miss miss she did it first"

Come on people, GROW UP!

I'm sat looking at starved dogs, trying to work out how to pay my massive vets bills, and you are all fighting about the most pathetic things. if you do not want to work together then don't.

If you have a real issue with the way people are running rescues, or raising funds, then speak to them, as I actually don't care less unless they upset me, or harm the animals.

Sadly this is something that far too many people in animal rescue spend their time doing, just think people if you spent more time rescuing, than bitching, how much you could achieve.

That Time Again....

Oh yes it's transport time ..... dog shit in boxes unhelpful people and no sleep. As I sit on a cold airport floor with the waft of dog shit I do wonder why the he'll I do this.

I have even had weirdos trying to speak to me so had to do the speaky no language nod and smile.

Normal blog service will resume manana.. ...

They Grow!

When I was a child, I understood the basics of animals growing up, that one day the small cute fluffy animal would be large. However, people today seem to have been born without this small common sense gene. As the amount of people that get small, cute baby animals, and when they are fully grown, they stare in disbelief, and say " I didnt know it was going to grow that big"

I often get calls when the animals have grown, when the ducks are no longer cute and fluffy, and are shitting all over their house, or the little yellow chick they were told was a chicken, is now in fact a rooster. I also get the calls when the small, adorable baby goats that they thought were cute and funny, are now 40KG and living on their balconies.

Yes that is how we got our two larger goats because some muppet bought them, thought they were "adorable" kept them on her terrace, and then they grew. Why does this come as such a shock to people, there are NO miniature animals, they are simply babies. So the call came, and off we went to collect the goats.

Now, people are often amused how I transport goats, but they are in fact very good travelers, so in the boot of my car is perfectly suited. Just have to watch the horns on the back glass, but apart from that, goats in the boot are calm, and as long as I dont get stopped by the Policia, all is good.

 

I have given up lecturing the people that were too stupid in the first place, I dont want to waste valuable oxygen on them as if they have to be told it wasnt a good idea then they really are stupid. 

So, two more mouths to feed... or maybe more, as no one knew what was happily growing inside our Mama 

Treat It Like Your Own!

I love my car, and she is a huge part of what we do (yes I refer to my car as a she) and when she goes to the car doctor, it is stressful. Not only do I worry about what she is likely to have wrong with her, but also the cost, and the stress of having to hire a car. I have two requirements when I hire a car, cheap, and can I fit dogs in it.

I hired one recently, and on the dashboard was a sticker that stated the "rules" so usual:

No excess amounts of sand
No smoking
No eating and drinking
No wet people
and lastly....... please treat the car like it was your own..... OMG what had they opened themselves up to.

This meant I could use the car as I would on a daily basis, so off I went to get goat food, followed by the vets/ Over the next few days the car was used daily, for different "normal" tasks by me, I did try and cover seats before putting animals in the car, but covers move.  My car was fixed, and it was time to return the car, I made sure it had the "right" amount of petrol, and strolled into the office.

The usual inspection then has to take place, which is boring, and they usually always find a tiny scratch, however, today he found a back seat of dog hair, and a car covered in duck shit. In my defense his sticker didnt say No dogs..... the duck shit was more extreme, and they had certainly decorated the car well.

The look on his face was priceless, as he asked where the hell I had taken the car, he pointed to the roof, and made spluttering sounds, I innocently said "oh the ducks must have been sat on the roof" He then begun to rant, I will never understand people, he was shouting that hire cars are not for ducks, I agreed with him smiling and said "of course not they wouldn't be able to reach the pedals"

After a 10 minute rant, and the threat of a 50€ fine, I found myself at the local garage cleaning duck shit off the roof. As I grumbled away I could not see the issue, had he never had a car returned with duck poo on the roof, well in his defense he probably hasn't, but that is not the point.  All I had done was abide by his sticker. I returned the car, and made a quick exit before he discovered the dog vomit down the back of the seats.

Chickens..... They Are So Easy to Keep NOT

Chickens are such simple creatures, you throw some corn on the floor, they lay eggs, you make money.... all so simple.... Yeah right! Oh my god chickens are time consuming, temperamental, money taking creatures.... but we love them! Regardless of the amount of time, effort, and money you put into chickens, if they do not want to lay, then they DONT

Chickens do have a really short laying lifespan, which is why the battery factories get rid of them, which is fine, I dont need eggs from all every day. However, you need to decide if you want expensive pets, that trip you up, shit everywhere, and wake you at all hours, or whether its time to make a chicken pie!

These lovely creatures are like vampires, they suck every last once of energy and time from your life, the hours you have to put into chickens is incredible. Leaving chickens alone to their own devices can lead to a full apocalypse. I am pretty sure that my chickens plot against me, and all huddle in corners planning their next move.

Chickens hate everything, sunshine, rain, snow, tees, other animals, and people, and everything that causes them distress means that they lay less. Therefore, before rushing out to get chickens, you need to think do you want an army of sneaky warriors, or to make money. If it is the later then sadly you will go insane trying as the chickens take over.

Icing On The Cake!

The other day it was a shit, awful day, it started with the vet calling and telling me that Jnr had not been strong enough, and had sadly died. I arranged to collect him later that day, and from that moment one thing after another happened. Nothing major, just many small issues, and many annoying people.

I finally managed to escape, and drove down to the vets, where there was basic small talk, and then I left with Jnr in a bin bag. Yep nothing dignified when you die in the vets, sadly this is how dead animals are transported. You have to remember that they are not supposed to hand back dead animals, and secondly, he had been sat in the cold room all day, so I didn't need to see what he looked like.

On the drive home, I pondered life, love and the universe, which I do often in my car, praying I did not have to speak to another retard today. I simply did not have the mental energy to deal with anymore idiots.

As I was nearly home, I saw the road block, with a bunch of Guardia, now this is normal here, and routine stops do not bother me, but REALLY not today, I didn't need it. As I pulled the car over, I just hoped it would be a quick "Hi and bye"

All paperwork checked, no problems there, he glanced on the back seat, and asked what was in the bag. At this point, I honestly didn't care about speaking Spanish, so quite bluntly said "dead cat"

The Guardia opened the door, and stared at the bag, then back to me, then back to the bag. Slowly he repeated "dead cat" "yep" I replied, I didnt want to engage in a long conversation, and I think my face must have shown this. Then he poked the bag, no idea what he was expecting to happen, as it really was dead.

There was a really long pause, as he stood starring at the bag, then he looked up and said " can you open the bag"  At this point, I had enough, I turned and said " that's my dead cat, its been sat in the vets all day decomposing, by now most of its bodily fluids would be in that bag, You want to open it and take a nice deep breath, carry on, but I'm not"

I think he realized that my face said it all, and that this was the icing on the cake for my shit day, and he said I could go. I took my cat home, dug a hole, shed some tears and buried him, someone once told me animal rescue was fun, If I could get hold of that person today I would slap them senseless.

RIP Jnr <3

Lost For Words

There are very few occasions when I have no idea what to say, however, the other day I stopped typing, and simply stared at the screen I had no response for the idiot. The French Bull Dogs went up for adoption, so I braced myself for the usual tidal wave of applicants. The typical mix bag came, the good, the bad, and the down right stupid.

There was a lady who applied, had other FBD, and seemed to know the breed, she wittered away about her dogs, and then dropped the bombshell... she was a breeder. She proudly told me how she was a KC breeder, and how she always ended up keeping one from the litters. I actually didn't know where to go with this one.

Ok, she knew he was castrated, so didn't want him for breeding, but the fact she had contacted a rescue for a dog, and was proud of the fact she was part of the problem stunned me into silence.

I explained due to people like her millions of dogs die every year in kill pounds around the world. That rescues and pounds were overflowing with pure breed dogs that had been bought and then dumped.

Did she care... did she hell, and even went on to tell me that it was ok she only sold to good homes or other breeders WTF. was this woman some kind of stupid. People like this make me sick, all she actually cared about was the money she was making. I did ask her how much she earnt, and she didnt answer, as she just could not see why I was pissed off.

I did invite her to wander around a kill shelter, and see all the dogs, and told her that hundreds of puppies will die this week, however, she simply kept defending herself, stating people had a choice. Yes that is the problem PEOPLE have a choice but DOGS don't. They dont ask to be bred over and over, or end up in a cage, or dead.

People make this choice for them, stupid, ignorant, money grabbing people like this woman. The conversation rapidly went down hill, and I do believe the words "you will adopt from me when hell freezes over, now fuck off back under your rock" were used. Do I care ....No!

Yes, you have to pay!

Something that annoys me a lot is when people question that we ask for an adoption fee, they are truly shocked that we would. There are "rescues" that give the dogs away for free, claiming they don't want to profit, when in reality what that means is they don't give a toss, and have done nothing to the dog. The reality is if I wanted to profit from rehoming a dog, the adoption fee would be a lot more, we ask for something to help with the costs.

Rescuing dogs is expensive, and when people slag me off for asking for an adoption fee, they need to get their heads out of their arses.

Then you have the people that say " but I'm rehoming it, why do I have to pay" Or "surely, you just want rid of the dog" NO I dont just want rid, I want a home that actually cares, and that will have a dog with everything done.

For the adoption fee, they are getting a dog that is microchipped, has all their vaccinations and rabies injection, has a passport, and has had the filaria test done. They are also steralised/ castrated if of age, and treated for worms, ticks and fleas.

To adopt here in GC the cost to adopt is 120€ which trust me all that stuff cost me more, and still people moan.

In the UK we ask for 285 pounds, and this is an average amount for adopting a dog in the UK, and we have the added cost of travel on top. So on average I am around 400€ down for every dog.... am I insane yep, but it isnt about making money. For me it is making sure that we have done everything the dog needs, and found it the best home possible.

It isnt about popping a FB post up giving away animals , bleating how you don't ask for adoption fees, as its not about the money! That isnt a good rescue, that is a bunch of idiots being part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Van Gogh...

I have my phone on me all the time, which means when I get sent photos I tend to look at them regardless of where I am, or with who. I get sent some awful things, and typically doesn't bother me, but the night I was sat in a concert, and the pound messaged, even I turned the phone away. I was trying to stare at the screen without everyone else seeing.... Yes it was a dog with an awful injury... her ear had been ripped off.

Now, over the years I have seen many injuries with ears, as they tend to get pulled, and ripped when fighting, but never ripped off. Now before everyone slag off the pound, they can do nothing about over crowding, this is the reality of the summer months. Too many dogs, too hot, and and not enough adoptions.

This dog was in with two female dogs, not aggressive breeds, however, something happened, and they attacked. There was nothing left, not even a thread it was awful, the pain she must have been in was un thinkable. Of course I agreed to take the dog, and arranged to get to the pound asap.

When I met this dog, she amazed me, her tail did not stop, she was covered in scars from head to foot, and her ear was infected and stank.

I took the dog, who I named Van Gogh..... Well I couldnt call her anything else really could I.... to my vet and he agreed surgery was needed to tidy it up.

Through everything her tail did not stop, she loves people and other dogs, and life. She doesn't care that she has one ear, or that she was attacked, she just wants to be happy! 

Van Gogh is now up for adoption, and I know the perfect home is out there for her. She could teach so many people a thing or two about life, and forgiving, and moving on, as Van Gogh has. 

Poisoned Cat!

I hate Monday's, they typically always start in the usual way... Chaos, with some disasters thrown in for good measure.  Mixed in with unbearable heat at 07.00 came one of our mouse catching cats, the moment I saw him I knew he had been poisoned. All the usual symptoms were there, and I knew I had to get him to the vet. Although we don't use poison here, all the fincas surrounding us do, to kill the mice and rats... our cats catch the mice, so hey presto we have a problem.

Jnr survived the journey, which is a start, as I have seen far too many cats die within 10-15 minutes from poison. As I ran into the vets cat in arms, the door was closed, so I banged on it, and out came the vet.... I shouted "poisoned cat" he shouted back "dead dog" I looked confused then saw the dead dog on the scales. I pointed out I really didnt care, and to save my cat, he got to work.

With poison all we can do is vitamin K, drips, and numerous drugs and pray, we have to hope that the amount digested is small.

Jnr was moved to a cage, and I just hoped he was strong enough to pull through this. As we walked back to the exam room, the vet said it would be helpful to know what poison the neighbor used.

I gave him a look of REALLY, and said "you want me to pop round, and say hi neighbor you dickhead, thanks for trying to kill my cats again, by the way what do you use"

The vet laughed, and said " no louise, bake some cupcakes, be nice, smile and ask him" ... he paused for a moment and realized what he had said was NEVER  going to happen, and if I got near the neighbor, I would stuff the rat poison down his bloody throat.

We agreed might be better to not visit the neighbor, and off I went, leaving Jnr to fight for his life. Back to the unbearable heat, and a day of moaning, and more disasters.