Runaway Horses!

I don't do run, I do walk very fast. which means when I do run it means something really serious is happening. Yesterday morning we woke up to devastation, our property had taken a huge hit, and there was plenty broken, or moved. Fences had broken,meaning animals were not where they should be, and this means trouble. 

Molly and Igor were out and wandering the property, which was not a huge issue as they could not go anywhere. Igor had a look of trouble about him, or that may have just been his regular look, you can never tell. I begun the usual cleaning and feeding when my phone rang, it was hubby which is odd as A) he never calls anyone B) he was in the house and C) you can't hear him on the phone, so he knows not to call me as I spend the whole conversation going "what, I can't hear you" 

I understood clearly though that Igor the wonder donkey was stood in the road, how the hell had he managed that. I left the kennels and walked up through the property to see the gates wide open, the wind must have blown them open. Molly was stood on my side, Igor in the road with a look of  haha lets have some fun. 

My fast walk turned into a run as I saw Molly look at Igor and make a bolt for the gates, nothing will make your heart beat as fast as when you see a horse run towards an open gate. Molly of course beat me to it, and off her and Igor went down the road. Igor kept looking back with a look of hahaha catch me if you can. 

Now thankfully Molly is of higher intelligence than Igor, and knows where home is, more importantly who feeds her. So after 20 minutes of going up and down the road, she realised that this game was boring. She returned home with a sulky Igor in tow, who I screamed at all the way up the road. Thanks guys for the morning exercise just what I needed NOT!

It's Only Water!

If I lived in the south, in a lovely brick built house I would not care that it was raining, In fact I might also join the group of "what you moaning about, its only rain" However, I don't live there, I live on top of a mountain closer to the clouds, closer to the rain, and in a very old goat shed. Therefore, when the rain comes, and means it, there is nothing I can do but try and save as much as I can.

After the last storm a few years ago,  I now have a larger respect for the rain, as it was so powerful it destroyed our property. We tried everything but there was no stopping it, and this time it felt the same way. When you live in the mountains or campo's here, the rain brings mud, debris and rocks all on it's path to wherever it's going.

Obviously the first thing to go here is the power, as the water runs into every fuse box, and socket, the moment that goes you know it is going to be a long day. The rain kept coming and coming, meaning that the property soon became a huge lake, with everything slowly sinking. The only thing on my mind was to make sure that the animals were ok.

As I walked away from my "house" that was rapidly going under muddy water, the animals were my priority. We had to get everything to higher ground, so rabbits had to be caught and boxed puppies moved, chickens shouted at as they are so stupid they simply stand and drown rather than run. The stables become the river for the water and mud, and all the horses look at you with complaining faces of our feet are getting wet here.

Many of the things we had done after the last storm slowed down the water, this gave us time to save the animals, and move them to safety.  The mud and water was still coming, but slower, and although we were up to our ankles in water the animals were safe. The moment I knew the animals were safe, was the moment I looked around and saw the damage. As darkness fell and the rain continued I knew there was nothing more to do, other than try and save my "house"

Through the night the roads had collapsed near us, and the mountains had come down, closing many roads. The emergency services are great and clear through the night, however, some remain closed, cutting us off from the world. Yesterday the sun shone, and the damage was less than thought, but all day we cleaned, swept mud, and repaired the broken things. The stables were trashed again, and the outside areas like giant mud pits.

Today we are on maximum alert, the government have told people to evacuate as the storm is back, we are predicted  a huge amount of rain. All I can hope for is that it moves somewhere else, and that we do not get hit again. If the amount of rain predicted does arrive, then I am fucked!

Petra The Pointer!

Pointers aren't my favourite thing to be honest I consider them to be slightly stupid, however, some people love them.  They tend to find me, and I always shudder when they do as they are usually in a bad state so cannot leave them. Petra is a perfect example of this, as we could not leave her behind, even though we tried!

The rule is simple if we see a dog as we drive down the mountain, we leave it, unless of course it is in really bad condition. If the dog is still there as we come back up the mountain, we pick it up, regardless of the condition. So, one day driving down we saw a pointer with its head stuck in the bins, not too bad a condition, so we carried on.

As we returned the said stupid pointer, was now sat in the middle of the road, as if she knew we were returning. It was then I noticed her neck was dripping blood and was very saggy, and thought she had caught it on something. She was called stupid again as she bounded into my car, and looked very pleased with herself.

 

 Petra did nothing wrong in the kennels she was just "special" She loved people and everything about them. Thinking that being close would win her points, when in fact I actually like my own personal space thanks.

When I took her to the to the vet to have her neck checked he told me it was from a meat hook, yep I asked him to repeat that just to make sure that was what he was saying. It seems very common here for hunters and farmers to hang their dogs by hooks to "control" and "train" them. I was shocked, why the hell would a dopey dog like Petra need controlling.

Petra was with us some time, and continued to be her loving, OTT dopey self, pushing personal space boundaries, and over loving everyone.

Finally Petra was chosen by a lovely lady in somerset, and I'm not going to lie I did a happy dance. I wouldn't be leapt on anymore. Thanks to Petra her new mum and I became friends, and she is now one of our UK foster mums. Petra wandered into my life for a reason, and although she may act stupid, she helped to bring Mrs T and I together! 

Is It Safe to go Back in The Water?

Our turtles are doing well, growing, terrorising the ducks on a daily basis, which is causing issues now that we have ducklings. I never knew that turtles were carnivores, and they like to make everyone aware that turtle pellets are not enough in their diet. We do feed them raw meat, which is odd, as you throw it in the pond to be greeted with just a small head that devours it.

The ducklings love the pond, with the innocence that they have no idea what is lurking beneath the water. The other day one found out... it happily swarm across the pond, back and forth, in little circles, showing off to its siblings. Then like the scene from jaws it went under, in one swift move the turtle obviously had the ducklings leg.

Now at this point it must have been thinking WTF, and kicking its little ducking legs in the turtles face. To me this would have been enough to let go, but noooo this turtle wanted lunch. As I watched the duckling bobbing up and down, trying to release its self from the turtle, I had two options, get in the stinking pond, or wait for the alarm to be sounded, I choose the later!

If you have ever been around ducks, and ducklings you will know that when in distress they make this very loud noise. It then summons all the other mum ducks to come and help, and there is nothing more pissed off than a Mama. so, from all corners ducks appeared and they had no fear of what was in the water.

They flew in pecked at the water, which obviously worked as the duckling was released to swim another day. The duckling swam off to the edge, and then bobbed his head, in a duck way to tell everyone what had happened. Will he care manana, nope, they will all get back in the water, one day the turtles will win, but for now the ducks are still firmly in charge,

The Haters Gunna Hate!

So, yet again one of the hater son the island has decided to post about me, and lie which make sit even more sad. They have written that I have set up a crowdfunding page to raise money for a dead dog, one that I never had in my care. The thing is this woman used to be someone I would consider as a friend, someone I trusted, and yet she is causing one BS story after another.

I would understand if she posted I was a bitch, or hard to get along with or, difficult to work with, but blatantly lying annoys the fuck out of me. She has written a post about Telde 1 , stating that I never had the dog, that I am raising money for a dead dog, and basically lying. What made it worse was after stalking my page seeing a post I wrote about her she then amended her blog, claiming she never meant me.. WTF at least have the balls to admit who you are bitching about.

The facts are very clear:

1. Telde 1 was in my care 
2. Telde 1 went to my vet he stated she was going to die, and to take her to our recovery area, try to see if a miracle came and if not she would die in dignity, in the warm.
3. Telde 1 was in my recovery area when she died, warm safe, loved, and as she took her last breath her head was on my lap. 
4. After the correct steps were taken, and the authorities told I announced her death on my page, no secrets, no cover up. 
5. I have never asked for funds for Telde 1 after she died, I have asked for funds to help pay towards the costs of Telde 2,3 and 4 
6. I did NOT set up a crowdfunding page , a guy who I have never met did to help with ongoing costs. 
7.  He posted when Telde 1 died, again no cover up, no lies. 

Why do people write bollox, all the facts were on my page, if you ask me I will tell you, yet people like her lie over and over, for what? She claims she doesn't hate me as she doesn't hate humans, well you are better than me then love, as there are many I hate! She also claims she is doing it for the dogs, no again love you are sat on your arse doing not a lot, apart from blogging about me.

My Rescue- My Way!

I have an amazing team, and everyone plays a huge part in the success of Pet Pals GC, and without all of them I could not do what I do. However, as it is my head on the block if things go wrong, and my reputation and name at risk, I do state my rescue my way! I tend to upset people everyday by not doing things "their" way. The thing is I don't care, I do them my way, and it works, and I know we are making a difference to so many animals.

I really don't know what people expect when they message me about adopting, I'm not sure if they think I have a room full of office staff, ready to answer their messages immediately. On top of answering them straight away they would like me to tell them they are fantastic and the right person for my dog, even when they are not.

Now, you may think you are amazing that the way you live, and that your home is something out of a magazine. You may think that the fact you bought your dog from a breeder, but they weren't a breeder as the puppy was from a "friend" makes you an ideal person for one of my dogs, however, our opinions may differ.

Telling me "I will not find a better home" when you don't like my questions, or answers, does not bother me. telling me that "I run a shit rescue" and I have no manners again does not bother me, it just makes me realize that I made the right decision. Telling me I will never rehome a dog because I'm shit, makes me laugh.

Please remember you messaged me, not the other way around. If you took some time to look around the page, and learnt what we do, you would see that I am really busy. You would see what a great job we do, and that you are privileged to be allowed to adopt one of my dogs. If you cannot give me the time to answer, to go through your application, to discuss with you everything you need to know, then we are not the right place for you to be adopting from.

If you want a dog NOW for your perfect house, with your perfect life, your amazing dog bought from a breeder then please feel free to go elsewhere. As I'm not looking for perfect, I'm looking for honest, real people to adopt my dogs.

Another Level of Crazy!

Over the last few weeks I have been involved with one abuse case after another, and every time I think it cannot get any worse it does. They always start with the photos that someone has taken, then the videos, then the story, some are shocking, but the ones I received the other day were worse than that.

I stared at the phone for ages, and then the penny dropped I was staring at a dogs head, no body nothing else, just a head. Obviously that was beyond saving, therefore, there must be more, and there were. At least 20 dogs all running around, eating other dogs. Again Seprona moved fast and we got the call to get there NOW.

On a property just off the motorway there were dogs running loose everywhere, eating from other dogs, attacking each other. Seprona entered the house and found a woman, who was suffering from serious mental health issues. I never use this term lightly, however, she was another level of crazy. There were dead dogs, everywhere, in freezers, on shelves, and dressed as babies.

When you think you have seen it all, it hits you, and you realize there is so much more abuse, and weirdness in the world. Many of the alive dogs were rounded up and taken off to different perreras, the dead ones, well they are Sepronas problem.

Another story of why education, and sterilization is vital, this woman had let her dogs breed and breed, they had gone back to their feral state. We are hoping that many if not ll can be taught how to be a domesticated dog. If not then this is not going to end well for many .

I've Suddenly Become Allergic!

One of the most pathetic excuses that I hear for handing a dog over to us or the pound is that the owner/family members/ cousin/grandmother/goldfish have suddenly become allergic. Now don't get me wrong having allergies is no fun, however, there are things you can do, sadly most people cannot be bothered.

So many people think that the only solution is to get rid of their pet, whether it be a new addition or a once loved long term family pet. They are simply discarded, and no effort is put into trying to find a way round the symptoms. As with everything in life if you put in some effort, you will see results, some of the things you can do are:

• Air purifiers- these are great at removing allergens from around your home, and will make the air far cleaner. 
• Regular grooming- making sure you keep on top of brushing and bathing your dog will help to eliminate the amount of hair that is in your home. 
• Special shampoos- there are now some amazing products on the market that help to ensure that the dandruff which is often the cause of the allergy is eliminated. 
• Daily cleaning- keep on top of your hoovering, prevent the dog hair, and dust building up. 

Of course people who really want to keep their pets will try anything, but the ones who are using the "allergy" line as an excuse will not care, and give up quickly. Far too many people listen to others especially when having a baby, and being told over and over to get rid of your pet is common. 

Fatty was told many times when she was pregnant to get rid of her dog and cat, and the Spanish were mortified when she said no way in hell. The honest answer is if my grandson is allergic to animals, we would deal with it easily, there are some great pills, drops, creams and antihistamines.  There is always a way round the problem..... if you are willing to try!

Quarantine- Black Plague!

The weather has been awful lately, cold, wet, more cold, more wet... resulting in mud, and me thinking I am going to die of hypothermia. Now I know I know the temperatures are not as cold in the UK, however, here I have no heating, I have a goat shed with so many leaks and gaps that really I could be sat outside, and when It drops to below 0c....then I think I am going to die.

As I drove out the other day at 18.00 the temperature was 3c..... so I knew it was going to be a cold one, and then I felt it..... my nose begun to run, the cough was lingering, and I knew I was ill! The black plague was upon me, and when I get ill, everyone should run for cover.

Being ill in the normal world is manageable, being ill in my world is impossible. No animal cares that you are ill, no animal offers to tuck you in bed, and feed everything else, therefore, you have to suck it up and get on with it.

So, I have dragged my arse out of bed everyday, getting sicker and sicker, feeling like I was going to die at any stage (are you getting the vibe I don't deal with being ill well) and carried on. I have tried everything to shift this bloody plague without success. So if I never write another blog...... it is due to me dying from..... well a cold, but that's not the point!

Making Money From Rescue

Over the years I have been accused of making money from my rescue, and always shrug it off with a laugh. However,  I see it more and more on good old FB where people are constantly accused of "making money" "cashing in" and "living off their rescues" Now am I being thick, or really crap at what I do, but how is that possible?

I run a very successful rescue, and trust me there is no big bucket of money, both my husband and I work and there are several times where I have to use our wages to pay for feed, or vets. So, how the hell are these other rescues cashing in on their rescue animals, or is it all make believe by the trolls? I do ponder this as I would love to make enough to pay everything without worry.

The only conclusion I can come to is that the trolls have it wrong, as surely if you have to get a dog ready for adoption, which costs a lot trust me. Then feed it whilst it is waiting for a home, you would have to charge a stupid adoption fee for the dog, to even break even. no matter which way I look at it it never makes sense.

If someone out there can explain then great, rather than just throw out the statement, "oh they are cashing in" I do also think that the only people who ever claim this are not in an animal rescue themselves, as anyone who does this knows they don't get paid! Everyone is a volunteer, no one receives a wage, and many pay for things themselves.

She Doesn't Know She is Sick!

This week has been yet another week of online abuse, and people writing rubbish, I do ponder when we became that we can write anything and think it is OK. The Bull Terrier who had her leg amputated had several things sent off for biopsy, so see what else was wrong, and he results came back this week. Now the results were not good, and it seems that she has cancer, however, not bone cancer as predicted, but cancer of the blood vessels.

Of course the first people that were told were the BT group, and we explained to them the usual options, yes you can PTS, or you can allow her to live, and make that decision later. Our vet here has predicted that in the right environment, with a good diet, and life she could potentially have a few years. Of course none of us know the exact time frame, but I know this dog, and at the moment she has no idea she is sick.

That may sound strange to many, but I have worked with dogs for a long time, and some when they are sick, feel sick, they are lethargic, and simply want it to go away. Mincer.. (sorry I know you call her Loulou, but I really can't LOL) is so happy, she eats, plays, and wants to live, she has an amazing outlook on life, something many people should copy.

Knowing Mince as I do, I know that when the vet gives the all clear to travel she will take that in her stride, and be loved so much in the UK that she will have an amazing few years. What pissed me off was the negativity that surrounded the news, yes she has cancer, yes she is going to die, but she does not have days!!

I am a great believer in positive thinking, if you think doom and gloom, it will happen therefore, writing, "oh she will enjoy her last few days" really hit a nerve which resulted in an online argument. Everyone was condemning her, being all sad, and pathetic, not embracing the spirit of this dog, not understanding how happy she is with life.

As always you get the idiots that just want to insult, so some idiot called me a drunk, and said it was the only reason I had posted, another quoted Disney movies a me! (dont ask, it was bizarre) I was told that I only rescue for the glory, and I wanted everything to be about me.... Nope you retards I wanted you to be happy that this dog was alive, and celebrate that and where her journey was going next.

This is always the difference between people who sit at home, typing BS on posts, rather than people who are actually involved in rescue. I have seen this dog, sat with this dog, spoke to this dog, and do love this dog. I know how she is feeling, and although I dont speak "dog" I understand her. At the moment Mince doesn't know she is sick, and this is fantastic....

You Have To Give Them Time!

Last year I blogged about giving your new dog time when you get them home, however, it is something that I feel should be repeated over and over..... The weeks that follow getting your new dog are vital, and most importantly you have to give them time. You have to get to know each other, and what you do in those first few days will lay the foundation for your new life together.

You have to imagine how your dog feels they may have been in kennels for a while, they may be sad, confused, and trying to work out what the hell is going on. They may have had to fend for themselves on the streets, and everything you are now expecting of them is strange. Although their life has now changed for the better, and you have offered them an amazing home, if you do not give them time it could end in disaster.

Everything is new to your dog, not only the surroundings, the people, the food, but also the language, their routine, and everything they have known is gone. You need to think ahead to make sure that you offer everything they need to transition smoothly. This will take TIME and patience, and in many cases a sense of humor too.

We always say to people, please let your new dog settle, and decompress when they arrive, they need time to work out at they are safe, loved, and not going anywhere again. How long this takes does vary from dog to dog, but dont give up on them at the first hurdle, or I will be pissed off. Your dog will take a minimum of a week to settle, and with gentle guidance, exercise, and bonding time, you can make this so much easier.

Please dont rush to bath your dog, yes they smell but throwing them straight into a bath will cause your dog to panic, and wonder what the hell is going on. Also don't rush the introductions to family and friends, make sure your dog is comfortable with you, before sharing them. All introductions with both animals and people needs to be done slowly, and calmly.

Some dogs adjust really quickly to home life and others take longer, on average it can take up to eight weeks. Therefore, asking us to take the dog back after a week is not going to go down well. You have to consider everything before adopting including if you are prepared to be patient, and give this new member of your family time to settle. If you had a new born baby and it cried every day after coming home from the hospital, would you take it back? exactly, so why is your new dog any different.....

There Are No Excuses

There are several things that I am black and white about, no grey area at all, and one of these are there are NO excuses for walking your dog into a kill pound. These people are arseholes, sorry if you think that their BS excuse is good enough, trust me it is NOT. They should spend one day in the life of the volunteers, vets and rescues that see the hundreds of sad, confused eyes staring out, hoping for a miracle.

A massive number of dogs never get out of the pound, and many of these are expensive pure breed dogs that have been handed over. The excuses that come with these hand ins want to make me smack them in the face with a shovel. "we are moving" "I work long hours" I just had a baby" blah blah Then there are the idiots that truly believe that their once loved pet will be "fine" in the pound, and that they will get adopted quickly.

From the moment you dump your dog the stress for them begins, they have no idea what is happening, or what they did they did wrong. Your dog can potentially be destroyed from the moment they are dumped. The moment the pound is full then the numbers have to be decreased, and the only way to do this is to kill dogs.

Your dog will be terrified of the other dogs, as there are no single kennels with nice warm beds, and lots of toys to play with. There are large corrals with wet cold concrete floors, and the weakest rarely survive. Many dogs die through fighting, being ripped apart by a pack of stronger dogs.

Your dog will have to learn that there is no going out for the toilet, them and maybe 10 other dogs will pee and poop where they eat and sleep, until the workers come to clean with high powered pressure washers, therefore, they will get wet and cold daily.

Your dog is likely to get infections and coughs due to he water, cold, and general sickness that does the rounds in the pound. They will pick up fleas, ticks, and if they are really lucky scabies, and other desirable bugs. Your dog will hide away as it is so scared, making them "less" adoptable, and more likely to be PTS.

When it is time for them to be destroyed they are taken to "the room" at this point they have hope that you have returned for them, and will often wag their tails, and be happy. Sadly then they realize that you are not there, suddenly they slam on their brakes and refuse to move. Maybe they can sense what is about to happen, and feel all the souls of the dead dogs before them. Depending on how large your dog is they will be held down by volunteers and vets and the lethal injection is inserted.

If you are lucky your dog will go quietly, sadly this is not the case with many dogs and they will fight it, and tear out the needle, making things 100 times worse.  Many dogs do not simply "go to sleep" they fight and thrash and scream, they gasp for air, and their bowels empty all over themselves. As the burning lethal injection works through their body they pray it ends fast.

When your dog is dead its corpse will be bagged with all the other dogs for disposal, usually in the landfill as no one pays for cremation. Do you care? of course you don't, you dumped your dog in the pound. You took the easy way out with your BS excuse, and most likely went on to get another dog in the future. So, please do NOT ever tell me there is a good "excuse" for dropping your dog off to the pound, as there really isn't.

Time to Build the Ark

We were placed on storm alert, the island went into panic mode, the internet lit up with posts about schools closing, and temperatures plummeting. Now in the UK rain is normal, rain you simply get on with life, however, here everything shuts down. People refuse to do anything, the roads get clogged with idiot drivers, and everything leaks.

Rain we need, the island has had an incredibly dry few years so the farmers are happy that it is raining, however, I would like it to stop now. With rain comes mud, and where I live huge amounts of mud. With mud comes 100 times more work as dogs are muddy, and need more bedding than before, bedding needs washing, and of course wont dry as its raining.

Added with the extra stress of the fact my house "goat shed" still leaks, as every summer we say oh we must fix the leaks, and of course something else happens. now when I say leaks I mean we have a full blown river feature running through the house. The roof leaks, the walls leak, in fact it is a bit like sitting outside.

If the freezing temperatures here at the moment, and the fact I melt in the rain like the

witch off the wizard of Oz weren't enough, then we lost the electricity, So, my mood rapidly went down hill.

Needless to say I have spent the last few days wet, not moist, which some would say was a great result, I however, have lost my sense of humor.

Muddy animals, many refusing to go out, others wallowing in mud pits, then expecting me to carry them in past the puddles. No ability to wash and dry clothes, and mountains of washing building up, even when the rain stops it is going to be a long few weeks,

So, plans for today....

Get wet
Get muddy
Repeat
Build an Ark

Sheep 1 Louise 0

Working with animals I expect to receive the odd bump, bruise, and even bite, and over the years I have received many. Although you may think that the dogs would cause the most injuries, in fact it is the sheep. I can always sense when the dogs are about to bite, but the rams, are a different matter, they are 100% unpredictable.

These powerful animals, can pretend to be your friend, and then prepare to kill you all in the same moment. I always thought they moved slowly, until I have to run away from one, then OMG they can move.

Excuse my VERY white leg!

The injuries they cause are typically from me running, and tripping over things, however, the odd occasion when they have caught up with me, I have paid the price.

The rams have the ability to hook their horns, around your leg, and flip you over, which I must say is clever, but hurts like hell.

 The other day the sheep had escaped, as I rounded the corner we locked eyes, Harry ran, I ran, slipped and bashed my head against the wall... OMFG did it hurt.... resulting in one beautiful black eye, and huge lump on my head. Thanks for that Harry. This is why my sheep are used to guard the property at night, due to the fact I would face off to any size dog, but give me a sheep, and I will run for the hills.