Another busy couple of days.

Yesterday Carol came up for the day, along with Patchey Miller and little Amber.  Amber is a little 6mth old girl that we agreed to take on just before Christmas, and who is in 'foster' with Carol.  She has be very neglected and after being picked up by Carol was found to have a severely damaged leg.  X-rays showed an untreated broken leg, with bits of broken bone now stuck in areas they shouldn't be.  The vet is monitoring her condition and we will know more in the New Year.  Amber is being very spoilt and loved by Carol & family.  Bless her.   We also had a lovely visit from Lemmy, who has been in his home for about 7 years now.   It was fabulous to see him and his Mum again.   :)   Lemmy went home with some eggs from the Wiccaweys hens with his Mum Annie planning on baking a cake.

Today the lovely Jenny came up for a days cold and damp dog walking.  What a trooper.  Its been a horribly miserable day for walking - really cold and damp.  Thank you Jenny, and I do wish I'd got a photo of your mud splattered self earlier!   It was a vet run first thing and then Bernie was down from Rochdale again, whisking more dogs to safety.   She bought us the rather lovely Olly - watch out for him on the main site soon.  Berry had visitors and has gone to her new home.  I suspect her new Mums will be complete wrapped around her paws by...... oh, any time about now I should say!   It was lovely to discover that her new Mums are good friends with the couple that adopted Spud from us a few years ago, and it was great to see a new pic of him.  :)      Jenny held the fort this afternoon so Paul & I could pop out for coal supplies, and stock up on the necessities.

Looks like another busy day for tomorrow with 2 potential homes visiting.  Fingers crossed for the woofers.  :)  

2 years today....

...since we lost our darling Bran. You are still remembered Bam-Bams. Never forgotten.
Mummy & Daddy love you.

Boxing Day...

...Well there goes christmas. The phone has started ringing again. Thats 5 dogs we've been asked to take so far! However - On a 'Angel on Earth' note, Superwoman Bernie is giving up her Boxing Day and is on route, doing a 6 hour plus round trip, with 2 dogs bailed out from the Rochdale Pound, including a very elderly collie girl who has been in a RTA. What an amazingly special lady. :)

A very Merrry Christmas to you All!!

Its certainly the busiest Christmas we have had for a very long time. We are full, and there definitely no more room at the Inn at the present time.  The phones are busy with people wanting to get rid of their dogs, with reasons and excuses ranging from the totally honest and plausible to the downright ridiculous and insulting.  Paul was on the phone and still giving behavioural advice to someone who wanted to get rid of their dog at 6pm this evening, Christmas Eve. 

We are doing our best with advice on how to get folks through in the meantime until a space is available, but it breaks our hearts to know that some of those calls mean a dog will lose its life due to the pure stupidity and selfishness of their owner - and there is nothing we can do about it at the moment.

We know we can't save them all, but it always hits harder at Christmas.

When you look at and cuddle up with your special four legged friend this Christmas, please join us in remembering those that couldn't be saved. Paul & I always think the least we can do is to spare some thoughts for those who are unnamed and unsaved.

Please also spare some 'be strong' thoughts for those folks who will be missing friends who have passed over the Rainbow Bridge this year.  Christmas is a time that makes their passing hit home again, and we have all those that have had to say good bye to friends this year in our thoughts and hearts.

Then rejoice in the dog/s that are with you, the dogs that you have opened your hearts and your homes too.  They are our family and our lives. They give us love, they bring us joy, they make us laugh, they make us cry, they ask for nothing, they expect nothing, but they give themselves to us wholly and completely without a second thought. They open their souls to us and invite us in. 

They are our dogs and they are LOVE.

We wish you and your fourlegged family a very Merry Christmas & a Peaceful New Year.

In love and light,

Sarah & Paul

xxxxxxxxxxxx

And as its that time of year....here's Bran!

Snow Fun at Wiccs!!!

YAY!!!   We have lots of lovely snow.   The woofers are having a whale of a time and are extremely excited and very vocal about the exciting new white stuff for bouncing around in!     Darling Margie has just left the building and is slowly making her way to her new home in Somerset.   :)   One very excited proud new Daddy and very happy new Mummy.  Be brave Margie.   I am sooo pleased I got to see Margie in the snow before she left for a new home as she thought it was the BESTEST thing EVER!!    She was gambling around like a puppy, bouncing and racy-chasing with me this morning in it.  It was FANTASTIC!!!   What a cool start to the day!

Yesterday we had 4 new arrivals.  3 expected arrivals from Ireland, and the last was from people who just turned up to get rid of their collie IMMEDIATELY!!  Now, as we are not open to the public, are a breed specialist rescue, and do everything strictly by appointment only, our address is not publicly available on the website for this very reason - as people will turn up with all kinds of dogs and/or dump them at the gate.   As our gate is always locked unless we have pre-arranged visitors etc, is a good 1/4 mile away from the property and is not visible from the house, this means dogs wcould ould be left tied to a gate on a busy lane with no one knowing they were there for a considerable time.  Not good.


We have a huge waiting list for dogs to come in, currently standing at around 6 months for dogs from private homes.  We were rather surprised to say the least when they pulled in and got out with their dog.  It was only that we had visitors yesterday that the gate was unlocked, so goodness knows what they would have done with the dog if they couldn't have got in.   They had no intention of taking their dog home with them again.   Some of the walkers yesterday had first hand experience for the first time of what folks can be like when they want rid NOW!   The people had done the rounds of all the local rescues with no luck.  I found out that our address and details had been given out by another local rescue who knows very well that we are not open to the public to just turn up with dogs.   The soft touches that we are, of course we didn't turn him away, and he is now settling in well with the gang safe and sound.  YOHOHO!

The Doggies are very excited.....

as we have received a few 'Secret Santa' parcels.   I keep pointing out to them that it isn't the 25th yet, but I'm not sure they believe me, or really want to wait, the cheeky monkeys!   The dog barn has been filled with the sound of excited woofs and squeals as the current resident puppies try to get their grubby little paws on anything that is wrapped in christmas paper!  The excited woofs are them, the squeals are me as I catch them up to no good again!   I've told them, if they carry on, Santa Paws will have to put them on the naughty list and there will be no pressies at all!
Speaking of Santa Paws, don't forget you can read the doggies letters to Santa Paws on the Wiccs forum here.

Christmas Walk

It was a really lovely sunny, if somewhat blowy, day for the Wiccs Christmas Walk after a torrential downpour this morning. GB did his stuff when I asked him to sort the weather for us!   Everyone went off while Paul & I saw to visitors, lots of the residents joined in the fun, and then it was back to HQ for the walkers. Great company, lovely folks, brilliant dogs and lots of yummy stuff to eat. Fab day!  Thanks to everyone that came and supported us.

New books!! Christmas Pressie suggestions.

The lovely Tammy (Mitch's mum) has produced 2 more Wiccaweys books. The first one is called The Wonder of Wiccaweys, and contains a selection of short stories about London, Joe Bear, Indie, Robbie and Remmi, Kym and Jess, Harry Valentine, Ruby, Minnie, Queenie, Benny and Muffin sprog.

The second book is by Paul Watson, and is called Travels with Midge. It records the travels and adventures Paul and his Wiccs Border Collie Midge have as they travel the long distance footpaths in the UK.

Details for ordering the books can be found here, and for every book sold, Wiccaweys receive £5!

What could be better - fantastic christmas presents about dogs and helping dogs at the same time! YAY!!