Trolls!

Growing up I always believed that trolls were the guys that lived under the bridge, when the Billy Goat Gruff trip trapped over the top. They were harmless, fairy tale creatures, but sadly today there are trolls everywhere!

Internet trolls are bad news, and they are lurking everywhere, slagging off people, causing problems, and generally an annoying pain in the arse a bit like piles! Trolls pop up often on my pages, and on my blog, writing crap, with no substance, and causing issues when there are none. Sending messages with the stupid statements of " is that about me" "it better not be" Im a great believer in if you think something is written about you, then you have a guilty mind, therefore, that is your issue not mine.

These people are nasty, bored, have a lower intelligence, and are generally out to upset people, they have no real worth in the world, and if they stopped existing, no one would miss them.

I find it so sad that anyone can go on a page and insult volunteers, people who give up their time, energy and own money to help dogs in need. I tend to not feed the trolls anymore, not because they are right, but because if you feed them they grow. As they grow, they think they are important, therefore, ignoring them is the better option.

So, for the troll that is stalking me at the moment, keep reading, keep investing your time and energy into your pointless rants, whilst I get on with important things like saving animals.

It Is A Bloody Snake!

I have a philosophy that all animals can live here, as long as they do not harm me, or my other animals, this includes rats and roaches. Now these two things we have, they run around at night, and if anyone tries to claim with animals, and feed, everywhere they dont have rats then they are liars. The rats on the whole are no problem, they steal the feed, and the odd egg, but hey I dont usually see them so all is good.

I was walking through the barn the other day, when I saw it..... it was on the floor, in plain sight, easily recognizable. I stopped, starred and said very loudly... "fuck" yep it was a snake skin, which wasn't there the night before.

A snake skin only means one thing, yep, we have a bloody snake and it isnt a small thing! Now what to do, well there is only one thing to do, repeat fuck over and over, and message hubby to say "fuck, we have a snake" Now him being a man, asks stupid questions like, "how big is it?" no panic, no worry, just always about the size!

After some googling, it seems that snakes are common here, and that its all ok they arent poisonous to people, only to animals. Errr hello I have a lot of them! Why did it have to wander on to my property, why did it have to drop its skin in my barn!

So, now we are wandering around, waiting for a snake, or snakes to pop out, like a scene from snakes on a plane. Oh yes there can never be just one snake, I bet there are hundreds! Where is Samual L Jackson, I need his bad arse tactics, to deal with this problem!

Give it Time

When did we become a society where we can just return things without question? I grew up in a  world where you worked at things, and if they didnt work you tried some more. Today it seems that people are not prepared to try, and the moment it gets to tough they give up. This is apparent with animal rescue, as far too many people return dogs, after 24 hours like a pair of shoes.

Now, I understand there will be issues with a new dog, I understand that the pack will be disrupted, but come on people give it a chance. We are here to discuss, advise and help, but screaming and making stupid demands because you cant be bothered, simply isnt good enough. These dogs have been through hell, they need time to adjust, to settle, and to develop.

Imagine living for days, weeks or even months in a cage. Your home is a kennel, surrounded by lots of other kennels and unfamiliar barking dogs. You may have come from another shelter or been given up by your previous family. You may have been living as a stray. You may have been with an abusive owner. You may have bounced from various foster homes. Your environment is stressful, to say the least.

One day, your routine changes. A new person takes you from the shelter and brings you into a new home. All the surroundings, all the people inside the home, are new. You have no knowledge of your new home’s rules or schedule. You aren’t even sure if you will stay in this new place.

This situation would be traumatic for any person, and would arguably require the support of a myriad of social services to help that person cope. And yet, this is a common situation for many dogs who are adopted from shelters. 

Although a dog may have come from the best possible shelter and is entering a loving home, the change in environment will undoubtedly cause stress. Most dogs don’t have a support team to see them through the storm, but they do have you, and are depending on you to guide them through this transition period.

The time following any adoption is critical – not simply because you and your dog are getting to know each other, but because you are laying the foundation for your dog’s new life. While the transition from a shelter to a new home will always be a considerable change for a dog, there are ways to make the journey more comfortable and soothing. The following is a guide to help you prepare for your adoption and lay the foundation for a successful transition for your dog. So Please..... give it time....

Road Kill

As odd as it sounds, I always stop when I see an animal that has been hit by a car, even if they are dead. I stop to check if they are alive, and move them out of the road. There is not a lot I can do if they are dead, and I have not gone as far as to scoop them up, but I do move them into the bushes, or at least off the road so other idiots dont squash them.

Why do people consider it ok to run over an animal on the road, I know they are often dead, but come on that was once someones pet. Even if they weren't, they were a living creature, before becoming road kill. Sadly, where I live there is a long stretch of open road, and this is where most of the local cats and dogs get hit. Where the local idiots think they are in a formula one race, and drive at break neck speeds.

I even make my husband stop, and reverse the car so I can check that the animal is dead, I tend to worry all day that it may have been alive, and needing help if I dont check. Now I have read all the correct ways to slowly pull over, hazards on, and make sure you get out of the carefully. In fact what usually happens, is I scream "crap", stop the car, hit reserve at high speed, and pull over in the middle of the road, blocking everything.

All I can hope for then is that they have not been there a while, as they tend to stick to the road, not going to go into details, but you can probably imagine that the animal isnt moving without a struggle.  How people eat roadkill is beyond me, I would rather eat straw, but hey each to their own I suppose.

I have the ability to check for microchips, and I will if I can to give me peace of mind that I have done everything. I also tend to call the dog catcher if it is a dog, as they need to be collected, trust me dead dogs in this heat, boy do they smell!

Beware of the Bins!

Our rubbish here is collected in communal bins that are along the road, either wheelie bins, or in the ground style. Both are scary, and I dread driving past them, why you may ask? well its because people dump animals in the bins here, or next to the bins!

People ask me all the time, why do they dump animals in bins.... the two reasons I can only ever think of is that they consider them rubbish... something to dispose of, oh and they are arseholes! Placing them next to the bins seems to be some "kinder" way because people may find them! The problem is people like me drive past bins looking for animals, sad but true.

Over the years we have found so many animals by the bins,and I will never understand it. Cookie was left by the bins with her puppies, the box was tied shut with wire, no way for  her to escape, as always it was a hot day and she was lucky we found her when we did. 

We have found dogs in bags thrown on the side of the road 

Ducks in bags left by the bins, and so many kittens and puppies it is soul destroying. 

 People ask me how I know when a box has an animal in it, and its not rubbish, to be honest I just know, there is something different about a dumped box. The way it is placed not thrown, the care that was taken to try and make it visible. Am I saying this is better, hell no, but at least they are not likely to be squashed by the compactor, as binmen dont look in bins, they simply empty and crush. 

Sadly this week a small dog lost its life from being thrown into the rubbish bin, it ended up in the compactor, and although they heard it screaming, they didnt get to her in time. They pulled her out, and she went to the vet but she had multiple internal injuries from being crushed! Sadly this is the world we now live in RIP little one <3

Summer is Here- Yippee!

Move to the canaries, it would be fun they said...... open a rescue center, in the middle of the mountains, where the air flow is zero and the temperatures rise all summer! Make sure you take on many animals that take hours to look after in the amazing temperatures! Am I some kind of stupid, please dont answer that!

When the summer months come to the island it is tough, there is nothing harder than trying to keep doing what we do in the heat. Thankfully summer appears to have come later this year, but even so it hit me yesterday like a speeding lorry out of control. Now, summers here are hard, even with a pool, and AC, but with neither, and loads to do, they are unbearable.

The temperature yesterday reached 48c throughout the day, meaning the task of making sure every animal had water was continuous. Feeding and cleaning in sticky heat is horrible, and makes me feel like a turtle walking through peanut butter. Everything becomes heavier, and harder to do, but it has to be done so no choice but to suck it up, and get on with it.

Even the chickens pant when the summer months are here, every animal is trying to cool down, in their own unique way. Many are like me and are ratty, which causes everyone to grumble more than usual.

Even the smallest things annoy me during the hot summer months, so it is easier just to stay away, even more than usual. I dont need stupid phone calls, or idiots on FB writing crap, what I need is light rain, and a cool breeze. But until then I advise to proceed with caution, if you really have to message or call, expect to be shouted at.

All Dogs Bite!

It still amazes me that people are shocked that dogs bite, and if you tell them that the dogs bite in the kennels they are mortified. All dogs bite, they bite each other, and sometimes they bite us, through both play and fear. Why do people only think that dangerous dogs, or bad dogs, bite, come on people all dogs have sharp pointy teeth, they are designed to bite!

In actual fact I would rather be bitten by a big dog, than a small dog, and cat bites are actually the worst. I have nearly caused ABH to a cat that bit me once, as the pain was so bad, and my hand was so infected for days after. Big dogs tend to bite and release, where as little dogs, bite, and bite, and bite.

Anyone that works with dogs that claims they have never been bitten is a liar, although I dont like to be bitten, it is common, especially as we work with both PPP's and scared abused dogs. I have been bitten grabbing scared dogs, moving dogs from one area to another, and of course bitten because I have broken up fights.

The skill is getting a graze, rather than a full on bite, which comes from knowing dogs, and moving fast. My legs tend to get bitten a lot as I always use that to prize dogs apart, but hey I have two so all is good.

Surprisingly the ppp's are not the human biters, and in fact statistically the good old family Labrador was recorded for the most dog bites last year. Placid, loyal, and a strong jaw!

So before you condemn a dog for biting, or question a kennel that is honest and admits they have fights. Think about how much these dogs go through, and why they are biting, they are not always bad, but usually terrified.

Scary Foreign Diseases!

Just to be clear I live in Gran Canaria, which is an island of the coast of Africa, and part of Spain. It is not outer Mongolia, it is not some strange and disease ridden place that has unknown diseases. Which is why I get really annoyed with UK vets and people in England stating utter rubbish.

UK vets really disgust me, when they come up with the most bizarre statements about diseases, and what "foreign" dogs might have..... Sorry to disappoint, we have the same as you, ticks, fleas, worms, we do have filaria which is heartworm spread by mosquitoes, but this is preventable, and treatable.

If one of our dogs so much as sneezes in the UK the vets instantly start grabbing the has mat suits

 and start claiming all manner of things. Now call me cynical, but this is often to get money out of you guys! All the dogs are vaccinated, they all have rabies, and have been tested for the four main diseases here. There is NOTHING more they need! 

Dont get me wrong not all vets are bad, but sadly a huge majority dont like Spanish dogs, and are disgusted that you have adopted from abroad. Surely, this is your choice?

So, if in doubt ask us first, we have nothing to hide, we know what the dog has and hasnt had, and we have been doing this long enough to know when someone is trying it on! 

Why Do We Bother!

I am incredibly proud of the numbers of animals we have saved, especially the dogs, but there are days when I do think why do we bother!

30 dogs went into the main pound here on Friday
22 dogs went into the main pound here on Monday
18 dogs went into the main pound here on Tuesday
20 dogs went into the main pound here on Wednesday

90 dogs in four days!!

Those numbers are simply insane, there is no way of coming back from the huge problem on the island. The small numbers we save is nothing, and does it really make a difference?

People ask why the pound destroy dogs, those numbers are the reason why, there is simply no where to put them. As the numbers rise, the cages get fuller, and the fights will begin. Many dogs will loose their lives in the cages, before a vet even comes near them with a needle.

Why are people so stupid, why can they not see there is a problem, and why can they not steralise their dogs. So many beautiful dogs will be killed because humans are idiots! I am thankful we can save the dogs we do, and I am sorry to the ones we leave behind.... life is shit!

 

Dont Step In the Box!

We have a bright yellow safety box in the stables, it is huge, bright and there for a very good reason. We tell everyone that comes near it, to "NOT step in the box" If people choose to then more fool them, as people always think they know better than me....

I have a horse, a beautiful horse, who loves his teeth, and loves getting to know you by taking chunks out of you. He loves to pick everything up, buckets, brooms, chickens, goats, oh and people. we used to warn people that he bites, and they ignored us, resulting in a few arms being chomped down on. He tends to grab and refuses to let go, and if you have ever been bitten by a horse, you will know how much that hurts!

Magic was starved, he was fed bread, and not a lot of it, so he tends to try and eat everything. He has got a lot better since he arrived, and this I am proud of him for. As with all abuse animals he needs time, and as he is not young this will take longer. As far as I am concerned he can take all the time he needs.

So, after a few people complained that they had been chomped on, well come on people listen! the vet recommended painting a bright yellow warning box. The box was measured using a human, and seeing how far Magic could stretch. he has a surprisingly long neck, bit like a giraffe. The human was placed near the stable, and moved every time he could reach.

 I think it should have flashing lights and a recording stating "DONT STEP IN THE BOX" as you will be amazed at how many people still venture too near. So if you are privileged to come up and near the horses.... be warned Magic takes NO prisoners. 

Rescue..... The Word is Rescue!

I actually do wonder sometimes if people actually know what the word rescue means, Its not that hard, and if in doubt grab a dictionary. Just in case there is any doubt

RESCUE- to bring someone or something out of danger, harm and to make it safe

Rescue does not mean, save an animal then sell it for your own gain, or use it for profit.

So many times when we post the horses that have been rescued I get messages asking if I am selling them. When the answer is no, the next question is "why did you rescue them then" Maybe because they needed rescuing!

Is it really that hard to get your head around the fact that the horses are happy, safe, fat and enjoying life now. They dont need to have a "purpose" they weren't rescued to use for treking, or to sell, they were rescued to be expensive lawn ornaments that we love and are part of our family. Am I crazy ... yep, but that has never been in question!

Horses are amazing animals with so much to give back, yet humans are adamant they have to be worked, and "used" Well others maybe but mine....... there is nothing better than looking out of my kitchen window and seeing happy, healthy horses, and knowing they will never be treated like crap again!

Worst Things To Say To Me!

There are several things that get said to me often, and these tend to make me laugh or shudder depending on the mood I'm in! Here is a few of the worst things people say to us, and if you are in animal rescue, I am sure you have heard these:

1. I sent an email half an hour ago and you have not bothered to get back to me, Why cant you be bothered? Dont you want to find homes for the dogs?

Come on people we are not here for your every whim, we have families, jobs oh and lives. Alongside that we are actually busy feeding the dogs, playing with the dogs, going to the vets, the pounds, the police station, transporting dogs, and doing piles of paperwork. Also your email is probbaly behind 30 other emails that I got before you.

2. What do you mean you ask for an adoption fee? Surely you should be giving them away for free?

Why do people think that the moment you ask an adoption fee then you are making money. Rescue dogs are expensive. The adoption doesn't even begin to pay for everything involved with these dogs. Yes we get reduced rates at the vets, and a lot of our food is donated, there are still vets bills, transport costs, collars leads, bowls, and if the dog is sick or needs surgery, then the cost spirals.

3. We love the look of "fifi" but have holidays booked, and school trips, oh and lunches, and family stuff, so can you hold her for us, for say six months. 

Short answer..... NO

Long answer.......the longer the dogs stay here the more chance they have of being attacked, and they take up a vital space of another needy dog. It is far more beneficial for a dog to go to a new home rather than being sat in kennels.

Sarcastic answer...... Do you really have the time for a dog, if you dont even have the time in your busy life to pick it up?

4. I really love dogs, I really want to adopt one, oh did I mention I gave my last dog away because my girlfriend was allergic/ my landlord told me too/ it got too big. 

I understand that life can be tough, and sometimes we have to make tough decisions, but blatantly, you dont love dogs that much as you gave your last dog away. I think you have to ask yourself, do you really love dogs, or the idea of having a dog.

5. I see you have a "mix" breed dog needing a home, what is the mix?

This seems like a sensible question, however, if I knew the mix I would have stated it. We write mix, as it is shorter than " have no fucking clue" 90% of the dogs we save have been dumped at the pound, therefore, we have no idea.

6. Those adorable one day old puppies that you found in a bin, what breed are they?

REALLY! come on people they were in a bin, the scumbag that threw them in there, didn't write a birth certificate stating parentage... Think people think!

7. I want a dog that doesnt bark, chew, poop or dig, one that never sheds, and wont be clumsy. I work a 50 hour week, and wont be home much, what dog can I have?

I think you need to go to Toys R Us and go get a toy dog, it would be better suited to your list!

Transport Days Part Three....

Once through the doors and into the arms of the second half of the transport team, you have to navigate through the people , and head for the smallest lifts in the world. Again dogs travel on their own, and you pray someone presses the button.

After a trek all the dogs, and boxes arrive at the van, and the dogs all have to be got out of the boxes, some cleaned as they are sharing a box with shit, sick or both if we are really lucky. The dogs are then walked, given water, and a run down of who is who is given. Paperwork handed over, and everyone onboard.. time to relax ... NOT

Every box then needs to be cleaned, flat packed and wrapped for the return journey home in the morning. The wrapping is a task that involves clingfilm, and running round in circles, designed to ensure that after a long day you feel really sick.

After you have run round and round ensuring that the boxes are perfectly wrapped, you have to put them back on the tiny trolleys and find the airport bus. Oh did I not mention that we have to get from one terminal to another, with heavy flat packed boxes, impatient bus drivers, and no help from anyone. Once on the bus you can relax.... Yeah right, you have to hold on and pray that you do not die as the drivers drive like you are in a movie with a high speed car chase.

Back in the right terminal, and by now it is half way through the night, and time to find a plug socket and a vending machine.  We often end up on the floor as there is never enough seats in the airport. A couple of hours feels like eternity when you are on a cold airport floor waiting for check in to open.

When check in finally opens you begin again with the "excuse me" but also have to do the " no there arent animals in the cling filmed boxes" Then the check in row begins..... "yes they are dog boxes" "yes we know they wont fit on the belt" "yes we know where to go" "yes we know they are heavy"  and repeat until every package is tagged. 

Finally the boxes are loaded, boarding passes printed, luke warm airport coffee all drunk, and you can get on the plane to return home. Typically this is 20 hours after the journey begun, long exhausting day complete, but satisfying knowing that more dogs are on their way to their new homes. 

Transport Days... Oh how we love them.. Part Two.........

So the journey continues..... off to normal security now, which is a chore in itself, you know the place, where a small white tray is pushed towards you, and you have to remove everything and join a queue longer than the great wall of china. Now security always poses two issues, firstly I tend to wear muddy boots everywhere, so when these go in the pristine tray, this can be an issue... sorry to the next person using my tray.

Also you have to get the dog out of its carry on bag, and carry it through the xray machine. Great, then you have to try and shoe horn and excited dog back into the bag whilst being thrust your tray, bags, etc etc With this over, you can head for the gate, where everyone stares as your bag is wriggling, barking, and generally being a pain!

If we are held up at any point, then we hold everything up, so I apologize if you are ever delayed by us, and can hear the loud announcements of "will the dog lady please board NOW" Even on a good day with no delays, the process of getting on a plane, into the teeny seat with one rucksack, and a dog in a rucksack is a task.

Many times they leave the whole row empty, but on packed flights this is not possible, meaning that the dog ends up on your lap. Sadly not out of the bag, so this ends up perched on your lap, Usually takes a while for the person next to you to realize there is an animal, and then there are two reactions. You get the "awwwwwwwww its a dog" with lots of stupid noises, and stroking of the bag. Or the look of complete disgust that they have had to travel next to a ........ Dog!!!!

Let the uncomfortable flight begin, thankfully it is not that long, and when those wheels touch down you can hear the dogs barking below you, everyone stares, and your first thought, is get me off this plane NOW. Depending on which flight you are on, will determine how fast you have to move to get off the plane. One takes HOURS to bring the dogs up, and another throws them down the luggage belt, and if you arent there to catch them, oh well. 

When you arrive at the luggage belt, you have to grab two trolleys, for four boxes, stand next to the emergency stop button, as the boxes tend to get stuck as they come through the hole. Then you wait..... the dogs are either always the first, or the last....... you either hear the dogs frantically barking, or suddenly see a box appear. 

Now, they dont stall the boxes, which means they come out one after another, in very quick succession. You have to learn how to get a dog box off the moving luggage belt, and turn to repeat, before the next one passes you. Needless to say no one helps, and some even moan that there are dogs near their bags. Once all four are off and on the floor, you then have to pile boxes on top of one another, and push. 

Again no one helps, no one even gets out of the way, so you tend to spend the 10 minute walk, screaming "excuse me" . No one sees two trolleys piled high with boxes heading towards them, or more likely they simply do not care. Thankfully on the other side of the glass doors is one of the team, who when they can see you are struggling, do tend to pop in and help.

Part three manana......

Transport Days... Oh how we love them.. Part One.........

Transport days are a vital part of what we do, but boy do we hate them, the organisation is epic, and the stress massive. The team that do these are amazing, always late everywhere they go, but amazing. Transporting animals is hard work, long hours, stressful, and no you don't get to see the world, you get to see airports.

On average we transport 12-18 dogs at any one time, which is a huge task, every element has to be checked, then double checked, and because its me triple checked. I shout a lot, stress a lot, check microchips over and over, and clean out shit filled boxes until they pass safely through security. The logistic mess of moving all the dogs and their boxes is HUGE, made worse by idiots in the airport.

Moving one box on a trolley that wobbles, and isnt built for a dog box, is bad enough moving up to 12 of these, is a headache. Added with the fact dogs never sit still, they go to one end of the box, then the other, then repeat. Often the boxes tip, and the boxes fall off the trolleys. We are now skilled at balancing, maneuvering and praying.

I am still shocked at how people in the airport do not see a huge line of boxes moving towards them. People simply stand there, with us going "excuse me" and after the third time of that in three different languages I revert to "get out of the fucking way" just before I ram the trolleys into their ankles.

At check in everyone wants to look in the boxes, sticking their fingers in the boxes, with the strange dog they have never met. This usually causes the dogs to start barking, or growling, which in turn causes the check in staff to ask us to get the dogs to stop barking. Silly me I will just hit the "off" switch.

Once every passport has been checked, the boxes inspected, the dogs checked, the weights records, and the usual I want a window seat row finished. The boxes are then tagged, yes like luggage, the dogs travel as luggage, in the hold, with the suitcases. Now Norwegian take tagging to another level, they not only tag, but they wrap the boxes in security tape, also needing more live animal tags, address tags, and a full description of the dog.

Then off to security, which of course is downstairs, accessed by a lift you can only fit two trolleys in at a time, so sending dogs in lifts on their own is done often. Then the rules of security mean that one person has to get the dogs out, place the box on the xray machine, and hold the dog, rebox the dog all on their own. We tend to pull the we do not understand card at this point.

Once this has been done several times, and the boxes lifted on to the flatbed that has been sent by the baggage guys, with the one useless person, who is moaning the dogs are too heavy, we can leave. Remembering the animals we have in carry on bags, making sure all paperwork, passports and boarding passes are too hand, we head for the boarding gates. Here the fun continues....

Part two manana ...........

I





   

Not All Dog Catchers Are Bad!

Dog catchers get a really bad reputation, and I must admit before I begun working with them here on the island, I pictured, a Cruella de Ville clone, who snatched peoples dogs. They don't even have nets like in movies, and the ones I have got to know even love the dogs. The dog catchers dont want the dogs in the pounds, and the ones they collect off the streets they try and stop going to the main pound if they can.

Many of the dog catchers are normal, nice guys who love animals, and care what happens to them. They dont want to see the dogs killed, and the animals they find that have owners, they return as soon as they can. Many have dogs of their own, and are experienced at what they do, although their methods are unique.

When I first met my local dog catcher, I must admit I did think he was creepy, and that there may even be a possibility that at night he shot the dogs,and ate them.

He soon proved me wrong, and showed that in his own way he loves the dogs, and everyone that I agree to take, he baths, dries with a towel (not very well, but its the thought that counts) and puts them in my car. This tends to result in a wet dog smell all the way home, but as I say its the thought that counts.

Every dog that enters his small pound he looks after, they may not have cosy beds, or long walks, but he is delaying them going to the kill pound. When he is too full, and knows that the dog lorry has to be called he calls people he trusts like us to go and clear cages, so he can fill them again.

It annoys me when idiot people on Fb state dont call the police they will shoot the dog, or send it to the kill pound. There are actually several others steps before that, but good old people thinking they know everything, when they dont. So, if you see a stray dog please grab it, or call the police, it may be someones lost pet, or if not it will need to be off the streets.

Can Kittens Swim?

I was driving down the motorway one day when my phone rang, I ignored it how good am I..... then it rang and rang and rang, So, I answered it. It was a woman stating that a feral kitten had fallen in her pool, and was drowning. I asked where, it happened to be the next junction, so I pulled off and headed for her apartment.

Now, by the time I got there I was expecting her to have got the kitten out of the pool, nope it was bobbing up and down, basically drowning. The woman was stood on the side of the pool , flapping her arms, and screaming, but doing not a lot else. I grabbed the pool skimmer and scooped the kitten up and out of the water.

 Wrapping the kitten in my tshirt, I asked why she had just stood there, her answer, she didnt want to get wet WTF. She said that she had called me, was that not enough? As I pointed out if I had been further away the kitten would have been dead. Her answer...... "lucky you were near by then" 

Off I stomped, one wet kitten in my shirt, and a bigger dislike for humans. 

I am never amazed by peoples stupidity.

Dog In the Bird Cage

We are called and messaged about a huge amount of chained up dogs, it has sort of become "normal" But the day I was told of the dog in the bird cage I stopped what I was doing and muttered WTF. Once I had clarified she meant a bird cage, and the photo came through of this dog in a bird cage, in the heat, there was no way we were leaving him there.

Now the Spanish have a "lets look and ponder" mentality, I have a lets rescue and get home mentality. With the GPS,  one photo and a bag full of treats off we went. We knew roughly where it was, but sadly one run down shack looks like another on this island. My trusty helpers, were useless, pointing out that in the background there was a bush..... errr hello there are a thousand bushed that are the same. 

Whilst we were having our afternoon stroll around a mountain, looking for a bush, it got hotter and hotter, causing me to get ratty. Now, if anyone knows me ratty means impatient, and by 30 minutes, I had enough, and was getting bored. We wandered and wandered, and just as we were aiming to give up, we spotted what we were looking for. 

     Yes a big pile of rubbish, and behind that was the bird cage, and one very sorry looking dog, who was chained inside. Not only had the owners left him in there with no water but chained! Come on people give us a break. As we approached the dog was far from friendly, but I had come this far, I was not leaving without him. he had no interest in treats, what he did have interest in was eating me. 

Now some dogs are simply ungrateful, and this was one, we managed to get the door open, and out he rushed teeth on show. With one of us in front waving treats, and one behind him I could see that the chain was attached to the cage. Oh joy, I had not thought to bring bolt cutters, note to self, put bolt cutters in car for next time. 

  Finally after loosing my shit with the chain I managed to get it unattached, and the dog was free, although he still wasnt very grateful. The walk back to the car was fast, and the dog thankfully had realized we were his meal ticket out of there. He was thrown in the back of the car, along with a packet of treats and off we went. 

  For all the do gooders that tell me that what we do is wrong, come on people a dog in a bird cage REALLY!! 

I Rescue Animals

I rescue animals...... and in return they rescue me...

Every day I rescue animals, I fight for them and dedicate my life to them. I rarely put myself first, and I never put the animals last, I always do the right thing for them. I am a positive person, but also very realistic, and have been worn down by the negativity of the world. I am a happy person with a constant sadness about the cruelty that surrounds us all.

I have opened my heart over and over, to more animals than I can count, and given them their happy tail, and a new chance. I have accepted my crazy world, and accepted, the fact I will never have a normal life, with a dog hair free home. I live every day for the animals, I wake up hoping to save more, and go to sleep thinking of those I could not save.

I go to cruelty reports, and shudder at what I see, as often it is worse than I could have imagined. I look into the eyes of the animals I save, and feel their pain, and hear their cries. I tell them they are loved, because I am sure no one else ever has. I spend time trying to educate the ignorant, this I fail at everyday.

I cannot save them all, and spend everyday knowing that it will never end, no matter how hard we try. I know that for every animal I save, there is another that I failed by not being able to save. Even so, I save as many as I can, I love more than I ever thought was possible, and I smile... because they smile back.

 I take on all of their pain, so they can be free to be happy, and begin to heal. Many days I loose my faith in humanity, and I often cry, I crawl into bed, and pull the covers over my head. Then an animal looks at me, and thanks me for saving them. I know I make a difference, I rescue animals, in turn they rescue me, therefore, everything in between is worth it! 

Live a Day in My Shoes!

Someone once said to me " the haters will always hate.... If you could walk on water, they would state you were too lazy to swim" Oh how true is that, no matter what I do, or how much we help, there are people that still bad mouth us.

Please.... Before you judge me... or anyone like me..... Please live one day in my shoes, living my life...

Please clean out all my animals, feed my mini zoo that grows on a daily basis.. Care for the sick and injured. Make sure you say sorry to the new dogs that cry in their kennels as they do not understand what is happening. Apologize over and over to the dogs with broken hearts... for things that you didnt do.

Please make decisions that will rip your heart apart, cry in your car when a dog dies at the vets, wipe blood of your clothes from dogs you have tried to save.

Please answer all the calls, emails, texts and shitty messages that I get every day, make sure you read the hateful comments that I see... about me.. from ignorant people, who have never met me, have never been "me" but of course they know more about being "me"

Please make sure that you feel the despair I feel, when I have to say no to people
Please feel the anxiety that I feel when Im forced to say yes to people
Please sit and worry about how to pay the vets and feed bills every month
Please feel the exhaustion that I feel when I have nothing left to give....... but still I give more

You will have to give up everything, your life, your sanity, and everything in your world, to help others.
You will struggle, and ask for help from others, and hope that it will arrive..... but know that it probably wont.
You hope that you are wrong, pray that you are wrong, but know that you are right

In truth, you signed up for this, no one else, so it boils down to the fact that all you have is you, and all the animals have is you. This is why Im proud, Im proud of what I have achieved, Im proud of what we do. If someone hates me, it is for being me, yet they know nothing of me, most have never done a good deed in their lives. They hate me, simply because I am good at what I do, and in their attempts to find my faults, they simply highlight their own.

I am who I am, and everyday I change the world for at least one animal, I do that, and I will continue to do that. I always sit back and remember.... "Rescue is a lifestyle" and together we are stronger, and are making a difference, so haters got to chirp, and our supporters will continue to grow...

Free to a Bad Home!

We have become a throw away society which means that many people no longer want their family pets. This leaves them with three options:

1. hand your dog into a kill pound
2. hand your dog into a local rescue
3. give the dog away for free on a buy and sell site

ALL three options make you an arsehole, but if they have to do one of the three, I really wish they didn't pretend giving it away for free was the best option, as it rarely is going to end well.  Many people feel guilty about handing their dogs over to a rescue or pound, so decide that giving it to a complete stranger is better. However, this is one of the most stupid things you could ever do, and will almost get your dog killed.

Animal abusers, and dog fighters love free dogs, they spend hours searching the online sites, waiting for the free animals. The animals they want have no value, therefore, the free part is all they care about. Abusers want the dog for sick pleasure, and fighters want them for bait, so the moment you give your dog away for free, you are signing them up for years of torture, or if they are lucky a quick death.

The defense people use is " I will only give my dog away to a good home" REALLY!!!  Evil people do not walk around with a Tshirt that says animal abuser on it, they are "normal" people that blend in, they want you to trust them, and give them your dog. Dog fighting is a big business, where thousands is made, therefore, they are looking for free "bait" to train with.

 Far too many puppies and small dogs are torn apart by horrible people that you thought were " good people". I have seen many dogs that have been saved from bait rings, and picked up dead bodies of ones not so lucky! So If you ever consider giving your dog away for free to "a good home" please DONT 

There are options, there are always options, how about the you keep the dog, you committed to it for life, so how about you step up and make that commitment. If you really have no other option (although there are always options) swallow your pride and ask for help from the rescues, and pounds. Open your eyes this is going on, and you could be involved! 

Operation Unicorn!

Rescuing animals is never easy, and never straightforward, and when you rescue all shapes and sizes it is very stressful. I didn't set out to rescue horses, it just sort of happened, and now we have four! One recently joined our crazy world, in a frantic rescue of, can we beat the guy with the gun, as she was destined to be shot.

Saturday started well, not too many can I take messages, so I went and saw some friends, drank coffee, and had 10 minutes to myself. When my phone went off, and there it was the message I hate, can you take, and with a stupidly small timescale to do so. Now if it was a dog, cat, even goat they get thrown in my car, but when it is a horse, I need extra man power.

On my phone was a photo of a horses leg, and a message of, owner will shoot manana, as no use to him anymore, can you help? So of course, I thought about this for ages, discussed with hubby, planned where it was going, spoke to the vet...... Hell did I , I replied of course, without processing all of the above.

I am a woman of act NOW and think later, but what the hell, this horse needed a chance, as she didn't deserve to be shot, as she was "no use" anymore. So frantic calls, and messages happened all afternoon, trying to get sense out of four different Spanish people is stressful, but finally it was all arranged. Then we had to wait..... now waiting I don't do well, and out of pure bad luck I was getting on a plane within a few hours.

Operation unicorn, was being left to my daughter, and the transport guy, so needless to say I was messaging her every five minutes with "horse?" Thankfully, all went well, and everyone followed my instructions to the letter..... People know better than to waiver from my instructions! One horse saved, and happy.

 The vet is due in the next few days to assess the damage to her leg, but for the moment she is walking, eating, and greeting us with the usual happy sounds, of thanks for saving me..... Now where the hell to put another horse...... better get building. 

Recycling......

I am a huge fan of recycling, I honestly do think if more people recycled we could all make a difference. I recycle loads of things, from the normal, bottles, paper, plastics, even wood, rocks, oh and animals. Ok, technically recycling animals is simply a term we use for taking, but it sounds so much better.

Before, anyone dials 911, I am talking about taking animals that are abused, starved, or worse. Although we work with the policia, I know that the "system" takes a long time here, and often the animals have died, before the paperwork gets pushed from one to another. So, I usually end up recycling the animals, then do the paperwork after.

Now, jumping over peoples walls, is an art as I don't actually want to get caught in the act, as this can cause people to freak. I once jumped over my neighbors wall, as I thought he was dead, needless to say he wasnt, as he caught me peering in his kitchen window. So, we do spend a while walking around, taking photos of the animals, making sure we have a clear path to take the animal, and get it in the car.

Animals in danger, or that have been abused do tend to come quickly, as if they know they are finely free of their chains, or that the yummy tin of food I am waving is the first of many. They simply know that we are the good guys, and that this is their chance. I am often asked if I feel bad for taking someones animals, "nope" not at all, sorry but if you looked after your animals, I wouldn't have been called.

Another question asked is, "dont the owners call the police" Honestly, no they don't, as we only ever recycle animals that are in need, if they called the policia, they would have to explain the state of their animals. Therefore, the animals are safe, the paperwork is issued, and can take as long as it wants, and the so called owner, can piss off for all I care.

Moving Rock....

So, we have new animals, and these are causing a lot of amusement here, I would never have thought we could all stand and stare at a pond for so long! We were asked if we could take some turtles, and of course I said yes. Although I know nothing about turtles, Google is an amazing place, where all my knowledge is gained.

Speedy and Lightning were collected, and arrived looking shell shocked (sorry!) I decided that living in our duck pond would be perfect for them, The moment they hit the water, they were gone..... So, we spent the next 20 minutes trying to spot them as they popped up for air, bit like a game of "whack a mole" without hitting him obviously.  

I had been told that the turtles would attack the ducks, and vice versa, so we waited and watched to see if anything happened. Like the scene from Jaws when the girl is pulled under the water, I was waiting for a duck to go under from the savage beast beneath the water..... but nope all swimming, floating together, no issues at all. A few of the ducks did stare at the floating rocks, as if to say WTF are you, but no attacks, or problems. 

I was convinced that the turtles would be so happy living in the water, sunbathing on the edge, that they would not venture far away..... Yeah how wrong was I. Fast forward to yesterday morning, when I wandered through the stables, to see a moving rock, walking towards me. Now in my world nothing is strange, so it could have been a rock, but it was in fact Speedy. He had walked some distance as the pond is by the gates, and the stables down the bottom of the property. 

In turtle miles, he traveled thousands, no idea why, or how long it took him, but I scooped him up and returned him to the pond. Spent 10 minutes, watching for him to pop up for air, and then went back to actually getting things done. Therefore, if you cannot find me,  am probably up at the pond, staring into the water like a mad woman.......

Early Morning Shearing....

Its not just the dogs, you have to remember we have many other animals that all need care, and every year the sheep/rams need to be sheared. Now this is a job we put off, not because we cant do it, but because we are not stupid enough to wrestle the crazy rams. So, my task of finding someone who is a little crazy and knows what they doing begun.

Thankfully I move in circles of crazy people, and knew exactly who to ask..... she is a friend, and married to a canarian guy who is very experienced with sheep. The date was set, the sheep were warned, and early one morning the shearing begun. You can always tell experienced people as they carry very little equipment, and he was no different..... A piece of string, and a pair of shearing scissors.

Sheep wrangling is an art, but once on their backs they are so quiet it is odd, and I must admit I did chuckle, as I saw Harry on his back starring at me, unable to move. The shearing was done so well, and so quickly, that the sheep didn't even know what hit them. 

 Harry now hates me more than ever before, he has a look of " I will wait, and I will ram you when you least expect it" The problem is he really doesnt look scary anymore, in fact he looks well..... stupid!  However, they are cooler, and more comfortable which is the most important thing..... three rams all sheared in less than two hours.... and I didnt have to wrestle a sheep... result! 

 Jumper anyone?