Sylvia's Diary 09-08-24

This weeks diary is a little bit different from others. Instead of Sylvia writing the diary, it’s going to be me, Stephanie. Some of you may have seen a few posts on social media from me, maybe seen me at the rescue or even read something I’ve been a part of, but as you’ve all previously read, Sylvia has the weight of the world on her shoulders and in the hope of her having some well-deserved time for herself, we decided that I’ll be the one to tell you all the tails from the rescue this week.

Firstly, I want to start with a lovely positive update.
Many of you know of Moses, our lovely little Retriever pup who was born via c-section, well he went to his forever home on Friday! I couldn’t have hoped for more of a wonderful family who took him on and there wasn’t a dry eye in the whole rescue when he finally left the gates. Moreso, the adopters have kept in touch and told us that he is loving his new life and still likes to get his legs massaged! (Something we used to do for him as he was born with swimmer legs). I’m confident that this not-so-little guy will thrive in life and it’s moments like these that make it all worth it.

My actual week started on Sunday and like every other day, I got there early to check-in on the wonderful animals I haven’t seen in a few days and meet some of the new arrivals.  Our surrounding communities have a major cat problem at the moment, which has meant that we’ve seen an influx of cats coming to us. Usually, we hope to find them homes or spaces in other more suited rescues, but as they’re bursting at the seems, we need to help. Little Daisy was the first little one I visited. She is a sweet one year old cat who came in with all her kittens, and has also watched them go. She’s such a sweetheart, and pines for love and attention. She’s already been here for a month and hasn’t had much interest, so she’s always on the top of my list of fusses to give.  It would be a dream to be able to build a quiet cattery area away from the noise, something more enriching and fun for them, but it would cost around £20,000… funds which we just don’t have spare!  As the cat problem continues, the need for this will grow, and eventually we’ll need to do this project. It’s sad that the cats here can’t experience it, but the dream, want and need is very much there.

On Monday I travelled to Ireland with Sylvia. I am so scared of driving the vans, mainly because I can’t follow directions! I am much better at paperwork, and although Sylvia had a searingly bad leg, she trumped through and took me on my second journey around the endless roads of Southern Ireland.  This second trip wasn’t any easier than the first, although through her thorough training, we were able to work as a team and collect some incredible little souls. Putting them on the van both hurts me and brings me so much joy. It’s hard seeing their worried faces as we put them on, they don’t know what’s next for them and I wish they could understand me when I tell them it’s their next step until they find a home. Each one is so special.

It’s a long journey, one that Sylvia has had to do many times and for many years. I admire her tenacity on these trips. With the ports being so strict on all paperwork, it was vital there were no errors. Even slight errors, like two different dates of birth on our paperwork for a dog could mean they’re taken away to quarantine, and beyond a heavy fine that could be thousands, they’d have to be taken to another facility and face another few months of upheaval. We cannot make mistakes.  Once the paperwork was checked, we boarded the ferry and made the lengthy journey back home and in the middle of the night, arrived at the rescue where we then stayed for a while to settle them into kennels.

Wednesday and Thursday came quickly. Booking the new dogs in, assessing their medical needs, the list goes on. The days seem so short when you’re here!  It’s always busy, bustling with dogs, staff and volunteers. We have young pups, new dogs, long-stayers and more that all crave attention, and it’s so lovely to see such an abundance of love surrounding the rescue. Even just walking past the kennels I saw kids cuddling the little puppies and could tell they were giving as much to the dogs as the dogs were giving them. Socialisation is so hugely important for these dogs, so with every volunteer, a newfound confidence is given. Even just sitting with them is enough.

The Ukrainian dogs have my heart completely. On Thursday someone in the surrounding area was clay-pigeon shooting and I’ve never seen such trauma. They all dashed to the back of their kennels, hiding and whimpering over the familiar sounds of gunshots. We tried to settle them and sat with them until the sounds stopped, but their tremors continued. I can’t even begin to imagine what was going through their minds. There’s something so special and unique about overseas dogs. I have one of my own, and I can’t help but feel overwhelmed. They’ve been through far more than I have ever gone through, yet despite everything, they’re so gentle. I desperately hope people see past them being cross-breeds and see their formidable tenacity for life.

 Thank you all for reading this far. It’s a hard task to jump in the place of someone who’s admired so much by our community! I really wanted this week to be a positive insight on some of the things we’ve gotten up to this week and ask that you keep in mind all of these dogs that are still finding their feet here, as well as the cats who struggle with the noise.  As they settle, we ask that you keep our cats in your thoughts. They truly do struggle, and any support toward the cattery dream would be incredible.

From Sylvia, myself and my amazing colleagues, thank you endlessly for all of your support.
Steph