Just a Quickie

There has been so much happening recently that I need to sit down and fill everyone in. But I've not long got back in from picking up a dog from the RSPCA, and I'm pooped - and as I am out on an overnighter tonight I should have an early night! So I just want to say a HUGE thanks to everyone who has phoned and emailed with support, encouragement and kind words. It really does mean a great deal to us both. You are all wonderful, kind people and restore confidence in human nature. THANK YOU.

Thank you & Arrivals

Thank you. The first thing I want to say today is thank you to everyone who has email, pm'd and phoned with words of support and kindness for us both. They are truely appreciated. Many of you also know what dark depths depression drags you into, and I am thankful that others understand. It's been another hectic couple of days again. Had to go out urgently tonight and have only just got back in, its about 10.30pm. 5 dogs in today. 4 have arrived from Ireland. Two lovely youngsters, a very nervous girl and poor, poor Jasper. Jasper. Jasper has been in foster in Ireland for a few weeks. Jasper was rescued by Tess from a farm. Jasper had been hit by a car and one of his rear legs was broken. He managed to drag himself into one of the fields - and there he lay - for 2 weeks. When Tess went up the farm to trap the feral cats for neutering, she asked the farmer where the collie was as she hadn't seen him about for a few days. He pointed to the field and said "he's in there, got hit by a car the other week." Tess went into the field and found him laying there, his bone exposed from his leg and him in total agony. Tess asked why on earth he hadn't taken him to the vets, and he replied, "it would cost money. I've fed him. It will heal or he'll die." Tess asked if she could have him and bought her home with him. Tess took him to her vet and asked him to amputate the leg as it was in such a state. Her vet wanted to try and save it (he thinks he is a bit of a leader and into pioneering procedures!) Tess didn't think that was a good idea, but he insisted it was the right thing to do. Jasper had his op, Tess has been moving it daily for him, but he doesn't use it or put weight on it. She says it just hangs like a wooden leg. The vet has now said it is useless and the muscle is wasting away. Thanks Mate!

We are going to make the decision whether to amputate now he is here. Ideally, what we would like to do is give the leg a chance with some therapy. So we would like to try and find a foster home who can move Jasper's leg around for him, encourage him to use it and hopefully take him for some hydrotheraphy to see if that will get him moving it.

Jasper is a sweetheart. A lovely old chap, great with other dogs, large and small and good with cats too. How Tess managed to stay calm with the farmer I will never know. At this moment in time, I would have swung for him by now. Urgent. Our 5th arrival today was an urgent one. Yesterday evening we took a phone call from a neighbour of a very frail and elderly lady. Her companion had been rushed into hospital and she could could no longer cope with her 4 year old collie boy. She had booked him into the vets to be PTS as she thought she had no other option - thankfully her neighbour convinced her to cancel the appointment while he found somewhere for Ricky. Ricky is a nice boy, he has been very much loved - so much loved that he could do with losing a few pounds! This and lack of exercise has made him a very portly chap! His Mum was very proud to point out that he'd come from a 'good' breeder who shows collies. Ricky is good with people, good with other dogs and lives very happily with cats. He ADORES going in the car - and used to make his mum sit in the back, while he was co-driver on the passenger seat! It would have been a travesty if Ricky had died because his Mum couldn't cope. BUT - I don't blame his Mum, she obviously loved Ricky and didn't know what way to turn - I blame the person who thought it was a good idea to sell a collie puppy to a frail and elderly lady in her late 80's who had to rely on others to walk her dog. Someone who had NEVER had a Border Collie before. You tell me where the sense and logic is in that?!?

A lot of nothingness

There has been so much going on I have no idea where to start, and to be honest I'm not sure I want to, or can be bothered to at the moment. Moral is at an all time low. My depression has reared its ugly head in spectacular fashion in more ways than one, and even Paul who is unique in the way he stays calm and can always see the light at the end of the tunnel is feeling down. Bless'em. It's not the dogs, it's never the dogs - they are our reason for being. It's the people. The selfish people. The people who give up because a dog has farted, the people who expect things instantly, the people who have one little mishap and the whole world caves in, the people who are too stupid and selfish they shouldn't own a stuffed dog let alone a real one, the people and other rescues who take advantage of good natures, the people who will think nothing of going and spending hundreds and hundreds of pounds on trainers and behaviourists who do nothing to help their dog - in fact screw them up a bit more, and then come to us as the final resort - expecting us to pick up the pieces by taking the dog, or by giving them behavioural advice.... sometimes spending hours with them - and then leave without making a donation to the rescue! Because obviously the advice we've given, that they see working while they are here, and all the dogs we do the same for here are WORTH NOTHING! Much better to pay someone who f*cks the dog up completely. SOMEONE TELL ME - WHERE IS THE LOGIC?? Because I just can't see it anymore? Someone please tell me why we bother? The vets bills are through the roof at the moment, I don't know where to start with that one. Thank goodness to Alexa and her vet bill fundraising drive. Weekends are hugely busy, and we are now getting busy with visitors during the week too now. A couple of weeks ago we had 18 dogs come in over the space of 6/7 days. Barely time to breath. I don't know what the next step is for Wiccaweys. We really need to think where to go from here. The rent has gone up by £300 this month - and it is scary the amount we pay now. It hit me that the money we are paying out each month could be going towards and buying a lifetime home for Wiccs that would be here long after Paul & I have both shuffled off over the Rainbow Bridge, carrying on what we started - and comitted to the Ethos of Wiccaweys. But I can't see that happening, because the type of premises needed for the rescue are so expensive. At the moment, my head is telling me to batton down the hatches, lock the gates and stay safe in the wonderful place that is Wiccaweys, with all our furry friends around me. All those others can stay outside the gates. I know thats not going to happen - so I'm saying now to the regular Wiccaweys visitors - and also to other visitors, I can't do people at the moment. If you come over and I can't interact with you for long, or at all - it's not you - it's me. Its nothing personal against you. Even if I can't batton down the hatches physically, I need to do it personally for a while. I'm apologising in advance.

Patch's Big Day!!! After 18mths he finds his home!

October 06, 18months ago, that's when Patch arrived at Wiccaweys, a huge lump of an old collie boy who was too scared to walk. He had been slashed with a knife around his ear and neck and had given up on people and life. He just lay on the floor waiting for the next blow that life would deal him.
With time and patience Patch rediscovered life again now, and it was wonderful to watch the years drop from his face. He found his feet and would trot off around the field happily for his walks. Life is Cruel. In December 06 we noticed Patch was drinking quite a lot, so he went to the vets for tests. We thought he might be diabetic. The vets conducted quite a lot of tests and diagnosed Cushings Diease. We were gutted - after all Patch had been through, and how he'd come out the other end - to have this happen was heartwrenching. We decided to not pump Patch full of drugs, as he wasn't ill in himself and the treatment for Cushings can bring on other side effects. No Chance. The diagnosis put Patch's chance of finding a home at zero. We were gutted for our big old soldier. We couldn't believe it. Patch was actually getting better and stronger every day, and starting to look fantastic. When people did phone for him, they weren't interested as soon as we mentioned the Cushings, although that was listed on his details or they expected him to be a poor old thing on his last legs and needing a hospice type home - as kind and as generous as those home offers were, they weren't right for Patch. He was a big strong collie by now. Strong on the lead, stubborn when it suited and a true character. He was fabulous and we adored him! We desperately wanted a home to come forward who wanted Patch because he was Patch, not because they felt sorry for him. July 07. We took new pics of Patch to show how well and fabulous he was. They showed a completely different looking Patch from the poor old chap he was when he first arrived. Patch was not a dog who wanted pity - Patch was a dog who wanted a home of his own.
Patch was a favourite with all the dog walkers and visitors and a real gentle giant of a dog with visiting children. He adored them and throughly enjoyed washing faces! Not Ill! In December 07 we decided to have Patch retested for Cushings at our new vets. We couldn't understand it. He was better than ever. His coat was looking great, he was happy and healthy and did not look like a Cushinod dog. Patch's tests came back negative!!!! We were over the moon for Patch, but also very upset that he'd been wrongly diagnoised in the first place and deprived the chance of a loving home because of it. This was it, it was Patch's time now - a home must be out there. We updated his details with the good news - but still no home came forward for him. People were wary of considering him because of the wrong diagnosis! April '08. Its happened!!! Patch has got his new home!!! I'm sitting here with tears of joy streaming down my face. Our big old boy has finally found the lovely home he deserves with a wonderful lady called Jay - who wanted to adopt Patch because he is Patch. And he has certainly landed on his paws as Jay is a vet nurse, so the Cushings positive/negative thing isn't an issue. What will be, will be. Jay has fallen in love with Patch for Patch - and she sees Patch as we have been seeing Patch for all the time he has been with us. A fantastic and cheeky old man with attitude and a mind of his own. Patch left us today, looking extremely happy and pleased with himself in the back of Jay's car. Pauline kindly baked a cake in honour of his big day, and all the walkers, Jay and Patch himself had a slice (or 2) to celebrate. I'm sure Lily St Bernard managed to snaffle some too. Before Patch headed off, he kindly agreed to a photo shoot so we could share his happiness with you all. I'm off now for another happy blub, so please enjoy and celebrate our Darling Patch. Good luck old man, wishing you health and happiness.

Mental Day!

It started at 3am, getting up to go and meet the new arrivals from Ireland. Donal was running late as the ferry was held up, so kept warm drinking tea in the car park. Once Donal arrived, the 8 new arrivals were loaded into Brynn and it was off home. Got back about 7.30, so it was time to start the normal routine for the day, and settle in the new guys. We did a photoshoot at the same time. The last of the legendary Sprogdogs came over on this trip, so it was a special pick up. She is a grand old lady. Got back in the house about 9.30 and grabbed a quick cup of tea and it was back out again to pop dogs in the van to head to the vets. Star was having her spay, and Captain & Mel were having checkovers before heading off to new homes. Eleanor met me at the vets with Lady & Molly, who needed a booster. Poor Lady has mammory tumours, so will be going in for an operation on Thursday for a mammory strip. Fingers crossed for her as she is a beautiful girl. Once finished at the vets it was back to HQ. As I pulled in the drive, Captain's new dad arrived to collect him. It was lovely to see the old chap head off in the car with his new family. Smiley faces both human and doggy! Finally got inside and started to catch up with the days emails and calls. As mentioned in the previous blog, the phone is absolutely mental - and sadly people do not read the website properly - and seem to think we are a HUGE organisation with the staff and facilities of the big national organisations. We are not, we are 2 people. We are not superhuman and we can't please everyone all the time, we can't answer phones immediately and we can't return calls immediately. The dogs come first and the rest has to be second. More chores done, and then it was back to the van for another trip to the vets. The remaining 3 pups were loaded in to go and have their skin infection checked and collect Star. The vet was really pleased with how the pups skin was clearing up and was happy to give their 2nd vax and chips today. All 3 were very brave and didn't make a peep. Unfortunately they weren't so good in the van and took the opportunity to have a very smelly pooh in their crate! EWWWWWWW!!! Star came out none the worse for her op. I booked up our next few appointments and then it was a trek home through the rush hour traffic. While I was out at the vets, Mel's new family came to collect her and sadly I missed her leaving as I got held up in the traffic. Good luck Mel, you have been waiting a long time sweetheart. Be good and have fun. By the time I got back, Amanda had been over and dropped Alex off to stay for a few days. :) He is currently crashed on the sofa being used as a cushion by Percy and Belle! LOL! Alex helped Paul & I to sort everyone out for bedtime and we all tripped inside. Paul did calls, and I caught up on more emails. Alex kept Belle & Percy occupied - that means they use him as a trampoline! The oldies went outside for a constitutional and our resident bats were out performing in front of the house. It was really nice as Alex could see them - and they are very brave bats and fly very close to us. It is quite lovely. By 9pm Paul was starving and made dinner. I thought I would do a bit of blogging before hitting the sack. It's catching up with us now. It looks like it will be another busy one tomorrow, so bed beckons and I'll say night-night for now.