Sylvia's Diary 29-06-24

I got back from Ireland safe last week and not as tired as other times as I was lucky to have David as a co-driver with me. My heart was heavy having left behind a darling, very small Cav in a big, cold shed crying for her friends who I had been asked to take with me.  I tried to take her too, I explained how lonely she would be, but to no avail and I had to leave her behind.

I dwelled upon this on the drive back that night. In the morning, once I got home, the breeder called to say, Yes, I was right the poor dog was miserable without it’s friend and could I come and pick her up. Sadly this is not just popping down the road, this is a two-day drive and ferry to Northern Ireland. But without any pause I said “Yes, I would come in the next few days.” I organised my chaotic life, cleared it with Bill to spend the £600 plus that Bill and I would use from our savings (we felt we could not ask the charity to pay this) and was ready to go.

The next day I was driving with Bill to pick up local dogs an hour and a half away when I had a call, the lady had changed her mind and decided to keep the poor 8 year old cav after all and wanted her friend back. Of course, I could not do that so, sadly I am no longer wanted to pick up the lonely one, it makes me so sad and I feel physically sick.

We picked up the other dogs and drove home with three bichons and two cavs. They loaded fine and enroute we had others to pick up and all seemed just fine. When we got home ( me still very down due to knowing how the little cav left was feeling) we unloaded the dogs, all again seemed fine, rather stinky, but fine. On closer inspection a lovely cav had to go to the grooming room as his dew claws were so long, they had curled round and round. He had these cut, then he went blue. He was rushed to the vet, and after an hour of doing everything possible he was put to sleep having what the vet suspected was a massive heart attack. He wagged his tail and when conscious looked into our eyes and made all of us feel just awful. He had never known a home and now never will on this earth. I have written him a leaf to hang on our memorial tree which says "for the sweet dog with no name, we all loved you though you never really knew x".

I then had a friend asking for urgent help as some terriers were in the pound and would be put to sleep imminently. The dogs had been liberated from cages in a house via the dog warden. I said yes, praying they were nice dogs. Two wardens brought the dogs in, they are all Hairy McClarey types, all lived in a home, but not as pets but have been locked in little stacked crates 24/7. They are sweet, grateful happy, and boy do they need a bath!

Next came 6 very noisy collie cross pups in the back of a car, and we all were rushed off our feet.  I try not to have time to think of all the sadness but just a glance at the stables or seeing a cav and everything rushes back. I am not helping anyone being so low, especially Bill, so I need to snap out of this and see the wonderful things.

Our meet and greet area for potential adopters is a miserable area, so I set to making it a lot better. It already looks better after Simon worked so hard on it but the grey metal walls make it prison like. We are painting this sage green. I am inviting anyone who can paint a flower or two, a fox a squirrel and rabbit or badger to come and leave their mark on the panels. You just need to bring a paint brush of your choice some paint that works on metal, colours of your choice and your imagination. It is a lovely project and one that will cheer many up, including me. Let me know asap, the sooner the better if you’d like to come.

I am off on another drive to pick up dogs but there was an important job to be done this morning which I physically and mentally would have found very challenging even on a normal day. It would have been hard to make the time to go, and even harder to be a dog's hangman because a dog pound nearby were putting to sleep some dogs as no rescue would or could take them.  My yard manager Chelsea took on the job on to meet, take out and assess all three dogs. This in my opinion was very brave because if they had been fighting and biting, she knew we probably could not take them. Thank God they were all desperate to meet her and greeted her with such passion and walked by other dogs well too. It was agreed we would take all three at the end of the week, owing to our space available. All were Staffy or Frenchie types, and now all have that lucky break they do deserved. Thank you Chelsea x

When I got home Chelsea showed me the two dogs, she had assessed at the pound just before they were due to die (there is one more but that’s not coming just yet). The two we have are a sweet terrier and a staffy and they were delighted to be here and we are delighted to have them. Let’s hope there is a wonderful home waiting for them some place. Again, I felt so grateful to Chelsea for doing this.

Backtracking now, on Sunday Kirsty our Foster Coordinator was able to organise an amazing foster run of over 40 dogs that were all loaded and sent to wonderful foster homes. Some staff came in simply to say goodbye to their favourites that they have worked with for a while and that made me feel so grateful to be part of something with so many likeminded people who care about our dogs as much as I do.

These last few weeks we have been inundated with poor mummy cats and their kittens and I now realise that we need a much better cattery that is bigger, more fun and with separate enclosures so we can look after cats and kittens better here. This will have to wait till I either win the lottery or a fairy Godmother helps (both which are very unlikely but we can dream!). Never mind we are doing what we can to save lives as best we can.

Now for the best news ever, Moses the miracle pup who was born dead and was able to be revived after 10 minutes of intensive massaging and CPR and  it then turned out he was a swimmer pup with splayed limbs is now walking!  This is thanks to the correct instruction and advice (thank you Jessie) and lots of physio right from the start. He is a really chubby pup and it’s very hard to stop him drinking all day from his mum, he is just SO greedy! He and his mum are so, so lovely.

Well that’s the news for the week.  Next week I will need to load vans for the show that we have stalls at in Ardingly agility show.  This week I want to thank all the fosterers who took dogs to their homes to help them, it makes a HUGE difference for the dogs THANK YOU you are all doggy heroes!!!!

If you feel able to make a donation to the work we do please do so, every penny goes to saving more precious dogs (and cats!) that need us.
Thank you
Sylvia