Staff and Fosterer Blog

First day – looking scared.
I never meant to get an extra dog! I already have two – a cockerpoo who is 11 and a 3-year-old working cocker spaniel. However, one summer evening, I looked at the Many Tears website following meeting a friend’s dogs who are both from Many Tears. There I saw Becca – and something about her face grabbed me. I filled in my application form and then answered questions on the phone. I was still considering whether I really wanted a 3rd dog and went to visit Becca who was being fostered near the New Forest with my two dogs. She was so nervous and only trusted her foster carer – she seemed sweet but as I drove home, it felt too big a challenge – she was not house trained, was terribly sick when travelling and totally bonded to her foster carer. I decided I could not have her. However, I was persuaded to go for another visit and took my husband and son with me. We all agreed she was sweet and suddenly we changed our minds.
She was brought to our house and seemed to settle quite quickly in the garden. However, in the house she was nervous. She did not seem to have very good control over her bladder and bowels and had many accidents. Trying to get her to go out of doors was tricky as she did not like to have anyone behind her – we had to go out first and then spend time outside with her. All Ok until it started raining – I have now spent many hours out in the rain- without an umbrella as she was terrified of them!

My dogs took her under their wing – all three seemed to like each other and she copied them. She watched what they did and went out into the garden, learning when and where to go to the toilet. She learnt that when we ate, dogs lie in beds and don’t beg , she learnt that there were lots of lovely comfy places to sleep!  She learnt that people were kind at home and at my brother’s house. She has learnt how to play with my dogs and other dogs she meets.

One of her biggest challenges was the anxiety in the car. I have been trying lots of things to try to help her. Interestingly I noticed that she is always more anxious and sicker if the radio was on – particularly if there were men’s voices so now only have music on or nothing. I also have purchased a snood – partly to keep her ears dry but have found that it is anxiety relieving. Most journeys are still something which will make her anxious, but she is so much better! I no longer get sprayed by saliva as she shakes her head! She has now learnt how to enjoy days out!

When I first got Becca , she struggled to run . Now she can keep up with her friends and gallops around on walks. It is such a joy to see her run free and happy! Becca has found that our cats are also her friends and greets both of my cats each morning. They also make good pillows ! The trouble with the rain is that cocker spaniels get cold wet ears. Becca likes her new drying coat! She has discovered toys!

My dogs have been coming into school as I am headteacher of which is a school for autistic children. The dogs are very therapeutic and calming for the children. I have started taking Becca in and many of the children really appreciate her anxiety and has said that she is like them. They calmly try and talk to her, and she is gaining confidence with them each time I take her in -it is so rewarding to see her learning to be a therapy dog.
Becca has gone from fearing everything to so relaxed and happy. Every morning I can hear her wake up and then her tail starts wagging and it hardly stops whilst she is awake! Becca is one of the most loving dogs I have met. She stands on her hind legs and puts her paws on my shoulders and her face against mine- a dog which can hug! She is a joy to be with and I never regret that decision to take her on.
Every day I see her becoming more confident and happier! Merry Christmas !

Yesterday me and Hiro headed down to the river, it was a first for both of us! Hiro loved the long walk, being out of his kennel for about an hour, and enjoying all the smells. He was so relaxed that when a van sped past us he didn't mind all that much!
When we are closer to the centre this can be a trigger for him. About halfway down the road Hiro caught the scent of something and dug a lovely hole, how fascinating it is to watch him do his thing!! He wasn't all too pleased when I filled it back in but was happy to carry on walking for all the other scents along the road.
He loved the river even though it was very very cold!! He tried pulling me in but unfortunately my wellies weren't high enough! We sat by the river for a bit and it was just nice to relax and see how well he copes with sitting still when out and about, watching the birds and sniffing the air.
I can't explain the difference I see in Hiro once we are far enough away from the noise of barking dogs and atmosphere of kennels. When we got back Hiro had his dinner in a Kong wobbler; and below is a video of how good his "stay" is coming along.

I have chosen to do the "kennel blog" update on a whole kennel of dogs, and I want to introduce you to the inhabitants of the kennel we call Bills 7.
We work carefully to keep dogs together in kennels so that they aren't lonely, especially as a lot of the dogs we take in have always been around other dogs. In this kennel we have Baba a 7 year old cross breed of medium size, Brian a large 1 1/2 year old male cross breed and Maggie a 6 month old female cross breed, all Romanian.
They all have beautiful characters and are all different.
Baba is so laid back and loves to laze in her bed while her two kennel mates spend a lot of time playing, and if she gets bumped while this is going on she just moves out of the way.
Brian is a big soft fluffy boy and eternally happy and plays so well with young little Maggie, who often initiates the play and rolls around on the floor with him. They are all a pleasure to look after and well behaved at feeding time, and Maggie is learning to not try and take Brians food.
Baba wants nothing more than someones company, and she'd love a home where she can lay on the sofa with you with her head in your lap, she will need little exercise, is a quiet girl who is kennel clean. Brian and Maggie will need active homes, both with resident dogs who will love to play, where they will be able to learn about lots of new experiences, meet lots of dogs and people to help them grow into well rounded dogs, all these are so easy to love and it's great to work with them.

There is one Gentleman who all of us staff here at Many Tears is so extremely grateful for ... And he goes by the name of Mal!
Mal is a .... He is not a dog ... But a wonderful human being who volunteers his time, religiously, every week ... To taking out many of our rescue dogs for a really good walk etc ... A walk they get from us staff ... But Mal donates his time so they can have the walk they really need during the day...
He doesn't just take the dogs out for a walk either. He will also take time to write really good, fun, attractive updates for them too.
Oh and btw, he doesn't just take the "easy" dogs out either, he takes the slightly more tricky ones too ... As you can see from this pic ... He's about to take Sheena and Manny out for a really good adventure. Today, especially, I am very much grateful for him doing so. So thanks Mal. Everyone knows how particular I am especially about anyone whose helping me!
I didn't quite manage to capture it because my phone is so full of dog pics and vids ... But when the dogs on my section who know him saw him walking down the steps, they got so excited by his presence! It was so wonderful to see, believe me!
Thankyou Mal! From us and the dogs!

A Daisy Mae Christmas special..
Now I find myself not just the chief blogger but also the chief garbage contractor!
Today the staff got food and drinks to reward their good work.. Me? I got to do the clean up!

Well actually it wasn’t so bad really!
Any way have a great day!
And give me a call if you want your Christmas dinner table cleaned up..
I don’t charge a lot honest!!!!

At last my status has been recognized! I no longer have to put up with the terrible jokes from the canines in this establishment all about goats, like "Hey Daisy, how do you stop a goat charging…. Unplug it.!"  Now I can see by these very sad little jokes, that the dog is far far inferior in intelligence than me, so I have learnt to just look the other way.
However to day I got a parcel addressed and labelled like this.
To Many Tears News Reporter and Blogger also Head of Security. Daisy-Mae.
Whoo hoo at last I am a recognised important member of staff. I get my chance to air my voice and be able to tell the dogs to butt out if they interfere. In the package was Pringles galore. They came from Auntie Maureen. This is another amazing find, as I had no idea I had an Auntie at all, but wish to thank her not only for her gift but for her insight and intelligence recognizing my worth!

Enough about just me. It’s been a month of highs you cannot imagine and lows as in rock bottoms. We had a sweet little fellow be born unexpectedly. Three days later the polar bear (well I thought he looked like one, but the canines said he was a Labrador) was rejected by his mum. He died twice but Sylvia gave him the kiss of life and brought him back. Chelsea took him home nursed him fed him every two hours. We were all in love with this chubby man. Then at 15 days he was suddenly not wanting food, and just like that he died. Sylvia could not help him this time and nor could the vet. It left us all human canine and me broken.

Next let’s get to the complete mess up of Brexit that WILL cost thousands of dogs lives. Some say that Brexit was too big and complex issue to allow the ill-informed public to vote on but I will let you into a secret.  The reason was the government had no idea what they were doing so thought this way they could put the blame on all who voted with the poor lack of facts given to them. Now as expected it’s a huge mess.
Sylvia at present can no longer go to Southern Ireland and pick up the dogs. Her van would have to be registered to a business in Southern Ireland as a dog transport van and  she would need to go to Southern Ireland to take a written competency test.
Can the van be registered in two places? No
Can it be registered from here? No
Can transporters from Southern Ireland be paid to bring the dogs? Yes
Can they take dogs bac? No  - so they will have to double the fee to make it pay

And that’s just the half of it.
Sylvia and Bill sit on the end of a phone hours to be told they don’t really know. Sylvia won't sleep, she is so sad for the dogs all over the continent that will die because of all Brexit does not have to offer!!!!!   She wonders if anyone has the time to get to the bottom of all this and see if charities could be exempt????

The dogs had thought they’d like to run the country, they felt with their loyal loving natures they could do a great job.  I did point out my own superior intelligence and suggested a goat may make a better Prime Minister as dogs do really daft things but the dogs said yes but look at the government. They have a point!!

Back to Many Tears, it’s just a happy/sad place so now we say it's Sappy. I may joke about these dogs, but they really come in with terrible stories and some are so sad, It’s the staffs jobs to jolly them and they are really great even in the rain.
When we can reopen come and visit,  come and help and you can see for yourselves.
Have a wonderful Christmas I wish you all “ Christmas Bleating’s
Daisy-Mae x

Yet another week is flying by in this pandemic and we all don’t know if we are coming or going!
The dogs and I feel we may have a better handle on keeping Wales safe then the government sometimes... After all the humans are supposed to have more common sense obviously, but really? Some things just seem to add up. I mean, what’s the sense in pubs being open but no alcohol allowed to be sold, but in supermarkets you can buy gallons of the stuff? Makes my head ache! Anyway enough about that.

Here the dogs had a secret the other day and I feel I am able to share the gossip!
The dogs get to go out early every morning...each kennel is opened up and the dogs are greeted, checked and let out to play before breakfast.
But in one kennel there were two dogs that went to bed in the evening but by the morning there were three! Wow it blew my mind! Anyway the new Mummy dog could not look after her little puppy so he is being looked after by one of my very favourite people. ( Favourite people to chase, that is!)
Gosh I am not even an admirer of canines but this tiny little guy is just scrumptious.

Coll nearly got a home and we were so excited but in the end Floss the collie was a better match for the adopter. Colls a cool dude and I have a lot of fun chatting to him so I am glad to still see him but sad he has not found his home yet.

Sylvia’s stopped crying and has pulled herself together now and moving forwards ( thank goodness, as I hate a snivelling human )

Christmas is coming, someone said I looked like a sheep enough to play a part in a nativity scene, believe me if they did that to me I would literally wreck the place ( I am far, far superior to any sheep.)

Well that’s all for now,
Daisy

A lot of new faces here today, Sylvia and Kelly went to get them. Sylvia’s wearing a very strange look, she looks a lot like a racoon, ( I know that’s rude to say,) I think her tears and tiredness may have created those black rings round her eyes, let’s hope it’s not a new human look, as I must say it’s very unattractive. Any way I am off track, really only reason I mentioned it is that ever other breath I think of pringles, and Sylvia’s the one who gives them to me …. Yum …..
Any way back to the centre. Lisa the manager leaves this week, and the new horse manager is not staying now as the journey turns out to be too far for her. (Now secretly that may be one of the reasons for the tears from Sylvia, I think she just feels overwhelmed, but don’t worry folks, tonight I will share my ration of pringles and all will be well for her, Honest !!!!)
The dogs here are such a strange bunch, though they all speak dog, a language I luckily studied when a kid at the goat academy I attended, they all speak a variation, they speak in cav tongue or lab tongue or whatever, and all hang in groups depending on their parentage. Me well I strut about when dark and chat to all. They are fairly happy with their bed breakfast and dinner free board, though feel a few extra outings to steak houses and perhaps bouncy castles may be fun. Some have had a long stay, and some are just not getting the fact that the humans hold the key to their happiness, and even if they don’t trust them, for goodness sake pretend, then suss them out once in their homes. I explained the humans are quite easy to train once they are invested in you, and the benefits are AMAZING.
Well I am off now, grazing I have the hedge rows to trim and some staff to maybe chase if I feel like it.
Daisy the amazing x

Wet wet wet!
Us goats aren’t supposed to like the rain, luckily I am not like any other goat.
Rain, well that’s just a way of getting more attention. I talked to the canines and equines and it seems they all feel the same. You see the humans hate the rain so they think to make themselves feel better they will give special attention to all of us.
We get beds constantly changed, heat lamps on all the time. Extra treats warm meals, some of us feel we have it made. Now the humans ...well they go home looking like the kitchen mops. Some other humans sometimes send them soup and cookies (which I try to taste for them.)
Now news......
There’s a group called Bristol Buddies and they are fund raising to make the fences in the dogs yard higher, not sure why as the country sides lovely round here and I am sure the dogs would love running about and exploring.
The other day men came and pulled the old vets surgery down and now there’s gaping space and Sylvia says she wants to put a new reception there instead of the little summer house they use. Personally watching the humans in the rain doesn’t bother me a bit, especially if the humans wander over to me with a treat or two.
Sylvia says Many Tears is now a registered charity, she told me she hopes it will help the rescue survive. She also said her books printed and ready to be sold ...... I so hope she gives me a few copies to digest.. I love a good book to eat.
Lastly I said I’d tell you about Edith the unicorn.
Edith’s a spoilt brat.... Sylvia’s granddaughter Sydney was trying so hard at school but some how could not keep up and that made her sad. Edith turned up in a terrible state and Sylvia let Syd name her and told her she was a unicorn but her horn only showed on a full moon. Sydney loved her. Now this is truly crazy ... I have two horns and they show all tbe time but I don’t have a little girl who worships me!!!
Back to the story Edith grew to be a loved spoilt pony/unicorn Sydney got noticed and diagnosed with acute dyslexia and now she’s doing well at school and being helped.
Edith made her feel strong and special. Here they run programs with equines to help children and adults, the humans run the program but the horses and ponies do the teaching....... if you want to come get happy and help the equines and possibly yourself just call you’ll see it’s magic.
Bye for now
Enjoy your day.... you’ll never get this day back so make the most of it .....wet or dry.

My name is “Daisy May”I am a goat!!!! I guess they called me Daisy as I am white ( not much of an imagination I think) However the May part is different. That’s not so much of a name as a fact. You see I may or may not do as you want, and often it’s the later!
I have been here a while, I make NO attempt what so ever to find a home, though I do suck up to Sylvia a lot , as I figure she possibly has the final word on where we live and how.
I like it here, I have a routine, I amuse the staff ... and I  give them little adrenaline rushes some days when they come to get me in the fields and I am on a “ I may not want to come in day”... I rear and charge, head down like a RAGING BULL, and watch them all scatter!!  However if Sylvia’s about I meekly trot up and let her rub my beautiful head.

 I have watched the comings and goings of dogs, workmen and such, and thought as we are lucky enough to have a spare computer now, I would put it to good use telling you all what’s going on.
I then thought I could slip in a few little hints to make my day better.

In fact if you want we can play a game:
I will give you a hint of what I LOVE, and  if you get it you can send me some....
If you don’t guess right and I win, then your penance is you can send me some. 
So here goes……….. 

Humans eat them. Tthey are crunchy, and probably designed especially for goats, as the shape fits our mouths perfectly. Their name rhymes with "dingles"…., did you get it? 
If so, please send me some!
My address is 
Daisy May
Cosy Stable,
Many Tearrs Rescue, 
Cwmlogin House,
Cefneithin, 
SA147HB.
I hope you win, or not…. So I will be looking out for the post man now and I wont eat his postbag. 

 I will blog soon.

Ps When Lockdown is over, If you’d like to be dragged around the hedgerows in the lanes, please come and walk me.

Daisy May xxxx

Here is a picture of me and Edith the unicorn, that’s another story I will tell you next blog. x

Yesterday the rescue centre was bustling ... a happy hive of activity! All the dogs - including the new arrivals - were busy running around, barking, playing, wagging their tails, jumping up and down... All intrigued / happy / excited at being rescued; - with their living conditions and new lives ahead of them... Even the more nervous dogs were up and about playing with their fellow furry friends and having a great time - having a good nose! It was lovely to hear and see!
All, apart from two dogs in one kennel on my section... Kennel 20 was completely silent, still ... I could see names on the board - Jenny and June, and two bowls of food in the bedroom, so there were definitely dogs in there, but I couldn't see or hear them... I entered their kennel and went to introduce myself. I think the pictures speak volumes.
The girls were hiding behind their beds. Laying on the cold hard floor. Their faces a painful looking expression of fear and worry... Their eyes full of fear... They looked so very sad ... Their bodies were rigid. They seemed too scared to even move away from me... I spoke softly, I offered them my hand, I did stroke them, and hoped I came across as un-threatening as I could possibly do so... To me, it was as though these two beautiful girls ... These two beautiful living beings ... Hadn't lived at all ... Hadn't experienced anything in life ... They definitely hadn't been shown any love or anything ... I felt as though they'd had their spirit trampled on, and their souls ... Well... they looked so depressed, and like they'd given up on all hope of living a happy life... Harsh I know, but true. They were so sad, and made me feel so sad for them too.
All the dogs at the centre go outside to play 4 times a day on average. These girls could only cope with going out once ... They spent their half hour just cowering in the corner together ... they had a nose at the big sandschool, but the big outside open world is just too scary for them ! So they cuddled together in the corner of the corridor ... I compared them to all the other scared dogs on my section - whose tails lifted, and who leapt and bounded around once they went outside to play... Afterwards though, Jenny and June did sit and lay down so we could see them... But when I went over to say hello to them, they'd look up at me so sad and desparately worried... They took themselves away from me, retreated into their bedroom, and curled up into balls to hide their faces...
A little later on Sylvia told us their story ... Jenny and June had been rescued along with their Mum and other siblings, from a local hell hole in Romania, but had since been abandoned and left behind, being thought of as "not pretty" ... They are the sisters no one wanted.Thank God for Simona and Sylvia who saved them and bought them all the way over here for a chance at experiencing a happy life.
We at Many Tears believe Jenny and June are beautiful on the outside as well as on the inside. Unique. Stunning. What do you all think? I can't wait for the day these girls discover happiness and learn what it is to feel loved & be accepted, and lead a normal doggy life. Please can you all keep your fingers crossed for them.
Jenny and June are available to foster and adopt from Many Tears Animal Rescue. We will of course keep you updated with their progress.

Joyce & Allen

This is Joyce's second day working with Allen and already he has made so much progress! He's starting to get quite comfortable sitting on Joyce's lap and has even been out in her van and had a little sit in the drivers seat. He's still enjoying his cream cheese as you can see! When he first came in, he was so worried it took us about half an hour to get him off the van.. now look at him! He's had a little explore on the grass wearing his harness and lead and even showed great interest in a little dandelion. He has a wound on his leg where he's had a small tumour removed, it's healing up really well and will be no impediment to him at all. He is a happy and content little lad!

Shannon & Aiden
Meet Aiden, a 6 month old Boxer cross! He came to us from a breeder as an unsold puppy and hasn't had a lot of social interaction so when he came in to us he was very scared, very shut down and very timid. He's only been with us for about a week but has come on leaps and bounds already. He is still scared when it comes to humans and doesn't really understand what having a fuss is and doesn't really like to be handled yet. We started his harness training today and he was really good about having the harness put on. He's very playful with his friends and with toys, which is really nice to see! He's currently kenneled with another boxer cross and a beagle and he's been excellent with them. He sleeps in the same bed as them and is so playful with them. Because he's only young, we're hopeful that it won't take him too long to come out of his shell.

Following on from our last blog posts.. here are some more of our amazing staff members telling us a little bit about their current project dogs!

Joyce & Allen

Allen is a Bulldog cross who is 5 years old. He had a long journey overnight on a van to get to us and when he arrived he was a little bit overwhelmed and traumatised. Now he has been with us a few days and is doing well. He's currently kenneled with two Boxer crosses. He's quite happy to let us touch him all over and put his harness on. Our next step with him is to get him walking on the harness and lead. He has a damaged ear, but it doesn't effect him at all. He is such a handsome little chap!

Jozef & Africa
Africa is a 2 year old Boxer. Africa hasn't been exposed to humans much before and will need a lot of TLC as she is very handshy and very nervous around people but as you can see she has already come quite a long way in the short time that she's been here! She is getting used to be around people and has even tried on a harness for the first time and started to walk quite well. She is still a little unsure about it and panicked when it was initially put on but she is coming along so well already.

Following on from our last blog post.. here are some more of our amazing staff members telling us a little bit about their current project dogs!

Cai & Giggle

Giggle is a 5 year old Bichon Frise who at the moment is quite a scared girl. She was unfortunately recently returned to us after a brief adoption due to how scared she was. Since she has been back with us we have already seen a massive improvment in her. She's becoming very playful and handling her has become very easy. The next goal with Giggle is to get her walking on a harness and get her more used to people.. and of course to find her forever home.

Rhys & Jamie

Jamie is a 9 month old Cocker Spaniel who as you can see is very lively! He originally came to us from a pound and was sadly returned to us after a brief adoption for being too active, we would love to see him in his forever home soon. He will need an active home who can keep up with him and offer him the exercise and mental stimulaiton he needs. He can run along side a bike and would make an excellent jogging partner!

Mark & Grin

Grin is a 5 year old female labrador. She is a lovely little lab but unfortunately she does get a bit nervous of people at the moment. She will need another dog in her new home to be her friend and help bring her out of her shell. At the moment she is looking for a home with a male dog as she isn't that comfortable with smaller or female dogs, but this is something we are working on with her.

Hello from Many Tears! Please meet some of our amazing members of staff and their current project dogs. Here you can follow their progress as they settle in and learn with us.

Shannon & Jezabell

Jezabell is a 3 year old female French Bulldog who is so kind and affectionate and just loves humans! She will set on your lap all day and give you kisses. She walks perfectly on a lead, she's kennel clean and is so well behaved. Jezabell would like to be homed as an only dog.

Tracey & Five Alive

Five Alive is a 9 month old female Collie puppy. At this age she should really be out of kennels and in a home where she can learn all about being a dog. As you can see she is quite nervous and hasn't been used to being handled prior to coming to us. She walks on a lead and is a very playful girl who just isn't used to humans yet.

Kelly & Quin

Quin is a 2 year old female Schnauzer who is very nervous and worried about being handled and will need an experienced home. With regular handling and whole lot of TLC, in time she will start to learn that not all humans are scary. Hopefully she will begin her harness training soon.

Nathan & Bambina

Bambina is a 6 year old French Bulldog. Bambina will need to be homed as an only dog as she doesn't get along with other dogs too well. To help her with this, we are starting to walk her near other dogs to get her used to being in their presence.  Bambina really loves a fuss and is so loving towards humans!

Things are tough at Many Tears at the moment and more than ever we need your help and support. If you would consider donating through Paypal or ordering some dog food or other essentials off our Amazon Wishlist, the dogs and us would all be truly grateful. Thank you.

Please check back tomorrow for the next installment of our Staff and Fosterer blog!

Santa visited Many Tears with lots of treats and goodies in his sack for the dogs to enjoy! Look how much some of our puppies enjoyed his visit! It's a Merry Christmas at Many tears!

Christmas is quickly approaching and the dogs at Many Tears all share the same Christmas wish.. a wish for a soft warm bed, inside a nice cosy home with a family that they can forever call their own.
So… sing with us!

On the first day of Christmas, there was a dog in need…
Dude the handsome GSD

On the second day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the third day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the fourth day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need…
Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the fifth day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Ted's little heart, Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the sixth day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Princess Kiara, Ted's little heart, Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the seventh day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Marvellous Mako, Princess Kiara, Ted's little heart, Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the eighth day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Rubies soft eyes pleading, Marvellous Mako, Princess Kiara, Ted's little heart, Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the ninth day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Karma loving cuddles, Rubies soft eyes pleading, Marvellous Mako, Princess Kiara, Ted's little heart, Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the tenth day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Jupe patiently waiting, Karma loving cuddles, Rubies soft eyes pleading, Marvellous Mako, Princess Kiara, Ted's little heart, Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the eleventh day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Maggie needing kindness, Jupe patiently waiting, Karma loving cuddles, Rubies soft eyes pleading, Marvellous Mako, Princess Kiara, Ted's little heart, Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

On the twelfth day of Christmas, there were some dogs in need...
Kappers tail drumming, Maggie needing kindness, Jupe patiently waiting, Karma loving cuddles, Rubies soft eyes pleading, Marvellous Mako, Princess Kiara, Ted's little heart, Leema the Golden Doodle, Axle giving kisses, Surprise the lovely Cocker and Dude the handsome GSD

If you think you can make any of their Christmas wishes come true then please visit their profiles and consider putting an application in!

Please check back every day until Christmas Eve to meet all of our 12 Dogs of Christmas!

As a member of staff at Many Tears I see a lot of dogs coming in to the centre and a lot leaving, which I have to say is the highlight of the work we do. Although it is sad saying goodbye to the dogs that we work with on a daily basis, it's the reason we are there and it makes us feel like we've succeeded, especially when it is a dog that may have quirks, that may have been a long stayer, or one who may have not had the chance to be the dog that it was always meant to be.
Scrolling through our Facebook group makes me very happy, being able to see the dogs that we worked with living the lives theý deserve is the most rewarding part of the job. I know there are much harder jobs out there and we are lucky to be able to work somewhere that helps these beautiful souls find happiness, but sometimes it's incredibly emotionally draining. You can see so much fear in one day, fear of open spaces, fear of people, fear of noises, fear of bowls, fear of being touched, fear of being looked at even. Some dogs seem to gain confidence reasonably quickly, and sadly, for others, it takes much longer, the fear is so deeply ingrained in them that they can not bring themselves to trust a human for a long time. But every dog is worth the perseverance, every dog is worthy of the life and love that a home can offer.
This post, although a bit of a ramble, is to thank you all, thanks for sharing their stories from when they leave the Many Tears gates or their fosterers homes. Thank you for loving them, for caring for them and mostly for opening your hearts and homes to a rescue dog or two... (Or more ????)
The above are just the most recent pics I have on my phone of the dogs I have worked with. These and many, many, more hold a very special place in my heart.

Over the next couple of days I'm going to try and  bring some extra attention to some dogs I personally think need to be highlighted a little bit more . Ones who I think need a little bit more help in finding their forever home and family and first is Vux! All of us who work at the centre have absolutely no idea why this pretty much perfect girl is still waiting for a foster place or for her forever family t find her

VUX - https://www.manytearsrescue.org/display_mtar_dog.php?id=25953

I personally think Vux is perfect. Ok, so she doesn't like cats and apparently she doesn't share her food well with other dogs. As a human, I don't share my food well with other humans, so I don't think that issue is such a big deal!  We feed her separately from other dogs - easy!
So anyway... Vux is an easy going, fun, extremely beautiful and extremely loving girl who can't wait to join a family. She can't wait to be someone's special girl - she just cannot wait. When she sees you first thing in the morning, she will greet you at the front of her kennel with a very waggy tail, her whole backside starts t wag more and more!, a smile spreads across her face, her eyes sparkle and she will curl her lip up and grin at you! She is so funny when she does this and it always makes me laugh, but she also looks very cute when she does this too!
When you enter her kennel, Vux will often paw you before giving you a big smile and sliding on her back for belly rubs! She will also wrap her paws around your other hand and hold your arm in-between her paws. She is so very loving!
Vux loves to go outside and since meeting one of my fun foster dogs who is also a street dog, I have seen the very fun, playful side to her shine even more! She will play bow, chase and  run around - having the best time, really enjoying life. The sad thing is, just yesterday her best friend Tina got adopted.
The other sad thing is that at the end of the night, I walk over and take my foster dog out of her kennel and  home with me and Vux makes it very clear she wants t come with us too, but respects the fact she can't . She looks up at me as if she is asking me why I can't take her home too... (I can't have anymore dogs) and despite carrying on smiling and wagging, she looks gutted - her hope destroyed yet again and so very sad bless her.
Vux is so easy to work with. She walks perfectly on the lead (unless of course she sees one of those pesky cats and then she will pull). She moves herself well out of the way of oncoming traffic - clever girl. She is kennel clean. She shares her beds and toys perfectly too. She's perfect. Everything you could ever dream of in a dog! She is going to make the perfect doggy companion to some lucky person out there. There's also something so special about her... Something so magical... we just can't put our finger on it..
https://www.manytearsrescue.org/display_mtar_dog.php?id=25953

For those of you who have visited Many Tears, you will know that at the very front of the centre, there is a large kennel. A couple of weeks ago, we had a large number of dogs arrive. About a dozen were put into this kennel, before we took a few out a little later on in the day - once we made a bit of room. The 10 or so in this kennel were all real busy bodies, all running around, making a bit of a noise! Checking out their new residency and already seemingly shouting out orders to their new slaves (us outside staff!).

In amongst them, was one little lad, who wasn't making any noise. Instead he stood on his hind legs and danced - his two front paws in the air, looking extremely cute. Except his eyes and face were FULL of sadness and pain. I watched this little lad for a while and noticed he would follow all the staff who passed his kennel - one way then the next. He'd see them and hurry towards the direction they were going in but he obviously couldn't reach them because he was in a kennel. It was really sad watching him watch everyone walk off into the distance until they were out of sight, not noticing him, but we all had a job to do at that moment in time. We had to carry on offloading the dogs from the van asap. The little lad kept doing this... dancing away in the middle of the kennel, until someone walked by and then he'd follow them. He looked so deflated when staff disappeared out if sight, he dropped to all 4 paws and his head was hung low to the floor. And then so hopeful when someone else would appear - Bless him.

Anyway, this little lad was so desperate to be noticed and all of a sudden he noticed me notice him! He stopped dancing, looked surprised, his eyes widened and he just looked at me. Maybe that was hope that filled his eyes and face. I noticed something "wasn't right" with his face - was his jaw broken? One of his bottom teeth was sticking out and  it looked like his bottom jaw wasn't there at the same time. I wasn't sure, so I took him to see our vet straight away.  The vet confirmed the little lad had a broken jaw. She said his jaw has probably been broken and in this state for a number of years. He was put on pain relief and was moved out of the kennel because a small female bichon started to bully him!  Of course, i took him home to foster and he now had a name - Squire.

Squire was probably standing on his hind legs, dancing away, to try and get noticed because he needed help. He was pleading with everyone he saw to stop and help him.  Yesterday our little Squire was castrated and his jaw looked at a little closer. He also had the few teeth remaining in his mouth removed because they were so rotten.  They have caused a nasty infection in his mouth and he is now on various medications to help rid the infection as well as ease the pain.

Squire does have 1 tooth left in his mouth, but that would need to be removed in the future when it is ready, by a specialist and the specialist may well want it to drop out itself because taking the tooth out could cause even more harm to Squires jaw and himself. The fact is, Squire having a broken jaw, does mean that his life will be cut short because of this, which is devastating and I am heartbroken for this lovely, lovely boy.

Saying that, Squire has obviously managed with a broken jaw for quite some time. The injury is years old and he is obviously a little soldier because he's gone through unbelievable amounts of pain and come out the other end fighting!

Squire has been with me for just over a week and I have got to know him quite well. All this little boy wants is to be loved unconditionally, cherished and cared for, for the rest of his life. He wants to be spoilt and pampered and be the most important part of his future forever families life. Squire likes to be picked up and carried around. If you pop him in the floor for a bit, he will after a little while climb your legs and want to be picked up! If I pop upstairs without him, I can hear him stand on his hind legs dancing away, wanting me to come back down and scoop him up into my arms again! He's such a sweetie, a really adorable, loving boy who also likes to sleep on my bed, just like a human! His head is on my pillow, his body is next to mine! Even if I move him up, he makes his way right back next to me! He couldn't get any closer! SO his new human parent/s must be prepared to adopt a kind of - lap dog really! One who, at the moment anyway, wants to be smothered with love!
His new human parent/s must be aware of his medical issue and the effects this has and likely future visits to the vet. They must allow him to sleep on their bed and take him everywhere they go! I have fostered many and if I pop t the shop or out for a meal, my other dogs don't always come with me wherever I go but this lad does. He's also eaten out at a restaurant and spent a few hours watching one of his favourite staff members compete in Tenbys Iron Man. He received lots of attention, lots of strokes, but what really made his day, was a small female cross breed who was on the other side of the barriers! 

My garden also brought him to life - as well as the views of the surrounding countryside! Saying all that, Squire, or Paddington as I often refer to him as, would like a relaxing life. He does not yet walk properly on a harness and lead, unless of course he sees a beautiful furry doggy close by! Hahaha! He would like to live with another kind furry doggy friend. He is obviously on a soft food diet. He cannot eat anything hard. He is not allowed raw food for at least 2-4 weeks and then the vet does not advise this type of diet because of the risk of infection being high.

Squire is available to adopt, so if you are interested in him and you can offer everything he wants and needs please complete the application form on his page
https://www.manytearsrescue.org/display_mtar_dog.php?id=26080

During a usual busy day working in the rescue, I stopped to read this. Tracey one of our hardworking, dedicated staff members had made this poster, it is of Dave her foster dog who is ten years old, it was hanging from the kennel that he frequents during the day when his 'foster mum' is at work.
Dave is currently reserved for a home, Tracey will very much miss him when he leaves to be with his very own family, but there are many more waiting to be taken home by her

Working at the rescue there is never enough time in the day to complete all of the tasks that we ideally want to. The rescue is so very busy, cleaning, feeding, walking those dogs that already walk on leads, training the dogs to walk that do not already do so, socialising, cat testing, grooming, nail clipping, booking in new arrivals, health checks, meeting and greeting dogs with prospective new families, showing people around the rescue, the list goes on and on. We are fortunate to have wonderful supporters who help in so very many ways, for this we are so very grateful, without this help we would sometimes struggle to complete our tasks. 'Our Scottish Ladies' arrived for their annual visit and stayed for nine days, four sisters, Betty, Jenny, Anne and Margaret. They worked tirelessly throughout their time with us, always so very cheerful despite the Welsh drizzle and so caring with the dogs. We are always delighted at their arrival and thoroughly enjoy their company. This is Tulip the labrador who presented as very active in her kennel where she craved attention.Wow, what a surprise to see her lying quietly on the grooming table being dried and groomed after being bathed, our 'Scottish ladies' were all pampering her, she had eight kind hands pandering to her every need - how beautiful and happy does she look? A huge thank you from all of us at Many Tears and especially from all the dogs who benefited from your kindness and generosity. We all look forward to your next visit.

Today marks the 5 month anniversary since Song, a 4 year old female shih tzu cross arrived at Many Tears.  Five months is a very long time for any dog to be in kennels, waiting for a foster place to become available, or for her forever family to find her and I feel really, really sorry for her.
Song is an extremely sweet, gentle, harmless little girl, who is trying her very best to be brave, and work out what is going on. She has no idea what life is really about, how to enjoy herself, or what being truly happy and safe feels like. Looking into her eyes every day and seeing such a lovely little girl struggle, battle against her fears and worry so much throughout the whole entire day, is very upsetting and makes us all so sad.
Song will approach people she knows well and will take treats out of their hands if it's a piece of chicken or cheese or something equally as rewarding and tasty! She looks at the treat with some excitement and happiness and like she has forgotten all her worries and fears for those few moments in time! It's lovely to see but if we approach her, she will run away and will do her best to avoid being handled.
Sadly, we do still have to corner her so that we can pick her up or stroke her to try and get her more comfortable with human contact. She lowers her head, and looks the other way wondering what we are doing and why we are doing it and hoping we don't hurt her. She might glance up at us out of the corner of her eyes.
Song has been groomed by an experienced member of staff just recently. She wasn't keen on some parts of the ordeal but she is now feeling much more comfortable and fresh and ready for the Spring and Summer weather. At play time when I open the door to her kennel, Song runs out of her kennel and into the sandschool. Depending on who she is with, determines what she does. If she has a playful friend, she is distracted and will run around and have fun but if she has a kennel friend who doesn't interact with her very much, Song paces the entire sandschool, stressing out a little. It's very hard to watch her like this.
Song gets on perfectly well with all dogs she meets and is kennelled with, whether same size/bigger/smaller/fellow females/males.  She shares her beds, food and toys perfectly. However, she is very sensitive to other dogs personalities and behaviours, and is very easily affected by others. For example, when she was kennelled with a playful schnauzer who avoided us handling him, Song became very playful but also very good at avoiding us handling her too. When she was kennelled with a confident, calm, relaxed shih tzu, Song became more confident, calm and relaxed and when she was kennelled with a slightly bossy, barky dog, Song became much more fearful and subdued and hid away in the bedroom part of their kennel (she no longer lives with this dog).
We have also noticed that Song feels a lot more comfortable and confident being around just 1 or 2 dogs. When we socialised her with 6 or more, she clearly became very uncomfortable and afraid, and took herself away from all of them, including her close friends. So, in a perfect world, Song would love to be homed with 1 or 2 confident, calm, kind, gentle, playful residents dogs, who will share their toys with her and help settle her into her new home and help her trust her forever family and learn lots of new skills so she can enjoy life to the full!
Song loves her toys! She doesn't get joy out of many things because she worries so much, but she does seem to take some comfort from carrying around an orange rubber chew toy! If she is not carrying them around with her, then you may find she has buried her favourite toys in her bedding. She enjoys her food, but must be fed separately because otherwise the other dogs take advantage of her nice nature and push her out the way and eat her food as well as their own! She was on a raw diet because she needed to put on weight, but she prefers normal meat and kibble now!
Song needs slow, careful, respectful handling and will sometimes trembles in fear. She is very wary and nervous of human contact and finds it hard to be able to trust us. Song has just become my project dog, and along with 2 other staff members who she feels closest to, we are going to get her into a better, stronger routine which will hopefully help her relax a little more as she will hopefully learn what to expect from day to day, and therefore it will hopefully make a bigger difference to her development and happiness.
Song will benefit massively from going into foster ASAP. She will need to go to a fosterer whose had experience of scared dogs. She will also need an adult only forever home as children would just terrify her. Her forever family will need to have had experience with scared dogs. Given a chance, plenty of time, patience, and understanding, and shown lots of kindness and love, Song will blossom into a very sweet, cute, lovely, devoted, playful, funny, happy, appreciative little lady. I wish I could be her forever Mum, but unfortunately I can't.... So...if any of you experienced fosterers are requesting a dog this weekend - I hope Song will be the top of your list - she really does need you! Geri

 A few weeks back a group of 4 tiny, underweight, bedraggled, but very cute, female Yorkies arrived onto my section. They were all quite scared, but started to come out of their shells and put their trust in me quite quickly.
It was Christmas time and quite cold, so they had to have jumpers put on them. Someone had found them Christmas Elf and Santa coats, which made me laugh - they all looked ridiculously adorable! Like Santa's little helpers! Except, I couldn't help thinking they probably wouldn't make good little helpers, but good little hindrances instead, bless them!
They all started to approach me and to say hello, especially 2 of them, who would cower to the floor but smile up at me - they were obviously trying their best to charm me! That they did, as well as make me laugh out loud! They looked hilariously funny giving me their best toothy grins!
At playtime the 4 of them would run out their kennel and run in 4 totally different directions in the safety garden. I had to run after and try my best to catch each one of them so I could put them out into the sand school for an explore, a play, a pee and poo! They sent me dizzy and gave me back ache while they ran along the floor like fast caterpillars, nodding their heads, grinning up at me! They did this every single time and never managed to grasp the running straight out and straight back in thing like all my other kennels managed to do!
During their time outside they'd have a good sniff and explore, and during their time inside their kennel, they would cuddle up and keep each other warm. They shared everything so well. I began to feel very protective and motherly towards these girls. Worrying about what would happen if one was left behind while the others went into foster or got adopted... I'd just have to take the last one.
Then one afternoon, I noticed Toast's (one of the girls) breathing was abnormal. I spoke with my manager who told me to bring her into the vet asap. Our vet Ashley, diagnosed her with heart failure. We were all so upset. This poor girl, at 10 years old, has had no life at all. She has never been given enough food to eat, is severely underweight, has rotting teeth, and is now in heart failure. She's never experienced the kindness and love humans can offer, or a safe and loving, warm, comfortable home. She's never walked on a lead or seen any of the World. And now she has been given anywhere from 6 months to 2 years to live.
Toast has come home with me every day since that day, and she comes with me wherever I go (I have perfected my tone of voice if I ever need to say "No sir, I do not have a dog in my (dog) bag" - I won't tell you where we've been all in all!!! ) .... As you can probably guess I would love to keep her, but unfortunately I am not in the position to. Although she has everything she could ever dream of, and gets treated like a Princess - and I am completely in love with her - my life is not perfect for her, and Toast (or Tootsie as I call her)  deserves more than I can offer.  She deserves utter perfection and to add to that she doesn't really want to come to work with me anymore, now that she knows what a home is!!!
Tootsie is pretty well house trained. She will have the odd pee at night on the pee pad, but will always poo outside. If she can't wait though, she will warn you by circling - something I woke up to her doing on my bed in the early hours of the morning once! She sometimes sleeps downstairs on the sofa and sometimes upstairs on my bed - wherever she wants. If she wants to come upstairs with me she will chase after me smiling - and if I start to walk up the stairs without her, she will look up at me completely devastated!!! But is soon back to her smiling self when she over enthusiastically rolls around on her back making every inch of my bed smell like her.  She knows my bedtime routine better than me and when I come down stairs in the morning, she will greet me with the biggest smile, while she jumps on her hind legs, raising her hands in the air, reaching up for cuddles! She is so delightful and SO CUTE when she does this. She will always put a smile on my face - as well as everyone elses! Everyone who sees her will let out a massive "AWWWWW". She's a real joyful girl.
As well as unintentionally but hilariously funny... she also knows when it's breakfast or dinner time...When I begin preparing it, she will start her husky barking, and will once again jump onto her hind feet while her smile takes over her face! And she will not stop barking until her foods right infront of her! She's a clever girl who knows she needs to run into the crate to eat because otherwise the naughty greedy beagle will devour it. Toast is extremely underweight and a little while back would not eat anything for days. Possibly a side affect of the last lot of medication she was first put on, we are not sure, She had blood tests, all were fine.  She is now on 3/4 of a 10mg tablet of Libeo twice a day, and 1 1.25mg tablet of Vetmedin twice a day and an hour before food, and she is doing very well. She has only had one bad day in a few weeks.
Toast is looking for a permanent foster or forever home where she will be a part of everything. I do not want her left out of anything. She needs a quiet, calm, relaxed, warm, comfy retirement home to be honest, where she will get to do what she wants! She is a very well behaved girl. She is very human orientated, and loves to be with me, her Temporary Foster Mum. She loves her food, likes chew toys, loves sleeping on my bed, is great being bathed and brushed, loves and is in absolute amazement when travelling in the car - strapped in and up front where she can see everything of course! She still can't work out who that dog in the mirror is, but can now walk on a harness and lead and goes for very very short walks, and gets carried the rest of the way. She obviously cannot have much exercise at all. One day, I was out for 1 1/2 hours with my dogs - I think she walked for maybe 10 to 15 minutes in total, the rest of the time she was in my arms being carried - but just looking at lots of new things like other people, other dogs, flowers and plants, waterfalls and a forest, and being out and about was enjoyable and so interesting at the time, but proved very tiring and too much for her afterwards, bless her.
Toast can become very scared by busy environments, and by dogs barking and such, and will try and run away. She is not spayed, and cannot ever be spayed, or have her teeth cleaned or extracted because she would not survive such an operation. Toast really loves her human friends, but will need another forever doggy in her home. She has got on with every dog in the kennel environment, but when she first came into my home she was a little growly/snappy towards some of the dogs if they went near her or dived on the sofa next to her or something. This "behaviour" / fear / whatever you want to call it is improving (she is ill and 10 years old and a yorkie lol!) - But she doesn't do it so often now :) I do think she prefers other Yorkies who mind their own business though! And she often cuddles up to all my dogs so ...
Toast is a typical charming Yorkie. A beautiful, sweet, funny girl, who deserves the World. I have fallen madly in love with her, and so will whoever becomes her forever foster/forever Mum. I know I will cry my eyes out when I have to wave her off - but I will very much look forward to receiving letters from her because I know she will write to me and tell me what she's been getting up to!

Two weeks ago an email we received out of the blue regarding 2 ageing dogs in Macedonia broke the hearts of Sylvia and Louise (MT yard manager). With no room at the inn and no money to pay to put them into boarding Sylvia was left in a position where she had to say that we were unable to help these 2 lovely girls.  Lots of tears came, lots of guilt at having to say no to 2 dogs in need, we needed a miracle, a plan to try and help these dogs.
Fast forward to a sleepless night and with the coming of the dawn the following morning a plan had emerged and a miracle had come to help these dogs. Louise called Sylvia and told her about an organisation called War Paws that dedicates itself to helping animals that are suffering as a result of War and Civil Conflict. Technically Macedonia is not at war but there is civil unrest and some years ago Macedonia was caught up in a vicious war in the Balkans that would have resulted in unchecked dog populations breeding so therefore it was highly likely that Sia and Carla had come into this world as a result of that.
War Paws was able to step up and offer the much needed funds so that we can bring these dogs to the UK and put them into Bill's boarding kennels whilst we find them loving homes. War Paws has raised enough funding to not only cover the boarding for Sia and Carla but also their flights to the UK and medical care. In the very near future these 2 beautiful girls will be boarding the freedom flight to a life they could only ever dream of before, their dream will become reality and they will never ever feel the pangs of hunger or have to fight for food or a warm place to sleep again.
Now obviously we have no idea how long Sia and Carla will need to be in kennels but War Paws has budgeted for 2 months plus medical care and flights. There have also been some kind Many Tears supporters who have sent in donations for the girls so that will be added to their fund as well.
Now every dog is a deserving cause but Sia and Carla really got to us.......
Sia is around 5 years old and as a youngster was likely hit by a car and left paralysed at the side of the road. Fortunately she found her way to the care of a local rescuer but without proper medical care she was left for 3 months unable to get around properly then one day out of the blue she just stood up and started to walk. Although she is wobbly on her legs Sia is now able to get around with relative ease but with each day that passes she becomes more and more withdrawn.
Carla is around 7 years of age and has spent almost all of her life in the rescuers shelter, a life in a shelter is no life for a dog, although her rescuer does all she can for the dogs under her care that simple fact is that every dog deserves a home and Carla has been constantly overlooked. Her rescuer is now deeply worried that Carla has also become very withdrawn and shows little interest in anything and with the cruel winter approaching she feels that neither Sia or Carla will come out of it the other side to feel the warm spring sunshine on their faces.
This is a desperate situation and because of the kindness shown by people across the world Sia and Carla will have their entire world changed, in time they will forget their past life and its ordeals and will become part of loving families. At this time huge thanks goes out to all who have rallied for these dogs, and those who first took them in.

"Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever"

I consider myself very lucky – and here’s why…….

When my son was 13 he watched “Marley and Me” and decided that as a busy family with 4 children what we needed was a dog!  Initially we thought that it was a crazy idea, but we live in rural Devon and love walking so were persuaded – boy it was one of the best decisions that we have ever made. Ben, a cute funny and mischievous beagle puppy came to join us in 2011 and  we loved every minute of being a dog owning family ( well maybe not the poo delivered on the kitchen floor while eating breakfast on his first morning!) . In 2013 my husband and I celebrated our 20^th wedding anniversary and instead of gifts we decided to get another dog. Now that we had more confidence as dog owners we wanted to rescue a dog and I stumbled across a litter of Collie Crosses at Many Tears and Betsy a black and white bundle of fluff joined us.

Roll on 5 years and we are now fosterers for Many Tears – it is a wonderful job that is a privilege to undertake, but my best moment so far came two days ago. Back from our summer holidays we decided that it was time to take the plunge and foster our first puppies so the delightful Bendy and Boulder came to stay with us. These  cheeky, soft and cuddly 10 week old puppies were wonderfully behaved, so invited to a garden party at my Father-in-laws care home we decided to take them along. It was just fantastic. Myself, my husband and daughter took them round to meet many of the elderly residents, many of whom had owned dogs in the past, and cuddling and stroking the puppies brought past memories alive for many of them. Bendy and Boulder were so gentle and calm with all of the three generations that they met- both the residents, their visiting children and grandchildren. It was the most positive of experiences for all involved and was just heart-warming to witness.

If you are thinking of becoming a fosterer for, or adopting from Many Tears - just do it- you won’t have any regrets.

I feel compelled to write about one of our recent arrivals here at Many Tears, her name is Sapphire and she is a 4 year old Dacshund.

When Sapphire arrived a week ago she was brought straight into the vets because she had a grapefruit size, hard swelling on her back side, the vet quickly concluded that she had developed a peri anal hernia and her bladder had slipped through the hernia and was effectively sitting in her bum, she was unable to wee and was in a lot of discomfort.    On Thursday we had to rush her to the vets to get her bladder drained, she was unable to wee normally and although she was dribbling urine she was dangerously close to her bladder bursting and losing her life so an emergency procedure to empty her bladder was performed and on Friday she was taken in for surgery to try and repair the damage.

On Friday I dropped her off with the vet and gave her a kiss and promised her that everything was going to be OK and told her I was sorry she had to go through this painful surgery but it would be the very last time she would ever have to go through anything like this and that life would get better and that even though she doesn’t see it yet there is an amazing world out there that has an amazing family for her and she is going to have so much fun discovering what a dogs life is really all about.

After a very long day waiting for word from the vet I finally got a call at just before 5pm telling me she had just finished 5 hours of surgery on Sapphire and she had made it through.  At 6.30pm I was able to go and collect her and discuss her surgery with the vet.  At first it seemed like the surgery was going to be fairly straight forward, the vet had drained her bladder and then spayed her then got to work on repairing what looked like a single tear in the muscle, it was all going really well, the bladder had gone back into place, the tear was repaired then out of the blue her bladder popped through another area of her weakened muscles so 2 further repairs had to be carried out before the vet was able to close her up and let her come round.  I discussed her ongoing pain relief and treatment after surgery and one of the things I am really worried about is that she may never gain full control of her bladder and may be left incontinent.  I am currently praying to every god there is that once the inflammation in her bladder subsides that she will have control over it again, right now she is able to wee but is not aware of it so she is leaking, it could take some considerable time for it to repair itself or it could come back quickly, we just don’t know at this stage.  I shall be watching her constantly over the coming days and weeks looking for a sign that she will be able to wee normally, I must try and be patient as hard at it is!  A downside to her op is that see has been left with a bit of a baboon bum but that is a purely cosmetic thing and a small price to pay.  I consider it her medal of honour, this little girl is a true hero and is strong of spirit and kind of heart.

After her surgery I got Sapphire settled into my cabin with my other dogs, I could not face leaving her in the vets on her own, she needs to know that there are other dogs around her for comfort as right now she is not trusting enough to be comfortable in just the company of humans.  I set her up with a lovely bed in a huge crate and gave her some water and a bowl of chopped roast chicken and beef, I did not hold out much hope she would be interested in eating but she proved me wrong and gobbled the lot within minutes.  Finally at 10pm she settled to sleep, I gave her a top up on her pain relief and she slept the entire night.  This morning I have let her out of her crate to socialise with my dogs and she is already a whole lot happier than she was just 2 days ago.

It has now been 4 days since her surgery and the difference in Sapphire is amazing.  She loves being around my dogs and is now more willing to come an approach me, she responds to me whistling when she is in the garden and she comes straight back in.  She seems to be aware she needs to wee and is relatively normal in this respect although she is still leaking a bit but this is to be expected and I am hoping once she has healed it will stop.  She absolutely adores her food and practically inhales it!  At night she has taken to sleeping with my yorkie.  So far she is also proving to be cat friendly, right now she thinks cats are scary things although I shall reserve judgment on this and see how she progresses and what she is like as she gains confidence.

Sapphire still has a long way to go before she fully bonds with people but just the look on her face when I am talking to the other dogs and playing with them tells me she really wants the same and each day she becomes a little more confident.

Sapphire is looking for a special home that has another calm, kind resident dog to help her to progress.  Could you be the family to bring this amazing little girl into your heart and your home?

Thanks

Louise

 
A day in the life of a fosterer begins when the first of either my dogs or one of my fosters decide they want to go to the toilet at an un godly  hour ! 4 am to be precise! Yes I did say 4 am! My foster Shitzu called Yogurt had decided that was the time he decided was going to be starting his day ! I let him and his partner in crime Maple the Schnauzer ( both who I collected from the foster run on Sunday). 
These two have the deepest loudest barks I have ever heard! Keeping them quiet at that hour proved to be an impossible task. I hope they didn’t wake my neighbour who for some reason thinks I only have a total of 3 dogs ! I once asked her if she ever heard them to which she replied only sometimes but I know you have 3 dogs so I make allowances for you ! I do not dispute this as I realise she cannot see my whole garden from her windows.  I hurry them indoors once the toilet stop was complete and re- crated them both and went back to bed. They both whined a bit but Charley my disabled crossbreed grumbled very loudly at them as he does not like being disturbed when he is asleep( I can imagine what he grumbled in his dog language and it’s probably ( Shut up and go back to sleep!) They did what they were told and at 6 am on the dot Peggy my Pug who can’t bark but makes a whistling noise started her noise ( Peggy likes to eat at 6 am and 6 pm and not a minute past Thankyou very much !
I get up and let out all my 8 dogs and my two fosters hoping they are not going to wake everyone up. I go out with them and all is ok till my Bichon Lily Pearl sees a cat ! I get them in quick and feed them all . I shower and feed my guinea pigs , parrot, tortoise and pond fish. I have my breakfast and get myself sorted for my partime job at a primary school.( I work as the School Welfare( dealing with cuts , bruises, Diabetic injections and sometimes more serious accidents! I also work as a Teaching Assistant and Lunchtime Supervisor). 
Once I have sorted all my things out for work I clean all the dogs bowls ready for their evening meal and put bowls of clean fresh water down ( with ice cubes in it if the weather is hot )Then it’s Pooh Patrol time and disinfecting the areas they have used in the garden and hosing down! Then it’s walkies  time ! I take four out  as I have bad arthritis and leave four at home with a promise they will have their walk when I get home at 130. 
A quick tidy round and clean bedding in the dogs beds and I go to work( Charley always cries for a few minutes when I leave and I reassure him by reminding him after Friday I am off for 6 weeks( I hope he understands me lol!) My son is going in to work later today so the dogs will only be left a couple of hours till I return. I remind him to change their water before he leaves and let them out for the toilet. He says he will crate my fosters and Charley before he leaves for work. I finish work - a child broke their wrist at school so off they went to hospital wearing a sling . Just leaving work and a child has twisted her ankle so I deal with that and then leave for home.
As soon as I pull up in my drive I can hear my dogs getting excited as I am home ( they greet me as if I have been away for a month) All let out for toilet and the four that didn’t get their walk this morning go now.
That completed I put all the dogs beds outside under parasols and under the garden table so they are in the shade and I have my lunch out in the garden with them . I have a missed call from Many Tears and return that as it was Kirsty our lovely Foster Co- Ordinator checking on my two new fosters  and how they are and I tell her they like to wake up at 4 am and we laugh about it .
I potter about in the garden with my dogs and all is well. It soon gets  to about 4 pm and I come into the house to put some washing in the machine . The doorbell rings  I leave the washing on the floor half in the washing machine and half out . I answer the door and it’s the gas man come to service the boiler . I invite him in and explain there are quite a few dogs here and I will put them in another room whilst he is here. We are greeted with my foster dog Yogurt running around the kitchen with my underwear in his mouth- yes he has pulled all the washing out of the machine and all my smalls are all over the kitchen and dining room floor. I pick up my smalls  quickly( too late the gas man has seen them!) I then have to chase Yogurt round the garden to retrieve my new bra which he is holding onto with his teeth and doesn’t want to let it go! Eventually I get it  back and the gas man goes but has a  funny grin on his face !
I then do two walks with 4 dogs at a time and return home to feed my pack. We then have a game of ball as it’s a bit cooler now. Pooh patrol  again! Now it’s my turn to eat and a tidy up , a bit of ironing and wash all my floors and time for bed! 3 dogs sleep with me and the others sleep  in the dining room. I am bushed and so are they ! Tomorrow I will be doing it all again and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Tx

I think it's time for an Office Blog! Working in the office, can be very stressful but also very rewarding. We thought we would share with you a story that touched all of us here, and really showed us that we all can make a difference to the dogs lives and peoples lives.

We received an email a few weeks ago from a lovely lady called Gemma who adopted a Labrador Cross from us 5 years ago, called Kite. At the time of adoption, Gemma was a single lady and in 2016, she met the love of her life! Gemma and her partner, have travelled all over the UK, along with Kite. The love of her life knew that Gemma came with 'extra baggage', being Kite, and if he was to love Gemma, he would love Kite the same.

Gemma knew he was 'The One' when he started using the special voice she used when she had conversations with Kite. She thought yes, he's a keeper! 

They are getting married in a few weeks, and when choosing a venue, one of the key considerations for them was to find a place that welcomes dogs. The vicar was happy to allow him into the church and the venue is dog-friendly. So Kite is going to be Best Dog! 

The day after the wedding, Gemma and her Fiance would like to hold a little ceremony where he can formally adopt Kite, so we are sending them a special adoption form, to make their family complete!

Beryl our wonderful card lady, made them both a super special card from Kite, thanking for giving him such an amazing home!

This story was refreshing for us all, and reminded us of what we do and why we do it. The next few weeks are going to be tough, as we have a lot of dogs coming in and are going to be pushed to our limits, but this will keep us going!

It's about time there was a blog about the dogs we have in from Portugal! If you haven't heard me or anyone else who works at Many Tears say it before, the Portuguese Dogs are INCREDIBLE! They really do bring the Sun and the Fun over with them! They are generally all extremely balanced beings, who are all advanced in the sense of their confidence levels.  The fact they walk on a lead, are kennel clean, get on really well with all other dogs etc etc.... They are also REALLY HAPPY, SUPER FRIENDLY, FUN, COMICAL, QUIRKY, EXUBERANT AND EXTREMELY AFFECTIONATE.
Some of them have absolutely no spacial awareness whatsoever and love to jump/climb your lap so they can give your face plenty of licks and kisses! Some of them are much more uh... relaxed shall we say and will just sit next to you and want to be your best friend and the best behaved companion you've ever had.
They are chilled out, they are busy when you want them to be and they are all so incredibly UNIQUE! They are SO different from any other dogs you've met before.  I can't quite put my finger on it or explain why properly, you've just got to meet one and spend some time with one to know what I mean!
Anyone whose had a Portuguese dog will tell you the same. They'll probably have loads of hilarious, belly-aching funny stories to tell you too! So...if you've never met a Portuguese Dog before, then you should really get around to doing it! We are all incredibly proud and super chuffed Sylvia helps rescue dogs who are in real need from abroad. She takes in dogs from the UK every single day, but maybe a few times a year she will welcome a big bunch of dogs from Portugal/Cyprus/and now Romania. All of them have had really rough, really tough lives and are incredibly lucky to still be alive. And they act like this too - they are so appreciative bless them.
The Portuguese dogs are born on the streets, grow up on the streets, having to fend for themselves. They then often end up in kill shelters which are truly awful places - hell on earth to be exact.  I could tell you how lucky one of my previous Portuguese foster dogs is to still be alive but I won't on here but I really don't know how the Portuguese Dogs end up being such great dogs.  I guess we have the lovely Olinda the lady who rescues them in Portugal to thank for that. No wonder they all seem to have a real zest and love for life - they've come so close to being killed, for no reason whatsoever, but have been granted a second chance at life - thanks to Olinda and Sylvia and you who support us.
In February we had about 70 over and they have all been adopted bar about 10 who are still at the rescue. The best are always the last so, over the next few days, I am going to tell you all everything we know about the last remaining Portuguese dogs. Starting with Mummy Badochinha and her daughter Badocha, who've somehow managed to stay together their whole lives so I pray every day that we can keep them together. The two of them are basically couch potatoes, who are so loving, laid back and loyal, who get on great with all dogs they are kenneled with. They have amazing characters and are like little humans...Mummy Bado really makes me laugh - her mannerisms are so cute and comical - she really does interact with you and she makes me chuckle every time I go and say hello to them, and if I don't, they will no doubt call over to me from their play yard when they see me out in my play yard the other side of the rescue! God i love them!
Geri

I feel ever so sorry for Roxy and Rolo and Sylvia is very worried about them. They so easy to work with but are unfortunately not coping very well in kennels. They are sad and stressed and have lost weight. We are obviously doing our best and trying to feed them up - both are on a raw diet - but they are also having to have less exercise than they want and need because of this.
They have recently arrived on my section. Roxy the smaller sister is very calm and loving. She loves to lean on you while you give her a side rub or back scratch. Rolo the bigger brother is a little highly strung... he's so worried about his what is happening to them both and is so desperate to get out of kennels....you can hear him whimpering when you arrive in work for the breakfast shift - he's heard us early staff arrive and is waiting for us to let him out into the sandschool to go for a wee which he's held in all night. It's heartbreaking. He's also desperate to jump up and have a cuddle and tell you how desperate he's been to have a hug. And of course - he is starving and can't wait for his breakfast bowl! He is also very loving.
Out in the sandschool is when these two show us their energetic, lively, bouncey and fun side! Both take massive leaps and bound across the play school and look pretty spectacular and impressive doing so. They love to chase a ball or any toy thrown for them, and are so much fun to be around!
Roxy and Rolo found themselves in the care of Many Tears because they like chasing sheep. They'd also quite like to chase a cat too! They are beautiful creatures though... even when their upper lip gets caught in their teeth which does make me laugh! They look kind of goofy like this!
Roxy and Rolo love each other so much. They spend their whole time in their kennel cuddling up to each other - their bodies entwined - it's also a way of keeping eachother just that little bit warmer - despite wearing a wooly jumper with a fleece lined raincoat ontop - to stop their skinny bodies from trembling in this weather.
Roxy will often nuzzle into Rolo and give him a kiss - particularly out on walks. They LOVE walking and could go on for ages bless them. Roxy trots beautifully either by your side or by the side of her brother. Rolo is slightly stronger on the lead but responds well to correction. They are both such well behaved that both are allowed to go walking with volunteers, including some poeople with special needs. They meet other dogs perfectly and have been kennelled with others with no problems at all.
They share their beds and toys absolutely fine, but we do feed them seperate because they really can't afford to have any of their food pinched from greedier dogs because they are so underweight.
They sit for treats though and don't push in when other dogs are around. They have also met smaller dogs and have been socialised with smaller dogs just fine. My wish this weekend is for Roxy and Rolo to either find their forever families or to at least make the foster run on Sunday... they are both struggling in kennels - Roxy ever so quietly, Rolo much more obviously...and its very hard to see these two like this.  We would love them to find a home together but if that's not possible we would consider homing them where there is at least one other dog who will love them as much as they love each other.
Geri

I wonder what everyone is wishing/hoping for this year? My wish is to be more like another Cypriot rescue dog who is still waiting in kennels for his forever family to find him... He goes by the name of Robin. He is always happy, always smiling, always wagging his tail, and is always so full of energy... I wish to be more like him...
Geri





 

Caroline and I (Shelby) had a rare chance to get our bums off of our seats and go visit the Romanian dogs who have just arrived.  Throughout the blog we will attach pictures along the way. To start off, we met the first lot of Romanian dogs, which touched all of our hearts.

This particular kennel were special. You can tell that they were broken, exhausted and were grateful for a comfy bed to cuddle each other in. This was the first blanket they have EVER had, as they previously had straw for bedding.  The mood is very stressful here at the moment, due to all of the dogs coming in, so for the office to go visit the dogs it really showed us all why we are here, and that is to do our best for the dogs.

We moved on to the new few kennels, and these are much more settled after their arrival.

The dogs in this kennel are all absolutely gorgeous. Now they have recovered a bit from their journey and been bathed, slept in warm comfy beds and been fed these guys are beginning to believe life could be getting better.  They are all friendly, sweet and their confidence is rising by the day. We are hoping that they are not going to be with us long as they do really deserve their forever homes now, they have been waiting WAY too long.


As you can see they are affectionate and loving.  They loves treats but are still a little hand shy but and their tails wag when you approach and offer a gentle stroke or treat.
We now have an oldie. This poor soul should definitely not be in kennels with us. She is in a need of a very good groom, a good diet and a nice quiet retirement home. She is a very sweet dog, waggy once she knew we were going to be her friends. This girly really did pull on our heart strings, it is so sad to see such an old dog in rescue, when she should really be cuddled up in front of a fire in a comfy warm bed.

 
As you can see, all of these dogs are gorgeous. If you’re an adopter and looking for a canine companion to keep you company please do consider these guys. If you’re interested is any of them, they are not yet on the website but will be within the next few days. If anyone is local, please do come visit us to come socialise with them, it is a day you will never forget! If anyone has any bedding to donate, please do as they are crying out for a comfy duvet to lie on.
 

 
It's that time of the year again - Winter and we have been shutting the dogs away in the back of their kennels for the last few weeks as the weather has been bitter! In the height of Summer the dogs are left to roam around in their runs and do as they please as it is so warm (even in Wales!) but for Winter, the heat lamps go on, and we close the doors to get them nice and ready for bed time.
At around 3.30pm we start to get the dogs ready for bed. I walk them out into the sandschool for their last run of the day, so I can clean their kennels, put fresh water down and check their bedding. Once they have all had their last run around, it is now time for bed, after an exhausting day! Most of the dogs go happily into their beds but there's always one or two who want to stay up late, always the 2 happy labs Goldie and Best!
Eventually they're all in bed and I can pop my head in the window to make sure they're all settled. I then refresh the mop buckets ready for the next day, make sure the runs are clean, and finally say good night and turn the lights off. But I remind myself, that Many Tears is just a stop over for our lovely dogs and they will forever be in their homes very soon, but we try to make their stay as smooth and happy as possible!
Tracey

   
Hi Everyone!
Just a quick blog to talk to you all about grooming the dogs here in kennels! Every day I always have dogs to groom. Most of the dogs we have in are in poor condition so do need a thorough groom. It is very hard and it does break my heart to see the dogs in bad condition.
As you can see from the picture, some dogs are matted down to their skin, have bad skin sores, covered in fleas. At the moment, to groom all of these dogs I am struggling as I don't have proper grooming tools, but the job gets done!
The dogs I have groomed today, are Sadie, Lulu and Koral. Before they were groomed, their fur was like felt. BUT you can now see they look fabulous with their new hair cuts and are currently cuddled up in their bed with woolly jumpers on, as it is very cold here at the moment.
I would really love to have a clippers of my own to groom the dogs that come into us and would be sooo grateful if anyone would be able to donate grooming equipment for me!   If you can help please email the office at info@manytearsrescue.org and mark it for my attention or send it to the rescue marked for my attention.
Thank You
Jenny

Emma (another member of staff) and i thought Dagma needed a well deserved break from what can be fairly mundane kennel life especially for a dog whose as advanced as he is (by advanced I mean confident, kennel clean, walks on a lead, calm, well behaved etc.).  So, we decided to take him to Pembrey Beach for the day. 
Owain who Dagmar's kennel daddy informed me Dagmar was well and truly looking forward to his first morning walk and what a surprise he was going to have! He wasn't sure about following me into the back seats of Emma's car and despite lots of encouragement, he looked up at me a bit sad and worried, so in the end Emma picked him up and put him in! ~Dagmar sat calmly and quietly for the 40min car journey and was a perfect passenger. Better than me apparently!!!  
When we arrived at our destination, Dagmar followed me out the car and looked up at us with a huge smile spread across his face, a very waggy tail and an extra spring in his step! He seemed super happy to be somewhere new and very excited by where he was going! This was Dagmars very first time out in the real world but he was cool, calm and collected for the whole trip. He seemed to enjoy the beach.and walked by our sides perfectly, listening to us chat away whilst taking in all these new sights, sounds and smells.
He also discovered a new favourite hobby - which also happens to be one of mine - collecting sea shells! He seemed fascinated by them and wanted to give some of them a closer inspection! He'd give some of them a lick, carried others around and dropped them if he spotted a prettier one. Fisherman caught his attention, but he wasnt interested in pinching their fish (unlike some dogs I know). Seagulls did too, but again he wasn't interested in chasing them despite someone encouraging him to LOL. He wasn't fazed by the sea or by anything at all. 
He met other dogs perfectly and even joined in line to sit for a treat from a passer by which was rather funny and very cute. He passed what looked like a school of noisey children without panicking and then he sat next to us on the floor while we had some lunch in the Cafe there. 
There were some more very special/clever/funny moments from Dagmar...but because I do tend to waffle on a bit...i am going to save them for whoever fosters or adopts him!  Before we left, Dagmar stopped in his tracks, turned around and took one last look at the beach and sea ... savouring this special moment in his life. I wasn't expecting to be so upset when it was time to put him back in his kennel. He definitely enjoyed his day out but he also seemed happy to be back "home"... Why oh why is this beautiful boy still in kennels waiting to be fostered or adopted. You really couldnt have asked for a more perfect companion...a "normal" dog couldn't have been better behaved, let alone a rescue... Dagmar is available to foster or adopt so if you are interested please visit our official website and read more about him.
Geri

The last couple of months has been hard on us all. We have had to say goodbye to a few dogs that unfortunately didn’t make it to their happy endings. We lost a very sweet Beagle girl called Gainer, who had a medical issue where her body couldn’t make it’s own blood cells. She had a few trips to the vets, and was put on medication and finally was allowed back in her kennel with her Beagle friends. Weeks had passed and she had showed no improvements. In the end, we had to say our final good bye’s to Gainer, with me by her side and let her go peacefully. Cai has also experienced losing a very special little Westie called Wicker. Wicker was bleeding internally and unfortunately nothing could be done to save her. We also lost little Queenie, who was very recent.

Queenie went home with one of our vet nurses, who absolutely adored her! Queenie was in heart failure, and we knew she wouldn’t be with us for long, so we made sure her last days were worth it. Our vet nurse, Vicky, did an amazing job with her, and made sure that Queenie experienced home comforts, such as sleeping on the bed of course!! Queenie’s last day came around very quickly and we all had to say our final goodbyes. As you can imagine, the team have had a tough time recently.


   

The other day, Sylvia came to me and explained that we have 26 dogs coming into us, all different ages, sizes, as their owner had died and they had nowhere to go. What I was about to see I did not expect. I pulled two lovely springers off the van, after they had travelled all the way over to us, and they are gorgeous!! Little Gracie who is about 8 years old. She was very matted, so matted that she couldn’t even wag her tail! Gracie is very underweight at the moment. I then pulled off Sam, who is a complete darling! Sam will sit for a treat and also loves a groom and playing ball (typical springer).

Jasmin the Lab, has also come into our care, who is very nervous of new people. Once she has gained your trust she is very waggy and loves a cuddle! These are just a small handful of the 26 that came into us. These dogs were treated well, but has their owner grew older it became very hard for her to look after them. The owner devoted her time and love into the dogs but could no longer look after them. A neighbour popped over a few times a week to help, such as feeding them. Some of these guys lived in doors, but most of them outdoors, living in 4 inches thick of mud. Can you imagine that? Having your owner devote so much time into them, and then all of a sudden, she is no longer around? Even I shed a tear for these poor souls. If any of you can offer these guys a forever home, then please do. Together let’s try and make them love again. 

I have three absolute stars on my section and they've been in this jungle of kennels too long now.  For some reason they have been overlooked and I'd really love for them to be voted out to either a foster or adoptive home. OK, so they may not be the easiest of dogs to care for but where's the fun and the challenge with easy?
First we have Tiptop the Shih Tzu cross, a real little cutie scruffy bunny. She has come on a long way since she first arrived here and now confidently walks on a lead and has been out strolling with volunteers. However, Tiptop is a bit lost and hasn't really found where she fits in and will require a really special home to help her settle and be happy, with her future carers confident to be firm with her and help her learn her boundaries.
She loves to play with her kennel mates but can become a bit bossy and if homed with another dog, that dog will need to be larger than her and be able to tell her when she becomes a bit big for her boots. Although she is still a bit wary of us humans, we may consider homing her as an only dog in the right circumstances.
PS Tiptop scoffs all her bushtucker trials, boy does she love her food!
My next inmate is Simba the shar pei, a very noble looking female who is the biggest softie out and has turned out to be an easy dog to look after. If she's ever reactive with other dogs I tell her off and she always takes note, she has been kennelled with females and males and loves to play with them, she likes playing rough so if homed with another dog they'd need to be of a similar size.
Simba loves nothing more than fetching a tennis ball in the sandschool but is not too fussed when the sand gets in her mouth.  She's a happy soul who won't need endless exercise, and is relaxed when in her kennel.
Simba tucks into her bushtucker trial which is raw food, and we feed her that because she requires a wheat free diet, wheat free dry food is available to buy.
Thirdly we have Daisy the terrier who loves to be picked up and cuddled and I can see her snuggling down on someones lap in her future home.
She is currently kennelled with Jack, and they are often playing rough and tumble. Daisy is very loving, but being a terrier is a bit feisty, but if I tell her off she listens and becomes submissive and takes correction really well. She will need an owner who will be firm with her and teach her what her boundaries are.
I think Daisy could be homed with a confident dog who will put her in her place if she becomes overbearing, and she listens and becomes submissive if Jack tells her off.
Daisy won her bushtucker trial of a pigs ear hands down. If you are interested in breaking out any of these three girls from behind bars, please look at their webpages and please do contact us to discuss them. If you unsure and want advice, then we can help with any behavioural issues.
Tracey

Phew! I've got a day off today and can cope with this heat a little better, but unfortunately the dogs a MTAR don't have this luxury. The last three days have been blisteringly hot, yeah, I know this is relatively unknown for rainy Wales. The staff here have really tried to keep the dogs as cool as possible. On my section I was able to plug in two industrial fans above the kennels but still it was hot. So I put towels on the floor in the front of the kennel runs and soaked them with the hose pipe so that the dogs could lie on them. I kept hosing down the corridor and walls of the kennels as well. All staff kept exercise times to a minimum, in the sand schools the sand got really hot and there was only a bit of shade, but I needn't have worried that the dogs didn't have a lot of exercise time because the dogs were so hot that most lay flat out on the floor of the kennels and didn't seem up for bouncing around.
We also only took dogs for walks early and late in the day because the tarmac was so hot I'm surprised it didn't melt. Some staff put out paddling pools and some of us took the bedding out of some beds and filled them as high as we could with water so the dogs could paddle when they wanted to.
Sylvia asked if we were coping with the heat ok and told us all to keep hydrated and Bill kindly said he'd turn off the fans later in the night instead of me turning them off at 5 o'clock. One of our generous volunteers bought us a couple of boxes of the that famous cola, a refreshing change from the litres of water we were drinking and some kind person bought us ice creams and lollies, which barely saw the inside of the freezer, they don't call the outside staff locusts for no good reason! Yes we work hard and we'll ceat everything!
Here's looking forward to cooler weather and seeing the dogs enjoying their exercise times and walks again, and knowing Wales there'll be rain!
Tracey

I was on my first morning walk with Ribena, the gates had just opened and there was a row of dogs walking down towards the entrance of Many Tears. I can't tell you how I knew, I could just sense it I guess - I hadn't made eye contact with the people walking the dogs, and the dogs looked happy as larry - one of them walking along looking so confident and happy, one of the others gandering along like only a deerhound can - but I just knew those dogs were going to be given up by their owners. I wondered if the office staff knew all these dogs were coming in, and if so, where were they going to be kennelled? We are full to the brim at the moment...   One of those dogs was Jazper, a 2½ year old male Lurcher cross Deerhound, who looked on as his owners finished filling out his release form and began walking away. He tried walking away with them, but of course he wasn't allowed to. Instead, he was taken off to his kennel where he will reside until he finds his new home or a foster home. Jazper was being given up due to his owners working full time and also working away from home.
  
Jazper started to become extremely stressed. He started panting, his breathing became heavy, his heart started racing. He was like this for the majority of the day. He seemed like he was going to go into full blown panic mode and pass out, but, with plenty of love shown him, lots of cuddles with his kennel Daddy Cai, as well as a number of other staff members, Jazper eventually settled down. When I walked into his kennel later on he came running over to greet me, rubbed his body against mine and then lent against me, looking back up at me, appreciating some fuss. He lay down on a big duvet Cai had found him, rolled onto his back and then burried his face into my lap. He was boiling to touch. When I had to go, Cai took over and Jazper burried his face into Cais lap and wrapped his legs around Cai's waist. Jazper really needed to be comforted. It was so sweet, but so sad to see. Jazper is super friendly, very loving, gentle, sweet, calm and docile. He has been great meeting strangers today - some of whom actually took him out for a walk. He proved to be perfect on the lead, is kennel clean and completely housetrained, is good with cats and other dogs, and has been around children as young as 2. It's such a shame that he has found himself in kennels. We are all very worried about him tonight. Thankfully he has a lovely kennel friend in J-Lo, so hopefully she'll be of some comfort to him - after all she has been through a similar ordeal.  

Sylvia is so sad and worried about him. As she is about all the dogs here at the centre. But he has really got to her. As has one of our older gentleman who goes by the name of Shaun. I asked who Shaun was, little did I realise it was the boy who resides in kennel 5 who gives me the most loveliest and kindest of smiles and who does a slow little happy side step shuffle dance when I pass by. He is a right little cutie-pie, and when I start speaking to him he gets quietly excited. He is just SO cute he could make your heart burst! I've been meaning to find out more about him, and now I have... Shaun is an 11 year old male collie, who was given up after a life time of being used to work in a farm environment. He's shown nothing but hard work, loyalty, and no doubt lots of love, and this is where he finds himself. It's heartbreaking. It's so hard to understand... Shaun doesn't want for much now. His back legs seem to be weakening slightly. All this boy wants is a warm comfy home, a loving family to share lots of cuddles and kisses with, a garden to look out on and have a wander about in and go to the toilet in - he is after all house trained and waits until he is let out here in kennels before he goes to the toilet bless him, and now that he has discovered what a bed is....just a few hours ago, I think he'd probably quite like a nice fluffy duvet to lie and doze on and dream about running around and playing... Shaun is incredibly lovely, extremely affectionate, and super loyal. He is a gentleman, gets on well with all dogs he's met and been kennelled with, and despite everything, is such a happy boy! When you look his way he starts smiling and wagging, and to be honest looks, well, ecstatic!!! Shaun walks well on a lead, but I can imagine him walking off lead and right by the sides of his new forever family once he is settled. Out in the play yard he looks so handsome exploring. As Sylvia says, every day needs to count for this old chap. How unfair is it that an 11 year old dog ends up in kennels?
Whose going to adopt him?   

And then there's Disney a 1 year old cross breed....how he found himself in a pound about to be put to sleep is anyones guess. Disney is, as his initial write up says, a "delightful, cheeky little chap who is full of charm!" and "certainly does belong on the screen as the hero of a feel good film".......Disney is very sad having to live in a kennel. He feels intimidated, and very stressed. He so desperately wants a family who loves him and who will cuddle and play with him all day and spoil him rotten! He just came back from a walk with a few lovely volunteers. I say walk - he managed to charm the people who took him out so much he hitched a ride on one of the ladys mobility scooters - and on her lap no less!   Disney is a gorgeous looking boy who will wrap his paws around your leg and squeeze you so tight - he just doesn't want to let you go!    These poor dogs...all beautifully natured, all so well trained and behaved, all can be only dogs or homed with other dogs, all given up through no fault of their own, currently going through a really traumatic time right now....all worrying about what is going to happen to them.   It's five thirty in the evening, Jazper is laying on his duvet hoping his family will realise they've made a mistake and come back and get him....Shaun is fast asleep in his bed in his bedroom...and Disney is wide awake sitting on the stone floor of his kennel and just run out to greet me wagging his tail. All 3 need to find homes ASAP......imagine the relief they'll feel and the love they'll show when they are  in their forever homes with their forever families.

And I cannot not mention the poor poor little westie girl who goes by the name of Waver, who I'm sure you are all aware of. I went in to see her for the first time today. She backed away from me at first. I knelt down and spoke to her gently, and I was over the moon at her response - she wagged her tail and came over to say hello to me! I was delighted! She is such a sweetie...a real gentle soul. And, an absolute soldier.... It's so hard not to break down in front of her though. She is in such a poor way and has obviously been suffering unimaginable amounts of pain. Words fail me this week.

Why is Hilde our longest staying dog? Why has she spent so long in kennels? She arrived at the end of December, had a brief stint in foster, but was returned for being so difficult to get in from the garden - and this is her one and ONLY "downfall". Who can blame Hilde though for not wanting her playtime to come to an end and have to go back inside a kennel for a few more hours? She’s been locked up for her entire life and used for breeding – she is just wanting to enjoy her freedom! So…every day, four times a day, Hilde and I play a game of chase – and boy does she love it! This is, I think, her favourite game in the World, and her most fun pastime! Hilde is very energetic! She is hilarious and fun in the way she runs and jumps around! She offers and encourages us humans to play with her too. She makes eye contact with us, her cheeky expression suddenly spreads across her face, she looks as though she is almost smiling, she lowers her front part of her body to the ground, her bum sticking up in the air, getting ready for us to chase her so that she can RUN RUN RUN!!! And when we play with her she is just DELIGHTED! She runs back and for and around and around until I am run into the ground or so dizzty I can't catch her! I suddenly remember that I am in fact working and have jobs to do, so I say goodbye to Hilde who watches me leave the play school, looking so sad bless her. When I leave, she enjoys wandering and pottering about, having a good nose and sniff, looking so happy, relaxed, confident - and in her element. She can often be caught sunbathing too!
When it is time to come in, sometimes, Hilde will run straight back in. Other times she pretends to follow her friends and come straight back in, but runs off again wanting me to play chase at the very last second! Sometimes I have to wait until she is ready, and when she is, she will sit down for me to pick her up and on occssion I do have to call another member of staff to come and help me! After all, we are on a time scale here unfortunately. When that staff member appears, Hilde realises games over, and she might as well sit down and let me pick her up. I enjoy a cuddle, and I think she likes being held like a baby and cuddled too nowadays! More frequently than not though, when I call someone for help, Hilde just runs back to her kennel herself, bless her. She is after all, an exceptionally well behaved little girl. She is probably the most socialised dog at the centre (this is due to me giving up and leaving her out and letting another kennel out with her and waiting for her to come in when she's ready - I may get into trouble for telling you all this, but I introduce her safely to all dogs, do not worry!) And she has always got on perfectly well with ALL dogs she has met and been kennelled with. She's been here so long that she's been kennelled with a massive range of dogs, let me tell you. Hilde has such a lovely nature and temperament. Gentle, sweet, innocent, quiet, kind and submissive. She shares her food, toys, beds, everything, just ever so well. When she is in her kennel, Hilde just watches the World go by patiently. Occasionally cuddling up to her kennel friends. At bed time, Hilde will take herself off to bed! She is so adorable and so good. Yesterday I had a little more time to sit in with the dogs on my section. When I sat in with Hilde's kennel, I hate to admit it, but she seemed quieter, sadder than usual, which made me break down. I try so hard to make her day enjoyable, but she has been waiting for so long now, she knows there is more to life than this. And it's hard to describe, but I did sense a very strong sense of waiting from her.....
Hilde is one of my favourite dogs in the rescue at the moment. I would foster her if I had space. I would adopt her if I was in the position to. Whoever ends up fostering/adopting her, I would LOVE to keep in touch and follow her progress. She is perfect. Looks wise, she is stunning, everyone who visits here comments on just how pretty she is! And these days she is getting confident enough to even approach strangers for fuss. She is still a little shy, but she’ll come over and sit next to me for fuss, strokes and love, sometimes falling asleep, sometimes looking slightly worried and looking the other way – her eyes almost bursting out her head because she is still a little unsure. She does at least now wag her tail when I approach and talk to her and go to fuss her which makes me so happy!
Hilde is well socialised, kennel clean, walks perfectly on a lead, - is energetic, fun, funny, mischievous and playful. She is a real individual - unique and completely and utterly CHARMING. She deserves a very special, fun, forever family and home, with a fun, but chilled forever doggy friend and a completely secure garden which she can run around and play in. I have fallen head over heels in love with this girl – and whoever comes and spends some time with her will too. Whoever gets to adopt this lady will be SO glad they chose her. I just hope she finds a foster/forever home soon.

Very recently, I have been doing a couple of early morning shifts a week, starting at 7 and finishing at 3. They are fast paced, sometimes quite hard going, and the way I see it, you have just as much work to do with the dogs on your section, just less time to do it in!

There are however, two perks to doing them; the first being you get to work with, if very briefly, dogs on other sections. The second is, seeing Deano, our 4 year old Dogue De Bordeauxs face appear over the rain barrier on his kennel, looking down on what he sees as his breakfast bucket! This breakfast bucket is in fact meant for all the dogs on his section, but I don't think he sees it that way! He rests his two gigantic front paws on the walls of his kennel, lets out a great big sigh, and has THE cutest expression on his face! He cannot wait for his brekkie!

Deano, and his Mum Lulu, found themselves in the care of Many Tears after their owner very sadly passed away. I can't begin to imagine how these two fantastic beasts must have felt. Their owner, their best friend and carer, taken away from them, their World torn apart...
I remember the day they arrived at the centre vividly. Their two gigantic faces, wondering what was going on and what was happening to them, and the fact that everyone, and I mean everyone, came out to see them. We were all very sad for them and their situation, but excited to meet and work with them both. Everyone knew immediately that they'd end up on Chelsea Lewis' section - where the majority of the larger breeds reside, as there are bigger kennels on her section. I wasn't too jealous - I realised that the play area for my dogs was right next to hers...meaning I would be lucky enough to see plenty of Deano and Lulu! Happy Days!

As you can imagine, these two proved, and are still proving to be hugely popular with staff and volunteers alike. With their good looks, charm, fun-loving, playful and affectionate personalities....they are just perfect. Both Mum and Son already walk on leads, are house trained and kennel clean, and understand basic commands, such as "stay", "sit", and "paw". They both love play wrestling, running the length of the sandschool, looking as though they should feature on a David Attenborough programme, their muscles just spectacular, as they chase either a staff member, usually one of the bigger male staff members, before having a play wrestle, or if it's Deano, a number of tennis balls too, if thrown his way, before proudly showing us how many he can fit into his mouth!!! I've seen him stuff 3 in there...

I myself made friends with Lulu first - probably as she was the quieter, calmer one of the two, and of course her being a female I guess! She was very gentle and sweet, very innocent too. I later found out that she has a really lovely nature - she has met cats and horses well, and small children too. We would prefer it if she was homed with children no younger than 13 however, due to her size! Deano however, is not so keen on cats!

Lulu would come over and share hugs and kisses and cuddles, and the two of us would watch the boys being boys. I'd role my eyes at the human men, and she would look on proudly at her son, before running off and showing her son Deano, and the male staff members, that she too can play wrestle with the best of them!

Deano and I made good friends when one day I found some knotts in his back, and he discovered that I could get them out, and ease some of the stress and strain in his back and shoulders. So every day he and his mum would get a massage, as well as a back scratch and bum scratch for Lulu. Low and behold - my new job role at Many Tears - Deanos personal masseuse! He was happy with this, as was I. When they saw me coming, their faces would light up, they would run over, sit next to me in a seated position, with their faces pointing up to the sky, ready for their pamper session. And if I'm honest, I'm sure Deano enjoyed the attention more than Lulu! I'd sneak a cheeky kiss. Right on those big wrinkly mouths! And if I was having a bad day - it would be Deano who'd notice and rest his paw on my lap as if he knew...

In kennels, both are calm and relaxed, spending the majority of their days lying at the front of their kennel on a big comfy duvet, watching the World go by, hoping that someone will take them out of their situation, and back in a home. If you're having a bad day - Deano seems

Just recently, we have noticed a decline in the two of them. They are both becoming much more sad, lethargic, fed up with their situation. And understandibly so. No matter how spoilt they are here, it's no comparison to that of life in a home. Both Deano and Lulus eyes are much heavier, Deanos showing a very sad boy indeed, Lulus showing a very worried Mummy. Mummy is also loosing hair out of stress and sadness. Both are less interested in running about and playing too, which is very sad to see.

It's now 7pm, and I write this in tears. There has been talk of them being homed seperately....as only dogs or with other dogs - but still - seperate from one another. The reason being they simply could be, and because they would both find homes quicker.
This may well happen, I mean they'll both end up in loving forever homes no doubt, but they've spent their whole lives together, have been through so much, and they love each other unconditionally...

So what I am asking is this - could you all please please please help spread the word about Deano and Lulu............I just know there is someone out there who would want to adopt either both together....or....seperately i guess. They are both truly amazing doggies who would make someone extremely happy indeed. These two are just so desperate to find their forever families. After all, both know what it is like to live in a home, lead a normal doggy life, and be loved and spoiled. Please - help us to help Deano and Lulu become happy again X

If you are interested, please click on these two links and read more about both. Thanks for your time. And thanks to Jenny and Chelsea for some of the pictures! :) Xxx

http://manytearsrescue.com/display_mtar_dog.php?id=18618
http://manytearsrescue.com/display_mtar_dog.php?id=18619

Geri
 

I've just got back from having a week off and many of the dogs on my section have, in that week, gone into foster or been adopted. This makes me feel happy but there are many new dogs on my section which makes me feel excited, super charged and energised – because there are that many more dogs whose lives have been saved by Many Tears! However, I’m also aware that I have a handful of the same dogs…still there, in the same kennel. This makes me feel very sad and upset. It just doesn’t feel fair that I’ve been away for a week, doing different things with my dog and foster dogs, but they have not, and are still at the centre. I try and look at the positives.
From a selfish point of view, it makes my working day much easier, as these dogs, have all progressed SO much and are all just SO easy to work with. They are all pretty much 100% kennel clean, they all run out to and back in from the play yard like little soldiers, they all share their food, toys, beds ever so well, they all get along with all different kinds of dogs whether bigger/smaller/male/female/confident/frightened, they also all walk on the lead. Even my little man Fusili who is now one of the longest stayers at the centre (but has gone to foster this weekend) is now a good beginner and doesn’t feel the need to bolt as much as he did about a month ago. He, along with Tressy, Tango, Penny, Hilde, and Molly, are now, my top dogs!
I feel a little guilty for having time off but this will make me work even harder and give the dogs the best week they’ve had yet. Queue lots of walks, games, play, and, going to bed later.
I arrived at the office at 8.45 on Monday and say hello to everyone, look up at the board to see what dogs are where, and decide to head off to say hello to any dogs that were on my section but have since been moved to a different one. Mollie is the only dog whose been moved. She is now down bottoms which is Cai's section. I say a brief hello to Findle who screams the moment she sees me and starts jumping up and down, and to House who is just staring at me with interest like he does. House is another long termer – and Eve his kennel friend who is a very sad looking beagle, but she does now come up to see what the fuss is about.  Her eyes are lifting – maybe she’s starting to become a little happier.
Mollie clocks me, jumps up and down desperately trying to paw at me through her kennel door, hoping I will go in and see her…What a welcome…I am chuffed. She jumps on my lap and we share loads of kisses and cuddles. We play ball for a bit. When she was on my section we’d go for a long walk and meet lots of small dogs. We’d then sneak into the large round sand school and play fetch and practice sitting for treats. Mollie  is just so polite she sits automatically and never needs prompting, then we’d head back to section where she’d wait patiently for her turn to be socialised with the bigger dogs in Charlie's section as Molly can be a little nervous of meeting new dogs at first, and we are showing her that she doesn’t need to be. She’d run around with the dogs, play more fetch, and before it’s time for her to come back in, I would show Charlie how much Mollie likes playing with water. Charlie pointed out that I’d need to now dry her haha!   It’s been lovely and sunny and warm here lately so I’m sure she doesn’t mind being cooled off a little! She can go as an only dog - she’s super confident, super friendly and super affectionate, loves fetch, toys, cuddles and water games, and is a very clever girl indeed.  I give Molly a kiss goodbye and make my way over to my section.
Tressy and Tango the beagles, and Fusili or Fusi as I call him, seem extremely happy to see me, Tango's jaw seems to drop open, she throws herself at her kennel door, howls and they all jump up and down, wagging their tails. Penny and Hildes eyes light up and both come running over to say hello. I share cuddles and kisses with all the dogs I know well, they have after all become such good friends of mine, and then I say hello and meet all the newbies.
I have a kennel of 4 beautiful red cockers Aimee, Ayres, Rosemary and Lilac. I repeat their names over in my head to learn them ASAP. They all come over wagging their tails, giving me a once over, and I immediately notice that a few of them are obviously on the waiting list to see the vets for eye problems and lumps and bumps. Mainly Lilac who is going to be spayed and have a health check by the vet. These girls are really cute and really sweet. Aimee is the most confident. She climbs on top of me straight away, rests her two front paws on my lap, drops her head and buries her face into the nape of my neck. She wags her little tail while I stroke her. When I stop fussing her she paws at me for more! The other 3 hang back, watch and wag.
I notice Penny and Hide have two new friends who go by the names of Peggy and Nibble, who are a beagle and puggle. Nibbles is hilarious - short, a body shape akin to a barrel, with an overshot jaw, who is comical, cheeky, sweet, waggy and shy. She comes waddling over and does what her name says to my fingers – it doesn’t hurt – this is currently her way of greeting us human aliens. Peggy checks me out and realises as soon as she sees Penny do it, that she too can jump up on me, rest her paws on me and have fuss. Peggy gets comfortable straight away and it doesn’t take her long to feel comfortable enough to try and push me out of the way and make her own way out to the play yard!!! I am proud to say, at the end of the day, Peggy walks on a harness and lead.
Next door to them is an exceptionally pretty, Springer who goes by the name of Amy. She is alert, energetic, but not too energetic, bouncy but polite, who is I’m told, currently already reserved. She is very friendly, comes over to me straight away and already walks fabulously on a lead. She is very thin at the moment so is on a number of meals a day and is putting on weight nicely apparently. She is getting spayed later which leaves me some one on one time with Fiesta. Fiesta is an extremely beautiful looking cocker who has an extremely beautiful soul and temperament to match. She is friendly, a little shy, loving, affectionate, sweet, and gentle. She will often lay on the floor in front of you and roll over for a belly rub. She is very submissive, kennel clean and keeps her bedroom spotless. I take her out later, all by herself, and she is super excited to be out and about exploring. She runs with her nose down in the long grass and wild flowers, and runs up to everyone she sees to receive some fuss! Fiesta loves facial massages. She meets a number of children today, including a young deaf girl who gave her her dinner. Next to them are a kennel of 5 tiny wee ones. Abigail the sweet and friendly dainty westie, currently already reserved, as is the most perfect looking, shy but playful Anna. Aqua is the super confident, friendly, well groomed, clean, lady, who loves nothing more than jumping on your lap for fuss and climbing things.
Sophie a member of staff and fosterer and her partner Ian are out in the play yard putting together the brand new doggy climbing frame they’ve made themselves, and Aqua is all over it “helping” them. I point out that I think Aqua might have drank the water from their cup. I can’t help but laugh and leave her to it!
Then there is Asta….
There is always at least one new dog who really gets to you…and Asta is the one who gets to me the most. She is a 7 year old bichon whose coat is matted and dirty. She has no teeth and her jaw is broken. It has been left untreated for so long that it seems to have set in the wrong place and it doesn’t close. I can’t and don’t want to imagine what has happened to her but she has clearly been treated appallingly and been left to suffer but despite this, she still wants to make friends with us humans and comes running over to me, interested and intrigued, giving me lots of kisses and has a little fuss. I’m amazed. She is utterly incredible. She is strong and brave and still has loads of love for her human friends. She hasn’t allowed her soul to be destroyed... She is my little little soldier. My little survivor and I have big plans for this girl. Matt gives her a bath and groom and she is really well behaved for him. During the process he notices bite marks on one of her back legs - it seems as though at some point in her life she has also been attacked by another dog.
Ash is the biggest girl in this kennel. She is a scared cockerpoo who spends the majority of her time in her bed, watching me and the goings on of the centre from there. When I approach her to pick her up to put her outside to play later on, she cries out of worry. I take my time and she’s happy I do. Outside she is a different dog, running around happily wagging her tail, chasing and following and keeping up with her friends bless her! She forgets that she is scared of humans for a few seconds and comes running over to me with a huge wide smile spread across her face, I stretch out my hand to her but this, to my great sadness, suddenly reminds her that she is scared of us. She stops in her tracks and her smile disappears before she walks off. I am so angry at myself for doing that…I should’ve just let her check me out first but never mind, I know that now. I too got lost in the moment….later on while I write some notes, Ash decides that sitting right behind me in the play yard is a good spot. Maybe she was taking shade from the sun.
Each day begins with cleaning and yarding. First up are the pomski puppies Massak, Sika and Kajah! I can’t help but laugh the moment I see Sika – she is striking and stunning but her facial expression is just so funny! Her eyes are always wide open, and she always seems to be smiling a goofy smile. But like all the others, she is highly intelligent. The 3 of them jump on top of me desperately wanting to kiss my face, I turn around and sprint to the sandschool, all 3 following right behind me! Sika and I play fetch, Massak decides to intercept the tennis ball and runs away with it, through the tunnels, hiding in them, and Kajah is busy jumping up and down telling me to play roll over with her. I try and teach Kajah some tricks
Next out are Tressy, Tango who have yet again re arranged their kennel and bedding to how they like it. All of their bedding is now in one bed making one extra comfy bed! They also run straight out to the sand school and they are super happy to have a run around and explore and play with toys. They just stand in front of me wagging their tails and Tressy wants a quiet fuss.
Next out are Penny, Peggy, Hilde and Nibbles. Peggy and Hilde run straight out, Hilde throwing her whole body about happily and playfully like only she can! Penny stops at the gate which takes her to the outside world and on walks. She barks at me asking to go for her walk now but I have to finish cleaning. She understands. I have to run back for Nibbles who is looking at me as if I’m mad and that there is absolutely no way she’s got the confidence to run all that way! So I go pick her up and carry her out taking the opportunity to steal a kiss and cuddle!
My play yard has recently been moved…I now have my own play yard, which means every single section have their very own personal play yard which means the dogs get to go outside to play more times a day and for longer amounts of time too! This makes me REALLY happy. But most importantly it makes the dogs happy. Much happier I might add! I would like to thank Sylvia and Bill for making this happen, and to Kev for putting the fencing up. I am extremely grateful. Once all 4 dogs are in, they have loads of fun. I hope you’ve all seen Fawn the pugs video of these girls enjoying themselves?! If not check it out….Penny is becoming happier as each day passes, and now she’s becoming very playful – yet another new side to her coming out! It’s truly amazing seeing her play like this.
Every single kennel have heaps of fun in the sandschool. We then begin walking. I start with my top walkers followed by training up some non walkers. It proves a good day for walking and I already have a few non walkers trained up. It’s then dinner time. Dinner is soft kibble, natures diet and chicken. Followed by a cheese stick. Followed by yarding for everyone to go to the toilet. They all have new toys which keep the Poms quiet and entertained, and some of the newbies confused.
I am going to finish and make a wish. I wish Fusili whose most certainly going to steal the heart of his future fosterer once he settles, makes it into a foster home this weekend. He has, as everyone has pointed out, made remarkable progress, but still has a way to go yet. He desperately needs to experience what a normal life for a dog is like, and I think it’s only fair if it’s his turn next. Please read his update on the MT page carefully. And you just never know, maybe his two best friends Tressy and Tango will join him……! One can but dream, ey?!
Geri xx

Once a year it has become a tradition for our wonderful supporters and fosterers to hold a Christmas Fayre in a local town hall and then for everyone to come together in the evening to have a meal and a party to let our hair down.
This years activities were organised by Dee and Susan and what a wonderful day we all had! Fosterers and Friends of Many Tears have been busy behind the scenes for months and were all assembled outside Tumble Village Hall at 11am ready to get started to set up for a 12pm start.
Many hands pitched in to transform the hall into a bustling Christmas Fayre, with Sylvia and Bill bringing down items to sell and pitching in to set up. At 12pm we were ready to throw open the doors and the next few hours passed in a busy but positive blur of activity. The elves, ably led by Julie did not stop for a single moment as they busily wrapped shoe boxes full of doggy gifts for needy dogs in rescue in Ireland.


Many stalls were held, including tombolas, handmade crafts, home made pots of dog treats (and human!) beautifully decorated by hand, a christmas stall, cards,  dog items, gifts, raffle and a second hand stall which was manned by the cheery crew from the second hand shop in Blackwater. Not forgetting the cake stall with so many beautiful edible treats which we scoffed whilst listening to fantastic live music provided by fosterers Steph and Alan and their friends.
There was plenty of local support as well as friends and fosterers who traveled from all across the UK to attend; it was very humbling to walk around the hall and discover folk had come from Birmingham, Cornwall, Devon, Hampshire, Surrey, Bristol, Gloucester and many more places.... all to support the fundraiser.
After the Christmas Fayre we had a small break to get home and get ready for our evening do! We came back and the hall was transformed once more to a very smart function room with tables ready for our evening meal. Once again familiar faces arrived, looking very smart and shiny (well we staff usually see each other windswept, soaked through and smelling less than fresh - these kennels don't clean themselves!)
The bar was open and the food was a real treat. It was so lovely to sit and be able to chat to each other - we so often speak to one another in rushed calls, or in passing as we pass each other in kennels, or between phone calls in the office.
After a delicious dinner cooked by the fabulous folk at Tumble Hall we had the chance to enjoy some live music by Jojo and the Woofstock band. Wow can they play! If you get a chance, do look them up on Youtube.
We then drew the raffle and we were all so disappointed that only one person could win the ENORMOUS chocolate hamper!
Sylvia made a rare speech which gave us a glimpse of her exciting future plans to fundraise, Bill made a joke or two to make us laugh, Yvonne our webmistress presented Sylvia with a cheque for monies raised to buy medical equipment in the vets..... and then the total raised for the day was announced - over £11,000!!! AMAZING!!!
Then the music got into full swing and many took to the dance floor to have a good old boogie whilst the rest of us mingled and chatted the evening away.
The company was great, I can't think of a nicer bunch of people to come together to support the rescue - and a group of people who always step up to the challenge and make a good idea become a great reality.
We write this now, the morning after feeling rather exhausted but very happy to be part of something so very special.  If you would like to be part of this special team there are so many ways to get involved! You can fundraise, foster, adopt, spread the word, help with transport, come and volunteer, the possibilities are endless.
From the MT Office

It's 9.55 and I'm sitting in bed with quite a bit on my mind. Over a year ago a puppy called Tequilla was adopted from us. She was settling into her new home well and was given the new name Maisie. One day she was put on the floor and her new dad made a sudden movement and she snapped at him, this then made everyone wary of picking her up, they continued to push her to be friends with her new dad, but she wasn't comfortable with this and often snapped at him. The family did befriend her and had slowly built up some trust but were very respectful of the fact that she could snap so were always careful not to upset her. This worried Maisie as she felt her owners were not in control and that she had to be, so not knowing what to do Maisie got worse, barking and snapping at visitors, snapping at dogs on walks, being bossy with the resident dogs and eventually snapping at the whole family. They were banned from 3 separate training groups. Our behaviorist Steve taught them positive reinforcement but this didn't help and the situation didn't improve, they decided they could no longer work with her and decided to return her to the centre. Maisie was 6 months old at this point, she was returned to a fosterer to save her coming back into kennels, the foster home described her as a loving, beautiful girl to people that she knew, but once she settled in her foster home she started lunging at the resident dogs so Maisie had to come back to kennels. I remember this day vividly, it was a Sunday and I went to work on my day off to spend some additional time bonding with the dogs. I went into our back office to say hello to everyone and as I was chatting away I noticed a new dog in our office, as Chelsea our yard manager started to explain why she was returned I wanted to reassure her that we were here to help her, I picked her up and held her close, I had to give her a chance, so that day I decided she was coming home with me. Maisie was the perfect house guest for a couple of weeks, but as soon as I thought she had settled in she was to prove me wrong. I would walk Maisie 2-3 times a day off lead, often down the beach, lakes, mountainns, her recall is fantastic. I came downstairs one morning, opened the door and Maisie dashed through my legs and snapped at one of my dogs, for no apparant reason, I corrected her and put her outside, after this it started to become a habit, it came to the point where I had to place her on a lead before opening doors. She eventually understood that none of my dogs were going to hurt her and this bad habit subsided for a while. Maisie would also get over exited whilst out running and would sometimes nip at other dogs, to help this bad habit I would put her on a long line and she would be ok with some correction every now and again. Months down the line I'm told a child will be back and forth at my house, I had no choice but to move Maisie on, I refused to put her back in kennels as it wasn't fair on this poor little girl, so another member of staff 'Jenny' said she would take her home, I was over the moon, things went well and all I heard from Jenny was positive feedback, nothing negative, this made me so happy. Jenny fell in love with her as did her children (8+) they are all dog savvy children who have grown up around dogs. After about 6 weeks of being in her new foster home she started lunging at dogs for no reason, she was then only allowed loose with the other dogs when they were supervised. Maisie started to target the weaker dogs in the house, Jenny had no choice but to return her, my situation had not changed and I'm not in a position to be able to take her back, so here she is again, stuck in kennels. I feel I have let her down and I am trying my best to make it nice for her. I arrive in work at half 8, my morning routine starts by walking Maisie or taking her out on the bike, I then place her in our office where there are dogs of all sizes, both males and females and she has not put a paw out of place. She then goes in our yard at 12 for half an hour and then I walk her, take her down to the field or we go for a play in the sand school. She is then placed in her kennel and gets locked away on her own with a bone and a comfy feather duvet. So as you can imagine Maisie has been through alot in her short life. My ideal home for Maisie would be as an only dog or with a larger male, with people who are very experienced with dogs, they would need to be patient with her and love her. Maisie will be a project dog so please don't apply just because she is white and beautiful. I can do anything with Maisie, pick her up, cuddle her bath and groom her, clip her nails because she trusts me. SO if you are considering a project dog please think of Maisie, I never ask for help but now I don't really have a choice. The staff tell me not to worry but how can I not, I pray that Maisie will find a nice warm home before Christmas and not end up stuck in kennels. There must be some one out there who can love her just as much as I do. 

The one dog that makes me feel incredibly sad the instant i see her, is a little female westie called Lilly. We knew something wasn't right with her when we first met her. She would sit in her bed, her head hung low, looking so desperately sad. She looked like she could have been in pain. We checked her over but she didn't seem to be. Her tummy seemed rather large though. While she waited her turn to see the vet, I monitored her closely. Lilly would just sit there...her head heavy, her eyes heavy too, and she would just stare at the floor in deep thought.... She would look up at me so hopeful each time I passed her kennel. She would on occasion get out of her bed, find some more bedding and pull it into her bed. This made me laugh because she was certainly on a mission to take that cushion stuffed in one bed and put it exactly where she wanted it! Sometimes she would take herself off to the bedroom part of her kennel - maybe because she wanted some more peace and quiet. She would always want to be able to see me though and would pull a cushion out of the bed and put it in the doorway so she could lie on it and feel a little closer.
Every time I entered her kennel she would always come straight over to me. Was she trying to tell me something? It's hard to put into words but instinct told me that she indeed WAS trying to tell me something...she seemed to not want to be left alone with the other dogs, she seemed scared and worried...like she was protecting something maybe...the way she'd turn and lay on her front and her back would face the other dogs...could she be pregnant?
Lilly was scanned but there were no babies. It seems that either Lilly had her last litter of puppies taken from her before she was ready for them to leave her and now she is grieving for them.... OR, Lilly is having a phantom pregnancy. The list of side affects is rather large and also quite dramatic. Lilly is certainly suffering from abdominal swelling, lethargy....she lies down and sleeps a lot...but this could also be down to being depressed too.
This on top of the bad skin that she has and the fact her front legs move in rather an odd way... which may be because her muscles just haven't developed properly and this could improve with gentle exercise.
Lilly is sad. So so sad. She is withdrawn. Scared. Worried and very confused. She is going through a very difficult time at the moment. BUT... we do see glimpses of her true personality. Mainly when she is out in the play yard. She waddles around looking quite pleased with herself in a very sweet way, and her little tail wags a little and constantly as she travels around the play yard. She can't believe her luck sometimes bless her! This little girl is very brave indeed. She's doing OK and taking everything in her stride. I don't know if she's realised or come to terms with the fact there are no babies but... All she wants is a lot of love...and at the moment she is looking to us humans for that...when you leave her kennel she looks up at you as if to beg you to not leave her. Lilly is a very sweet and loving, beautiful looking, sparkly eyed lady who is desperate for her forever family to find her. She will be starting her harness and lead training this week.
Geri

The past few weeks have been crazy busy and fairly challenging. There's been so many funny and lovely stories about loads of dogs that I've wanted to share with you all - like the moment I met the GORGEOUS chocolate lab Po, or the Pug who could easily become a somersault champion, or  Hesper the cocker who dazzled everyone with her dancing skills, and could easily make it onto a dogs version of Strictly Come Dancing, or Troika the puggle (who made massive amounts of progress in the short time she was here) who let out some gas when I picked her up but looked at me as if I'd done it!  Lastly the time Bonnie and Clyde our two Boxers managed to tie me up with my leads.
However, because there's been so many scared dogs on my section, most of whom wouldn't come anywhere near me, let let alone walk on a lead, my brains been completely taken up with them and my plans for them. Every day has been spent trying to build up their confidence....trying to get somewhere near them, to stroke them, to pick them up, and bath them because they were all far from kennel clean, and for a few weeks I felt as though I'd lost my touch. BUT, last week, all of a sudden, there were massive breakthroughs with every single one of the dogs on my section. I couldn't believe it. The little things I did regularly, which didn't seem like much, obviously worked! The majority started coming to say hello, ALL started wagging their tails, and most were coming up for a fuss and even letting me pick them up easily. Many took their first steps on a harness and lead, and many are now "proper" walkers!
Just goes to show that patience, understanding, perseverance, and love is what you need.  And guess what, the majority of dogs have either been adopted or gone into foster! Including Nina, Nimbus, Nimble and ...all of whom are doing really well, and one or two are even off lead now. A few weeks ago no one would take them because they were just too scared.  The girl I'm most proud of though, who is still in kennels, is Berta our 2 year old shih tzu. But more on her on my next blog.
Let me tell you bit about Monday morning. I start the day scrubbing some kennels. This is good! It means lots of dogs have gone into foster and also means I'll be having new dogs on my section which is always exciting! Kennel 24 are to be yarded first - they consist of Vista, Tia and FnalLisa. Lisa is looking up at me a bit worried - she's not sure where the rest of her kennel friends have gone (foster) so I know she'll need to be cheered up today. I open the door and get completely mobbed by 3 big beautiful bouncey blonde bombshells. I run into the office to tell Andy that Vista really needs to go into foster with either Lisa/Tia if possible because they have really brought her out of her shell.
Smile, Candy and Helly are next to go outside to play. Helly the beagle has just joined this kennel and she is settling in well. She even gives my hands a kiss and she is walking about the kennel quite happy. Smile and Candy are really kind and welcoming to her and Candy's joyfulness and Smiles new found confidence is infectious. Smile has come on leaps and bounds. Today I am worried though, as he has only just started to walk on a harness and lead, with Becca the beagle to help guide him. She has gone into foster though...so we shall see. I let them back in and they love their new toys and get to work on them straight away!
Valerie is very happy to see me as always....she is such a pretty little thing who is...just amazing! She sticks by my side when we're all out in the play yard, and totters about wagging her tail the whole time. I take her out on a harness and lead later on. She shakes in fear at first, and then relaxes, and enjoys a good look at everything. Some people having a look around scare her though and she runs off and tries to hide in the bushes. Jaczoo looks full of mischief as always. She's not happy with me at the moment because she's getting harness and lead trained too - something which she is uncomfortable with at the moment. She likes to feel in control. She's confident in her kennel, so it's difficult seeing her so frightened and shaking in fear when she is taken to the garden area to be trained. Zoom one of our dainty bichons seems to have a bit more oomf and sparkle in her too.
I'm gutted that Pammy the beagle is being taken off my section. She's a beautiful beagle who is like a ghost in kennels. She hides herself away in her bedroom all day. BUT....if you take her outside....she comes ALIVE! She smiles and runs around so happy and waggy and she walks on a lead perfectly too! Someone must take this girl out of kennels soon?!
After cleaning and yarding all my kennels, I begin walking. I can't wait to find out if Smiles will walk by himself or if I need to ask for Pammy to be put back on my section to help him walk. I put his lovely smart harness on, carry him out, and Smiles walks perfectly! I'm so happy, but gutted my plan to get Pammy back on my section doesn't work! Smiles even walks up to people! Since meeting Caroline our office manager on one of his walks, he thinks everyone is going to give him the same amount of fuss and attention! He's looking good too - Sylvia gave him a schnauzer haircut today.
Vista takes her first few steps with the help of Lisa the bichon who just loves her. I found Lisa cleaning Vistas face this morning after being outside in the rain. Tia is up next - she can't wait for her turn. I want to put her hair in a pony tail for a picture but Sylvia beats me to it and wants her in the grooming room straight away for her fringe to be cut properly. I can't decide weather Tia looks more like myself or Matthew. What do you all think?!
At 1pm I have a show around to do. I'm hoping it will be as successful as my last one was....the people who spent sometime with Wilma the cocker last week have just taken me by surprise and are here with Lizzie to do a meet and greet with their male Cavalier. It goes well and they take her home! I'm super pleased - Wilma even gave Lizzie a kiss when Lizzie said goodbye! Clever girl! We now have allocated times to do show arounds and it seems to be working well. We can plan our day better now, even though you never know quite what's going to happen next.
I spend some time getting to know the new dogs on my section. They are...Neville the confident fuss loving male Lhasa, Narnia the shy female Lhasa, Natalie the confident female bichon, Norbit the confident male Lhasa, and Nicknack the confident, hilarious, smiley bichon who gets everyones attention! They are all super lovely and friendly and I can't wait to start working on some new skills with them.
3pm comes and Sylvia and Bill are calling everyone over to help. They have rescued a horse who was going to be PTS because he/she is unwanted. The horse is nervous but we all work as a team and he/she makes it's way towards Sylvia and Katy and into it's stable.
Another unwanted animal is a 8 week old puppy who has been named Igor by one of the Police Officers who removed it from the house where noise complaints where made about. Igors owner said he "didn't want it anyway" and that he thought it "should already be housetrained".....so I am taking Igor home with me for a few days until Wednesday when he'll be going to his proper foster home. I've just had a quick look on my facebook now...and I think pretty much every staff member has taken a selfie with him today! And that's exactly what I'll be doing later after he meets my beagle and other foster dog!
So.... I really have to go now, but I just wanted to share one last picture of Casta our beautiful 2 year old female shihtzu who was sitting like this at 5pm when I got her kennel ready for bed, and again at 6pm when I went to take some pictures of dogs in the neighbouring kennel for their updates. If it wasn't for Chaz putting them to bed, I would have had to make a duvet den for her. I think Casta is just overwhelmed with life right now. She's realising life is nice, and she is starting to become happy. She seems to be enjoying the view from her kennel and pondering about life.
Geri x

So, when I first started to work at Many Tears, I used to, on occasion, break down and cry when I was sharing the history and past lives of the dogs here. I've since become a lot stronger and although inside my heart breaks for these poor souls, I know they are safe and I can put a pretty good front on these days.
Until recently, on one of my show arounds, when I came across Ben, our 7 year old bichon. I'd heard all about him, but had never met him, and he caught me completely off guard. I had to take a very deep breathe in and compose myself. In front of my eyes was this absolutely gorgeous, cute as a button, cuddly looking, extremely friendly little boy, who was standing on his hind legs, resting his two front paws against the kennel door. His face was pressed up against the metal bars and he was side stepping, desperately searching for the person behind the voice he could hear coming. He looked so desperate for the human attention and affection he was about to receive.
Ben is completely blind in one eye and has a cataract in the other. He can't see a thing. We are praying we'll be able to raise enough money to restore some of his sight, but as you all know, we are struggling financially at the moment, and even if he has an operation, there's a chance it may not work. Ben was left to go blind by the people who used and abused him, all in the name of money. It could have been prevented.
Despite everything he's been through, Ben is super friendly, super loving, and one of the most gentlest, sweetest, kindest, innocent of souls you will ever meet. All he wants is to find his special someone, to join and be part of a loving family, and be safe and warm, cuddled and loved forever more.  At playtime, out in the sand school or play yards, Ben enjoys experiencing the outside world. Something that is brand new to him. His tail wags gently and his face is constantly turned up to face the sky. Even when he stumbles or bumps into something, he is happy. He stops for a moment, picks himself back up and carries on. This boy is incredible. He takes everything in his stride. We are all full of admiration, and have so so so much love for him. He is happy wandering about, slowly exploring, but he always seems to be on the lookout for his human friends to keep him company and help guide him.
Kennel life is hard for all the dogs, but especially for our blind ones. The constant move in environments etc, makes it so difficult for them.
Ben loves his food, is a gentle, slow eater, and also takes treats from our hands ever so gently. He is such a polite boy.  He is super smart and is learning to adapt to new situations and surrounding quickly. He is also learning to walk on a harness and lead! He gets on amazingly well with every dog and cat he meets, and in Lizzies words, "even if they don't love him" <3 But nothing makes him happier, than when he is in the loving arms of his human friends.
Ben is looking for a very special home. A home where his new family are around most, if not all of the time. His new Mummy and Daddy would need to be super patient, kind and understanding, and have the ability to be able to stimulate Ben's brain.
Ben would like to be homed with another more confident resident dog, who would become his best friend, who would help show him what it's like to live in a home....help guide him around the house.....help teach him new skills such as housetraining and walking on a lead. However, in the right circumstances Ben could be homed as an only but only if his new parents were able to provide him with absolutely everything he needs. Ben is going to become someones very special boy, one of those dogs who'll make an inprint on your soul. A happy, loving, clever, relaxed boy.
Right, I'm off to see him. He was bathed and groomed by Chelsea ready for a TV appearance with Andy. Thinking about him has kept me up all night. It's when us staff members worry about him the most - he must be so sad, confused, worried and scared....he must wonder why he's been left alone, why can't he come with us.....Keep going boy. Your forever family will find you.

 
Yesterday Erin didn't have a great day.When I arrived at work I spoke to Sylvia and told her that Erin's breathing is taking a backwards step and sounding quite crackly, Sylvia told me to take her to go have an X-ray on her heart and lungs. I drove her to Emerald Vets but because they were so busy I had to leave her there and wait for a phone call. A little bit inside me told me not to worry too much as Erin takes everything in her stride and loves everyone she meets! However I couldn't take out of my mind that if they found something extremely bad on her lungs then it wouldn't be good news and we'd have to think of how comfortable she would be and the possibility of letting her go.
I wasn't handling this very well, my mind was all over the place and I knew I wasn't contributing as much as I should in work. I kept thinking of how much of a terrible start she has had in life and how she's been robbed of a full complete life.
Erin is beyond perfect.  She sleeps on my pillow and  I wake up to the noise of her little tail wagging like mad and then she starts licking my face as if she hasn't seen me for a week! I got told I could go pick her up however the vet was out at the time so I wouldn't know the full results until I got back. I'm over paranoid with her so you can't help thinking the worse. She's been put on some heart medicine and diuretics and we'll go from there but as im typing this she hoped over my leg extremely elegantly into the middle of the room!! So hopefully she's not going to be going anywhere anytime soon! I've got her some new transport for our walks and she seems to enjoy it!
Matthew

We have had some wonderful news for Twinkle.  Our lovely friends at DBARC have offered her a place with them and they are happy to cover the cost of her care.  Even better news is that one of their staff would like to adopt her and so we know she is going to have a very happy ending and be safe and loved for the rest of her life.  We have to thank everyone who has donated towards her care and would really like to use this money to help another dog called Noon.  He is a very young Pekingese who has arrived here with a broken jaw and needs to see a specialist vet.  However if anyone is unhappy with this and would like their donation refunded please let us know at info@manytearsresecue.org and we will of course do this.

At the end of yesterdayI was getting Whirl (our beautiful Lhasa) and Presley (one of our lovely red cockers) ready for bed. They were happy and seemed to like their new kennel!
I noticed two dogs one of which I had never seen before in the next kennel along. Earlier in the afternoon, Sylvia had had a call from someone saying a dog had been dumped on their land. Sylvia sent Bob to pick the dog up and she had just arrived back here.
I was so shocked by what I saw. Stood there, very awkwardly and with her body hunched over, hiding behind her kennel friend, was a very frail, very poorly looking female schnauzer. Her hair was dirty and matted with pieces of sawdust stuck in it. She had a massive wound on the side of her body. This is probably the result of an attack of some sort. It's infected and must cause her a lot of pain and discomfort. At closer inspection I notice her jaw is broken as well... I cannot begin to imagine the suffering this poor little girl has been through.
I said hello to her kennel friend and the little female schnauzer just stood there, completely still, not reacting to me being there whatsoever. I offered her my hand and she didn't move. My heart went out to her straight away and I wanted to comfort her so couldn't help but stroke her. She just stood there. This little girl seemed lifeless. She didn't respond to anything...talking/stroking...she just stood there staring into space. She looked so so sad, and as if she has given up on everything, even life itself. She has clearly lived through what I can only imagine has been hell on earth. She has been used for breeding, abused, attacked and beaten, has been dumped and left to die, and is in tremendous amounts of pain both mentally as well as physically.
I asked everyone I passed if they had seen her and everyone who had were sickened. Sylvia and Vicky our vet nurse/trainee vet where on their way to check her over and took her into the vets who gave her some pain relief. We hope she had her first good nights sleep possible for the first time in her life. She has a big comfy bed, not that she knows what it is, but we lay her on it. Today she will be groomed and bathed by Jenny - our top hair stylist....and then hopefully she can start enjoying her life. We have named her Twinkle because our aim is to see a twinkle in those sad eyes of hers. We will update you on her as soon as possible.
We are in desperate need of money at the moment and if you would like to donate towards the care of Twinkle or one of the many other dogs here in need of vet care you can do so by cheque or PayPal.  We would be so very grateful.
Thank you Geri

Many Tears Animal Rescue Cwmlogin House Cefneithin Llanelli Carmarthenshire SA14 7HB

21/07/16 UPDATE FOR TWINKLE
We have had some wonderful news for Twinkle.  Our lovely friends at DBARC have offered her a place with them and they are happy to cover the cost of her care.  Even better news is that one of their staff would like to adopt her and so we know she is going to have a very happy ending and be safe and loved for the rest of her life.  We have to thank everyone who has donated towards her care and would really like to use this money to help another dog called Noon.  He is a very young Pekingese who has arrived here with a broken jaw and needs to see a specialist vet.  However if anyone is unhappy with this and would like their donation refunded please let us know at info@manytearsresecue.org and we will of course do this.

\
Yesterday afternoon an 8 month old greyhound cross puppy, who goes by the name of Buddy, was brought into the rescue centre. He was given up by his owners because after 8 months they've realised that leaving him on his own all day is not fair to him and they are also moving house - a reason why many people give up their dogs. This news upsets everyone.
Buddy looked heartbroken. His head was low, his body hunched over, his tail was between his legs. He wasn't sure what was going on or why his family who he loved so much were dumping him as if he was a piece of rubbish. He looked lost, worried, scared, and so so sad.
It was the end of the day and I started cleaning the grooming room. All I could hear was Buddy crying. I dropped what I was doing (I'm sorry to the staff who had to finish cleaning the room!) but I just had to go and see this boy to try and comfort him some more.  He burried his face into my lap and just stood there. Looking much older than his 8 months. We shared lots of cuddles and kisses. I showed him his bedroom again - Lucy had made the biggest, most comfortable bed you could ever imagine - with some of the duvets you guys have donated to us. He also had a bone. He looked appreciatively at our attempts to cheer him up, but nothing could distract this poor boy, and understandably his mind was else where. Buddy walked off to the front of his kennel again - hoping his owners would suddenly appear and realise they'd made a massive mistake. But they didn't come. Buddy must have felt as if his world was coming to an end.
I asked if I could film him. As horrible as it was to do, I knew that someone who watched it and heard his cries would at least offer to foster this poor boy.  I said my goodbyes and walked out upset and angry, and when I got in the car out front, I could still hear him. I wished my living situation was different.  I uploaded the video.............llittle did I realise, that Matthew our manager decided to take Buddy into foster with him!!!!!!!! He couldn't bare to see Buddy like this or hear him cry any more. Buddy is a calm, gentle, loving boy, who hopefully won't have to wait long to find his forever family now!
Geri x

The day begins by greeting all the dogs on my section. I notice most of the dogs are full of beans this morning and seem ready to take on the world! Shuzzle our cute little shih tzu is taking charge and seems to be barking orders at me....I get to work straight away. I have the play yard first thing so I begin yarding my dogs and cleaning out their kennels.
Our two new beagles - Bump (who has beautiful speckled ears) and Demi are really excited for their turn to go outside. Bump has a few favourite hobbies - one being climbing high fences, so because of this she has to be supervised in the play yards for the entire time she is outside! We have a little game of fetch, and they, along with Delta the lab enjoy jumping and running about and all look really happy! All 3 love to play fetch and Delta enjoys playing with Steve as he makes the game more interesting by throwing the ball in the swimming pools!
Naline and Nimble are jumping up, their tails wagging, looking up at me smiling expectantly. This kennel has come such a long way and I am so proud of them all. They are all very sweet and can't wait for what today brings! Yesterday brought them harness and lead training again which they loved and today they are going to experience the sandschool once again. A lot of people walk past the sandschool so I am hoping Nimble will get more used to seeing people walk past her. She is a very calm and confident girl with people she knows really well but gets very worried and barks at strangers. They, and their two kennel friends Nimbus and Nina love their time on the sand. All enjoy having a good nose at the goings on too!
Elka and Eliza the two westies fly out of their kennel raring to go! They love running around darting from one thing to another. Today they are a little mischievous and pull my towel off me and want a game of tug of war. They then manage to undo the laces of one of my shoes before clambering into the bedding box and start pulling out the bedding they want! Maybe they are trying to help, but I'm pretty sure it's because they are a little cheeky! And, they seem to want all of the bedding! They are waggy, happy, busy bodys who are friendly but also a little shy of us humans, and are hilarious to spend time with. Even one of my most scared dogs - Loot the male bichon gives me a wag of his tail! Result! It was only yesterday Loot came onto my section - very sad and scared and by the end of the day was looking a little more happy and interested rather than so shy and sad. Maybe talking to them in a high pitched silly voice and of course lots of attention and TLC works wonders?!
Some dogs, are however, feeling a bit run down today. Many were spayed and neutered yesterday, including Millie who is feeling a little uncomfortable this morning. When I empty her bowls of water to clean them, she looks up at me worried and as if to ask if she was getting any more! I of course fill her bowls of water up straight away and she is happier again. I inform the senior members of staff and Tracey nurses her for a little while and also gives her some pain relief. Little did she know that later on she'd feel much better and would meet her future brother!
In another kennel, Mirror one of our many cockers has her ears cleaned by Tracey.
Chancy and Imara are also in her kennel and after their visit from Tracey, which they love, run out to the play yard extra happy, but need encouragement to come back in... I think Mirror the boss is a little nervous of walking back past the other kennels with dogs barking in excitement, but I also think it's because this also means extra attention!Imara has come along leaps and bounds and is now a very happy playful bouncey friendly, girl, who is almost puppy like in her ways. When you pick her up she buries her face into your neck for comfort.
Chancy, a beautiful red, rather cuddly, lovely, sweet gentle cocker enjoys a massage before being carried back to their kennel. Chancy can't wait to find her loving forever family and home and is extremely popular with the dogs and staff! She is a real beauty and walks well on the lead especially after some encouragement and strokes and enjoys the experience and feels so special bless her! At mid day and after having her picture taken with all the other cockers for a newspaper article, Sylvia carries Chancy back and says how special she thinks Chancy is!
Sylvia has asked every staff member to do a particular job asap. I am to groom Jiro our shih tzu. He is such a good boy and just lay there while I removed some matts. He looks gorgeous afterwards and seemed much happier, and him and Razzle are becoming very close friends. Razzle has started to gain a little more confidence and with the help of Jiro, comes up to the front of her kennel much more these days. I take Razzle out on a harness and lead to see if she enjoys. She does love cuddles and human company but is still shy. She hides amongst the flowers and wants a stroke, and after playtime she will hide under the plants in the play yard and wants to be picked up and carried back to her kennel. She is a very sweet girl and both her and Jiro desperately need to find homes. I worry about Razzle sometimes because she is just such an innocent soul. All the staff have a list of dogs they want to foster and Razzle is on mine.
Andy takes Raffy out for a little walk with her possible future fosterers. This girl has waited a long time for a home. I hope it goes ahead. Raffy is then taken to the vets to be spayed.
So is Shuzzle - (at least she can't boss me about today! - she comes back a little later on after her operation as with it as ever!) - so I give Shaco, their remaining kennel friend some extra attention. First of all she has a massive bone which she manages to work on quite well and which makes her very happy, and after finishing some jobs I take her out for her first harness and lead session. She does well, and walks forward but in big circles. She also enjoys lying down on the grass in the sunshine a lot! She also has a little bit of a pamper session and has her eye cleaned up and a little facial trim. I think she is enjoying today even though she is on her own for a little while.
Koda the cav also has his first harness and lead training session with the help of Sylvia and her main man (shih tzu) Boo! Koda loves having a dog to walk with and is wide eyed, and wags his tail the whole time even if he gets a bit unsure at times. He also enjoys lots of fuss, strokes and cuddles from Sylvia. I love watching her with the dogs. Koda is a comical boy who loves to bound around the sandschool and is so funny to watch....he looks like a seal clapping his hands when he runs!

Kizzie the cocker, who is Kodas kennel friend, is up next. Yesterday she wouldn't walk, but today she doeS! Kizzie is extremely popular with everyone here at Many Tears. She is so sweet and cute and pretty and everyone who sees her knows her, loves her and gets excited to see her!
I spend some time with Millies kennel as she, Loot and Greta were neutered yesterday so want to have a quiet day, and Jessy the beautiful black and red shi tzu is still a little shy so I'd like her to gain a little more confidence today and Roo just wants some fuss and attention and a play! Sylvia and everyone here at Many Tears is very fond of Roo! She is a very sweet, pretty girl with a character. I need to video her!
Lee stops and plays ball with Bagel our beagle! She's a beautiful girl, doing ok but a little sad in kennels. She enjoys having a good sniff around the sandschool though and it's lovely watching River the pug look up to so much for confidence, friendship and guidance. It's very sweet. He makes a beeline to Bagel as soon as he runs out into the sandschool for comfort as well as wanting to play with Bagel, but Bagel is more interested in sniffing around. Both love their toys. Bagel her balls and chew toys and River just looks at toys in amazement and interest and jumps on them. I don't think this poor boy has been able to socialise much with humans or other dogs and he is so young he's learning how to interact with everyone and he's doing well and kind of funny at it!
At the very end of the day Jenny walks over to a few of us getting some fresh blankets from the bedding shed. She looks sad and upset. Her most recent foster - Bonny, who was known as Given here, has just past away. Her body just wasn't strong enough to carry on.
Jenny took Bonny out of kennels the day she arrived. It was fate and meant to be and for the last week of her life Bonny lived with Jenny's massive family of dogs and kids and was loved so much and experienced a few new things in life... walking on a lead and walking on the soft sand at the beach, a place she loved. Run free baby Bonny - you were too good for this world xxxx

The last few hours are taken up with feeding the dogs, bathing some, yarding them all again, as well as day to day jobs such as showing people around/washing etc. Even though today has been, once again, thoroughly enjoyable and productive, I can't help but feel a bit sad and guilty for not having done more. But I know I couldn't have. It's just sad there aren't more hours in the day.

It's my first day back after a week off and I don't recognise many dog names on my section! Most have gone into foster.... (YAAAY you lovely lot you!), some have been adopted....(Yessss!.....even better!), and one of my kennels has had to be moved down to the bottom because they have kennel cough....booo. BUT....I am over the moon to notice....NAIS IS BACK ON MY SECTION!!!!
Chelsea Morse smiles at me and I run around to sandschool kennels excitedly and I'm chuffed to say Nais seems to be happy and excited to see me too! I burst in and start play hand wrestling with him. Nais' face lights up and he jumps around playfully and barks! I tell him he's a little rascal! Nais is a 3 year old shih tzu who came to us almost 2 months ago and even though Sylvia says we should not have favourites, and to treat all the dogs equally, which we do, I can't help it if I've fallen in love with this boy! Everyone knows I have a strong bond with him. Nais, who seems to respond to his name, or at least knows when we want his attention, arrived very hairy but very happy with his new life. I often found him rolling around happily on the duvet I gave his kennel at the time. He would also roll around on the concrete floor of the playground in the sun, and in the sand too! Unfortunately he had a lot of matts in his hair so a professional groomer who volunteered for us for a whole day shaved his body as this was the only option, leaving a fluffy tail and fluffy head! He looked great, all ready for Summer, but sadly Nais was not happy with his new 'do.....His behaviour changed and he became unhappy, stopped interacting with his kennel friends and looked very sad, his body hunched over. He'd take himself off to the corner of the play yard to hide himself away from the world. I was devastated. My instinct told me this was all due to his hair cut, but obviously I wanted and needed him to see Sylvia and our vet Tom to make sure. Both believed it was behavioural and they were of course right! It wasn't long before his beautiful fur started growing back, and of course, the real Nais returned too, even more comical and happy and boisterous than before! Nais is soooo lovely! He gets on well with all dogs he's been kennelled with, he thinks he's the boss but he really isn't bless him, and he walks on a lead, but moves when he wants to! For example, if you want to direct him a certain way he won't budge, instead he will finish smelling the floor and then move forward when he wants to, usually just a second later! He is excellent in the bath and excellent being groomed. Deep down Nais is a sensitive boy, a good boy, and an intelligent lad who is loving life right now and can't wait to find his forever home and family so he can have loads of fun and get up to loads of mischief! Whoever adopts this lovely lad is going to be SO lucky.
Nais is kennelled with two female doggies - Abby and Alicante who are just that gorgeous their looks alone will take your breath away! Abby is a beautiful calm beagle, and Alicante, an extremely pretty cocker, whose still a little unsure of us even though she is very happy with her new life. The 3 of them get on so well and I really do love this kennel! They are all so lovely and they are my good looking kennel! They love being able to go in the sandschool. Nais runs around it like a lunatic looking very happy and almost knocks me off my feet several times, I'm sure he's barging into me on purpose and just for fun, he also enjoys throwing his toys around and chasing balls. Abby and Alicante run around too, their tails wagging, with the biggest smiles on their faces! They are both getting much more confident and Abby even walks on a lead.
So after greeting Nais and the girls, I go and have a look at all the other dogs on my section. It's impossible not to notice the most perfect, cutest little bichon bounce up and down at the front of her kennel door. She is new and her name is Prune and she is as cute as a button. When I go in to say hello, to my surprise she backs away. As much as she loves and wants human attention, she is not used to it. But she is hilariously cute...it's a 100% guarantee that when you walk onto my section she will be the first dog you'll notice and she will greet you by bouncing as high as she can with her tiny little paws in the air! Hopefully this little angel will be going into foster this weekend.....the only one of mine going so far.
Prune lives with a very sweet puggle called Juggle who is awesome to cuddle! She is only 6 months old and a real sweetie. She is a friendly girl who can't wait to make friends with us humans properly and runs around the play yard like a loon. She loves her toys too, especially a black and white soft football which she tries stuffing into her mouth but it's just too big. The ball is so big it completely blocks her face so much so she can't see where she's going! She bumps into everything including some of her friends, before taking it off to her bed where she likes to store all her toys. She is only young but intelligent enough to take herself off for a nap during the day. Millie a very pretty young innocent looking westie whose looking lovely - bright and white after her bath yesterday, and Jossy a 6 month old, ridiculously sweet, pretty and friendly girl, also lives with them and comes over to greet me looking very happy! This kennel is my sweet kennel.
I'm extremely happy to see my four girls Naline, Nimble, Nina and Nimbus are still on my section. My most brave kennel. Once I finish cleaning and yarding all dogs by 10.30, I decide I am going to focus on these 4 ladies. But FIRST.... I do an adoption for Cisco our beautiful 9 year old poodle who has found his forever family and is now on his way to his forever home. His meet and greet with his new sister, a yorkie called Ruby went really well, and when he is put in his travel crate he cuddles up to a teddy his new Mummy has bought for him for a bit, wags his tail, and then wanders over to his Aunty to sit as close as he can to her through his crate. He is very lucky and I can tell he is going to be spoilt and treated like a Prince. I am very proud of him and how calm and confident and seemingly excited this boy is! These rescue dogs never fail to amaze me.
Naline the yorkie cross is first up to be bathed and groomed. She is the most confident of the 4 girls and will come up to you and lick your hands and jumps into her bed for a belly rub with her bottom teeth sticking out. But she does run away from you if you try and pick her up and backs off sometimes if you try to stroke her. But, she is confident and calm about her bath and even puts up with me and then Jenny combing her matts out. She was so brave and really didn't seem bothered!
Nimble the yorkie barks at strangers but does not with people she knows well. I thought Nimble would be quite worried about being bathed but she wasn't at all. She stood up with her two front paws on the side of the bath and stood there calmy and confidently and even posed for some pictures. She seemed to enjoy being carried around the rescue centre seeing some of the sights and once put back in her kennel, seemed like a new girl! So happy she greeted her friends with a very waggy tail and was beaming and smiling up at me and jumped for joy. It was amazing seeing this girl like this and I was gutted not to have had my camera to video it. She was the happiest I've ever seen her and now greets me with a wag, comes running over and likes to be stroked on the back! It's amazing what some TLC can do.
I also assume Nina and Nimbus might be a bit tricky to bath as they don't like being picked up even though they will come up to say hello, but, they are also really easy and calm. Nimbus is a quiet girl and takes everything slowly but surely at the moment, and Nina will come up to see you with the others but rarely makes contact. She was a little frightened when a car drove past us when I carried her back to her kennel. But I am so proud of all 4 of these girls, they are making great progress. We'd love to see them in a home soon. The girls feel great when they get spoilt and they love a duvet and get one all the time, so thankyou for those who have donated them - they are very much appreciated. A duvet lasts them days as they are quite clean and tidy in their kennel and all poo in another bed at night time!
It's gone mid day and I've usually walked my dogs once by now but haven't due to all the baths/grooms/adoptions/washing needing doing. Prance to my left is more than ready to go for her walk now. She is one of few dogs who walk on my section and she loves going on a sniffing adventure. She could also be homed as an only dog in the right circumstances. I take her out twice, once by herself and once with her kennel friend Raffy the westie as she is a beginner on the lead so needs to be walked with a good walker. Raffys skin has cleared up and her fur has grown back nicely. She is a lovely calm soul just waiting for someone to fall in love with her. On our walk we bump into a lovely lady who is drawn to Raffy immediately. Raffy couldn't believe someone came to say hello to her first, she felt so special and loved, and I was so happy for her. She is the most quiet and relaxed of her kennel friends and I do hope the lady applies for her!
Sylvia asks us all to bring a dog whose in desperate need of a good groom to the grooming room so she can help us de-matt them etc. I take Alder our 1 year old cavachon into her. Alder is still scared of us humans and is still unsure about us stroking him or picking him up, despite him having 3 fuss sessions a day. He runs away, stands on his hind legs and leans away from us and against the kennel walls when we do stroke him. He's also quite vocal and looks at us as if to say what are we doing. But I ignore him and it seems to work! He calms down, stops moaning bless him and eventually seems to enjoy the attention. He's still growing up, still learning that he can trust us, and is also a little cheeky I think too! Alder has beautiful curly hair, but unfortunately we have to shave it all off because it is terribly matted. Well, let's be honest here, Sylvia shaves it all off and I shave a leg in roughly the same amount of time! I am still learning how to shave a dog properly but I'm still not very confident. At least his hair will grow back. 45 minutes later and sweet  Adela is happy to see Alder return and jumps all over him and hangs off his ears! She is a very sweet dainty pretty girl who loves to play! She is very girly in her looks and in some ways, but quite tomboyish too! I'm surprised she is still here.....she has stolen the hearts of many, including staff member Christine, and Wendy who used to work at Many Tears. But Wendy has a full house now she's just adopted Red!.....
After the dogs are fed just before 2pm, it's time for them all to go into the play yard for one last time. Mirror, our 3 year old cocker, Chancy our 8 year old cocker, Bustle our 1 year old cocker cross who smiles, (she reminds me of an orangutan the way she holds onto you when she's in your arms), and their new kennel friend Martha a 6 year old lab are lucky and enjoy being able to go in the sandschool for a nice change. Bustle loves the sand and runs and skids around excitedly! Martha throws her head back and lets out a few happy barks and her tail wags constantly, Mirror is lying down sunbathing and Chancy is doing some sort of adorable happy dance. Chancy's a sweetheart and one of many lovely lovely cockers we have in at the moment.

Chestnut and Kach who are the best of friends are rolling around playing. Razzle our very sweet jug is out of bed and wandering around the middle of their kennel. She knows it's roughly about time for them all to go out to play, but when I open the door, she runs and hides in their bedroom. I pick her up and put her outside most of the time. She is a sweet, very gentle, shy girl, and once I place her down she runs off and then straight back to give me kisses and a wag of her tail so I know she likes going outside. She just isn't brave enough to run past the other kennels yet. She runs around with Kach and Chestnut and they have a whale of a time.
Bagle our beagle who arrived yesterday is a lovely girl and comforts her kennel friends Molly and Bailey - two cavaliers who she came in with who have already got a home to go to! Bailey was spayed yesterday and Molly today so they aren't feeling as outgoing but enjoy lots of fuss in the yard.
Shako and Shuzzle our two female shih tzus are very comical, brave, interested and completely adorable! They run straight out into the sandschool and really do enjoy a good run about. It's fun watching them.
A couple of students and teachers from Q.E.High - a school I used to go to are here today, volunteering. Thankyou for spending time with the dogs - they really have loved it.
The rest of the afternoon is taken up with day to day jobs. Carrying dogs from the vets and placing them into their beds carefully, making sure they are comfortable as possible after being neutered, folding all the dry bedding, washing bowls, putting donated items away, putting one last load of washing on, etc. I look at the time and it's 4.30pm before I know it....time to give the dogs one last fuss and get them ready for bed. It's been a productive and thoroughly enjoyable day here at Many Tears, and it's all thanks to Sylvia and the dogs.
Geri x

I work here at Many Tears and I would just like to say a few thank you’s- first and foremost to Sylvia who has an enormous responsibility and really does make the rescue what it is and really is the hardest working person we all know!
I would also like to say thank you to everyone who is similar to a couple I met this week. This couple applied for a dog that was incredibly scared, I showed them the dog in the kennel with its friends and how she reacted to people away from the comfort of her kennel mates to humans, she was terrified so much so she could well have nipped if taken out of her comfort zone and in fear. This did not concern the couple, they had experience with scared rescue dogs and the meet and greet with their confident beautifully looked after dog went lovely, and the adoption went ahead! So to all the people that adopt our special dogs, with patience and love to rehabilitate these poor gentle souls and give them the most perfect forever homes Thank you!
Rescue dogs are not the easy option,but the most rewarding thing you can ever do!  Thank you  to all the volunteers that turn up daily to help wherever is needed, you are all amazing, for example, a group of ladies came up this week after travelling a long way and gave the rescue a carnival feel, I could hear their laughter ringing around the rescue!  You all turn up smiling and willing to do whatever is needed.
Thank you to our fosterers that turn up at the rescue and spring out dogs whenever they can, or collect on our weekly foster run, they send us pictures of these little scared, often stained little dogs after a week in their homes, beautifully groomed and perched on laps looking happy and relaxed.
Thank you to our fundraisers who come up with amazing ideas to pay off bills we are all so worried about.
And finally thank you to the staff, our friends for being there not only for the dogs but for each other, for working hard for always seeing the bright side on some incredibly busy and often wet days.
Together we all make the rescue what it is, so thank you all for all you do.
Tracey

I wake up, roll over and Ritinha my current foster dog has jumped into bed with me, like she does every morning! She has her head on my pillow right next to mine and is looking at me wide eyed. Her tail starts wagging and she rolls over for belly rubs! Thyme my beagle is still waking up. She is rolling around all over the numerous dog beds dotted around our bedroom. She is so happy first thing in the morning. It really is just so lovely to see. It's like every day she wakes up and realises she's been and still is saved and loved and safe. I often wonder if she realises she's mine now, and not going anywhere. I love seeing her like this and she is at her happiest first thing in the morning (as well as when she's on walks and being fed!). I join them for cuddles on the floor and the two of them jump all over me giving me kisses...this is THE best way to start any day!
Anyway, we spend far too long playing, and now we're running late! We run downstairs, the dogs run outside to do their business and I put the kettle on and start getting everyones breakfast ready. I don't realise Ritinha has come back inside until I hear a crunch to my left. It seems Ritinha has found her own breakfast! I walk over to see what she's trying to eat. At first I think it's a bone until further investigation. I pick the object up and have a good look and realise it's my best friends denture. Oh. My. God! I just don't know what to do. Ritinha has somehow managed to open the door to her favourite persons room, has sniffed out Dais denture, and has just snapped it in half! At first I'm horrified. Then I start laughing. Uncontrollably. I have to tell Dai. I go in and wake him up. He thinks I'm joking. I tell him I'm not. He says I am because I'm laughing. I show him his denture. Dai looks at Ritinha and tells her she's no longer his best friend. This last all of ten seconds - Ritinha has a way with people! She gives him her best puppy dog eyes and rolls on her back for another belly rub!
Thyme comes running in the house looking really happy with herself. And covered in pond weed. (Our ponds are not deep btw) She needs a bath. I go to pick her up to take her upstairs to the bath but she runs away and jumps straight back into the pond. It seems rock pool diving and rock climbing are her two new favourite hobbies. I pray the dogs at the centre will be easier than these two are this morning!


 Miracles do happen and we get to work on time. Something is definitely in the air today! I give all the dogs a morning stroke before I begin cleaning. Ashton the hugely popular little yorkie on my section runs straight between my legs, past the kennel door and towards the play yard. Ashton is one of the sweetest, cutest, happiest little yorkies ever, and he is just raring to go! He loves playing with your hands, and also runs off, tongue hanging out, with my cleaning towel, as does Ellen the shihtzu!
Nirvana somehow manages to tip the massive toy bin over and empties all the toys all over the sand school! Also the lovely little westie decides to help Ashton pull all their new clean bedding out of their beds and move their beds around to where they want them...usually right in the middle of their kennel with their new fresh clean bedding all strewn across the kennel floor!  
Chardonnay the beagle likes to move the beds in her kennel around too. She is doing this for a particular reason. On one side of her kennel there is a spy hole outside to the play yard which she loves looking out of. She is hoping there is another one the other side of her kennel behind one of the beds, so she can spy on her neighbours! Chardonnay has come a long way. We are all so proud of her and amazed with her progress. Apparently you can hear her distinctive bark the other side of the rescue centre!

 
The residents of K20, those being Ouzo the very cute westie, Jessica the big bichon, Febe the shy cocker, and Holly the sweet cocker, run straight out into the play yard. Ouzo then realises he has a lot of fans in his row of kennels who he's forgotten to say hello to this morning, so he decides to run straight back in to say good morning to all the girls on my section! To be fair, he has many female admirers! He's so popular and is also a very polite boy towards the girls. I call him and he listens and decides to join his friends for play time right after he pees all over my flower pots! Something he likes to do every morning!
Lyle our shih tzu, who quite possibly has one of the biggest characters I've ever come across, decides to give me the run around when its his kennels turn to come in from the sand school. Sometimes he's a good boy and comes in when called, but other times he enjoys giving his human friends the run around! I walk up to him and say "Come on Lyle", he looks right back at me, straight in the eyes, stretches his neck so his face is just that little bit closer to mine, barks in my face and runs off as fast as he can all the time his tail is wagging away. He bounds around jumping from left to right, playfully. This boy knows exactly what he's doing and I can't help but laugh and turn it into a game of chase which he just loves! I can't believe Lyle has been with us for as long as he has. He is just perfect. He's clean, walks on a lead, is quiet and calm, gets on well with all dogs he's been kennelled with, is playful, shares all his toys even his favourite duck toy, really well, he shares his food well too, and is just so comical! He's also extremely intelligent and knows basic commands such as sit, and also gets on great with kids he's met here! He is going to make a family ridiculously happy and complete.

I finish cleaning and yarding my dogs by about 11am. Then I start walking. Up first is the beautiful bouncey big lab Yoko. She is just adorable and innocent with such sparkly eyes and a zest for life. She is going to her forever home this weekend. Then it's Mavis and Mauds turn....the two busy beagles. These two are fantastic. Despite being ex-breeders, both are very friendly, love fuss and attention, can walk on leads and are quite confident and inquisitive.

Trim our beautiful collie is curled up in her bed. She is going to her forever home today! I look into her eyes - she is obviously blissfully unaware! She's always been so desperate to find her special someone, and now she has! She sees her new owners again and her tail starts wagging like crazy! She remembers them! Here she is pictured with Lee having one last cuddle from him. I'm very touched at how her kennel friends Eldora and Majoram have been with her since she was spayed. They seem to be acting very caring and gentle towards her and have sat next to her in her bed this morning as if they are looking after her.
Majoram our male cocker has settled down so much. He is much more calm these days. His eyes are happier and he makes eye contact with us now, but he still doesn't fully trust us and is still a little uncomfortable when we stroke him. He loves his time outside now too and no longer rushes around cowering and scared, but enjoys his time outside. His tail is always up wagging away and he likes to wander around at his own pace, sniffing everything, and he's even started running after toys!
Shortly afterwards I do another adoption. This time it's for Angel the beautiful bichon pictured here having a sit down on the country roads! She's gone to a very lovely family which consists of two other rescued bichons! :) She is a little nervous and clearly wonders what is happening. I comfort her and she settles down in her lovely comfy bed in the crate for her journey to her forever home.
I have a lot of energy today so decide to go for a run. My running partners have always usually been big dogs. But it's not the case on my section at the moment! Lyle the shih tzu and Ashton the tiny wee yorkie are my running partners! John the boarding man and Andy in the office laugh at me when we run past! Ashton is way too quick for me!

Then it's time to train up my non walkers. I have a number of non walkers on my section so I decide to borrow one of Sylvia's rescue dogs to help me. I choose Fifi and she helps both Ouzo and Also take their very first steps! I think she likes her new coat Phill put on her today. She looks really pretty and is certainly enjoying the attention she's getting! 
Once I've walked all my dogs, trained the non-walkers and carried the much more nervous dogs like Febe and Novia around, so that they get to see a bit of the outside world too, I give a couple of dogs a facial trim and bath a couple of others. Here is Tootsie our ridiculously sweet belly crawling westie being a brave girl and a real cutie in the bath. Afterwards we call to see Tootsies biggest fan - Amanda the vet nurse - for a foody treat.

 I serve up lunch for all the doggies at about 14.30 and it's the last time my dogs are yarded for the day. I then spend the rest of the afternoon cuddling the doggies and yarding the sandschool kennels. I get called into the office to try and help them pair up people with some new foster dogs. Like everyone at MT I'm so grateful to all the fosterers who helpus. The whole of my K22 are going into foster....Ashton the yorkie, Also the westie, Ananya the beautiful bichon and Lucy the shiht zu. Here is a picture of the 4 of them along with Angel having a picnic outside in the sunshine! Lyle the shiht zu, Flora the cavalier are also going, as is....NOVIA !!!!! I am so happy by this and Thankyou SO much to whoever has taken her. All of our dogs are too innocent for kennels, but this girl is by far the most innocent, gentlest, sweetest dog I have ever met. I am so happy for Novia. Whoever you are, you've made my week and Novia's life.

Today was amazing. All the dogs went out into the play yards and sandschool numerous times, my walkers have been on lovely long walks down to the river, some for a run, and my non walkers have been socialised and carried around the centre. The dogs are happy which means I am happy. I get told the following day that all my dogs were relaxed and calm and some even outers at bed time! The fact that Matthew our under manager locks away the dogs a little later in the Spring and Summer helps so much. It gives us that extra bit of time to spend with them and I'm grateful like everyone else is to him doing the late shift. I'm also grateful, as is everyone else, to Sylvia who recently has done most the decorating of our sections to make them look a little nicer. On top of everything else she does every day. And to Jenny whose started gardening and planting beautiful flowers and also strawberries! And to Angelica the maltese, and her new family for this delicious big box of chocolates! They really do keep us going! :) Xxx

There's a lovely, happy, calm, vibe around here at the moment and the sun is shining and all the dogs are happy :)
Geri Xxx

This isn't quite a kennel blog but a behind the scenes look into a day in the lives of the Office Team. Firstly let me introduce myself. I'm Andy and I started off as kennel staff at Many Tears a year and a half ago, but have migrated into the office due to an ongoing injury. Some of you have the pleasure / annoyance lol, of having to talk to me on the phone regularly. Here is an insight into a day in the life in the Many Tears office....

08:45 am (on a punctual day) I arrive in the office with the other office staff, turn on the computer sit at my desk and discuss any issues or situations that may need to be dealt with other office staff. Then our office pack of dogs are brought in-  giving us lots of morning kisses and cuddles which are swiftly cut short as phones start ringing. The kettle isn't even boiled yet! (Delyth makes a mean cuppa).

10:00 am The Rescue phone lines are officially open, but sadly we have already received at least 4 calls of people wanting to give up their dogs. It's hard at times because the day hasn't even begun, yet all you have in your head is the thought that those 4 dogs are in homes where they can no longer be cared for. We make a note and take details of each case but as I am sure you know we are at capacity, and just can't help these souls for now. But the show must go on as they say and we take it in our stride for the ones we have to find homes for.

11:00 am By this time the incoming phones calls are beginning to become more frequently. Either myself, Delyth, Charlie or between us will update the kennel boards on the wall with info on each dog and put the dogs on the computer system that have been spayed or neutered the day before. Nikki the foster coordinator will be calling fosterers and telling which dogs are ready for foster and ensuring the foster dogs in place are happy and well.

12:00 Now the phones are non-stop you finish one call, put the phone down and it rings immediately. This is not just one phone but all of them ringing, from calls for applications to adopt a dog, people asking for advice, people unhappy they have been unsuccessful in the adoption process, and yet again more calls for people wanting us to take their dogs in. Without wanting to sound cliché, your emotions are literally on a roller-coaster all day. One minute you're delivering the good news to an excited family that their home visit has passed and they can come and collect their dog. Then next call is someone angry as they have been unsuccessful and they may be cross and confused. The next call is then someone letting us know their dog they adopted from us is excelling in life, to the following call from someone who says we must take their dogs or they will put them to sleep or dump them. These are just a few examples of the calls we take, but one thing's for sure they come in thick and fast and the lines are still ringing as we leave in the evening.

1:00 By this time I'm needing something to eat and there is always a show and tell on who has what for lunch in between the phone calls. I myself am trying to be good eating at my desk with a salad of some description, but when I glance to my right the aromas of Delyth's pasty come wafting over to my desk it makes my salad seem even more limp and dull than before.

I must say all the office staff have mastered the skill of answering phones, typing and eating lunch at the same time whilst with our proliferal vision warns us of the advances of our canine office colleagues. But there has been the odd lapse in concentration and Joe the lurcher is always there to let you know that " that last bite of sandwich was divine Andy bring the same tomorrow please ".

2:00 By this time in the day I’d like to say if we were an engine we’ve just shifted into 5^th gear everyone is in full swing in whatever they are doing, there is a hum of chatter and frantic typing, then the silence is broken and the word ‘situation’ is mentioned. This is like music to my ears not because of the dilemma we are about to face but the enigma of how to solve. It’s a challenge and I have to admit I do love a ‘Situation’ and more commonly that not between us we always manage to fix it..... Unless it’s the time when I brought in my neatly foiled sandwhichs to work and I was so excited to eat them, only to find I had taken the wrong parcel to work and I eagerly opened the left over chicken carcass from the night before. Words cannot describe the despondency, grief, and sorrow I had on my face. Anyway enough of my lunch antics back to the office. Nik the foster co-ordinator is jumping for joy in the corner as she has managed to find foster homes for some of our long stayers, I don’t know how she does it sometimes but the dogs count on her and she always pulls through.

Recently we added new dogs onto the site, so applications are coming in thick and fast, between myself and whoever else is in the office we are updating people on Home Visit results, requesting Hv’s  and dealing with general enquirys. I must say there are a few people that work behind the scenes and that you may not be aware of, and on a really busy day they are our knights in shining armour; cue drum roll…………… On Co – ordinating the Home Vets and applications we have Pat ‘Principal’ Powell,…………… On the Match Maker team a formidable duo Ruth + Laura , ………….. At home surrounded by her foster army we have Jenna dealing with new fosterers and also an extension from the office dealing with anything and everything - even things I’m having a melt down with………………….. and last but never least we have Yvonne the IT Guru who without her knowledge of all things, I would have lost my sanity long ago (cue crashing symbols end of drum roll). If there is anyone I have missed off apologies, everyone that helps the office at all is a star and your time and effort is much appreciated.

3:00: I’ve finally got round to opening some of the post as there has been a rare but appreciative lull on the phones. Delyth who we jokingly calling the ‘communications director’ normally deals with a lot of the post, but I’ve managed to open a few today. The post is much like the phones in a way some holds brilliant amazing news and photos of a dogs which had been adopted and is clearly loving life, and some letters have the sad news that their beloved four legged companion has passed. We always try and respond by email or by post to each and every one, but if anyone hasn’t had a reply I apologise let us know so it doesn’t happen again.

But today one letter has imprinted on my mind. It was written by a daughter of an elderly woman who every year donated £5 to the rescue, to cut a long story short, the elderly lady had sadly passed away and had left a small donation to Many Tears. It just touched me to think that with all the troubles and strife’s in life that she still had the dogs in mind even on her death bed and for this we wholly thank you for your support. Now all the replies and thankyou’s have been done and will be awaiting Delyth’s franking skills.

3:30 Sylvia has just turned up in the van after a rescue mission and unexpectedly Mathew asked me to help unload the van as he wanted a hand with a couple of goats yes ‘GOATS’ we were going to look after them in the stables as we had a home lined up for them. I happily said of course thinking to myself I’ll carry one under each arm, they can’t be that heavy, I had visions of little black and white pigmy goats. Mathew slid open the van door and……dear lord the beasts that awaited me weren’t shy off the size of a  small cow. Never the less ‘in for a penny, in for a pound’ I jumped in tried to avoid their prehistoric like horns and escorted them by the collar to the stables. Some kennel staff were watching and shouting ‘do you need any help’, I said ‘no thanks all good here’ little did they know the goat was escorting me more than the other way round lol. Every now and then it’s nice to leave the office and remind yourself why you’re doing the job you do.

4:00 Back in the office now and the rescue lines are now closed, this gives us a chance to catch up on outgoing calls we need to make and catch up on general admin. There are still the odd calls trickling in but nothing to do with the rescue side of things. It’s also the time the kettle tends to go on to push us through the last hour. Now there is someone that I haven’t mentioned so far in this blog, that works away tirelessly in the back round to keep the office running like a well-oiled machine, she is the petrol in our engine, the voice of reason, the organisational admin guru, the B in BLT because without the B it isn’t really a sandwich! Her name is Caroline aka the The Manager aka The Boss aka Whip Cracker. Every task that is asked of us in the office and how we deal with different situations always comes with advice and direction from  the top. A team is nothing without a good manager just look at Manchester United these days lol. Since Caroline has recently taken over the reins I must say she is doing a marvellous job keeping us all in order and forcing me to make her coffee all the time lol.

5:00 Well that’s all folks we live to fight another day, we probably won’t leave for another 20 mins or so have to finish off a few things, But none of us really mind staying a bit later than intended, because at the end of the day we are all here for the dogs, and without Sylvia and Bill and the tireless work they put in to keep the rescue going none of us would have jobs to be so thankful for. I’m grateful I get come to work every day and make a difference in a job that’s worth doing and the rewards and gratification you get from seeing lost unwanted souls flourish in loving homes. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post from a different point of view, so I rambled on, I will leave you with this last quote that I believe is very apt by Mahatma Ghandi.

‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated’

Andy

.....Last Saturday we went through the awful experience of losing a dog. Unfortunately lots of the dogs that come in to us are not in the best of health when they arrive and from time to time we do suffer losses. Sadly this was not the first time it has happened since I have been working at Many Tears and I can honestly say that it affects the whole staff deeply every time it happens. But for me personally, this time it was different. This time it was my foster dog.
.....Faith came to us on Thursday from a breeder who had told Sylvia that he thought she may have internal bleeding. She also had badly mutilated ears. When she arrived she seemed quite bright and an appointment was set up for her to see a local vet the following day as our vet was away. She was such a poppet, a beautiful young girl. I had said I was not taking any foster dogs for a little while but there was no way this little girl was staying in kennels overnight and she came home to my family.
.....The following day she saw the vet who treated her ears and was satisfied there was no internal bleeding. It was decided that further investigations would take place when she was spayed at the beginning of the following week.
.....She had fitted in so well with my family that I said I would continue to foster her, she would come to work with me and spend time playing with the dogs in the back office. Late on Saturday afternoon Sylvia rushed into the admin office asking for us to contact the vet asap as she was very worried about a dog. My heart sank even further when Sylvia said it was my girl. I knew then that things must be very serious as Sylvia is normally so calm. If she thought it was serious then it really must be.
.....I won’t go into too much detail of what happened over the next few hours except to say that it turned out that Faith had a large tumour in her tummy that had ruptured. Slowly her young body was being poisoned and peritonitis had set in. There was absolutely nothing more that could be done for her; we had to let her go.
.....What I do want to tell you about is how the Many Tears team responded. This all happened as the rescue was closing and staff were just about to leave. Instead, Charlie from the office and Tracey from the outside staff came into the vets to say they would stay if there was anything at all they could do to help. I want to tell you about Caroline from the office and Josh from the outside staff who stayed until it was time to go to the local vet. And Chelsea Morse, who went home and came back with supplies for us, ready to stay overnight if Faith made it back from the vets.
.....And then there is Sylvia. What can I say? She did everything possible to keep Faith alive. Sylvia had been ill all week and was facing a few gruelling days ahead of her on a rescue mission, but she was still prepared to fight for Faith until the end. Funds are short in the rescue right now but not once did Sylvia mention that she was worried about the cost, her only worry was the dog. When we arrived at the local vets not once did Sylvia ask him what would the cost would be of any treatment. Faith would have whatever treatment she needed. Sadly she was beyond help and we had to say goodbye. Sometimes all the help and love in the world is just not enough.
.....I am left feeling that life is so unfair. It is unfair that a young dog who had a whole new life ahead of her never got to experience it fully, just a few days but it also makes me proud to be part of the Many Tears team who are extraordinary.  That a small rescue like ours does the right thing and is prepared to treat and put an animal’s life as its main priority - not hesitating to worry about the cost.
.....Sylvia has a saying which is at the heart of the rescue  - "The soul can have no rainbows, less the eyes have shed some tears".  Believe me there have been lots of tears shed this weekend, but that is what makes us strong, makes us who we are. And next week, as we see other dogs go off to their new forever homes, our souls will have rainbows again.
Delyth.

Here at Many Tears we value volunteers, people with busy lives who give up their precious free time to come and help us with the dogs. If you are interested in volunteering with us please don't hesitate to email us. Pease find below a lovely email from one of our regular volunteers. Thank you so much for all your support!

This week has been extremely challenging - the influx of dogs, the amount of visitors, the vets, all the different jobs that have to be maintained.  The weather has been atrocious throughout it all and it's not just bad on us but the dogs! However a few things that keep lifting everyone are:

The amount of dogs getting adopted!
The amount of dogs going to foster!
The amount of donations!

It lifts us as a team, to be able not to worry about the amount of bedding we give to each kennel, to make sure that even though we have to leave them at the end of the day, they are comfy, warm and safe! We appreciate it so much, some dogs love the duvets more than others and it's been like a snow storm in the mornings!\\\
Our roisterers are doing incredible well with the amount of dogs going every week, especially the long stayers! This week I've had both my fosters go to new homes, Kalypso the staffy and Nellie the lab cross! Is it going to be a day or just night until my next one?...
Matthew
 

We are delighted that our first Portugese dog has been adopted. We have already had an update to let us know how she is settling:

Dear Nikki et al,
Home safely, completely knackered but thank you all so much for having me around so early to accommodate the hideously long drive!
Our little munchkin “Pilar” has behaved impeccably from departure, slept peacefully most of the way too. We had a girly picnic in the back of my car as a get to know you and she is just perfect….so far!
She has the new name “Rosa” on account of her pink bits and has obviously lived in a home before so has been clean everywhere, storing up for outside. Noisy new house has not fazed her at all. She was so excited to see John  return from his meeting (he was gone only an hour!) this evening and greeted him as her new daddy – beautiful to see. She’s very hungry, but not rudely so, and we’ll build her up slowly to prevent any tummy upset. Tomorrow is bath day & nail clip due.
We’re all exhausted & off to bed. Thanks again.

We are delighted for Rosa and wish her every success in her fatastic new home.

.....The last couple of days (weeks, months) feel like it's been none stop.!  Eeverything in the rescue is at such a high pace and stress levels are also very high, however at the end if the last couple of days I've taken couple minutes to actually think of how many dogs we have saved and how many dogs we have got out into foster and the dogs getting adopted.  It's incredible, to think how well we are actually doing and it's because we are all working as a team.
.....Big things can't get accomplished without the little things getting sorted first. At the height of  all the strees and pressure  things can be very difficult but we all want the same thing - we all want the best for all the dogs that come into our care.
.....I knew when becoming assistant manager it wasn't going to be easy for numerous reasons, trying to get a balance of everything was always going to be hard and I'm grateful and proud of how everyone works and does their jobs. Big intakes of dogs is always challenging, especially when there is so many other jobs to be done at the same time to keep the rescue ticking over.  There's bound to be some mistakes along the wayand having an understanding of that is important I feel. Every dog we see black ringed  on our board (a black ring means it's going to foster) is such a good feeling for us.  We are always grateful, even if we don't say it at the time as we're rushing around, we all definitely are. I know from fostering myself how much of a change it makes into that one dogs life and over the last couple of weeks the amount of dogs that have gone into foster is amazing.
.....George the little jrt puppy was another eye opener, to see a puppy so scared of the world and of new people, where he'd rather hide away than play with new friends is such a horrible thought. So glad we have got him at this age and are able to give him a great new start in life.  God knows how he would of ended up if he didn't come into us.
 

Working Christmas Day is one of my favourite days!  There's a couple volunteers, a few members of the public who turn up to help, no vet and a few staff members.  This mean we get to  spend more time with the dogs.  The rescue is so peaceful and the atmosphere is quite relaxed - which is a rarity! The day started off finishing booking in the last of the 80+ dogs that have recently come in and one that's certainly pulled Sylvia's heart strings is Maggie a Labradoodle.  What a fabulous lady she is so gentle natured and easy going. and we hope she is in her new home soon!
Matthew


 

 .....So it's rained every single day for over 40 days here in wet Wales. To say it's starting to get to me and the dogs is an understatement! Yesterday however the sky cleared for the first time in over a month and everyone's spirits are lifted by the sunshine, including the dogs. I am so happy!
.....Yesterday my day started like any other - saying good morning to all the dogs. When I first came onto this section none of the doggies seemed particularly interested in me - so I guessed someone special must have been on the section before. I was right - the dogs all had extra comfy beds so I knew it was Tracey who had been on the section. I knew I had a lot to live up to! When I say good morning to them now, they all jump up and wag their tails or come running out their beds in their bedroom, so I must be doing something right and this makes me happy!
I start cleaning each and every kennel out. I've been on Bill's kennels the last two weeks where the bigger dogs generally reside. Bill' kennels are the easiest to clean as the dogs are pretty much, if not completely house trained/kennel trained, so cleaning is much easier and quicker. I then start sand-schooling the dogs. The day before Bob one of our very valued volunteers took every kennel out for a long walk and I made a personal record and got the dogs out 5 times, which is pretty impressive and very unusual, but I did not have many other jobs to do.  I usually like routine, and so do the dogs, but every now and again it's good to change things up! And seeing as it was Christmas Eve......and the dogs seem pretty tired from the day before.....I don't think they minded that we just had lots of fun together, played loads and had lots of cuddles and yummy food treats.
.....At 9.30am it's  my turn in the sand-school. I start sand-schooling the two collies - Ammo and Pilot. You must approach these two calmly and gently. Pilot is a very sweet shy collie who will run over for fuss and immediately fall on her back and give you paw. She hasn't been shown much love in her life but she's found it here and likes it a lot. She wants to be someone's special girl. She is so pretty. Ammo is quite unresponsive to us at present, and we think he may have been beaten. The two of them love being "free" in the sand school and both run around and play wrestle with each other, wagging their tails the whole time. Until Ammo sees you watching. Then his tail drops between his legs and he stops whatever fun he is having as if he's not meant to. It's so sad to see him do this so I leave them to it. Each kennel has a good 30 minutes outside.
.....Next up is Reindeer our one and only Mastiff and Boson one of our English Setters. These two are such a comical pair! Reindeer is waiting patiently right at the front of her kennel looking so hopeful at me with her big brown eyes! No-one can resist this girl. Boson is lying in his bed as always, but in the bed out front which is nice to see, he's obviously starting to feel a bit better as he was so, and still is quite boney and very underweight. But he is on a special diet and with the company of the fun loving Reindeer he is doing much better. He jumps out of bed all gangly and clumsily and comes running over, his whole body wiggling and his tail waggling away. He whines a little, and looks up at me all lovingly and innocent - this boy has me wrapped around his little paws! The two of them rub themselves up against me like cats! Once we arrive at the sand school, Reindeer, or Rainy as I like t call her, barks at me straight away - she wants to play fetch! She is so regal and proud, so powerful and energetic, it only takes her about ten strides before she's covered the length of the massive sand school! All the while Boson runs after her trying to keep up bless him. He's so comical and me and James have nick named him Goofy! This picture of them both was taken by James, and I think it's stunning so I wanted to share it. 
 .....Eric the most politest beagle you will ever meet, along with his new kennel friend and new best friend Gwen the patterdale are next. They are unusual and are not waiting at the front of their kennel but instead are play growling and wrestling with each other and playing with a duck toy and making the most out of their situation. These two are best friends and a great pairing and they love running around the sand school and are sure to put a smile on your face!

.....Korrie one of our beautiful Huskys and Olaf one of our long stayers are up next. It's hard watching Olaf struggle in kennels - he is so frustrated and does jump and bark a lot in kennels. He is so different outside of them though. I so wish this boy would find a loving family soon. Olaf is the most energetic and demanding dog on my section, and Korrie is so easy going she goes along with whatever I have planned. I want to tire Olaf out as much as possible so he relaxes a bit more in kennels. I play  fetch with him for 20 minutes, he loves this game and could be a ball boy for Wimbledon. Actually no, thinking about that maybe he couldn't as sometimes he will drop the ball and pick it up again when you try to so I've realised if I pretend to walk off he doesn't do it again! He's a cheeky little lad! Korrie is busy smelling me - something she likes to do with everyone, I don't understand why, but it's quite comical! She then runs around the sand school looking really pretty! The three of us then go for a run. 
..... Thankfully Kalypso our overweight but absolutely gorgeous staffy x is up next. I can take it a bit easier with her. I want to do an update on her so ask a member of staff to help me take pictures. This girl loves kisses and cuddles so much I can't get her to sit still for a picture. I try my best to position her in a nice seated position but she is way too busy trying to jump into my arms to kiss my face and then decides she wants to roll on her back and have a belly rub and rolls around making pig like noises and acting like a baby! We cause such a scene as she is so funny and I'm laughing so much - she has this affect on every one - all the staff passing and all the volunteers watching laugh out loud! This girl is beautiful in every single way and I've discovered why she is probably the most talked about dog here at the moment! She is hilarious! I try and get her to chase me in the sand school but she wants me to chase her and she's running the other way looking back at me with a massive smile on her face! I love this girl!
 .....Next up is Hatton and Bella. Hatton is one of our long termers (no idea why). He is handsome, calm, gentle and such a good boy. Bella is fairly new to us. She was really unresponsive and kept her distance when she first met me, and I wasn't sure about her either so I didn't force myself onto her. I let her work me out and now she is one of the most loving girls I have on my section and she's slowly becoming one of my best friends! She comes right over to you now, sits as close as she can and burries her whole body into yours. Hatton is definitely King of the kennels, and she is definitely becoming Queen of kennels! These two are so chilled out. They just like to sit down and watch the goings on and wait patiently for their turn outside. The'rey quite funny, if their having a nap in their bedroom, and hear me coming, they will both hang their heads upside down to see me! After Hatton has a little burst of energy as soon as he is let off lead, they both enjoy a little trot around the sand school.
.....Maya and Macy my two young girls are up next. These two are beautiful and their lives have only just really started. Maya is a stunning, very polite girl who has found herself here through no fault of her own. She won't be here long I'm sure. Macey bless her was terrified when she first arrived, and still is a little worried about us humans, but she has slowly started to relax a little more and is slowly finding her confidence and showing signs she enjoys human company. On my lunch I walk my two foster dogs, and as I turn a corner I bump into Cai one of my colleagues walking his foster dog Benji on the left and Stan, one of Sylvia and Bills rescue dogs on the right. I burst out laughing as Stan the naughty russian terrier, who is still a growing puppy, is basically carrying a tree in his mouth! He is just such a funny mischevious dog and this makes me laugh! Maybe he thinks his mum and dad need a new Christmas tree I dont know. I'd just like to take this opportunity to say dogs shouldn't play with sticks its dangerous!
.....My afternoon is taken up walking all the dogs and then playing with them in their kennels afterwards. I finish my set jobs - one of them being Meds with Cai. And then it's time for the last feeds of the day. I have a lot of third and fourth feeds as I have a lot of underweight dogs. Chelsea Lewis is in the feed shed sorting out her last feeds and puppy feeds too. She shows me the buckets of food made up for the next day. In them is left over Christmas dinner that a school has very kindly donated to us! There is one bucket of left overs. Me and Chelsea look at each other and we both know what we are going to do! Neither of us are working Christmas day and don't want to miss out on giving our dogs the best dinner they'll have in kennels all year. So....I don't know if i should admit this but....yes....we feed every single dog Christmas dinner and they all love it!!!!!!! :) I have got to mention Eric the beagle - he demolishes his, but doesn't try and steal Gwen's like most dogs would. He just sits down and watches her. She obviously doesn't like carrots as she pulls them out of the bowl and throws them to Eric who gets rid of them for her! Olaf is still licking his bowl 10 minutes later.
.....Anyway - I have got to go now - my foster dogs want my attention. I'd just like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope you all have a lovely time and have lots of nice presents. I've already had my best Christmas present - and that was Daffodil our boxer being adopted. I adored her from the minute Sylvia told me to go and see her. I cried my eyes out when she told me her story and cried my eyes out when she went. I'm over the moon for her, finding her forever home just in time for Christmas. Her new family have fallen head over heels in love with her. I'm quite jealous of them tbh! I just can't believe it and I don't think she could either bless her. She is a very special girl and deserves to have the best life.
.....Christmas can be a difficult time of year for some people. But I honestly think if you have a dog, you do not need anything or anyone else. Merry Christmas everyone Love Gerri Xxx
 

Today the staff all donned their Christmas jumpers to raise money for Many Tears. Everyone gave a donation to wear festive clothes instead of usual uniform and for those not wishing to join in paid double as a "Grinch Forfeit"! Here are a few of those that joined in with the festive cheer today, all for a good cause of course.

My routine..
When the end of the day is nearing I have a select few jobs which need to be completed before everyone leaves, one of those is to do a section check for the rescue to see if anyone may of missed something, this could include the boards of the dogs information on the kennels doors not being updated, drains not being cleared, exercise yards being cleaned etc. 'Bills' section has a back entrance which I go inside and can check on the dogs where they're comfortable and warm, here are some of the dogs..
 
 

By popular request as it was referred to in yesterdays blog we have uploaded the video of little Twinnings to the blog for all to see.

.....Yesterday was quite a productive and positive day.  We have a lot of dogs going out to foster on Sunday and in amongst them are are quite a few long term stayers! Can't tell you how relieved we are knowing that these dogs who we see day in day out are off to a loving foster home and on their next chapter. The only way some of these dogs are going to improve is being in a foster home. I know from experience that they only need to be given a chance, Billy Wizz  was the prime example. He's now living 5 star luxury with his dream family.
.....If you haven't been down the centre for a while I urge you to come and spend time with the dogs, sit in with them and let them get to know you, then you will question yourself how they haven't been snapped up. We're always wanting help, it's bad enough for us staff seeing the dogs but can't imagine how it may feel for the dogs, especially the ones that have already lived in a home.
.....I've just posted a video on the fb page about twinning's, well here's a photo of his roommate Concho after Steve decided he looked better with a side parting and a coupl of our other dogs supporting mohican hair styles!
 

What a day yesterday was!! I came in to work at 6:20am as Sunday's are normally quite busy as it's the foster run, plus having a vet in this weekend made it an added pressure. After the dogs who are lucky enough to go to their new foster homes are loaded in specific crates in the van and the paperwork, food and other items are added the van goes on its way. The next couple of jobs that I needed to do were:

• get the correct dogs into the vets to be spayed/neutered
• Pair up or add to other kennels so we can make space for the next lot of dogs coming in next week.
• Check on the rest of the dogs in the kennels and that everyone's feeling well.
• Making sure the empty kennels are now fully scrubbed and then set up ready.

Every staff member has certain jobs they must undertake throughout the day on their section, then added ones like medication for the dogs, washing the bowls, maintenance jobs around the rescue, booking in new dogs, updating the current dogs, bathing and grooming, washing the bedding.  We all try and plan our day around doing these jobs at certain times which we usually manage quite well, however what you can never really plan for is how many visitors you will get at one time.

Yesterday there was always a new person at reception which is a positive thing as you never know what/who they maybe interested in and they possibly could save two lives, one by adopting and two by making room for another. About 5/6 dogs went to their new homes so that was a good new beginning for them and hopefully they're settling in. Everyone was rushed off their feet but got all the jobs done well and efficiently. No one rushed off at 5pm, all continued to work until every last little job was completed, which just proves without working as a team we couldn't do this job.

Frosty the westie's best friend Euros the pug x went to foster this morning so this left Frosty on his own, so Sylvia wanted him to go in our office so he's socialised a lot more and because of this I decided he may aswell come home with me because he's the type of dog that would never get rehomed in kennels because he presents himself so badly with certain people. It's only being an evening so far and he's such a character and loving boy, he just wants some stability and reassurance that he doesn't have to fend for his safety and he can just enjoy life. I'm quite confident he will come on quite quickly. I'm pretty sure this blog doesn't make much sense and is quite jumbled and I do apologise but the last two days I've worked 22 hours and I'm quite tired! I'll try and do one every evening of the day's adventures in the centre.
Matt
 

So this morning is very cold, the weather here is getting much colder by the day. My day starts by going in to see the team and say good morning to them all. This week I’ve been on the front kennels where there are mainly small dogs, mostly ex-breeding. My morning starts by cleaning all 10 of my kennels. On front kennels there are actually 16 kennels but all week I’ve shared them with another staff member, Emma. As i clean all my kennels i talk to the dogs and tell the hungry dogs that are on the spay list, that they have 1 more horrible thing to go through and then i promise them that we will do our best to find them amazing new homes and that they will be very much loved.
After cleaning 5 of my kennels i take myself to TV ISO, where the sick dogs or smaller puppies go. .....As i walk in i meet Hope. She is a 3 year old Schnauzer who is just the most lovely dog you could ever wish to have. She is now an ex-breeding dog as they figured out that she can’t be bred from so she came to us. As i go in to greet her I notice something very strange, she was on her side trying to get up, but then i notice she’s not trying to get up at all, she was actually having a fit. I picked her up and went straight to Natalie (Yard Manager). She explained to me that Hope is on all the medication she can be on, while she carried on explaining I felt totally useless, my eyes started to fill up with tears. I took her back to her kennel and as I put her down she started to fit again. I consider myself quite a strong person when it comes to dogs like this, but I couldn't help myself but cry.
.....After about 7 seconds she finally came around and I picked her up and held her close and explained that the worst is over now and we will try to help her in everyway we can. After a while Natalie comes to me and tells me that Hope is going to go to DBARC rescue which is a Schnauzer rescue as they have the funds to get her scanned (MRI).
.....Finally there is hope for Hope and if some sort of miracle happens she will be OK. Anyway until this I carry her outside 3-4 times a day leaving her sniff the trees, grass, hearing the leaves blow through the rescue and she also love the sound of the wind chimes. This just shows it doesn’t matter how long the dogs are here for we treat every single one that comes through us as if they are our own. Tonight i will pray and beg that God is on her side. Please pray for her as all of us will. As well as working on the kennels I also foster for Many Tears. At the moment I have Eli (was pudding) and I’ve had him for longer than 2 months. He is 1 years old with no hair and runs around my house like a 12 week puppy. He loves people and adores other dogs, especially the ones that are the same size as him, so if your looking for a companion for your self or for your dogs he is the guy. Thanks for reading, Chelsea L.

Recently I've asked the question why so many times. Why are they still here? I ask the staff, people that visit, myself and then I start to question what we do.  The dogs in our care have all already been through so much, even the litter of pups who all at 8 weeks have just found loving homes were destined at the age of only 7 weeks old to be thrown in a bag into the nearest lake. So when they find themselves here at Many Tears the care they receive is incredible compared to what some have received yet I still feel we must do more. Our staff work with dogs so closely, educate them and then help them make their first steps towards the rest of their life. So the question why? Why are they here?

I want to share with you some of my thoughts about some of the dogs here;

AUSSIE 
.....This dear little girl, has no reason to be here, she came from a breeding kennels so will need educating into house training but already is kennel clean, a little bit of help with this is all she will ask from you.
.....She is a confident girl who will happily walk on a lead and say hello to new people day in day out yet still awaits that special person.
.....Aussie will share her home or is happy to be an only dog. For now she lays in her bed day in day out and I feel is getting depressed being here, she will lift her head as you pass her kennel but deserves so much more. She really is such a special girl who is worth so much. Often people will come to us desperate for a dog that could be an only dog and walk on a lead, yet she still awaits this person!!

MITCH
.....Mitch is fostered by one of my members of staff, Geri so therefore comes to work during the day and shares the office with Sylvia and my own dogs.  He does this so wonderfully and although when they get in his face he chooses to remove himself I do think he could share a home with another dog of any size although would much prefer to be a only prince where he could get all the loving attention he wants.
.....Mitch is so easy going and will say hello to everyone coming in to the office, he walks wonderfully on the lead and is a really great dog who I see day in day out and again question why? Why does he not have his special person by now? Why does someone not have the love and space for him that he deserves, he is another dog that could be an only dog, and that walks brilliantly on a lead.

SPRITE
Sprite is such a calm laid back dog and just deserves to have her special someone. She was rescued from a travellers camp where she was given from person to person but never ever taught or loved only through force. This girl really would give her heart to anyone, but trust may take a little longer but still. Why? Why does she find herself here still.






HAL
Hal is a very happy energetic young boy who is just SO desperate to please and want and love. The desire to please this boy has is just endless and his happiness is infectious. He has been with us a short while, but dogs like him are normally homed so soon but not this one? Hal has no one special, probably never has, he's defiantly never had the special home he should of as if he did he wouldn't be here today! So why is this? I can not tell you, I really cant, I cant even think of any thing simple or and small excuse!

The word why? Reflection can be so hard at times and most of the time will result in the question why being asked?  Today my reflection on work is what we can do more for these dogs I question why so many times for... We need new ideas, ideas that can help them find their special person, to find their loving home, and to no longer ask the question why am I here!

Warning. Images which some may find disturbing. (Sorry)

First of all I want to plea with you lovely people in hope this special little girl Margot will pull on your heart strings as much as she is ours. When locking her to bed yesterday Sylvia got this photo of her, she's so confused. Margot is one we helped save from Portugal. It must be so different here for her and she is terribly sad! Margot is a little nervous under new surroundings but shows such love and affection to all the staff. She's only 8months old and at the start of her life.... Please if you are wanting someone who has really the need, this is your girl.

So yesterday deemed a rather excitable afternoon here and oh how perfect timing we had. Fanta a little white special terrier came to us last week, she was clearly very heavily pregnant and was seen by a vet on Friday who told us her pups were already 4 inches and that the likely hood of needing a C-section was high. So we kept her here and kept a very close eye on her over the weekend, monitoring her temperature and monitoring for signs of labour. It's so hard when dogs come in pregnant as you never ever know when the due date is however the vet had said to us very soon.
So as I was preparing for Jo our vet acupuncturist to arrive to help with some dogs we have here I quickly popped my head in on Fanta, she was different, very different. She had started to nest, she hadn't eaten her lunch, her temperature was down and she looked 'sore' and very tight. She was panting heavily and I was sure she was in labour. As Jo arrived I ran her into the isolation unit to examine Fanta and she confirmed she was in labour and about ready if ever to have her puppies. Between Sylvia, Jo and myself we made the decision to perform a C-section and the dogs needing acupuncture were put on hold.
It all happened soooo quickly, Jo was (as always) amazing and her professionalism is just outstanding. Sylvia and myself scrubbed in ready to help the pups when they came out, as each one did another member of staff from outside was shouted to come in to the vets, they were given the job of rubbing the pups to gain warmth, monitoring their heart beats and helping the pups take their first breath. We ended with 4 and I'm so pleased to say 4 puppies are very healthy and not very settled with mum.

Poor Fanta struggled initially, her body went into shock when recovering from her operation, despite being the correct temperature and having everything we could give her. We helped her through it and Sylvia monitored them over night for their first night. Fanta now is back to her normal self and being an amazing mum. This little girl is very special and if her puppies have any ounce of her character they will be very special too. I will keep you updated as they grow!

 Today's big operation wasn't such a happy one, although  he knows no different our dear Brew went through a big operation today to remove both his eyes. He had one congenitally small eye which was not formed and had no vision and then his second eye had major glaucoma which had gone beyond repair and which also had no vision, the safest option was to remove both eyes. The operation was big and keeping a puppy of such young age stable through such a big operation was a big task, but tonight after a successful operation Brew has been taken home by Chelsea L who I'm sure will have him cuddled up on her bed and taking every ounce of her love. The fantastic news is Brew has a home, and hopefully his new adopters will come and meet him this weekend... I'm so pleased!

Finally for today, Bella. Bella was brought to us yesterday, after a very upsetting phone call received by the office about a dog who was once a best friend but now was a pest who they did not have time for. Fortunately for Bella we could help, but Bella found kennel life so distressing she was frothing at the mouth, circling, and in such worry we had to do something. Very kindly my staff once again proved just how great they are. Bella went home with Chelsea M today, and after a nice long walk I'm informed she has settled and is so wonderful. Luckily Chelsea's parents will look after Bella through out the day too while she is working, this way Bella will never have to see a kennel ever again in her life. Bella is a fantastic girl, she has lived in a home with children, walks lovely on the lead, could be an only dog and is a super affectionate girl. Could she be the dog you've been looking for?

Good bye for now x

......I need to not feel guilt but I do - it's hard. I feel guilt for so many things and it all comes down to time. Having time to see and spend time with everyone I need to, write everything I need and tell you all about everything too. There is never enough time in the day.  The days when everything goes wrong you never have enough time to fix it all, and the days that it all goes great you never have enough time to enjoy it. But anyway I have 10 minutes so I will tell you all about what we have been up to.

......Last Thursday we had a very exciting day, we were approached by S4C who are trying to produce a very exciting programme educating families and people about man's best friend. So on Thursday the film crew arrived and we were all really excited.  Our dogs performed tricks and we all smiled and spoke highly about the many things and areas we cover here. We also covered other areas which we encourage here such as dog behaviour and training, extra training such as agility, the health and well-being of the care of dogs.  Our good friend Joanna Evans an acupuncturist also spoke to them about alternative therapies too! We are all keeping our fingers crossed here in hop that the production of this will come through and that we can help educate about more and more that rescue dogs can really be mans best friend!!

......Oh how I wish we could read back into the past. Whilst we were grooming Apache the day after he came in to us, we found as tight as tight could be without suffocating, a piece of rope maybe bailing twine from where he had been tied to prevent him from chasing cars.
......After we removed this Apache suddenly became very worried about any touch around his neck and now has a big worry about anything pressurised around his neck too, this is all very understandable!!
This poor young man is now displaying some troubled feelings and although has settled in kennels has a worry about walking in new places. So we have been working with him kindly and with no pressure around his neck.  Today I started to make progress, it's been quite difficult to guide him as he doesn't have a very good understanding about walking on  a lead and now avoids it due to the sensation around his neck, so on his harness he will pull in every direction and its hard to control. So tomorrow I will bring in my double ended lead and harness with many clips to make our walks more controlled.
......Today Chelsea passed us on the road so I got some photos to share with you all, you will see here he has a harness with a chain lead (he tries to bite onto the leads if he becomes worried but he soon lets go when told) and then he also had a slip lead on around his neck for safety this had no pressure on at all.
......On our walks I stop and pause when he becomes worried or if he attempts to challenge my walking.  We pause and I will place my hands on him and use T-Touch to calm him.  At one point today whilst giving him T-Touch he decided to lay down and relaxed throughout - it was lovely to share this time with him. When I stopped he pawed me to start again but sadly I explained to him I had to get on as so many others needed my time too.
......So Apache is making progress he just needs guidance now through his worry of being touched around his neck.
 

It's been such a busy week and photos have been building up on my phone I wanted to share with you but then I got the privilege to have a long weekend to travel home and visit my family who I haven't seen in a long time and I miss dearly. The weekend went by so quick and tomorrow I will catch up with everything that went on over the weekend.
So our office is looking amazing, and our resident dog Stanley decided he wanted to give us a taste of what winter may be like this year with showing us his idea of a snow storm, all this came from one cushion!
The staff are all working hard with their project dogs and doing updates for the long termers as well as working over their sections. A few of the dogs here in kennels are struggling and finding kennel life hard to adjust to - this beautiful collie is one of them. Scared and unsure of the world, or over excited and not sure how to control emotions. We will continue to work our magic.
One boy that has made massive steps is Levento the golden cocker I posted about not so long back and his character is really starting to show its wonderful to watch him learning how to be inquisitive.
Then we have a bunch of dogs all between 5-10 months old, the teenagers I call them. All learning about life and still needing guidance. This is Flash, one of 6 in a litter we have. They are all learning well, but are desperate for more and really do need to be in homes learning about life!
Our staff work so hard to give e dogs positive experiences, and I was delighted when Sylvia forwarded me this video and photo of Geri one of our truly dedicated members of staff...
Thanks Geri!
Natalie x
 

 
.....Time is so precious, it flies by and 8 hours is just never enough time to fit everything in you want to.  More than often my working day will start at 8.30am and have the most amazing plans and structure, by 9.15am plans can be put aside, destroyed or prioritised. More than often they are added to every hour and more and more tasks are delegated to the staff on top of their daily routines. Having the time to do everything we dream of unfortunately is not reality, however the staff and I give it a good try! Anyone that ever tells me they are bored in their life, I invite them to come spend a day at Many Tears. There is never a dull moment here, wether it be controlling the intake of dogs, exercising dogs or the rehoming process - staff are always busy or occupied.
.....Finding time to give our dogs specialised time is hard, some just need someone to sit in their kennel, some need to hear our voices, see our movements, or smell our presence. The puppies they need cuddling, and desensitising, their ears played with, teeth checked and paws tickled. Our under socialised dogs need our company to learn about humans. Our excitable dogs need extra walks, and extra play in their play areas, or interactive fun training.
.....Minutes turn into hours, hours turn into days and days turn into weeks, unfortunately then weeks turn into months and our longest term dog here has been with us 5 months... So many days behind bars. So today I feel very thankful for all those special people out there, our extended Many Tears family, because without you our dogs would all be lacking in all of the above. This weekend saw groups of volunteers, this so far this week have have seen school groups and many others who come and offer their help. Along with our regular volunteers and committed dog walkers we have seen extra faces. You kind people allow our dogs to have that extra thing. That extra thing that without you wouldn't help to change our dogs lives. So thank you, thank you for giving up your time to benefit our dogs and puppies, you really do make a difference.
Natalie & Sylvia x

Working the late shift in the centre shows me quite a lot, when all the members of public have gone and the rest of thestaff have gone home for the night.  One main thing I see is the bond that the dogs have for one another and the fact that their going through this hard time together is one brightness in their day. I am given set jobs to do through out my day/evening until it is time to lock away, however I can't stop to admire the closeness between the dogs as I'm walking around the rescue. A few times it has made me smile when I've had a hard day and makes me realise why I am doing this job. Seeing the puppies completely zoned out lounging on one another after a hard day of playing to the ex breeders who find it a time of day where they know there isn't anyone around and they can relax outside in the run and cuddle together without a fright of a stranger popping out of nowhere.

One pair who I have a big soft spot for are Frosty and Aussie. They are like an old married couple! He has calmed down a lot and that is to do with Aussie not taking any nonsense off him! They love doing everything together, especially sharing a duvet to keep one another warm at night. If situations were different I would love to take the pair of them, I think they'd fit straight into home life pretty smoothly and with their characters they'd make your life quite interesting!
Matthew

We are being very spoilt in Wales, those of you who live in Wales or come to visit Wales know how harsh the weather can be at times but today we are on our 7th day of having non stop sunshine, the sun rises and sunsets have just been amazing! The sun brings so much happiness and its been so lovely, the dogs have been able to have non stop play outside!
We have so many dogs in our care, so many that are shut down, excitable, and just generally happy, I wasn’t quite sure how to show you all the happiness in some of the dogs here so I decided to video for you as I walked through the main yard section. I hope it shows you just how lovely these dogs greet us every day and give us no reason at all to be behind bars in prison.

Victoria continues to thrive and today is my last day working with her as on Sunday Jenny our staff member is taking her to foster her and I feel blessed to of helped her on the way! Today she took another step to happiness she initiated play with another dog and what was more special was it was my own dog Rock, he has such a lovely nature and just is so welcoming to our needy dogs. So off Victoria goes to start her new life.

Our two other special girls Precious and Pixie also continue to strive from strength to strength. Pixie is running around and will come up to us now wagging her tail. Precious is starting to gain in trust and confidence and slowly will let Sylvia and I pick her up and take her into the play yards to have time playing around. Its such a privilege to help dogs like these along the way to enjoying life!

My last mention today is this special boy Zorro, he’s clearly had a troubled past but now for no justifiable reason finds himself in prison! Zorro initially when he came here was petrified, he had no idea about humans or how to interact at all. Now this little man will come when called, shares his kennel with two other lovely dogs and enjoys his walks out with staff, he needs his own space and he needs someone that will understand that sometimes Zorro can miss read what he needs or needs his own time. Zorro could give someone a real loving companion and he’s a huge pleasure to be amongst, I just wish someone would give him the special time he deserves!
 

Today we made a difference - we made a difference to many peoples ives, many dogs lives and we changed our own lives.... Today we were a team and a team I am so proud to be apart of.

   
Today saw the arrival of some ex-breeding dogs and today their lives start. The main priority when dogs come to Many Tears is to check their health and address any areas of concern and then to assess, worm, inoculate and microchip them. The minute a dog comes through our front gate they are in our hands, care and hearts and it is up to us to change their lives.  The dogs that came in today are empty, lifeless and soulless - some cannot even look at us. They need care, love and trust and need it soon. They show no emotion and are shut down so today we changed their lives and tomorrow they will start their new journeys in our care to recovery.
Their is no I in team, my team has so many qualities, values and reason to feel privileged, my T.E.A.M. stands for:

Trying. There is not a day goes by without a challenge or an extra hurdle or surprise around the corner. Every day something new happens and without warning we are faced with new situations we have never addressed before.  Maybe a decision or an action, sometimes life changing or sometimes just superficial..  but not one day goes by without the effort of trying. Our team try at everything, even the areas they do not feel sure about - they try. The dogs - they try too.

Emotion. This work comes with no barrier for emotion and this one I think the little said the better. Emotion counts for a lot of things, happiness, sadness, love and heart break, excitement and disappointment. At Many Tears the emotion of each individual dog can induce so much personal emotion too. The rehoming aspect shares so many emotions to us here, it's the bitter sweet act of the final stages of our 'children' being in our care, and oh how it can be hard but rewarding at the same time.  It's a really difficult emotion to express but the team do an amazing job and it and I couldn't be more proud. Then the emotion hits hard when we find ourselves in situations hard to deal with but we soon remind ourselves of the reason we are here and that the main priority is that the dogs are safe and now with us are loved. Emotion is hard, it's hard to control, unfortunately sometimes uncontrollable.

Active (participants). Everyone has their own roles, all have strengths and weakness.  However  weakness is not a negative it's an area which staff have room to grow in confidence and gain a greater knowledge and that's where the other members of the team come in. Each have their own strengths and thrive in these areas and what is more every single one of our team shares, teaches and inspires others in their areas of strength.  We can always learn and no one ever knows it all and that's one of the best qualities I believe a person can have; they always want to learn more. Everyone comes prepared for work despite knowing of challenges or hurdles, every team member comes prepared and when those challenges hit they listen and act on it, they help and plan through it. All are fully engaged in the work of everyone else and not one will sit on the sidelines. Everyone uses their own initiative to make things work, striving to succeed in always wanting the team achieve.

Magical. Many Tears is a magical place - it's an addiction. When you are here it can take over your life, channel your energy and express you of emotion, but when you are not here and maybe taking a break you always revert to thinking of nothing but the rescue. Like a drug it's so easy to eat, walk, sleep Many Tears. The magical thing about the rescue is that every member of our team whether it be the vet, kennel staff, office staff, fosterers, dog walkers or our home checkers -  everyone has the balance of Many Tears just right.  Everyone knows how much they can handle and how much they can give and you know what!? Every time it is so so so much more than ever expected! Many Tears is magical because every step you take is another step to changing our dogs lives.

I must sleep and tomorrow we will continue to change lives. I feel so blessed this evening.  Thank you to everyone who supports Many Tears, the fosterers, the home checkers, those working from home to support us, the staff, the dogs, but mainly thank you to Sylvia and Bill for bringing Many Tears alive.
Natalie x















 

.....Whilst Sylvia has been away for a couple of days she left her very special two project dogs in my safe hands and what a privilege it was. After having 4 days off I was amazed with the transformation the girls had had whilst I was away - Sylvia has performed miracles. I also got such a greeting from Victoria who all the staff have been doing a wonderful job with, she now comes in our office every day!
.....So Pixie and Precious had a big move today - they moved into a new kennel along with some other dogs (Curry, Pippin and Dace all nervous characters as well). So every day the 5 of them all get time to spend out in our little yard we have that is safe for smaller and scared dogs - the girls love this time. I have had to work really hard over the last two days to gain the amount of trust they have in Sylvia which she obviously worked very hard for. I’m not quite at that level yet but Pixie and Precious both will make eye contact and allow me to carry and interact with them - they are so special!
.....So now during the day Victoria enjoys her time in our office amongst 13 other dogs and she is just fabulous.  She finds the nearest bed and curls up and observes from there.  It’s amazing to see and a pleasure to be a part of.  I am really hopeful for her and Jenny one of our staff members is keen to foster her which will be amazing.
.....Talking of which a special mention to Cai one of the latest members of our team who recently caught the fostering bug! Cai has fostered not just any dogs - each time he has taken (if suitable) the dogs that have been here the longest and it’s amazing that so far he has rehomed them all within a month!! Such dedication, thank you Cai!
.....I am so grateful I have such a fabulous team! I must go, I have dogs at my feet who keep staring me out and then staring at the door, its walkies time!
Natalie x
 

.....Today is my first day of after working 10 days due to working last weekend.  I was dreaming of a lie in and hoping I could sleep through my alarm but as normal up I got at 6am and I was out walking by 6.30am.  The dark mornings are looming in and I can't help but think winter is upon us. But now at 8.30 I find myself sat in a long que waiting for my name to be called to see a professional.  Queues are everywhere you go, whether it be the supermarket, the doctors, or even the hairdressers. People just sitting or standing waiting for it to be their turn - I wonder if the dogs in our care feel that way?
.....So the sun in shinning through the windows and it looks like it's going to be a nice day, I'm still in work mode and find it hard to switch of. Today I will constantly run through my head what's going on at work. The extra jobs and tasks I set my staff to do before leaving for my 4 days off. Tomorrow and the weekend my mind will be occupied (I am competing with Teek to try out for the England team for 2016 ) but today whilst I do chores and drive to my friends my thoughts are still in work.
.....Yesterday was a positive day for Victoria and me.  She shone just like the sun is shining now. Victoria walked forward as I entered her kennel and although ran back the minute I went to put her harness on she still moved! I cried.
So out we went, with her clutched to my arms I carried her into our special garden, the wind chimes playing away, the birds greeting us and the sun on our backs. We both sat down and for the first time she made eye contact with me. I cried again. For just a split second I saw trust in her eye and despite the minute she felt fear again she looked away - it was a glimmer of hope.
So she stood like a statue next to me as I stood up to walk and took a few steps as did she. So I picked her up and faced her with our next challenge.
As she has been spayed a few days and has really made progress I thought time to introduce her to the thought of being amongst other dogs. So I walked into my office where all our dogs are calm and sleeping and just sat on the table with her in my arms. Much to my surprise she took steps to stand and get off my lap but still lean on me. I cried again!
A couple of the dogs stood up and looked over. She looked back with interest, and then one little one, our dear Mitch came and stood beside her - so kind of him. She smelt him and showed great interest and before anything negative could happen, should it happen I picked her back up and took her back to her kennel.  Yesterday was a great morning for her and I felt so proud but what was to come was even more so....
As I took Victoria's harness of her normal routine would be to struggle and then the minute she was free to run back to her bed and hide her head. But yesterday it was different. I took her harness of, as gently as I can, and she did not struggle nor did she run away, Victoria stood next to me, looked up and me and made eye contact again and then she walked back to her bed. I was amazed and could feel me starting to choke up AGAIN!!
I told her how special she was and what a good girl she was. I then called her name, "Victoria" I said and again "Victoria, come say hello". But she sat frozen to her bed. So I went to stand and get onto my next task when she looked up at me, I looked back and she stood up so I crouched back down but this time I said nothing. As I did this she walked to me and as I thought to myself do not move do not move she made even closer movements. It lasted for about 30 seconds - Victoria came and stood beside me still tense with worry but I felt blessed. I picked her back up sat down with her on my lap and sobbed with happiness. I felt so proud of her but also felt blessed that she felt she could. Thank you Victoria for giving me that time.
Thank you to all the staff too for spending special times with their project dogs and making them feel special too.
Natalie x

Yesterday a dear little pup came in from a breeder who was unsure what to do with her, she is called Tinker. Tinker does not walk properly unless supported. Her back legs buckle. We are using pro perception exercises and I am also helping her swim in the bath to help strengthen her muscles. I'm hopeful there may be a fosterer out there that would like to take on Tinker as a project and help in her rehabilitation maybe also someone can fund her to have acupuncture to help along the way too. We’ve had many successful results with pups like this but they are all so different so its always hard to know what their futures hold.
Today I'm grateful for all the extras people do for us, we have been blessed for the last week to have the lovely Joyce one of our very treasured fosterers stay on site and work with us and the dogs! Joyce works endlessly and always does more than ever is excepted and yet again she has done just that. Not only did she bring yummy sweets and biscuits for the staff and have pockets full of treats for the dogs, she donated many other things too but the biggest thing for us is as she left today she left with a van full of dogs! Her own foster dogs, Fraser and three of our very special collies, Sandie one of our springer's to be adopted and two others on route to their foster homes. Joyce simply THANK YOU! Please come back soon or we may have to come and kidnap you!
Thank you also to everyone that donated cakes this week the staff were amazed and really enjoyed them!!
As our office under go’s the maintenance work I snapped this picture today (see behind for the reason behind the work!!!).  These three dogs are in foster care with staff members therefore come to work with them and spend the day in our back office, socialising and going out for walks with volunteers. These three all have wonderful foster homes and the staff work so hard with them, Mitch the yorkie, Napal the westie and Orka the bichon. Two are now reserved and Napal is just left looking for his forever home.
Natalie x

.....This weekend I worked to cover staff and I got to spend time with some staff I very rarely see which was great to catch up with them but to also share with them some of my new ideas and thoughts I share with the staff throughout the week.
.....I also got to work and make decisions with Terry who is here to put the new kitchen and office together for the kennel staff in the heart of the kennels.  We have had some very kind people help and along with many emails I have been sent (sorry to those who I am yet to reply to but they have been great help and have worked) and all those bringing things to make the work easier. Those who have sent links to free ads of kitchen work surfaces etc.... THANK YOU!!
.....So the work has begun and its already feeling so much better, we spend so much time in there and its also the home to most of our resident dogs and many foster dogs taken by the staff too, without this space the staff would not be able to take home the ones needing foster as they would have no place to go during the day so for them its so important too.
.....So another project of mine (yes the never ending list)... All staff today have been delegated project dogs, we have done this in the passed with the dogs that have been here the longest and our most long term dogs however this time I am doing it slightly different as I feel there are dogs in more need of special time. These are our scared dogs, the dogs that are lost, lost in the world of fear. Sylvia and myself have chosen these dogs and both each have project dogs too.
.....So my project dog is the dear Victoria, and I am very excited to tell you already she is making so many steps to progress, here are some photos of us out in the garden yesterday and today she took her first two steps. She is still rigid with fear but has responded so well to me using TTouch massage and body wraps to help her feel reassurance. So my project is to find my sweet Victoria a home, to do this I need to find out more... I need to work out why she displays this behaviour but only behind bars, So this week when our office is quiet I want to take Victoria in to here, and hopefully I can take her home to see how she is within my home and behind the doors of rooms. I have also started to use a herbal remedy with Victoria and hope this will start to relax her too. 

  
xx

My little Koala has flown the nest and is on route to her forever home with the new name Pikachu!  Good luck little Pikachu and I look forward to seeing you grow up - you've gone from strength to strength

Finally I very sadly want to wish a dear member of our team a huge good luck... Lisa left to University this week and I couldn’t feel any more proud, Lisa has been a Many Tears family member for 4 1/2 years and in those years has made a massive impact on many dogs lifes. Her most biggest project was to find our dear Bowie a forever home and I am delighted at the success she had as on Friday Bowie left for her forever home and Lisa was here to wave her off. Thank you Lisa, you make Sylvia and I feel very proud and good luck at Uni!!
Natalie x
 

.....The Many Tears Christmas Cards and 2016 calendar have arrived!!  It's always such a challenge to know what is right to do and every year we change our designs.  This year we are so so so pleased with the the results. The dogs featured are all evidence of the lives we save at Many Tears and a result of all the hard work. I think all the dogs look like top models and am proud to claim a couple of them as my own foster Many Tears babies!  When looking through the calendar and cards it's so lovely to re-jog memories of the lovely dogs by seeing them.
.....So now for the next stage and that's the selling of them, so please HELP by spreading the link to the cards and calendars to all your friends and family.  We price the cards and calendars at just above what we pay for the production in hope that we sell lots. All profits help us continue so please help us by buying our cards.
.....Also a special and big thank you to Janette who helped massively in the production of the calendars and cards this years and to everyone who played a part in the production (you know who you are!.  Selections for photos was soooo difficult but thank you to all who sent them. 

TO ORDER PLEASE CLICK HERE

 

Natalie x

.....Hello all, sorry it's been a while we had an extremely busy start to the week, with lots to catch up on from the weekend and new dogs arriving plus the continuous work we do.

.....Today I had a phone call and it upset me and made me question what I do but then I remember what I do is right and what we at Many Tears do is right and that just sometimes we have to be reminded why we have the rules and policies we do.
.....I was being described how their 5 month old puppy was starting to misbehave, starting to freak out at the most simple situations and worry about new happenings but also she was snapping at new dogs but hiding away first. They described how she would hunch up in a ball and then lunge out. I stopped them from continuing and asked when they had had bought the puppy to which they replied at 8 weeks old.  I asked them if they had taken the puppy to socialising classes or if they had attended any training classes, or let the puppy socialise with dogs in the local park. The answer instantly gave reason to why the now 5 month old puppy was behaving in this way.  Despite owning her since she was 8 weeks old the main career for the puppy had then gone back into full time work and they were both far too busy to 'even walk the dog.
.....I was stunned initially but then felt upset for the poor pup - lack of socialisation is the reason for so many behavioural problems and other issues dogs develop. What upsets me the most is when I/we know that they could of no doubt been prevented by the things we ask of adoptees.
.....So despite not being a Many Tear dog it still proved to me why we as a rescue have the policies we do. With every puppy adopted through Many Tears and information sheet is offered and given, one of the sheets consists of a 'puppy rule of 12.  It's such a fun sheet and puts excitement into puppies up bringing but also gives opportunities of challenges and participation of all family members when bringing a puppy into the family. If you are interested in this information please do seek it, for life's are put at risk with the lack of socialisation. Here a couple of photos to support my campaign of my young Koala (now named Pikachu) meeting lots of lovely dogs.

This video is of Victoria in her kennel.  It's quit shocking as she presents such fearful aggression and I can't begin to think what she must of been through to become this way. However in the short time she has been with us has made vast improvements already.  This video was taken the day she arrived and tomorrow I will video you her now.
With the time and patience and kind hands of the staff here she is coming round and starting to understand kindness and love.  The extra time given by staff in particular Geri who has been her key worker this week together with Sylvia I hope means Victoria is starting to feel more settled. Now, despite still presenting fear aggression when you first go into her kennel area, the minute you open the cage door she stops and settles.  She will then bow her head and will reluctantly make eye contact with you.  We have been using the false hand to smooth her over to start with so she can get used to the feeling of someone's hand, after a couple of minutes of doing this she is happy for us to loop a lead over her and for us to pick her up. Once in our arms although tense she is happy to experience new surroundings and to me at this moment this is the most important, the behaviour behind bars hopefully will change as she learns we are positive people. So today she was held by many again and sat on Geri's knee on the front bench as people came and passes, and as dog walked by. We are not sure how long she has felt this fear, nor will we ever know what caused it however what we do know is she is now on the road to recovery and we are to support her in every step of the way.

Today saw two newcomers who were brought to us from a farmer who could not sell them due to their skin. We will treat them under vet management here. Meet Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. They are 5 month old sisters and are simply scrumptious. They love everyone and everything they meet and so far have won over many of the staffs hearts here.

The two girls have mange, tomorrow they will have their first aludex bath, this is a skin treatment. Their skin is also infected alongside the mange so therefore are having a course of antibiotics for their skin. We have seen many dogs with skin like this and they have all made full and great recoveries. The girls immune system is rock bottom at the moment but hopefully with good food they will soon start to heal, Please could I ask you kind people to help, to help boost their immune system we could give them Vitamin C tablets and echinacea too. Tablet form is what we have used in the past, but we have non at the moment so ask on behalf of these two special girls could you kind people be so kind to send us some.

The girls will need treatment for a couple of months approximately and then will need to be kept up to date with skin/flea/allergy treatments in the future with the simple treatment of a spot on hopefully. They are looking for a dedicated foster home or forever home. A finally a last small plea, with all the dogs we bath we have run low of shampoo, please if you are wanting to donate \wkindly received.  Here is one of our new dogs from Tuesday enjoying her bath (but look at the colour of the water!)
Thank you all
Natalie x

Today was a busy day but when you are supported by amazing staff and volunteers it makes all the difference.  From office staff, to kennel staff, to dog walkers and the committed volunteers everyone on days like today really make a difference.  I worry so much when the staff are busy helping me book in or unload our new precious soles that the dogs in their kennels are alone. But today proved me wrong. I had borrowed two members of staff to help me book in, I walked around the kennels briefly and saw volunteers and visitors sitting in with their dogs while they were gone, they were cuddling and some were walking them too. What saints these people are to help us and enable us to run so smoothly!

So today we had ex-breeding dogs brought to us and a couple of litters of puppies that were unwanted and then some unsold.
The dogs were bathed and some treated for skin irritations, here is Raven (a cocker spaniel) who thoroughly enjoyed his bath with Sylvia and luckily for him has gone straight home to foster with one of our team, Alex.

Then there is the litter of puppies who all so innocently at the age of 8 weeks find themselves behind bars. But they are outward going and sociable so I'm hopeful their time here will be short and although small in size all have lovely big characters.

Today Koala ate her first big girl meal :-)... She liked it a lot and Daisy helped her clean up afterwards!
Tonight as I walked my dogs the sun was setting and it was beautiful, I love sunsets but they make me very thoughtful too, tonight I can't help but think of how many dogs out there do not get to see or experience such beautiful things. Those who are kept in conditions with no day light or view of the outside world. So many dogs are kept in secret but laws are not abided by and rules are not followed therefore what is not seen is not spoke about.

Today I shared this quote with my staff and tomorrow we will share another.

'Vision with action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare'.
Natalie x

Today the sun has been shinning and all the dogs have had a lovely day filled with walks, the company of staff and volunteers and the food proivded by all the donations we receive.

One dog that is still here and still looking for that forever home is Frosty and he really is desperate.

Frosty has his challenges at times but he has just not been taught nor given direction in the past. He needs someone who will not ask too of him and leave him alone when he is confused or worried but also   take him out for his walks (which he LOVES), supply him with yummy meals (which he LOVES) and most of all offer love to him when he wants it.

I don't know what Frosty will be like in a home and it's hard to judge as sometimes here. if he does not want to do something such as go to bed, he will confront you by standing his ground and letting out a growl but other days he will trot straight into bed - it's like sometimes he remembers something that may of happened to him or he has a worry about being confined in a small area.

Whilst he is here we will continue with his routine.  If he doesn’t want to something we don't push him but at the same time we will not back away from his growling.  We simply ignore it and carry on doing what we need to (which often is cleaning around him and making sure his bed is comfy). 

Frosty loves to be out of the kennels and when I see him running around the round pen or trotting up the lane with staff it makes me sad as this is the life he should have - not one stuck behind bars. Maybe a fosterer who has experience with dogs like Frosty will take him on and they will assess what he is like in a home, that way any future forever families will know too before committing. I guess this would be the right situation, however if you are willing to give this confused man a forever home and willing to work through his worries please do apply. Frosty is sharing his kennel with a female bichon who is lovely - he can share nicely and does. Please think of Frosty and if you can offer him what he needs get in touch.
 

.....These four dogs were brought to us in urgency last night by the police who had been left in charge of the abandoned dogs. All four dogs are emaciated, bald with scabs and sores, starved, itching and very dirty.  The police turned up at our door, they had asked others to help but no one would, it was about 8.30pm and the dogs were signed over to us and they became our latest babies.
.....Instantly we knew we had to act so Sylvia worked with Nikki to bathe them all which they all loved, and moisturised their skin with medicated shampoo, she also cut away matts which pulled the skin so hard it was raw. She treated them all with wormers, skin treatment and gave them all a light meal. The dogs were exhausted but ate like they had never seen food before.
.....They are all very special and their names are from Sylvias grand-children. This morning they were all checked over first thing by our vet and we will continue to nourish them and build their weight. Hopefully with a good diet this will improve so much. The dogs are all friendly and have clearly been loved at some time in the past which does make this even more heart breaking. Today the four specials have had lots of cuddles and fuss, the staff are turning themselves inside out to give them everything they need and they have enjoyed their walks out too.
Natalie x

Today's blog writing is assisted by my little helper and Sylvias little baby Aggy. When Aggy came to the rescue 4 weeks ago she came in with her 2 litter mates.  The pups, although seeming fit and well in the first couple of days, after a few days took a downward turn and we had big worry for them.  They were a lot smaller than you would hope for and never seemed to put weight on - they just looked bloated after food and then would be terribly thin again.
The pups would enjoy one meal and then not the next and went through periods of time of not enjoying their food and having upset tummies.
Soon they became weak but Aggy was always the strongest and over the next 2 weeks Sylvia nursed the pups day and night and devoted every minute to fighting for their livess. Sadly we lost Aggy’s brother and sister and our hearts are broken, but for Aggy we are staying strong. Questions to why we lost the pups will never be answered, but God must of felt he needed them more than us and 2 extra stars will shine for them.  Aggy is strong and she is a delight to care for, she loves her food and she dotes on Sylvia. Aggy will stay with us for a few more days so we can continue to support her growth and upbringing.
Every week, every day we are blessed with the kindness and support of volunteers, visitors, our fosterers and supporters. Those who come to Many Tears get a first hand experience of how we work, how the rescue runs, the office, the kennels and how the staff are sometimes really pushed.  We never hide anything. Anyone that comes to Many Tears are shown around and then they are given access and time to their specific reason for coming to visit. The one regret I do have is not having more time in the day to be able to spend more time by the side of these wonderful people.  Elaine is a keen supporter and whilst on holiday in the area came to help, here is her account of her visit.... 

Okay, so who did I meet today. Lots of Westies, and a tiny beagle boy, 18 weeks old, what a poppet.  Found a kennel full of spaniels, including Dish and Dream who wouldn't come close I was throwing treats over and they eventually ran up and grabbed some of the ones furthest away from me.  The springers did come up for cuddles but were also very timid.  We  wandered round and came across Blusha the black and tan boy.  He let me stroke him, but was crouched down with his paw up in a very submissive manner.  Met Tara and later Pepper, both golden girls.  Pepper was more confident, and had belly rubs, Tara a little less so, but did seem to like some fuss.  In addition we were in a kennel with little ones, not sure what, small white and fluffy!  Had a lovely snuggle in there, picked two of them up which was nice.  Bouncer the springer was happy to be out, and he will be a fantastic boy when he gets a home. He would be great for Cani-Fit or just a good walking companion. Busy place, people always on the go, and lots to do.
Back to MT's today, it was so busy, the van had returned and they were unloading the dogs. The new van is outstanding, what an amazing set up. I can see what a difference it makes to the it is so well appointed. Once things settled a bit I was given a collie pup to bath, it was a bit of a wrigglefest and I ended up pretty wet, (okay, soaked) but he was a scared boy, and he had some lovely fleas that I chased and removed! After that I walked 5 dogs, Hommer the podengo, so good on the lead and gorgeous, Kers a nervous collie cross, Spencer the JR cross, Tanaka a cross breed and Jasmine the cavvy cross. Time flew by, and before I knew it OH had turned up to collect me.
Spent time with Blusha the Black and Tan boy, my word he is handsome and I am a little bit in love. Very shy and cowered when you stroke him, he is in a kennel with Clementine the busy Westie girl, she is sweet. Sat myself in their basket and gradually Blusha came up for a stroke, kept going, Clementine raided my bag for treats, Blusha had cuddles at a distance. Clementine jumped in beside me and snuggled up, Blusha came closer, and after about 45 mins was in beside me, and making good eye contact. He will make someone and outstanding boy. Walked a tiny wee girl Yorkie, Kers and Tanaka and also Freddie and Fire Fly. These two are lovely, Freddie is a proper dude!Time flies when you are there. My time was up before I knew it.
Elaine

Today was a productive day seeing many dogs turn from blue or black to red, and dogs going to homes and forever homes. All this makes room for us to commit to saving more life’s and continue the loop of rescue!
Have a lovely weekend everyone,
Natalie x

Finding time this week has been difficult but I have so much I want to say.  Yesterday we were blessed with the arrival of 4 very special little puppies, all with reason to be here and all from breeders who were unable to sell them.

Rudophin, Rainbow, Roldeer, Rofens (all named by Sylvia’s grand-children) are 4 very special puppies all in need of lovely homes.



Rudophin is a little westie with very worrying neurological issue which makes her body to wobble and she has very little balance and strength.  We have an amazing local fosterer who has taken her home to assess and will work very closely with our vet to work out an action plan for her.
Rainbow is a little black and tan cav puppy who has only a 1/4 of her front leg, it is unknown to us if this is a birth deformity or if she has lost it in very early days by either her Mum mistakenly biting it off or for whatever other reason. Rainbow has gone home with our office manager Jenna and will be cared for in foster by her until she has a forever home to go to.  Rainbow manages very well she uses the ‘stump’ to balance but moves very freely.
Roldeer who is Rainbow’s little mate has a very severe heart murmur - a grade 5. We will be sending Roldeer to a heart specialist under the very kind care of yet more very special fosterers. We have everything crossed for Roldeer but also need to spread the word, she is our second puppy in need of a heart operation Fizz being the first who has already seen a heart specialist.  Each operation can cost in the region of £2000. So today I will try spread the word and I hope you will support me in this too by finding ways to raise funds.
Finally our 4th puppy is Rofens he has a very over shot jaw, we see many pups and dogs with this and hopefully this will not present any further problems other than eating carefully, however there is always the possibility of dental work being needed and future owners should be aware of this.

These 4 pups were all in the hands of god and we are now helping them too, without the support, donations and constant fund raising events we could not help and support lives like these. Over the summer Sylvia has held two stalls at agility competitions. On these stalls she holds tombola's, bran tubs and sells many donated items, gifts that supporters provide and many many more things. Over the two stalls we raised just short of £7000. With the demands of funds happening we are hoping to try and hold another stall at a dog show by the end of the year.  However a couple we have approached are unable to host us. If you know of any large dog shows where many public go please email us with the suggestion, we have so many donated items here and we hope we could raise another £2000 minimum.

Another story to tell you is about our dear, Shylah
x
.....When Shylah came to us she presented normal behaviour and cuddled well. However soon she uncovered a very sad behaviour which has left us all unknown of what to think. Shylah is stimulated by noise, movement and any attention she will circle anti clockwise repeatedly until any stimulation ends and Shylar starts to relax. Shylah does and will settle but for a very short time period and often only if she has a distraction. Last night we gave her a bone which after I had left her and the kennels had quietened down I peered through the gap in the window and saw her chewing on the bone in her bed. However soon after I took a dog in the kennel next door started to bark and Shylah started to circle again. I believe she can see and when I move things around her kennel or put her into a new space she will avoid things and doesn’t bump into objects.
.....The behaviour is so hard to know what it is, I guess the two options would be learnt kennel distressed behaviour or neurological behaviour. The worst thing for Shylah is for her to be here in a very noisy highly stimulated environment and behind bars. The next step would be for someone to make an assessment away from this environment either in a foster home or for a forever home with adoptees who are aware of Shylah’s situation and are willing to follow through with any medical or training treatments.
.....Yesterday’s new additions were very welcoming for Shylah as her cry and howl made us sad, I was interested to see if Shylah’s behaviour changed when in with other puppies and with company. Shylah didn’t settle and the whole time there was still any stimulation of dogs barking she still circled. Today she is in our office, and  although there are many dogs in the office the atmosphere is a lot quieter and calmer it's also is a larger space. If Shylah becomes worried at any point she will revert to circling however so far today has showed signs of relaxing and exploring her environment. She is starting to walk in straight lines and follow the other dogs. This is hopeful however soon she will revert back to her circling behaviour but hopefully there's hope.

Another exciting plan we have is to renovate an area which is the heart of the kennels. Our back office is an area where the outside staff work from.  It has boards on the walls which hold information such as which dogs are in which kennel, the staffing boards, medication boards, it also has the grooming room attached a staff bathroom and also a staff kitchen area where the staff can use the fridge and prepare lunch and eat in their  too. The area is also home to some of Sylvia’s resident dogs during the day also my own dogs who come to work with me.  Many of staff’s foster dogs also come in here and there is also a space where some of the kennel dogs come throughout the day for socialisation. The office also has all the filing cabinets holding numerous boxes of paper work, also the dogs paperwork packs, index cards which all of the information about the dogs is stored on. The area is used so much, but is an impractical space so we are hoping to design a better layout. If anyone knows of anyone refurbishing their kitchens and may have units they may no longer need, or work surfaces too please email me at mitchell.natalie@hotmail.com. I travel many places and would hope I could work something out.
Must go
Natalie x

We have plans but the best laid plans are those unwritten so I dare not speak out. I may however as the plans take shape ask for random acts of kindness and items which may not seem substantial but to us make all the difference!!

So we currently have two lovely lovely lurchers here.  They share a kennel together and understand each other but best of all they love us just as much as we love them.
Lady Boura has been with us a few weeks now and has done nothing but been lovely whilst being here and Kauto Star joined us on Friday from a horrible situation but again since being here has been perfect!
Both dogs are looking for forever homes and are great with other dogs, or could go to homes as only dogs. They both walk lovely on their leads and meet and greet people with a great smile!!
Please consider one of our lurchers when looking for your next loyal companion.
A chapter for Betsy at the moment is her on going ear problem, when Betsy first came to us she had just a slightly swollen ear with what presented like an infection, we treated it and it started to make good progress however shortly after finishing her medication her ear soon became swollen again and very sore to touch with this there appeared to be a swelling and  hard mass appear to the base of her ear too. With this our vet examined her ear and referred her to have x-rays of her skull. Over the weekend a open sore appeared just below the ear and a yellow discharge started to drain, so today our vet examined on his first day back and referred back to her x-rays too. Our vet Tom is going to discuss with a good friend and specialist soft tissue vet in hope they can come up with a action plan for Betsy, the vet can see a mass at the base of her ear and then on top of that what appears to of been a abscess. Poor Betsy, despite all this going on she has been such a good girl, she gets a little agitated when we are handling and having to examine her ear but so would I after weeks of treatments!!
My little Koala is doing so well and today her Mummy Daisy will be booked in and will appear on the website ready for adoption. I will allow Daisy to be adopted as of Monday 7th September, she is doing very little now with Koala as she is being fed solids.

Daisy is such a delight! She has been in my house for a couple of weeks now and has been no problem and I feel blessed to of brought her on into the character she is now. Daisy is a perfect little family dog, she has been exposed to children, grandparents, sheep, cats, horses, other dogs (big,small, female and male), home life, beach life, forest life and lots more.
Daisy is very people orientated and will follow you round she also has a brilliant recall when off lead. When Daisy first came to me she would sleep with Koala all day and not really explore much more than the living room but now she is playing out in the garden, following us around when feeding the farm animals and playing with the children. The children also walk Daisy on her harness and she will sit on their laps when they ask her to jump up.
Daisy is house trained too. I will be very picky for my little Daisy’s forever home, I feel very close to her and feel very responsible to where she will live forever, we have been on a long journey together and she has gifted us all with such a special little pup and despite not knowing what to do initially has learnt and done very well.
When I’m feeling low and feeling challenged I find it hard to see the light, but what does help me is when I sit in those kennels who are the homes to the ex-breeding dogs, we are full of westies and bichons at the moment and they are all such individuals, but one thing they do all have in common is that they are all in very special need. They need a loving companion, educating about home life and how to walk on a harness. They need a new life and we need people to give them it.
Natalie x

Thursday is the day we often have many dogs come in, and today we had just 2, two very special dogs. Our names today are courtesy of Sylvia’s grand-children. So let me introduce you to Carabou and Sweet-Eyes.

Sweet-Eyes is a beautiful young cocker spaniel who has malformed front legs. Her elbows and wrists are at strain but despite this she is one of the friendliest dogs you will meet. Sweet-Eyes is booked in to have x-rays at the vets tomorrow.  It's so hard as this is exactly what she needs for us to know which direction to go in but as well it is so costly! Times like this the donations, support and monies we receive are so so valued!! At the moment it is so hard to say what the cause of the malformed legs are and what the right direction is but hopefully after tomorrows x-rays we can make an action plan.

Our next new addition is Carabou. He is a big chocolaty bear who is so scrumptious!! Carabou is only young but has been bitten quite badly on his front leg and is completely lame at the moment. Our vet has assessed it and has started courses of antibiotics, along with pain relief and anti inflammatory tablets. Carabou is utterly delightful and really loves people, he is unavailable at the moment however as soon as his leg is better will be up for adoption and whoever gets their hands on this boy will be very very lucky!

I thought I’d share a picture of Andee one of our office dogs who is having a little nap on her lunch!!

Natalie x

Today when I walked around the kennels I walked by the old collies kennel, Ringcrub, Kettle and Tewtie. As I walked down the steps I could see they were all out in the front section of the kennel but as soon as they saw me coming into sight they hid away. So I entered their kennel and shut the back compartment so they came out into the front, they all still avoided me but did start to relax with me in there rather than worry about my presence.

Yesterday I took Hornbeam a little collie pup of ours to the outside vets to be x-rayed. Staff had noticed he had a odd gait about him and we needed to investigate it further. Hornbeam is one of 8 collies pups we have here they are about 13-14 weeks old. When we first had a call about the pups there were 15 but sadly 7 had been killed in the road near the farm. The pups we have are so lovely, they are timid initially but with the handling they are getting they are coming on amazing, Hornbeams X-rays show an old fracture that has started to heal but become infected also. We are treating him for infection and hoping this hasn't effected re bone growth which we are hopeful it hasn't. By the way Hornbeam moves and still loves life to the max we hope he will make someone an amazing loving companion.

 

The rain has been coming down for 7 days now.  It seriously started last Wednesday and we haven't had a dry day yet.  Today looked promising but then at 4pm it started to pour again. Poor Sylvia, 4pm is the time the gates shut and her dogs get their play time, many walks and bike rides, come 5.30pm when Sylvia finished out came the sunshine!

This evening I'm grateful for the mass of donations kind people send, the extra blankets, duvets and towels. The last few days we have need extra to cope with all the wet dogs so it really does help!! We are however short of bleach so if anyone is passing or able to donate please do, bleach is so important for our cleaning!!

And finally a quick update on Koala, yesterday she had a rough day and I apologise for no Blog update but I was dedicating all my free time to caring for her. She seems to have a chesty/sneezy cough and today blew the most spectacular snot bubble (sorry but it was impressive for a 3 week old)... We have started her on antibiotics and I'm adding in extra vitamins to her diet too! Today her appetitie is back to good and she's a lot more active than yesterday :-)

Natalie x

Highs and Lows.

Every Monday morning I have so much catching up to do, despite only being away for 2 days it always feels like I've been on holiday for 2 weeks not 2 days. As I walk through the gates with my dogs by my side I am greeted by the dogs in the first kennel where often there are scared or worried dogs along with some confident ones to learn from. They jump up and get excited at the thought of people coming towards them, my dogs peer in as I do to see what's changed since Friday evening when I left. This morning I see a new group of dogs and learn that the group that were in there on Friday have had to move due to having kennel cough. The new group are enjoying saying hello to everyone and enjoying the fuss that they are getting from people out the front.

My next priority is to do a walk around all the kennels. I say hello to everyone and those who choose to stay in their beds in the back I go in and make sure are ok, greet and encourage them out. Others stand at the front of the kennel and give me feeling of warmth. Three dogs I have particular interest in seeing are Ringcrub, Kettle and Tewtie. The three very large smooth collies who are learning to explore, the staff have worked amazingly over the weekend, sitting and talking to the dogs and they now lift their heads when you walk by and look interested in what is going on, it makes me feel so grateful of the special touches the staff and volunteers are capable of.

I then catch up with Sylvia, she tells me of situations and happenings from the weekend. I share a little bit of good news with her, that being information one of our dedicated staff produced. On site just 2 months ago Sylvia and I had a big worry, we worried about the amount of dogs here on site that had been with us over 6 months, but in the last two months many of our long termers have found their amazing homes, Lucinda, Casper, Jersey and many more. So now we have only one dog on site that has been here for over 4 months. This is very special information to which the staff here are very proud of.

I then catch up with staff and see how they got on over the weekend, I meet up with each one on their section where they are cleaning and getting out their dogs to exercise. I learn about new dogs walking on leads, and am told about new dogs in the kennels. We had a few new dogs come in over the weekend and today we had another new addition, that being Brucie. Brucie is a 7 year old Chihuahua who has been handed in by his owner as his wife has left home and he is out all day at work therefore Brucie was being left in the utility room all day alone. Brucie is a lovely boy and desperate to have someone special.

The day zoomed by, many people came and looked around, some came to walk dogs. Then a face I haven’t seen in many years who lifted my spirits again, its so touching to know that despite what life throws at you the support of others is what counts. Today two dogs found foster homes unexpectedly, Mavis our lovely bichon, and Dainty our energetic collie. Both to very keen supporters of Many Tears who will experience fostering for the first time, we wish you the best of luck and thank you very much.

Another lovely update is on the gem of my eye, Id like to introduce Daisy’s single pup to you all as Koala. Little Koala and Daisy came home with me for the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the life indoors. Daisy spent most her weekend upside down on my sofa, feeding Koala or sunbathing in the garden. Koala opened her eyes on Friday and is starting to explore now too. She is reacting to my voice now too! Daisy has started to dry up and has very little milk now so despite Koala only being 2½  weeks I am starting to wean her with the use of replacement milk. Koala is not interested in suckling from a bottled teat therefore she is learning at a young age to lap which she is doing great with!
Natalie x

I have to apologise for the lack of blog entries recently, time is so precious and it has got the better of us all here t Many Tears in the last week.  Staff levels are down but still the dogs continue to come in and life’s still need saving. Staff are working extra hours, days and putting all the time they can in. We are currently recruiting and at the moment potential new team members are spending days and shadowing the staff here.  We will then make a short list and spend more time with them to ensure they are suitable for the roles! Anyway I promise to get back on track with updates for you all about our days here.
Natalie x
 

.....As many of you know, we have had a spell of good luck recently and quite a few of our long stayers have been finding their forever homes. Saturday was the turn of someone very special in Many Tears. Literally two weeks before what would have been a year spent in kennels, our beautiful Lucinda finally found her forever home and everyone was completely over the moon!
.....A few weeks before a lovely lady named Claire began coming to volunteer for us, she had a soft spot for the long stayers and enjoyed taking them for nice long walks to get them out of the kennels. She couldn't understand why Lucinda had been waiting for so long for her home because she is such a lovely dog. So last week she made the amazing decision to adopt Lucinda!
.....Last Saturday Lucinda and I got into the car and drove the short journey to her forever home to meet her new mum Claire and her new sister Fly. Lucinda is a very intelligent dog and when we pulled up at her new home she knew something was up and she was very happy there, it was the happiest I have ever seen her.

.....Now Lucinda has a very strong interest in sheep and for a long time we would have advised a home without sheep unsure of what she may do around them. A few days before her adoption, Lucinda, Claire and myself went to the paddock by Natalie's house where sheep live just to see how she would react to them. She was kept on lead and kept a fair distance away. As soon as the sheep were off, Lucinda was too and I wasn't sure how well this was going to go but as one sheep tried to break away from the rest of the herd, Lucinda simply quickly circled it around back to the others and made no attempt to nip it in any circumstances. When the sheep faced her she was straight back at my side unsure of what to do next. She proved very well that day and myself and Claire were very proud of her. The smile on Lucinda's face after the visit to the paddock was the happiest I had seen her, this was clearly the perfect home for her.
.....So on the day of the adoption we went in with the sheep and again kept her on a lead just to see what she would do, and without any commands she herded the sheep back into a small pen all by herself! It was brilliant to see her behave so well. She met the neighbours JR, Boots, who I hear is her new best friend! She is unsure of the horse and cows because of their size and has probably never seen them before but she is coming around slowly. Claire is over the moon with Lucinda and I have been told she is having a fantastic time with her, she is definitely in her perfect home there is no doubt about that! Here she is at home having a nose with her new friends, the sheep! 
..... I will be keeping in touch with Lucinda's lovely owner Claire so I'm sure we will have more stories for the blog! We still have plenty more dogs that desperately need homes, I would love to see Bowie find her lovely forever home she desperately needs it!
Lisa x
 

What do you do on a rainy day?
.....The best laid plans are those unwritten, especially on rainy days because it doesn’t matter what you plan it always manages to change something. Here at Many Tears on rainy days the dogs get extra love, volunteers and visitors come and different to normal walks they spend time within the dogs kennels, they cuddle them, nurture them and socialise them. It helps to have someone sit in with these petrified soles, it helps them get used to someone sharing their space and used to the noises us humans make and the movements too.
.....This morning after getting soaked walking my own dogs following on from opening up the kennels, I stripped off as I went in to handle and tidy up Daisy’s maternity suite. Today I was grateful for people thinking of us when getting rid of unwanted items such as bath mats as these make perfect mats for pregnant mums. The two remaining pups (a boy and a girl) are continuing to strive and Mum is being very Mumsy now too.
.....The staff today worked endlessly in the rain and then out came the sun this afternoon and the early evening was spent walking dogs, playing in the play yards and letting the scared dogs have free time in the play yards too.
Natalie x

OK, I know I'm no longer kennel staff, but I couldn't resist going back to volunteer on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon and ended up offering to do today's kennel blog. I made straight to long- term resident Lucinda's kennel to take her for a nice walk. As I got out onto the road I passed staff member Cai, also walking dogs, and he asked me if I knew that Lucinda was reserved and might be going soon. This was the most fantastic news and caps a brilliant few weeks when several of our long stayers have been lucky enough to find what we all hope will be their forever homes. Hold your breath everyone until Lucinda is on her way.

Others who are still waiting for their special people to find them include Frosty, pictured here with Matt. Frosty's hair has been getting long and matted so he was taken to have it all shaved off today. He was not impressed! He sulked for ages, refused to go for a walk, and didn't cheer up until we got his best friend Jeffery out to play with him. 
Left is the 'before' picture and right 's the 'after' one.

Frosty and Jeffery are 'The Odd Couple'. They love chasing each other around the play pen, rolling around play fighting and going for walks together, but they refuse to share a kennel, insisting on separate bachelor pads next door to each other! Come on boys, sort it out, you're taking up valuable kennel space.










Another little fella who's been waiting a surprisingly long time for a home is Mitch the yorkie, aka Mr Personality. He also had a makeover today with a bath and groom that made his coat shine beautifully in the sun, in the hope that he would catch the eye of a potential adopter. He's currently sharing with two small nervous ex- breeding females - maybe some of his confidence will rub off on them, he's certainly got enough to spare.

For those who have been following the blog all week you'll be pleased to hear that Daisy's two remaining pups are fine.

And look who called in on her day off to make sure all was well with the pups - it's dedicated yard manager Natalie, happy to see they're OK and to have a little cuddle of course!














 

Daisy’s little boy did not make it.  He tried as did we but unfortunately heaven stole another of our little ones. His brother and sister are doing well, Daisy is being so wonderful and they are feeding well, they have doubled in size already and I am hopeful.

 
Today's photos are supporting some very special dogs, Lady Boura, Tanaka (who lost his home today), Daisy, Ega, Tassy & Paloma. You can read about all these very special dogs on our the Dogs Looking for Homes page on the website.

Today the office have had a difficult day and they would like to apologise but thank everyone for being so patient whilst they have been having IT problems.  Being in the middle of no where has its challenges and the internet here throws a spanner in the works every now and again and today it did! So thank you all for being so patient when calling today.

Natalie x

This month we have/are loosing 3 very valued members of staff from our kennels. Wendy, who worked Thursday through to Saturday, left last week, Lisa will soon be leaving us to go to University, she works Sunday through to Thursday, and at the end of this month we are loosing our most recent recruited staff member Louise who is leaving to to a diploma at a Vets. To say I’m devastated is an understatement. Finding new staff to add to our team here is hard and is always a worry when going through the process, the physical and metal demand is tough and sometimes its not until people have spent a full week or so with us and been exposed to what the staff see here that the job can be understood. So we have three positions to fill, two are full time including one day each on a weekend, one has a live in opportunity and veterinary experience would be really valued. The last position would be to work weekends with the potential for extra hours during the week too. For all positions the candidates must have experience with dogs, have a full driving licence, be good with the general public and be good to work as part of a team. Find out  how to apply for  the positions HERE.

.....Daisy and her pups are well today however I am still concerned about the smallest boy, I tried to take pictures of the pups to show you the size differences. Sylvia and I are latching the little boy on to feed and so far today every time has continued to feed for a good amount of time, which makes me so so happy! What else made me hopeful is that when I returned from taking Daisy out for a walk all 3 pups seeked out Mum for her milk including the little boy. So the little boy is drinking but is still very thin and weak so please continue with your positive thoughts.
.....Today we welcomed 4 new dogs to our family, two 13 weeks old pom puppies who were returned to their breeder due to slipping patella's and then two ex-breeding girls, Beyonce the Lhasa and Britany the westie. All 4 dogs were booked in and photographed, their eyes say everything but for now they are safe and that's what counts.
.....The two pups we will have to take to our specialist to have their knees checked but we have been told that the operation wouldn’t be performed until they are 6 months old unless it is an emergency. Bruno tends to skip on his hind left leg so we may have to consider an early operation for him. Whichever way the two poms will be for donation only and any adopters would have to understand that there maybe be the potential need for an operation in the future.
                                                      
..... The two ex-breeding girls are not terribly scared but are nervous about new beginnings, we are reassuring them and so far they are settling in well. We have many dogs like these two girls here at the centre who have been spayed and neutered and are waiting for forever homes, however on their climb it is really valuable for a foster home to help with a couple of steps on the way up. Foster homes are very valuable to us and we count on them a lot. The difference in the dogs is incredible when they have spent time in foster and our fosterers are amazing, they nuture and teach them, they love them and expose them to life. We are all very grateful for all of our fosterers, if you think this is something you could do please read HERE:

.....And finally, every day our office staff work their way through the pile of post. I happened to be in the office today at the time of them opening and was handed a very special update. Megan was a cocker spaniel we took in here a few months ago. She was very underweight and terribly shut down (first photo). She had fear in her eyes and shook like a leaf. Today we received the most wonderful update and photos to support it. Updates like this make our hearts melt but also gives us faith in what we do. Thank you for sending the update.
Natalie x
 

.....I'm sorry to bring those of you who follow the blog sad news, yesterday late afternoon and yesterday evening we lost 3 pups. The first one I found to the side of the whelping area, he was cold and despite trying I could not revive him. The second was early evening and I believe Mum had accidently laid on her, again both Sylvia and I both tried to resuscitate the pup but it was too late. Then late yesterday evening another boy had sadly given up too. I believe we did and are doing everything we can and the other 3 pups today are looking different, they have also grown in size and are feeding well. Our 3 lost soles I believe just were not strong enough after having the rough start they had. God bless you babies.
.....In our sadness Sylvia and I sat with Jenna (our Office Manager) and discussed some issues we feel we have here.  Our main worry at the moment is funds (as always) every year we do an annual raffle, we have amazing prices and we spend a lot of money to generate the resources to make it happen. This we make back and then money on top of this goes towards much needed funds for the rescue. This year however despite our mass of support we are a large amount of money down, roughly about £10,000. That £10,000 could and would make a huge difference to all the dogs and the running of the rescue.  Money to pay staff’s wages, to fund the diesel to save the lifves and many other things. We have only a month left until the raffle is drawn  (5th September).
.....I had a meeting with my staff this morning and gave them all a challenge, if they can sell a minimum of a book a day until the 5th September we will have a celebration day at the end of it with lots of cake and treats! (They all love cake!!!) So be prepared when you come to visit, whether it be one ticket at £1 or a book at £5 please help us make a difference!
.....If you can help by selling some more raffle tickets and books please email us at info@manytearsrescue.org requesting raffle tickets (they come in books of 5) and we will you name and addresses so we know who to post them to.  Can you also mention you are buying them after reading the Kennel Blog!
.....I must tell you about my next challenge I have given to my staff.  For those of you who are far away and maybe do not visit you may not know that we now have a on site shop. The shop is bursting at the seems of wonderful items, collars, leads, coats, dog treats, bowls and so so much more. So my staff have a challenge to see how many items they can sell. We have everything here that an adopter needs for their dogs, oh we have crates too!  So if you are in need of anything new for your best friends, please bare us in mind, most of the items are still labelled and sparkly new! We have some second hand dog beds too, that have been washed up and are as good as new!
.....Despite feeling low the staff here are always so caring and supportive and all day we have been checking the puppies every 15 minutes, Mum is feeding the pups well, the smallest I keep latching on every hour as sometimes he struggles to find the teet. Fingers crossed for us please. My dogs are my rock and I feel so privileged to be able to bring them to work.  They keep me strong as do all of you. Reading the response we have from the blog is so supportive and reminds me why we do what we do so thank you.
Natalie x

....This morning I was greeted by some new arrivals and their Mum and Sylvia told me their story. Sylvia had a phone call yesterday evening asking if she could help from a very worried person. A family member had brought the dog (Daisy) back to a home from where they had moved out from several months ago.
....Daisy was in first stage labour and the family member did not know what to do and left the dog there. The lady was worried understandably and drove straight to the PDSA. Daisy had started her labour but the first pup was stuck so the vets in charge of the PDSA performed a C-Section. What the lady didn't know that because it was out of hours the PDSA hand over to Vets Now. Daisy the little dog gave birth to 6 puppies. The vets then contacted Daisy’s owner at 2am in the morning asking for her to collect Daisy and her puppies. The owner explained that she did not feel safe driving at that time due to tiredness therefore she couldn’t collect them at that time in the morning and that she would be able to collect them first thing in the morning, at this point the vets quoted her another £200 on top of the initial £1300 she was quoted of the C-Section.
....So yesterday morning Daisy and her pups were collected by her owner and taken home, however the pups didn’t seem to latch on and Mum was a little worried. Daisy’s owner didn’t know what to do and although told by the vet that the pups may not show interest and given some food to hand raise the pups if needed she had no experience how to do so. So yesterday evening Daisy’s owner phoned and spoke to Sylvia asking for help as she was worried for the pups lives and of course Sylvia said yes.
....Daisy is doing well however she is quiet and scared.  She clearly has no idea what is going on and is a very young mum. Her pups are starting to show interest in suckling from her and Daisy is starting to produce the milk needed for them. Today we needed to do something to guarantee the pups were getting enough milk, fortunately for us we have two dogs here that have just been returned from foster after raising their puppies that are now acting like surrogate mums. The two surrogate Mums are being amazing, we let the pups suckle and then return them to Daisy who will clean the pups up and then keep them cuddled up to keep them warm, this afternoon Daisy has started to produce milk and the pups have shown an interest in suckling from her on their own which is great news! Please say a little prayer for these 6 little gifts. Daisy is such a wonderful lady and we are all keeping our fingers crossed.
....Whilst all this is going on we had four newbies arrive - two westies and two bichons. All ex-breeding and in need of TLC, we had to shave a couple of them but struggled as we are low on the correct clipper blades yet again and I had to keep stopping due to the clippers over heating. If you are holding any fundraising, or have some spare collection money we are desperate for 10 and 15 clipper blades and more so a new set of clippers.  You can find these listed on our Amazon Wish List  which means they will get delieved straight to us. 
Thank you!  Must go, puppies to check on!
Natalie x
 

.....Monday is my duty to lock away the dogs in the evening.  We do this in the summer months to prevent the dogs having to be locked away before the staff leave at 5pm. I cover Mondays, Louise does Tuesdays and the Matt works 12-8pm Wednesday to Sunday. Tonight the sun is shinning and I'm glad we have this system in place.
.....It's a bitter sweet feeling for me, seeing their sad faces breaks my heart but knowing they all have a warm bed, clean water and other dogs to keep them company is a saving grace.
.....Some kennels I enter and the dogs are already in bed, I have no need to usher them into the back like others. I pop my head inside the kennel and the dogs raise their heads, but they all know it's bed time and rest their heads back on one another's backs and sleep away until morning.
Others however...
Some dogs read me entering their kennel after not having company for all of 3 hours as play time and I have now invented the best game of usher the dogs into the back of the kennel - the dogs are really good at this game!!! It's like a game of dodgems, some dogs have it down to a fine art, under my legs, through my arms. And then there's the long termers, these know the routine and are all accustomed to bed time games. Most will go to bed on verbal's with the bribe of a treat, I have to be very careful though to not over verbalise them with reward as this soon attracts them back out!
Natalie
 

Today's blog concerns the rescue's weekly foster run. The weekend, in part, is dedicated to the foster run. Though the weekend, especially Saturdays, can be the busiest time of the week with regards to adoptions and the public coming down to the rescue, preparations for the foster run must be completed by the end of the working day on Saturday. Such preparations include giving foster dogs a quick health check – making sure spay/neuter wounds are clean & healthy and ensuring the dogs’ microchip numbers match the corresponding paperwork – and loading the van with food, medication and other bits and bobs for the shop.

Although these preparations are carried out on a Saturday, the day starts like any other here at the rescue. The morning consists of cleaning kennels and feeding/exercising the dogs. When all kennels are clean the focus of attention turns to the foster run. Usually, the early morning staff is responsible with making sure preparations for the run are carried out. Firstly, a foster list is printed. This list, produced by the office staff, contains the names of all the dogs going to foster, the dogs’ fosterers and the location where each dog is being picked up.

The dogs on the list are then, one by one, given a health check. Also, all dogs departing for foster must leave with a collar and a yellow tag stating that the dog is microchipped. Collars and tags are fastened on the dogs when the health checks are carried out.

Simultaneously to the health checks being carried out, another member of staff loads the van. Most of the dogs here are fed on the same food. Two or three bags of rescue food is put on the van. Fosterers can then help themselves to food when they pick their foster dog(s) up. However, there are dogs at the rescue which are fed on different food. Reasons for this typically concern dietary requirements. If a dog is being fed a particular food, then this food is marked up for the dog and placed on the van. Puppies too need their food marked up. It is vital that puppies are not over or under-fed and that fosterers continue to feed puppies the food supplied by the rescue. Every possible effort is made to make sure that puppies are sufficiently fed. Details of portion size and frequency of feeding accompany the bags of puppy food. Donated items which are bound for the second-hand shop are put on the van. Donated items range from books to shoes. It should also be noted that if a particularly nervous dog is set to leave the rescue, it's put in a carry crate on the the van so that the fosterer can safely transport the dog in the crate from the van to their home without the dog escaping.

Once all this has been complete, the foster van ready to leave the rescue on Sunday morning after the dogs have been loaded. Every Sunday morning the van leaves the rescue bound for a journey eastwards on the M4.  It makes multiple stops for fosterers to collect their foster dog(s) and Reading is the van’s last stop. The van returns to the rescue early Sunday evening, ready for the next run the following week. Thanks for reading.
Emyr

Todays blog is about Lady Boura and I would like to tell you how we met.

Yesterday as I passed through the office, Sylvia told me of a dog desperate to come in to our care, her life had been put on threat. Through no fault of her own, Sylvia told me the owner was leaving her for multiple hours and the neighbours had complained that she was making too much noise. Sylvia and I agreed we would do what we can and try the dog on arrival with our other dogs to ensure she greets them well and will be ok to come into Many Tears.

This morning came and already it was 11 am, the first two hours of the day goes so fast and I was then called to the reception where the dog in question from yesterdays conversations would be. As I walked up to reception I was greeted by a very quiet spoken gentleman and his dog who was bending herself in half to meet and say hello to everyone, as I came through the gates she did exactly the same to me.  I was approached by a soft, gentle natured girl whose eyes pierced through my hardened shell of emotion. I asked the routine questions such as, what dogs had she met previously, does she mix well with dogs and new people, the questions continued. The whole time I was discussing this poor sole with her owner she nudged my hand and lent upon my leg, her presence was quite something, it made me feel warmth and the feeling of being needed.

.....When filling out the release form which seeks information about the dog coming into our care I asked a question which the answer was to shock me more than I could of prepared for. I asked if Lady was destructive in the house when left for any amount of time, the man chuckled and said yes lots. I asked what and he went on to tell me how she’d destroyed his sofa and many other items in the house. So I asked for how long Lady had been left for to cause such damage - in my head I thought maybe up to 6-8 hours would justify this behaviour. The man told me Lady had been being left for 12+ hours whilst he worked.  I paused and then continued!! As we completed the release form I realised how loyal this sweet girl was, she now sat by the man’s feet and struggled to step away.
.....I'm writing this now in the office after spending 45 minutes with Lady Boura and Rock (my young collie) in the play area.  It was such a pleasure and I can not express to you all how special this girl it. Lady Boura galloped and played non stop. Her face lit up at the company of another dog and she appreciated everything we gave and gave so much back too.
.....This girl is only young, she's 18 months old and so keen to learn, play and explore. She would suit an active lifestyle and would love to learn new things, maybe agility or be someone's partner for cani cross.
.....Lady Boura does have a chase instinct for smaller animals such as rabbits so we would look for a home with no smaller furries. She has been around livestock and has been very well behaved although she does worry about things a lot bigger than her such as horses or cattle.
.....I feel very special about this girl, I feel she deserves so much more than she has had in the past and despite her owner loving her she was left for so long and to her own devices for far too long. Her mind must of been lost!
.....Tomorrow I loose a very valued member of staff and she will take a part of Many Tears with her. Wendy has worked for Many Tears longer than me and when I came to Many Tears Wendy welcomed me with such experience and valued information her contribution to my welcoming was great. Wendy never stops, she often beats me into work at the start of the day and I often leave the car park watching her tuck into her dinner (that she never stops to eat) in her car before driving the 45 minutes home. Wendy’s experience is valued so much and her non stop work ethic has always made Wendy stand out in the crowd and everyone who meets Wendy has every admiration for her. I know when I say this I’m speaking on behalf of all the team here at Many Tears when I say Thank you Wendy. We will miss you a lot and we hope you will come and visit us.
Natalie
 

It's Thursday morning. I'm on the front section, probably the busiest section. I've got 40 dogs to look after, including 9 pups. I start cleaning the 12 kennels and one stable! (six pups are in a stable, that's how full we are at the moment). At 11am I need to feed the pups. At the same time the front gate opens to the public. It would normally be quite difficult to find time to do a blog when you're on fronts but I get lucky - some lovely volunteers turn up and help to entertain all the puppies. Here they are with Quick, Geof, Gordon, Gracie, Gabby, and Gavin (not in that order, sorry no time to sort out who's who!)

After they'd tired out those six little rascals the girls took Slip, Savy and Siriol into the round pen for a good chase around. Here's Slip giving kisses to show his appreciation.

On my way back from the round pen I noticed the van had returned with new arrivals. Have you ever seen a sadder face than this? This dear old Labrador girl was the last dog off the van and waited with trepidation to find out what her fate would be. I tried reassuring her with kind words, explaining that she would be alright now, that her life had changed for the better and that she was going to be loved and cared for. It will take time for her to be convinced, but by the end of the day she was settling into her new kennel with two doggy friends for company and reassurance. She'll be on the website within the next couple of days under the kennel name 'Vetty'.

Back to my section, where these recent arrivals are discovering the comfort that a new duvet can bring. We are very grateful for all the bedding that's donated to us, and the dogs are always fascinated by anything new you put in their beds. They all rush over to give it a good sniff, then climb in to try it out. Duvets are very popular but you have to be careful who you give them to - five dogs in one of my kennels today decided that it would be great fun to remove the contents and throw them all around. Here's a selection of dogs demonstrating that they know what you're really supposed to do with them:

Parsley, Nutmeg and Pepper.....................Chilli, Cinnamon and Nutmeg enjoying some afternoon sun

Garlic, Chilli (proper chillin'), Nutmeg and Pepper as the shadows lengthen. Looks like Nutmeg didn't move off it all day!
Wendy

.....Today was my first day back after 7 working days off. It was a tough one but all the staff were so kind. The hardest thing for me was seeing dogs that were in the same kennel as when I'd finished 13 days ago, dogs like Melman (pictured here), Jeffrey, Frosty and many others, despite still being in their own jails they were as ever so pleased to say hello on my morning rounds.
.....Later in the day I greeted 3 new dogs and the happiness rejoined me as I was reminded why I was part of the Many Tears family. The new dogs were so comfortable in the staffs arms as they booked them in and as they blessed them all with names we began to see personalities shine through.
.....I then met up with Logan who looks remarkable and has improved so much and at lunch time all the staff told me of wonderful stories about things that happened whilst I'd been away!
.....Then I heard my name on the radio. I was asked to go to reception and to meet another dog needing to come into the hands of Many Tears. This one broke my heart, her owners so devastated but who did not know where else to turn.
.....Coco's mum was a full bred retriever her dad a retriever cross breed. Coco is about 18 months old and is under socialised but very kind, affectionate and has been loved. The kennel environment however hit her hard, she was only just through the gates when she halted with fear. Faced with the unknown of how to deal with the atmosphere, noise and upset of her owner.  Coco started to cry too, she shook with fear and panted with anxiety. I cuddled her, held her close and reassured her it will be ok. Fortunately we have very caring staff here and one has offered to foster Coco until she finds a further long term foster or her forever home. Please read her story when she is put on the website in the next few days - she's very special.
Natalie x

.....At the weekend I visited Many Tears and spent a few hours as a volunteer.  I live 170 miles away so it was great to visit at last.  It was such an inspiring and interesting day that I thought I would write about it in case anyone might like to hear from a volunteer ‘newbie’!
.....First off, MT’s Louise showed me around so I could meet all the dogs. It’s a major first time experience as you are greeted by dozens of eager faces wondering if you might be their human.  I wanted to rush out and buy a ton of Lottery tickets so I could do more to help.
.....As a first timer it was immediately clear how hard everyone works. So many dogs, plus of course visitors dropping in and all-important adopters.  Keeping the kennels spotless must be a never ending job, as well as updating the blackboards with the names of the dogs, their breed, age and sex, and the all-important ‘R’ for reserved.  There really is a dog here for everyone.
.....Louise then showed me the sand school and exercise areas where it was great to see Annie, the Basset Hound cross Sharpei running around in the sun. It was easy to imagine her absolutely loving a home with loads of nice walks. I do hope she finds one soon as she is lovely.
Louise asked if I’d like to take a couple of dogs out for a walk so I met terrier cross, Toby. Toby has been at the centre for some months (you may have seen him in this blog) and I’m not sure why as he’s a great little man! He cheerfully pottered down to the stream with me, sniffing at the hedgerows and making happy little grunting noises as he explored. He’s such a sweet boy and good on the lead – he really deserves someone!
.....I’d read Geraldine’s blog post last week about volunteers sitting in the kennels with the nervous ex-breeding dogs to get them used to kind humans, so I spent quite a while ‘sitting’ – or should that be ‘chatting’?! Have you seen MT’s hilarious Great Escape video (https://youtu.be/R19SCAj2E3s )? Its stars are a brilliant pack, but are not all convinced about people yet and when I went into their kennel, Inky, Ipso, Keifer and Isla headed for the safety of the basket in their bedroom. Four pair of concerned eyes stared out at me, clearly unsure of what I was up to. As the owner of a happy, trusting dog who always turns to me if he’s ever worried, this was a new experience.  Thank goodness for Many Tears.
.....Giving the nervous dogs their space, I chatted to their two brave kennel mates, the very friendly beagle Idol and Westie Boy George. Both had arrived in the last week. Idol is so lovable, very interested in saying hello and will be a joy for her lucky human. Boy George is a smashing little guy and very dapper!  They were both happy to trot around, say hello and then lie in their basket near me. They were even brave enough to let me stroke them a little bit.
.....With the others still wary, I kept chatting, and after about an hour – and motivated entirely by the arrival of MT’s Amanda (aka The Biscuit Lady) I am sure - the more nervous dogs very bravely ventured out of their basket. While I know my place in the dog world (ie some way behind biscuits!) it was still the best thing to be surrounded by these brave little dogs all at the start of their adventure to happiness.  They looked very pleased with themselves and didn’t rush back to their basket which was rewarding in itself.
.....After meeting the beautiful and very cuddly Sprocker Buster  I spent time in the exercise area as all the dogs took their turn in some outdoor activity. Amanda said it helps them to see different people and interact with us on their own terms, so I hope what felt like just having a play in the sun was helpful!
.....When it was time to go I was so pleased to see that the two dogs in the kennel next door to Idol and co had both been adopted and as I write this, Keifer the pug and Isla the spaniel have been reserved too I believe. I’m keeping my fingers tightly crossed that Toby, Idol, Boy George, Ipso and Inky will also find homes very soon.
.....As a first timer at Many Tears, I can’t tell you just how nice everyone was! All the staff were so friendly and informative, despite their really busy days and I was even offered some staff birthday cake! I would really recommend volunteering if you’re thinking about it.
.....Thank you so much to everyone at Many Tears for letting me chat and play with the dogs. I really hope to come back again soon.
AJ
PS: Sorry I didn’t get pictures of everyone but hopefully you’ll be able to see the dogs by searching their names on the site.
 

It's pouring with rain and the sand school is developing it's own lake. It's 9 am and there's not much sign of the rain stopping. There's some sad music playing over the tannoy and it's matching the mood perfectly. Not my favourite kind of day. I fetch a stack of towels ready to dry the dogs with after they've been out. The trouble with days like this is you end up with a pile of wet towels and wet bedding and not much space in which to dry it. Yuk!

When you're feeling a bit low, send for the Jersey boy! Jersey never fails to make me laugh with his antics, he's so enthusiastic. Here he is telling me to "put the camera down and throw the ball, or throw the camera, anything, just play with me". Moments later he's chasing after his toy, breaks too hard and ends up skidding on his back in the sand. Next throw he's leaping like a salmon to catch it, misses his landing and rolls over and over. I'm feeling better already.
Jersey's kennel mate is the sweet, gentle Florence. Florence is beautiful inside and out, walks well on the lead, without pulling and, like many of our beagles, would make a perfect family dog. I'm very fond of this girl and hope she doesn't have to wait too long for a home.









The blackboards attached to each kennel give basic information about the dogs within. One of the jobs the staff have is to keep these up to date as dogs come and go and move to other kennels. Fortunately Toby can't read this because a red 'R' means a dog is reserved and this means Toby is going to be losing his kennel mate for the second time in a week. He's been here long enough to have had many kennel mates and we'll find him another friend, but what this little guy really needs is a home of his own.  Toby (on the right) hopes to get a red 'R' next to his name soon.

Hazel, one of our lovely fosterers, came to the centre today with one of her foster dogs, Jayden, who was being adopted. She left with Harriet (pictured), one of the nicest dogs you could wish for. Do you think Hazel could park an empty car outside the office and go home with only one dog? Not if Nikki had anything to do with it! 
Here's Nikki making sure Dobby's on board. After Nikki and Matt had finished Hazel ended up leaving with six dogs, including Tika, our old boy beagle. Thank you Hazel and the other fosterers she was dropping some of them off with.
Wendy







 

.....Today is my last day in work before the weekend, and I have decided to stay on and volunteer for a couple of hours tonight, just to spend some more quality time with my doggies. It's something many of the staff here at Many Tears do as often as they can. It's a lovely dry day so I want them all to have double the amount of time they usually get in the play yard. They deserve so much more and deserve to be spoilt. And if they're really good (which they are!) they may get a carrot stick or a piece of chicken - whichever takes their fancy.
.....So the day begins. I clean my section as quickly and thoroughly as I can. Of course, as usual, I get offers of help from some of the dogs. The JRTs in kennel 5 - Lulu, Lenny Henry, Linzi Lohan and Lily Obrien, think they should be in charge of cleaning their beds, and try to take my towel off me every chance they get! And Azaria, our sweet, shy, little collie in kennel 10 obviously thinks she can do a better job of mopping up than me, because she tries to take my mop away from me every chance she gets!
.....When I approach kennel 6, I am surprised Champagne our lovely lab is not sitting at the front of her kennel waiting to greet me and give me cuddles and kisses, but instead, is lying with her back to me and playing with a toy! I've never seen her play with a toy before. She seems to have discovered them over night! I am so excited and happy by this! She is obviously starting to feel happier and more relaxed. She runs over to greet me with a very happy face and we share a big hug as soon as I enter her kennel. She has such loving eyes. She continues to play in the play yard - and it seems the bouncey red hoop is her favourite toy of all!
.....We are all extremely busy and work really hard here at MT's, and many of us eat our lunch on the go. But sometimes we all need to take a few minutes out, and if I do, I take Champagne (or Thyme) out for a walk. She is so calm and lovely natured, she now walks perfectly on the lead - she only pulled on the lead before because she was so afraid. She walks right by your side too, at a slow pace, enjoying going for a stroll, and her calm vibe rubs off on me!
.....Champagne shares her kennel with 3 beagles! Some of their bedding needs changing and boy do the beagles love their new clean fresh bedding! They dive straight in and roll around. They make me laugh out loud! They are just SO comical! Here is Axel standing in her new bed and Andy sniffing it to see if it smells better than his! I think Axel approves - she looks straight up at me and gives me such a quiet cute little wooooof - I think she's happy!
.....It's virtually impossible to clean kennel 7 - they are just so excited to see you and desperately want to start playing! Kennel 7 is my most playful kennel for sure! Every single one of them loves to play. And they are all so good at sharing their toys. We have the very happy, (she always has a smile on her face) bouncey chocolate lab who is Leanne rhymes, Pumpkin the lovely sweet JRT, Jaco the food obsessed, cheeky but slightly shy and nervous beagle x terrier, and of course Hanna and Harriet, our super charged, super energetic springer spaniels, who are in training so they don't pull on the lead so much! They are very clever and are learning fast. 
.....I'm pleased to announce Sophie our gorgeous dalmatian is reserved. Whoever you are - you are so lucky! She was spayed yesterday so I find her in bed in the back of her kennel.  She tells me she is sore and isn't feeling up for much today - which is unlike her. So she is on bed rest until the end of the day when she feels much better and goes out into the yard to play. Because Sophie is not feeling 100% yet, poor Bon Bon seems lost without any kennel friends to hang out with and keep him company and give him the confidence he needs to hang out in the front part of the kennel. I give him a little kong to play with and this makes him happy and keeps him occupied while I finish cleaning. He looks so cute playing with it. He is a very very nice looking bichon. A little later on, Sophie has cuddles and I talk to her and try to explain what's happened, and why, and try to comfort her. She appreciates this. Bon bon watches the whole time. I don't like to force myself onto scared dogs, I let them come to me first. Bon Bon is still so scared so I give him my hand to touch if he wants, and to my surprise, I find myself stroking him. He jumps at first, and looks at my hand, but he doesn't run away, or snap out of fear like he used to, and to my complete surprise, he starts wagging his tail!!!! I am so pleased I run into the office and tell everyone!
.....Tassy our very pretty, shy and nervous girl, is doing amazingly well. I cannot imagine what she's been through or how she must feel, or what goes through her mind, it truly breaks my heart to find out she was kept in a cupboard for a part of her life. She is so easy, so sweet, so gentle, so pretty. All week she has watched me give fuss to all the dogs who come up to me. She has shown interest, and she looks at me with her head tilted to one side, as if to ask what am I doing - what is this stroking and cuddling thing that this lady does? This human seems nice? She is inquisitive and wants to learn and experience life, now that she finally can. All week she has been slowly trying to build up her confidence to let me stroke her - I've been offering her my hand but she always freezes...........until today! :) She has finally found the confidence and bravery to come right up to me, drop her head, and let me stroke her! I must contain my excitement - all I want to do is squeal in happiness and jump for joy, but obviously that would frighten her! Once again I apologise for the terrible picture but i was so desperate to capture it on camera to show you all. What an absolute sweetheart.
.....I just wanted to tell you our lovely Dora the golden retriever pictured here on the right hand side, with her new friend on the far left, got fostered by a lovely gentleman who is one of our very valued fosterers. Dora was scared of men, but this gentleman is lovely and wise and patient, and she already feels comfortable, and he will not give up. All it takes is love, patience, understanding and time.
.....Here is Elizabeth with one of our newbies - Elizabeth is one of our very valued volunteers. She sits in with the nervous ex-breeders and spends hours in a number of kennels, giving all the dogs fuss, teaching them humans can be nice, teaching them they don't need to be scared anymore, that they are now safe, and will be forever loved, fed, and looked after. Today Elizabeth even managed to get this little beauty trained on a harness and lead! I've met a lot of volunteers lately who have been really surprised at us just wanting them to sit in with some of the dogs. But this helps them so much! And we are so grateful to all the volunteers who come up to help walk our dogs, or sit in with them. We cannot tell you how much this means to us and to the dogs.
.....I could write SO much more. But I will stop here I think! I'm hoping I'm on main yard again next week - I usually am - I get very attached to my dogs and one of my favourite things about this job is seeing the progress each dog makes. It really is a wonderful feeling, say, having an absolutely terrified ex breeder who has been man handled, finally come up to you for a fuss. I also have lots of plans for the dogs next week. Now they know I am not going to harm them, like others have in the past, every single non walker is going to be trained on a harness and lead, I can't wait!
.....Oh - just one last thing - Timmy and Melody are pestering me to take a picture of them too! Here they are, and here they are cuddling up to each other with the rest of their kennel friends in bed. They've all squashed themselves into the small bed instead of their big bed, and have also managed to move it to the front of the kennel. Maybe they want to sit in comfort and watch the goings on of the centre. Or more likely, my guess is that either Timmy the Lhasa has done this on purpose so that it's harder for me to get in their kennel - he is a right little character and is definitely the boss! Or...it could be little Connie as she is a little mischevious and loves giving me the run around when I try and get her in from the play yard. She finds it quite hilarious!
Geraldine
 

.....Please read up about our beagles, they are very special dogs. So far we have been able to get some of them to homes and foster homes but it would be amazing to get them all out. Here are two of our quieter beagles, Varsha and Gallent, both amazingly affectionate girls considering the life they have had before Many Tears. Both came over to me when I was sitting down to ask for affection and love, another of the little things that makes you smile.

.....It's the little things at Many Tears that brighten up your day. Whether it be a friendly doggy greeting, a dog leaving for its forever home or just a simple wag of the tail from a nervous ex breeder. They may be small things but they will always make you smile no matter what type of mood you're in. This mornings routine consisted of friendly hugs and sloppy kisses from the confident dogs. I couldn't think of a better way to start the day! Then it is time to say hello to the ex breeders. It is quite a challenge trying to encourage them to come up and accept a fuss from you, some are trying to build the confidence to come up but are too unsure of what might happen if they ask for affection.
.....Throughout the day I have had numerous little moments that make me smile. When yarding the dogs, a little shih tzu named Blue refuses to follow her kennel mates into the yard, simply because she just wants you to pick her up and carry her in instead. She is such a sweet little girl and she really makes me smile when she is sitting in her bed, wagging her tail waiting to be picked up and carried like a little princess into the yard. Trying to get her in from the yard is a different story when she is running laps around you looking very pleased with herself!
.....The kennel next to Blue's is also full of mischievous little ex breeders! Four friendly westies and a sweet little schnauzer. Sitting in the yard with them definitely makes me smile, they all run around with such happiness in their stride, pure joy spread across their faces, it's such a lovely thing to see. They have more than likely never had so much free space to run around in. One of the westies wags her whole body over to you to greet you and has a big cheeky smile on her face too! Seeing her smile makes me laugh and she is such an affectionate loving girl.
.....The ex breeders in the centre at the moment are incredibly sweet and loving, I can't fault any of them. The petrified ones break my heart and if I see at least one improvement in one of them in a day then I count that as a huge success in itself. One of Many Tears' aims is to help rehabilitate nervous dogs to get them to develop and grow and to be able to see them literally growing and building their confidence is such a rewarding thing.

Last but not least, here is a video of the extremely playful and happy young boy, Melman and his kennel friends who happen to be Varsha and Gallent!

I hope this makes you all smile and shows that the little things really do instantly lighten up your mood :-)
Lisa

.....Today was my first day back at work after having some time off - and oh my gosh how things have changed in just one week! I looked at our board in the office which has all the names of the dogs, and what kennels they're in, and I only recognised a couple of dozen! A massive wave of emotion passed over me when I found out some of our long term dogs have either been fostered or adopted. Sally the ball obsessed collie, April the sweetest little collie, Sarah and Sunny our gorgeous elkhounds and Lilly the beagle x whose been with us for a year is now reserved!!! I could not believe it!
.....Of course, lots of dogs leaving means lots of new dogs have arrived! So I get to work straight away. I am on Main Yard and I have over 40 dogs to look after this week. I am excited to see most of them are new, but sad and frustrated to see a couple of long termers, including Thyme, my beautiful beagle, is still here.
.....Thyme has come such a long way, and has made such remarkable progress since her arrival at Many Tears many months ago. Back then, she was absolutely terrified of humans, she wouldn't come anywhere near us, and would even try and escape from us through the kennel walls if we approached her. It was shocking to witness.
.....At playtime the other dogs in her kennel would run outside, but she and her sister would run to the back of the kennel and shake in fear, when you approached her to try and pick her up to put her outside, she would scramble past you to get away from you as fast as she could. Taking her out onto the country roads for a walk on the lead wasn't even a possibility.
.....Nowadays, Thyme is the first one to shoot out her kennel! She loves experiencing "freedom", even if it is for a short while. She will often run straight to the main entrance of Main Yard - as she knows that is where the rest of the world is! And where she will be truly happy. Thyme is now fantastic on the lead - it's hard to remember when she first arrived she couldn't walk on a lead. She loves going for walks and sniffing around and running through the long grass. I really can't wait for her to find her forever home.
.....So here are a few of the newbies.
Meet Buster, the adorable, friendly, affectionate Springer, who loves nothing more than lots of fuss, as I found out straight away when I went to say hello!

Sunday our poodle cross, also loves fuss. Not many new dogs can walk on a lead when they first arrive, but this girl can! And she looks so proud and pretty when she walks down the road!

Hannah the energetic springer spaniel, loves chasing balls!

 

Here is Jaco the beagle x being chased by Sophie the dalmation. Those two love to play!
 

It is lunchtime now and so far today has been great! All of the dogs have been outside in the sunshine and all of the dogs who are able to walk on a lead, have been. I am going to leave it there as I have a number of jobs to do this afternoon so I better get cracking! But, just one last thing - Vega just got adopted! :) We are all so happy she has found a lovely forever home and family!
Geraldine

.....The day begins like any other, cleaning the sections, greeting all the dogs with a morning cuddle and letting them whizz around the play yards while their kennels are being cleaned. As you can see from the website we have had a lot of dogs in this week, all needing a lot of TLC and someone to show them that not all humans are bad. For most, they are very mistrustful of humans and it is heart breaking to witness. Some prefer to cower in a corner and will not budge no matter what you try, it is where they feel the safest, I don't even want to begin to imagine the kind of life they have had before Many Tears.
.....I can't begin to count the amount of times I have been showing the public around and they have said to me 'I don't know how you work here, it is so upsetting.' It can be a very difficult jobs at times, especially when we get a load of ex breeders in and the states they come in  are horrible to see, but it is also one of the most rewarding jobs you can do. Seeing an ex breeder wag their tail for the first time or come up for a fuss gives you such a big sense of pride and satisfaction. They may not seem like very big things but to the staff at Many Tears it is such a reward to see them grow and come out of their shells. And you realise then from that point onwards, their lives only get better and that is the best thing about being able to work at Many Tears. Having been volunteering and working here for the past 4 years I have seen thousands of dogs come and go. A handful of them stand out and seeing any dog leave the rescue with their new families still slightly timid and then seeing them visit months later completely confident and 100% happy is the best feeling you could wish for.

.....Today on my section I had Bowie, a female collie who has unfortunately been returned to us for behavioural issues. I always have a soft spot for dogs like Bowie, we shouldn't pick favourites but she has definitely found a place in my heart. I have taken her out a few times off site and she has been very well behaved. Her recall is getting better but I still keep her on a long line just in case. She is very intelligent. She has learned numerous tricks such as sit, down and speak. She is brilliant with cats and good with dogs if they don't bother her too much. Her favourite things are chasing the tennis ball and swimming! She still has a few problems and will need the correct training and someone with experience who will be willing to work with her problems. Please read her story on the dogs looking for homes section.
.....Lilly our longest stayer at the moment is also reserved which everyone here is thrilled about and we all wish her the very best start in life. As amazing as this news is, it is still heart breaking to see Lucinda still in kennels. It is nearing in on a year since she has been with us also and it is very sad to see. Every day she waits by her kennel door for hours until it is her turn in the sand school and it isn't a long enough time. It was heartbreaking putting her to bed this evening. So I want to make the main part of today's blog about a plea for the long stayers. Whether it be a forever home, foster home or even volunteers to spend time taking them for long walks or playing with them in the sandschool, please help these amazing dogs in any way that you can, they and we will be extremely grateful! They deserve only the best, something small that makes their day slightly different to the rest would mean the world to them. There are many highs and lows to this job and hopefully making some of the long stayers' days better will improve the lows.
Thank you
Lisa
 

 
.....Saturday’s are my favourite day of the week here at Many Tears. The first reason for this is that it’s our busiest rehoming day, which means we get to meet lots of adopters who have come to collect their new friend and family member.
.....Today little Nolly got her forever home where I know she will be very loved and spoilt! Barbara and Brinda were also lucky enough to get their forever home together. This is great as they have been kennel friends for a little while now, so will appreciate settling into their new home together.
.....The second reason Saturday’s are my favourite is that it’s the day we get the final list of dogs we will be sending to foster homes on Sunday. Before these dogs leave the centre we have to check that their microchips are working and that their spay/castrate wounds are healing as they should be. We also place collars with tags on each of the dogs. I do this happily in the knowledge that this will be their last evening spent in kennels. I tell them their collars mean that they are the “chosen ones” for this week. Tomorrow they’ll be tucked up safe and sound with one of our fantastic fosterers who will be able to teach them all about love and home life! Here are some of this weeks “chosen ones”.
Louise

.....So today I was lucky enough to be able to take the handsome Logan to his first ever hydrotherapy session in Cardiff. The day began by collecting Logan from work early in the morning to get to his appointment at 11am, he is a very good traveller in the car and slept the majority of the way there.
.....When we got to his appointment we met the two very lovely ladies who were going to be helping Logan.  He greeted them very well, asking for attention and love and getting treats as a reward. He had a little wander around the place so that he wasn't worried about any of the equipment and he was very well behaved. He sat quietly on the floor to have his legs measured and to have small muscular massages for which he got treats in return. One of the ladies said how he had already improved since the last time she had seen him meaning his strict exercise regime is working brilliantly!
.....Logan was then introduced to the treadmill. At first he was a bit nervous about getting in but once he was inside (tempted by treats) he didn't mind it very much. When it began to fill with water he was a bit unsure and wary, not knowing how to react. With a bit of encouragement and some tasty snacks he settled quite fast. I made sure to take lots of photos and videos of him using the treadmill and when it started moving he was very nervous and unsure. He was using his front legs to walk with the help of one of the ladies but wasn't moving his back legs very much, he was quite nervous about it as he was so unsure what to do! It was really interesting to see how fast he learned about the treadmill and how intelligent he is as after only 15 minutes of being on the treadmill and having the water up to shoulder depth he had learned how to walk properly on it and he had come on really fast.  The treats being held in front of him helped a lot! All he needed was for us to stand just outside the container in front of him and call his name to encourage him to walk and he took to it as if he was a natural!
.....He was let out and towel dried off and was rewarded with love for being so good. He was so well behaved and coped very well throughout the whole session, I was very proud of him! What an amazing dog Logan is, he is so loving and gentle, well behaved and calm and he has so much love to give. It was a fabulous experience to have to be able to watch Logan learn how to build himself back up and he is doing brilliantly. Thank you very much to the lovely ladies at Aqua Dogs for providing Logan with the help he needs, he looks forward to his next session and the tasty treats!
From Lisa x

.....Today is my last blog post for a few days, the staff will continue to update you and I look forward to reading them too. On Tuesday my ever so loyal Teek and I leave to compete abroad. Being away from Many Tears is hard, guilt mainly, but I know how amazing the team is and how they will all be just great!
.....Teek was a hand raise puppy along with many saved by Sylvia.  If it wasn't for her and all she does I wouldn't be blessed with my true sole mate. Sylvia rescued Teek along with his litter mates at just 6 days old from Ireland. Without the support of you, the general public and supporters, she couldn't do what she does. So please please continue to support and spread the Many Tears word!
.....Teek and I compete in dog agility and this is our first international event representing Great Britain at the European Open Championships. The support we have received from my Many Tears team and family is amazing and I am very grateful!
.....This week has been very busy, dogs coming in and dogs being adopted as well as the normal demands. We have been very honoured to be joined by 4 very passionate ladies all the way from Scotland. Their help was valued a lot and we are ever so grateful for your continued support, thank you!!!
Natalie x

Today has been busy, another busy day at Many Tears but the staff keep us strong, the volunteers keep up smiling and the dogs keep us loving.

My day started by collecting 4 new babies, Many Tears babies they are now and they are happily settled in their kennel, Juliet is one of those 4 she is a 4 year old boxer who loves everyone and everything!!

Here she is giving our lovely and very precious fosterer and volunteer Julie her best kept kisses.

All 4 girls were booked in and now are on the website looking for their forever homes, their names are Juliet, Joy, Jilly and Josie.

Next came Logan's time, today was a special day and his first introduction to Groundwork tracks to promote proprioception work enhancing core strength. I have worked and discussed in depth a series of exercises for Logan and developed a regime with the support of Maria Johnston of Canine Active Balance. www.activebalance-vetphysio.co.uk.

Maria offers unique combinations of Veterinary Physiotherapy and Tellington TTouch techniques to help dogs like Logan rehab in the best possible way.

The exercises, groundwork and proprioception are all key elements to work alongside the acupuncture and hydrotherapy Logan will be receiving to help build the muscles and strengthen his body to support those hips. Logan was a star as normal and is now sleeping, dreaming of the day he will run through the fields.

As I walk around the kennels day by day I see dogs relaxing, dogs making friends, and dogs learning.earning about companionship, about love, about day to day activities. They get used to the routines here and clearly by the looks in this photo these special little bichons have learnt to relax.

This afternoon the sun is shining, the dogs are enjoying their walks and their time in the play yards. This week we are blessed with many volunteers. We have 4 lovely ladies down from Scotland, they have come all this way to spend the week with us. They are walking, grooming, socialising, and most of all smiling. They are sharing stories with the dogs, and giving them all such a wonderful time. We feel very privileged to have the support of people like these very special ladies and are always so grateful. Thank you!

Jenny is one of our staff and known as the shih tzu lady.  She has asked me to share with you about one of her foster babies:

Poppet is a special soul. This amazing little fighter has already in her life been through so much. She came into Many Tears having what was diagnosed as meningitis.  She couldn't walk, couldn't eat and worse do couldn't lift her head. She was desperately thin and needed specialist care.

At the start of her stay here Sylvia loved, nurtured and cared for Poppet. She spent endless hours night and day feeding her standing her and teaching her and with medication Poppet started to make progress.  Within 2 weeks she started to have an appetite and started to stand and finally she was allowed to come home with me so her rehabilitation could begin.

After a few trips back and forth to the vets Poppet seems to be settling down.  She likes routine and has made herself at home. From the first wobble across the garden to her first play I have been there to see it all. I feel honered to have been given the chance to care for Poppet and help her in her first steps to real life and nurture her transformation.
Jenny x

Sylvia and I are all very proud and thankful for all our staff here.  They always go beyond the means of care and love and that's what makes the Many Tears family so special.
Natalie x

.....Today Logan had his 2nd session of acupuncture. Jo arrived as I was grabbing some food to eat at 2.45pm.  Late in the day but the first time I could break away from my jobs.
.....My day started by stepping into Sylvia's shoes, and oh my are they big shoes to fill. Sylvia and Bill are away for a couple of nights and I have been entrusted with the care of their animals and the rescue. Days like these my admiration for Sylvia and Bill sore higher than ever.
.....The day started at 5.30am as I open up all the near kennels and greet them with their breakfasts, feed the horses, arrange and set up the vets, walk and toilet resident dogs, greet the staff and prepare their dogs food as they arrive, put the washing on (endless task!), deal with emails and finally address tasks and allocate them for that day. All this before 8.30...
.....My day then is filled with endless tasks, arranging staffing, welcoming new dogs to Many Tears, a big highlight of today was watching Sally walk in the right direction of the gates!! Good luck Sally you were here far too long but for now your wait is over and we wish you all the luck in the world.
.....I must go, the vets need me and the vets list for tomorrow needs to be prepared.  Sorry it's a short blog folks, I'm so pleased to hear how much of a positive response our blog has had!
Natalie x

.....Today was as busy as ever.  The day starts with a mad rush to get your section of kennels clean, refresh bedding and water and check all your dogs are doing OK. Before you know it it's time for extra feeds for the underweight dogs and the rescue opens to the public.
.....I noticed how the four bichons and a westie in one of the kennels absolutely loved the one pillow I put in their plastic bed so I went in search of more pillows for their other beds, there are four other plastic beds in their kennel but,  like a lot of the smaller dogs in the rescue, they love to all pile in the one bed together and snuggle in, bless em!

TRICKSTER.........................................LUCINDA
 
.....I decided I'd give a couple of dogs on my section some extra attention today, which are Trickster a lurcher cross and Lucinda a collie, as they don't seem to have had much interest and I've got a real soft spot for Trickster, who caught my eye the day he arrived. I hadn't worked with him much at all so I took him for a walk by himself and found him quite shutdown. He wasn't nervous but I couldn't get a response from him and when we returned to the rescue he pulled on his lead to get back to his kennel.  I took him to the feed shed and grabbed a handful of treats, and low and behold, I had his attention at last! I then returned him to his kennel where he immediately seemed happier, this really hit me quite hard.

.....Trickster loves being in the large sand school where his only focus is the tennis ball. Matt had just started his shift and bought his adopted retriever in with him, who will make any dog play, so we arranged for Trickster to play in the sand school with Mara. What a breakthrough! Trickster started taking notice of Mara and less of the tennis ball, we put Lucinda his kennel mate in with them and we soon had three happy dogs running and chasing each other.  It was great to see Trickster acting as dogs should.
.....Throughout the day I popped into his kennel and gave him unwelcome hugs and attention and of course some treats, as I desperately wanted him to respond. In the meantime it was the endless chase of poop scooping and pee mopping, interspersed with more feeds, getting the dogs out into the exercise yard and dealing with our many visitors and ensuring not only that the dogs are in good health but also happy.
.....I noticed a little pug was being a little picked on and a bit of juggling and moving around some of the dogs places we ended up with a happier pug who snuggled down with her new beagle friends.

.....It was soon time to put Trickster and Lucinda out for their last exercise session of the day, and although Trickster was still ball focused, he stayed and leaned into me for some fuss when he
bought his ball back, and was wagging his tail when I gave him hugs.   I was so chuffed that I'd "got through to him". He's a lovely gentle soul, he takes his treats gently and is so damn cute, I also think he may be house trained as he did his business out in the sand school and on our walk. Under all that fur he is quite underweight and we're not making much progress in getting weight on him, as it's stressful for him in the kennels. Please consider this chap, he may have a bit of a "wild" look about him, but as I found out today, under that wiry fur there really is a  lovely cuddly dog.
Tracey

Woo Hoo! Sally the collie got reserved! All the staff are delighted for her and at 4.30 in the afternoon the Red Arrows flew right over the kennels in formation. Somebody said they must be on their way back from somewhere but I prefer to think they were marking Sally's special day!

There are other dogs are still waiting and hoping, including Ega, who is an affectionate cuddle monster and completely adorable, seen here waiting for his turn in the sand school.

We have cats here too! There are several semi-feral ones at the centre. We give them food and water and in return they hang out round the barn and are useful when a dog's reaction to cats needs to be tested. The trouble is the cats don't always keep their side of the bargain - they have cat business to attend to elsewhere. The difference between cats and dogs? Dogs come when called, cats take a message and get back to you.

Meanwhile, Charley the chocolate lab had a good run around today, part of his weight- loss programme. He fetched lots of tennis balls and got his tongue covered in sand! Such a lovely happy boy when it's just you and him, or you and any number of people, but he's kennelled on his own at the moment until he's learned that other dogs can be his friends too.

Finally, to end on another happy story, here's April (on the right) and her new mum and brother Brynn (ex-MTAR, was Bingo, adopted April 2012), enjoying their first walk together.








 

.....This week we picked up a dear little westie who we have called Fiona. The person said to us isn't she sweet she always sits up on her back legs for me. We agreed and she was signed over to us. We booked this little sole in and she shivered in our arms and worried at new noises but as we reassured her she started to relax.
.....We bathed her, wormed her, started her with inoculations and took photos of her all in aid to help her find her forever home. During our booking in process all dogs are health check and we try to access each dog to give an accurate write up describing the lost soles we meet.
.....What we discovered next made my heart sink for the 3rd time this week.  This little girl did what appeared to be sitting on her hind legs to some but to us it showed and expressed how fearful she really is. The reason for rising high onto her legs was to try to make herself disappear, hide away from the fear and the possibility of the unknown. Fiona is desperate for someone  to reassure her, nurture her and simply love her. Could that be you??

.....It's Friday morning. I've not been at work since last Saturday so I need to get my brain in to gear quickly. I'm on the same section which helps. I've got nine kennels to look after, 23 dogs. I need to clean all the kennels out, front and back and change the water before we open to the public at 11am.
..... I plan to sandschool all my dogs in the morning and walk them all in the afternoon but I know what happens to the best laid plans. There's never any idea how many visitors well get today, how many will need showing around, how many will be adopting dogs today. Better get cracking...
.....I start with the 2 barn kennels. If I were a dog, the barn kennels are the ones I'd least like to be in as they're quite out of the way.  Some of the dogs in there are coughing so they have to go in the little sand school hidden round the back, as we need to contain the coughing. It's small but bigger than the kennels and it's out in the sun.

I put Hammond and Bambi out first. Hammond (the Dalmatian) wants to play so I throw the ball
for him and he jumps around - what a gorgeous dog. How an earth did he end up unwanted.

Harriet, Bonny and Mitch are in the other barn kennel. They've been there for a few weeks and are getting fed up. Bonny seems to be over her bad cough now so I should be able to do more with them.

Mitch (the yorkie) is a feisty little character and thinks he's as big as Harriet. He's one of Nat's
favourites. I must say I have a soft spot for him too.

.....At 10 am I feed April, she's getting so thin she needs 4 meals a day. I give her and Spanner the brilliant news they are reserved. Their adoptions can't happen quickly enough - I hope they both work out well.
.....I'm delighted to find Annie walks on a lead now, somebody must have done some work with her over the past week, me and my dodgy back are very grateful to whoever that was.
.....I'm scribbling notes on bits of paper for today's blog. It's got to be done by lunchtime so I haven't got the luxury of doing it at home tonight. It's going to be a jumble of thoughts. I'm sorry.

Macintosh and Lilly have been moved to my section, two of my favourites. I'm shocked to see how thin 'Big Mac' has become. I'll have to find him a new nickname.  Mac and 'Diamond Lil' are two of the best ball players, both great fun to be with. Nearly 11am - yikes! Gotta Go!
Wendy.

.....Late yesterday afternoon a man turned up to Many Tears, he had called and explained about his dog he must rehome due to him moving house. He described him as a 10 year old golden retriever who had seen the vet 2 weeks ago and been given a clear health check.
As the man stood in reception I asked him about his dog and asked him to go get him from the car and bring him down to us.
.....As he walked towards me I watched an old, in pain dog who was already asking the questions why?
Buster was introduced to me, and as I questioned more the more it occurred to me how little this man knew about his dog. Buster has multiple sites over his back legs and hip region. More than likely caused by mange then with no treatment the sores had turned into open wounds. The sites had no treatment and surrounding fur was falling into the wounds. Buster was sensitive to the areas and was very unsure when I tried to examine them.
.....I asked again when had Buster last seen a vet and now was told over a year ago. The release form was filled in and the signature to secure Buster legally being signed over to Many Tears. My heart sank.
.....I sat on the reception floor and Buster sat with me. He rested his head on my knee and I assured him I would look after him. An on looking member of public who had witnessed the handing over as she waited to meet her new forever friend sat with me and shed a tear. For Buster it was just another day in his 10 years of life, but for me it's another reminder of how ignorant our own species can be.
.....Buster is now happily in a foster home with one of our members of staff and his lovely wife. They are very special people and love their oldies. They make their life have meaning and they show them what love is.
We will treat his skin and help it heal but most of all we will love him.
.....Today we were a;sp greeted by our 7 newcomers and we will concentrate all our efforts to settle them in the best we can and welcome them with open arms. For their life today will change.
Natalie x






 

.....Juke is a big lovely chocolate boy who has and always is a pleasure to meet and work with here at Many Tears.  He was castrated about 3 weeks ago ready for a lovely home he had lined up. Unfortunately for him a few days before he was due to go to his home we noticed a lump which had come on the top of the chest, near his wind pip. We had the vet examine the lump and he agreed he would remove it.
.....Yesterday Juke underwent surgery to remove the lump. As with any surgery there are always risks and worries, we all waited patiently to hear news on Juke. Then  over the radio my name was called to go straight to the vets. The lump had been removed and as we cut into the lump we discovered a large amount of fur along with a large amount of puss. The wound site was stitched and is looking very good and neat.
.....The lump which can be described as a Teratoma, hopefully will not grow back now. So why you may ask am I writing this? Well with the time we had to wait to remove the lump and the worry of the unknown, Juke very unfortunately lost his promised home.
.....Juke now is sporting a very handy bit of needle craft but this does not change him in anyway, we are confident we have heard the last of the lump and are very happy with the outcome! So if you can offer the lovely Juke a home please go to his page on the website and complete his adoption form.
http://www.manytearsrescue.org/display_mtar_dog.php?id=13544

.....Today's blog follows on from yesterday and is all about Logan! Logan today had a very special visit by the ever so lovely Joanna Evans. Jo  is a vet who used to work for Many Tears before leaving to have her daughter and since setting up her own acupuncture business called Joanna Evans Acupuncture; www.evansvet.co.uk
.....Logan welcomed Jo with his lovely calm nature and showed Jo what a true gentleman he is! As Jo made friends with Logan, he sat beside her letting her do all initial assessments and welcomed her healing hands. Logan was soon laid flat out beside Jo absorbing all the love and healing given by Jo.
.....We are very grateful to Jo for taking Logan on as one of her clients. We will fund Logan's acupuncture with the donations many kindly send to Many Tears. If you would like to help us continue with Logan's treatment any donations will be gratefully received.
.....Today came with more good news for Logan, we have booked his first hydrotherapy appointment which he will attend next Friday morning. Due to the demand of work here sadly I will not be able to accompany him however I know he will be in good hands.  He will be attending his appointment at Aqua Dogs in Cardiff with Angela Halls.
.....Hydrotherapy is an amazing therapy to help dogs to stimulate, build and strengthen muscles so we are very grateful to Angela for treating Logan. One of my members of staff has agreed to take Logan to Aqua Dogs on her day off.  Lisa I am too very grateful for you offering to do this. Logan knows the staff here and I feel assured knowing he will have Lisa to take him.
.....There are so many wonderful people out there all working to care for our four legged friends and that I will be eternally grateful for.
Natalie x

Monday morning blues...

The heat wave has disappeared, the hype of the weekend has passed and the warmth of the sun is gone. The Monday morning blues arrive at Many Tears but unlike other places they last all of seconds, I'm then greeted by staff telling me of their weekend, and as ever greeted by the happiness of the dogs wagging their tales and happy crying away to us as we start their daily routine!

Every morning I walk around the kennels to ensure everyone is happy, this morning the dogs ran to say hello but then the majority ran back to continue sleeping in their beds which are padded out with donated blankets and sheets. I spoke to the staff as I walked around and they expressed how amazing the weekend had been with lots of volunteers being here and dog walkers spending their free time giving our dogs amazing walks and play times! This made me grin from cheek to cheek, and appreciate how much we value our volunteers and visitors!


Time is so precious in an environment like Many Tears and the best laid plans can be shattered within seconds, yet everyone devotes every second of every minute to the dogs here and that's what makes Many Tears such a special place and family to be a part of.

Monday morning is often bursting with problem solving, meeting new dogs from the weekend and setting our weekly tasks, one of those this week I would like to tell you all about. Last week we were delivered the sad x-ray results of Logan our young collie's hips. He has severe hip dysplasia in fact so severe there is hardly any socket for the balls. Logan has the most sweetest nature yet is restricted to be a typical outward going collie by his lack of ability to move freely. Every step for Logan is thoroughly thought through, he can't just stand up and run or stand up and explore he is restricted daily. Today our programme starts, we have contacted many professionals too all of who are offering amazing help for Logan. Tomorrow he will undergo his first acupuncture session with the lovely Joanna Evans, and next week he will have his first hydrotherapy too with Angela Halls. On a daily basis we are carrying out exercises to help build Logan's muscle.

Logan is such a clever and well behaved patient it's a pleasure to work with him! He is just one of the very special cases here at Many Tears, please continue to spread the word!
Natalie x