Sylvia's Diary 29-04-24

At last, there is a glimpse of spring and I promise you that’s not a second too early. The weather has made my job even harder this year and everyone had started to feel low. My staff have constantly suffered from colds, flu, bad stomach bugs and so much more. Of our 63 staff, we are truly lucky if at least 3 are not away sick at any one time. It's miserable for them and for me. For them as they cannot be with the dogs that they are all so passionate about and me because even if I dream of a day off, I never seem to get it.

The week started very badly, with the sweetest little puppy fitting. Despite all we did, we could not get the pup to come around and just before we were going to put the little guy to sleep, he died. The pain of losing him was intense. A vet told me that she too had once raised pups to 7 weeks and then lost one and never found out why. We both suspected this pup had a liver shunt, something that often does not show till a pup is weaned and is often sadly inoperable. Things like this happen and usually I have taken full responsibility for the pup so have taken hours nursing them, getting up in the night and praying. I leave Bill and the dogs asleep and creep with dread to the surgery, where I will check on pups or adults that need nightly monitoring, praying they have not died without me. If they have to die, I at least want to be there to say to them that we love them and care. It's so very hard.

This job is much more than the obvious. Many Tears was my dream and as I got older, sadder and more tired, I also put together a bucket list. The more I have learnt, seen and understood, the more responsible I feel. Every day, hour and minute are precious to us all, but for the dogs we have rescued, it’s even more precious. Their lives are so much shorter than ours and so many who arrive here have had their lives tainted with bad experiences, or no stimulation at all.

The last BIG project on my list is now completed and although there is the ongoing worry of running costs for the rescue, needing new vans, the hiring scheduling and having time to breathe, my last big push for this to happen is done. This is something that some would say was not needed but I think it is VERY much needed. My bucket list of 20 years is a play enrichment area for the dogs, horses, ponies, and people who spend their time here both voluntarily or paid and of course for the dogs who are in kennels through no fault of their own. As every penny here is valuable and I make sure it's never spent on frivolous things, I had to plan how to do this.

First, I wrote many letters to companies, celebrities and anyone who I thought would be able to help. I asked for a contribution to making the area and explained why. Although thousands throughout the UK have built sand schools for their equines with no planning permission, I wanted to be sure to get this right. When my friend Sue died, she left me money for the dogs, ponies and especially for the donkey's enjoyment. With this, I was able to buy land. Some of the suitable land was only overlooked by a place that made metal trailers and buildings and had no planning for anyone else to go there, so I thought this would be a good place. It was easy for wheelchair access and easy for us to use as it was so close. The plans were submitted via a professional who charged us as a charity £2000!

The plans had gone through but when Bill was marking the area out, he saw that the architect had mistakenly drawn the plans up in feet not metres. The architect was super embarrassed and said he would not charge to submit it again!! Sadly, the council made us pay again. Then a neighbour, who did not like the view from his workplace, went to lots of other neighbours and asked them to sign to block this. Some of these people lived half a mile away! I was so sad, not just for the animals, the staff, the volunteers and the groups who come to enjoy and help, but for how sad, mean and unkind humans can be.

Eventually, we got the planning permission and the sand area and fencing were paid for. However, the equipment to explore, play, climb on and enjoy needed a lot of imagination. Then, it was time to put my imagination on paper, source the materials then build, paint and install. I wanted the equines to learn to trust us, face their fears and enjoy the space. I wanted the dogs to have free spirits and be able to run, jump, climb, chase each other and enjoy.

I started to appeal for scrap, tyres, plastic tarps, off cuts of artificial grass, packing materials, old spoons, old pallets and more. I drew up my plans and with the help of the staff, the equipment and toys were made! Some grew as they were made owing to the size of some of the tyres. Each piece took many hours, a mass of imagination and lots of dedication. Mike, Simon, Bob and myself worked so hard to achieve this, while staff would pop in and out of the barn to see the progress. Now it's finished and I cannot explain what it looks like so instead here are a series of pictures to give you a clue.

It is the only enrichment area in the world like this as every piece is custom made from my dreams and recycled. I called this enrichment area “Rainbows End" and I hope it will be like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow for many. The beagle that stands at the gate is to remember all the beagles that die needlessly for vivisection. The huge horse is to remember all of the horses who died in wars.

Now a little about my staff. Of course, they are not really my staff, as they don’t really work for me but instead work for the dogs and horses that we all love so very much. There are 63 staff members and all are special, all with a deep love of animals. We all recognise the mental pain the dogs go through, like this week when someone died and sadly left his dog behind. His son lived next door and took the dog in, but she was SO distraught and all she wanted was to go back to her home next door and to her dad but she could not. Her pain was immense and so the son made the decision to bring her to us. It just so happens that we have an amazing lady called Kay, who cleans our vet surgery and lifts all our spirits, and she has two springers. So I called her and asked if she would foster this lovely old springer who was pining so hard. She immediately came to collect her and all is going very well.

At the end of the day, if a dog is in a kennel alone and sad, the staff are asked if anyone can help and SO many do and will step in and welcome the dog into their homes.  It's amazing but sometimes it’s the staff who need that extra love, help and a hug and this week it’s Toni. She is a very popular staff member who loves the dogs, people and life. Very sadly her Canadian dad is very unwell. In Canada, the health services are poor with long waiting lists, and without treatment very soon Toni's dad will die. She is proud with a wonderful heart, so I am hoping that you all may spare a pound or two and donate to Toni's Go Fund Me page. Toni's dad is now in Texas, where he only has a tiny window of time to find the funds for treatment. I know this is not a normal request, as we are a dog rescue primarily and not a human one, but this place wouldn't exist if it was not for the humans who support it to grow and to become a place of dreams.

Lastly, thank you for your support each week. It means a lot. EVERY single week there is at least one dog that must go to a specialist. This week it is a little Frenchie who has a spinal problem. She is having X-rays and then will most likely need to be referred to a specialist. 

We never know what dogs we are picking up or what problems financially and emotionally we will face, and how and if we will be able to help these dogs. It is because of you all we have the chance to keep helping them.
THANK YOU!
Sylvia