Being a lucky black cat, Mamamia ended up what I suppose was a couple of rungs up the abandonment ladder when an dog fosterer we know well opened a cardboard box dumped on her porch. Inside she discovered this poor frightened mother and her three kittens huddled together for warmth and security. The pitiful creatures were terribly distressed and in very poor condition, but veterinary treatment, augmented by large helpings of tender, loving care, worked wonders and they were rapidly transformed into loving, playful beings for which the world's greatest pleasure was indisputably a cuddle. Mamamia proved to be not only a devoted mother, but also a most loving resident and it was very easy to accept that she exuded a palpable sense of gratitude for the care and attention which had made such a difference to her life and those of her cherished kittens.
As you arrive at that charming annual experience of climbing into the loft, or reaching up into that top cupboard, for the Christmas decorations, please remember the hazards that these seasonal delights can pose for pets, particularly young animals who are encountering them for the very first time. Trailing electrical leads can make attractive, but potentially lethal, chewing toys, whilst swinging or flashing baubles are irresistible to an adventurous cat - and imagine your dog's absolute delight when he sees the tree and realises you've bought him that absolutely perfect Christmas present - an indoor toilet! So please make sure your pet is familiarised with this sudden transformation of your house and that its training is particularly extended to the "don'ts" associated with all these tempting delights. It's also worth remembering that some pets can be rather overawed by a sudden invasion of people which may also be a facet of Christmas. When you pop out to collect the turkey, it might well be prudent to ensure that any normally free-roaming pets are securely located somewhere where all the chocolates, mince pies and decorations are definitely well out of reach. On behalf of everyone at the Hurst sanctuary, may I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a most contented New Year.
Other arrivals at the sanctuary included Emma and Meg, two little Yorkshire terriers of about five or six years of age. They represented yet more rejects from one of these wretched puppy farms, where, having had their schedule of litters, they were lucky enough to have been abandoned, rather than brutally put down. It was a truly disheartening sight to see the pair, whom we suspect are sisters, initially cowering away from every attempt to befriend them, but, as always, the kindness and empathic efforts of our sanctuary staff won the day and, having decided that these humans weren't too bad after all, the Yorkies soon settled down and relaxed. After all they'd experienced together, Emma and Meg had naturally developed a close bond and it was decided that we'd like to find them a home together. Just like London buses, there were initially no adopters in view - and then five lovely people began vying for their company. I suspect life is about to become rather good for the sisters!
As I mentioned above, it is that time of year when the majority of pet owners join our staff in attempting to quell the anxieties and terrors of the animal world as fireworks explode at all times of the day and night. Whilst in no way wishing to prevent people from enjoying the spectacle of a well-organised display, it would not only be very much in the interests of all animals to restrict the almost ceaseless bombardment they have to endure, but also most satisfying to put an end to the antics of the mindless rascals who elect to detonate their explosives at quite anti-social hours of the night. Sadly, the brutal abuse of fireworks by the mindless savages lurking on the fringe of our society kill and maim many animals each year and the veterinary surgeries throughout the land will shortly bear witness to this annual catastrophe. There have been many attempts to persuade the authorities that licensing the sale and use of fireworks for public displays only on recognised dates would bestow many advantages upon both the NHS and the animal kingdom. We can only hope that such a dream may someday become a reality.
When the RSPCA rang to say they'd found a house containing between 500 and 600 pet mice, it was evident they were asking for a hand in a massive relocation exercise. Having hastily procured a large number of suitable cages, we can now offer a very wide range of candidates to anyone wishing to adopt one of these little animals that make such amusing and sociable pets.
When the staff went to open up our main Reception Office recently, they were surprised by the sounds of frantic activity inside the building. Opening the side door cautiously it was evident that the sanctuary had received a visit, sometime outside of normal opening hours, from someone who had grown a little tired of looking after their pet rabbits. They had therefore decided to parcel the two poor unfortunates in an old cardboard box and deposit them within our reception before creeping away in quite understandable shame. By opening time, however, the two laddies had managed to extradite themselves from their cardboard cell and were frantically attempting to come to terms with their new environment. Sadly, they were in an extremely neglected, emaciated state and, despite the prompt and very best attentions of our staff and veterinary experts, one failed to survive its ordeal. We do understand the pressures and privations some people are experiencing and plead with people in such circumstances to hand over pets properly. Apart from minimising the stress caused to the animals, the information received on veterinary and other histories can well make the difference between the animal's survival and an unnecessary death.
This week sees the second anniversary of the death of my old friend Jack, who was rescued by the RSPCA when, as a young puppy, he was being trained for the savage cult of dog-fighting, considered by its sadistic adherents to be their "sport"! I had the privilege of Jack's devoted friendship for over eight years and shall always treasure the multitude of wonderful memories I derived from his companionship. My current canine chum, Milly, is also a German Shepherd Dog of great, but very different, character, possibly reflecting the fact that she endured a lifetime of abuse before being rescued at the age of ten. My wife humorously endorses our acquaintanceship by describing us as "a pair of old biddies gently exploring senility together"! One can never, of course, replace a lost friend, although, if you're lucky enough, you can discover new friendships. Milly, however, gives me the best of both worlds in that not only does she provide me with companionship, but also frequently evokes lovely memories of my old friend, Jack. Even after a couple of years, I sometimes imagine in the peaceful silence of a late evening that I can still hear that wonderful shuddering sigh which Jack always used to signify his utter satisfaction with life!
Lurking in that cruel and callous sector are a significant number of people who plainly have not even a single compassionate gene in their DNA spiral and who, at the very best, treat animals with a contemptuous distain for their wellbeing or comfort. At their worst they take a malignant and sadistic pleasure in actually inflicting pain and suffering upon innocent creatures. Prominent amongst the ranks of this despicable clamjamphrie are the puppy farmers who house breeding bitches in quite appalling conditions until they're too old for further litters and then kill them. Even in good times litters are examined for puppies considered imperfect, which are then destroyed. In these harsher days, many of the puppies fail to find purchasers, so, once they have passed the age of cuteness, they too are callously dispatched into the waste bin. Another worrying factor is the growing number of people who acquire dogs from one of the more belligerent breeds and deliberately encourage or train them to be antagonistic, presumably as some kind of emotional prop to support their own perceived inadequacies. Whatever the motivation, their activities have created yet another traumatic problem for rescue organisations, with the RSPCA recently reporting that they had been obliged to put down 2,815 of the 7,866 dogs they took in last year, mainly because they had been aggressive bull breeds which could not have been safely re-homed. Worryingly, there have been one or two reports of such aggressive animals being abandoned, creating the prospect of some rather disconcerting strays.
The casual abandonment of animals, often in need of veterinary assistance, has sadly become a very regular occurrence and DBARC has, in the course of the last few days, seen two distressing examples. Firstly a pair of Guinea Pigs arrived at the sanctuary after being dumped, only for their admission examination to reveal that they were suffering from a most unpleasant skin infection. Following closely upon their heels were a pair of ferrets, also presumably dropped from a passing vehicle onto a roadside verge. This time it required no in-depth examination to see that one was suffering from a most painful and potentially fatal tumour. All these animals are now making a sound recovery from urgent veterinary treatment, but how on earth do you persuade such callous owners that, even if circumstances prohibit the retention of the animal, they have a responsibility to deliver the pet safely into care.
There is a saying that a person's attitude to animals is a window upon their soul. If that be true, it would seem quite a number of people have followed in Dr Faustus' footsteps!
With the national media featuring so many stories of violent and offensive behaviour by youngsters, we feel even more privileged to have the services of such absolutely delightful young people on Saturdays and Sundays. These young volunteers are polite, always cheerful and extremely hard-working, earning numerous plaudits from the members of public with whom they come into contact. Apart from the good works they perform and the pleasure of having them around, they perhaps provide a timely reminder to us all that, as in so many areas of life, it is a loutish minority that dominates so much news coverage.
My world and that of a great many other people has been very considerably diminished by the news of Michael Hardy's tragic death. I was privileged to be Michael's friend for well over thirty years and his great kindness and delightful sense of humour were joys I truly treasured. In business he was the absolute antithesis of the commonly published view of an estate agent, with unfailing courtesy, traditional ethics and unconditional integrity forming the foundation stones of his enviable reputation. Michael and I frequently chatted about our dogs and discussed the delights of relaxing in the company of these much loved and valued companions. Although the circumstances of his death were so appallingly tragic, it was very much in keeping with the values of such a lovely man that Michael unhesitantly risked and subsequently gave his life in an attempt to rescue his old friend.
Joy and comfort of a rather different hue is now the order of the day for Martie, a seven-month-old miniature Schnauzer. This poor little laddie was born with a congenital defect of his rear right leg which effectively resulted in his leg being formed back to front, making moving around a very painful and difficult affair in which his deformed leg was obliged to move against the natural action of his knee and hip joints.
We offered to assist another animal rescue centre by looking after Martie for a little while, during which period he was able to be examined by an extremely talented orthopaedic veterinary surgeon who has previously assisted us to care for troubled animals. The opinion, however, was sadly not to be as we'd all hoped and the only measure offered for Martie to have any quality of life whatsoever was to have the deformed leg amputated.
The end result, however, is the pleasure of reporting that Martie came through the operation without a hitch and, far from showing any signs of distress at the loss of the leg, is now careering around the sanctuary on his three legs with absolute gay abandon! Yet another example of how an animal's glass is almost always half full!
The truly disastrous effects of the economic recession upon the activities of nearly all rescue organisations continue to manifest themselves in almost every national and local animal welfare organisation and, very sadly, at the Hurst sanctuary.
More and more animals are being surrendered because their families are unable to fund the cost of ownership and the number of potential adopters is the lowest we can ever recall. We are, for example, quite familiar with our Cattery providing lengthy periods of care for older cats who often find it difficult to find new homes, but the present situation in which young cats and some absolutely charming kittens have spent some weeks without attracting anybody willing to take them in is unprecedented.
Our overall homing figures for 2010 are only just over a half of those experienced in previous years, which tragically means that there are a growing number of animals out there in hard and harsh circumstances whom we are unable to assist in their quest to find refuge from that final injection.
Whilst we appreciate that we do little more than scratch the surface of a problem which sees over a hundred thousand healthy animals killed each year, even the diminution of our small contribution is for us a genuine cause for grief.
Similar problems are being reported by almost every animal-rescue organisation in the country, ranging from extremely large associations, such as the RSPCA, Battersea Dogs Home and The Mayhew Centre through to the lovely people who use their private houses as refuge centres.
The RSPCA's recent announcement that circumstances were obliging it to discontinue the acceptance of unwanted animals, in order to concentrate its facilities upon abused and extremely neglected animals, can only have a further adverse impact upon the general situation.
Perhaps the most poignant picture of the growing crisis is the recently published statistic that over one hundred and seven thousand dogs were abandoned in 2009, an increase of over eleven percent upon the previous year. Many of these poor unfortunates, perfectly healthy and affectionate animals, are summarily dispatched by lethal injection after the statutory seven days in a public pound. It is sometimes rather difficult to bear in mind that we were once described as an animal-loving nation!
One arrival at our sanctuary, however, was not at all keen to take advantage of our hospitality! Poor little Lisa, a one-year-old Collie, was taken into care after suffering appalling abuse at the hands of her former owners and arrived at the sanctuary bearing the physical and mental scars of her ordeals. She was absolutely terrified of human beings and initially resisted all attempts to entice her into willing physical contact, spending her time huddled in the rear corner of her sleeping chamber.
Absolute disaster struck soon after her arrival when she managed to slip her lead whilst being walked in our exercise paddock, her trauma being compounded when the handler attempted to chase after her. In absolute terror, Lisa made three attempts to climb the six-foot-high fence, finally succeeded in scaling it and disappeared across the adjoining field.
Mobilisation of a search party failed to locate the poor lassie, but luckily several reports were received the following day that she was straying in the Dunt Avenue area and Mandy Dorman, the local Animal Warden, kindly offered to assist with a dog-trap baited with some suitably tasty scraps of food.
Hunger certainly proved to be the required magnet and the following day Lisa was safely back in the fold, where she was finally persuaded that our sanctuary was actually rather a nice place to be! Lisa has now moved on and rests most contentedly in a loving home with her new family.
Poor little Jingle, a young Schnauzer, has unfortunately encountered yet another hurdle upon what has truly been a very difficult passage through life. When she was rescued at the end of 2008, this poor little lassie was not only blind, but also bore the visible evidence of an exceedingly traumatic history. After a lengthy period of convalescence to restore both her general health and confidence, an ophthalmic veterinary surgeon performed an operation which successfully restored sight to her left eye, a blessing which markedly enhanced her life as she wandered around the sanctuary eagerly absorbing the visual aspects of friends and surroundings previously characterised solely by sound and smell.
Unfortunately, the condition of her right eye has continued to deteriorate and it has now sadly been concluded that only its removal will provide Jingle with a stable future. As we go to print Jingle is about to undergo further surgery and everyone at the sanctuary wishes this delightful little lassie the very best of luck.
An unfortunate situation has once again highlighted a particular difficulty we have previously encountered on a number of occasions when attempting to identifying suitable homes for rescued dogs.
Many of the dogs we assist have been abandoned and we therefore have no account of the animal's history. In addition to the common sense inherent in such a precaution, the rather litigious nature of our society obliges us to presume that a dog is not suitable to live with young children unless we have clear evidence that it has previously done so.
Unfortunately, some potential adopters meet a particular stray and become convinced that absolutely no problems will result from it living with their little Jack or Jill, sometimes confident that their previous experience of similar breeds provides comforting evidence. They may, of course, be entirely correct in that assumption, but we cannot afford to take that chance and have to insist they wait until a suitable animal, with a known track record, comes along. The vast majority of people, though possibly dismayed, understand this position and entirely accept our obligation to do everything possible to ensure the optimum compatibility of a dog with its potential new home.
A few however adamantly refuse to accept the situation and one or two, presumably anticipating the potential hazard, resort to subterfuge in an attempt to manipulate the position. The latest difficulty materialised when some potential adopters declared their interest in a rescued terrier whose published details clearly stated that we had no knowledge of its background and could therefore not home it to a family with young children. The couple duly completed and signed an adoption application, plainly stating they had no children. During the usual home check, however, clear evidence materialised that very young children lived in the house and the potential adopters, having then admitted to two children aged under two, were advised we could not continue with the adoption process.
This led to a very angry exchange with the unfortunate volunteer carrying out the home check and a subsequent, rather abusive, telephone call to the Manager of the sanctuary, who was quite unable to persuade the caller that we were only conforming to guidelines designed to safeguard her children.
We sometimes experience considerable concern about animals that reappear at the sanctuary after extremely brief periods with adopters. Animals may, of course, be returned for perfectly valid reasons which could not have been foreseen at the time of adoption and occasionally it may become rapidly apparent that the interaction of an animal with its new family is patently not going to be satisfactory for either party to what must become a sympathetic and loving relationship. The worrying aspect, however, is that some are returned by apparently acceptable adopters who seem unable or unwilling to accept the fact that any animal placed in a new environment needs a fairly lengthy period of readjustment, with rescue animals often requiring particular sympathy and perseverance.
Our procedures already include an appraisal of potential adopters and their likely interaction with the animal of their choice and the customary home-check is used to emphasise the need for adopters to be aware of the obligations and responsibilities they are assuming. Indeed, our procedures have been criticised in some quarters as being too meticulous and have led to several emotional exchanges on occasions when we have felt uneasy and thus obliged to counsel against a proposed alliance. It really is most difficult to envisage what additional measures might be introduced to help prevent the heart ache that unsuccessful adoptions often provoke with the relevant families and the patent distress it invariably occasions the poor animal. Discussions with other rescue centres have failed to elicit any potential solutions and merely indicate they have very similar concerns.
We shall never eliminate the kind of oddball who returns a cat after less than twenty four hours, with the recrimination that "It tried to sit on my lap!", or a young puppy after a few months, complaining that "You didn't tell me it was going to get bigger!", but we should dearly love to find a way of eliminating some people's unrealistic expectations. On some occasions we have been able to persuade customers experiencing such early doubts that perseverance for a relatively short time will resolve their anxieties and it is a particular delight when their patience results in the development of that special bond which reaps them the benefit of all the joys and affection a rescued animal can gratefully bestow upon its benefactors.
DBARC has been honoured in being selected as one of six world-wide animal rescue sanctuaries to be nominated as beneficiaries by Santa-Claws Drive, a global fund-raising enterprise.
This internet-based organisation, established by three animal-welfare enthusiasts, Lynn Haigh of Stamford, England, Salina Gannon of California and Dorian Wagner of Florida, aims to provide funds for charities providing shelter for homeless animals. Six beneficiaries were selected from nominated charities to receive assistance from the funds collected during 2009, three in America, one in Canada, one in Australia and one in United Kingdom.
We were successfully nominated as the United Kingdom's recipient by "laddiethemutt" of Basingstoke, a pseudonym which we strongly suspect hides the identities of a lovely Collie who passed through DBARC and his adopter. We thank Santa-Claws Drive most sincerely for their great kindness and "laddiethemutt' for remembering his old friends. We assure them that this most generous gift will be used to help many other animals achieve peaceful contentment.
Although most of the animals we assist are truly most agreeable characters who have just fallen upon hard times, we do occasionally have residents that react more extremely to their particular traumas and need very special care and devotion in their new homes.
The compassionate customers who are fully prepared to take on such animals deserve very special praise as they embark upon an adoption knowing that long, patient and loving attention will be necessary if the animal is to have any chance of rehabilitation.
We recently gave shelter to Jessie, a cat found living wild on a local derelict site, whose terror of human beings manifested itself as sheer unbridled aggression, to the extent that we were drawing lots as to who would end up with the task of putting her into the basket for a visit to the Vet! Weeks of tender attention, including regular treats and caresses with a feather duster, calmed her down a little and now a kindly lady, fully aware of the potential difficulties, has given Jessie a home.
Somehow I suspect Jessie will rapidly come round to accepting that the gods have at last truly smiled upon her, but, nevertheless, I raise my hat to her adopter.
The snow, however, proved to be rather better news for two recent inhabitants of the Hurst sanctuary, giving them what proved to be an extremely fortuitous period of deferment in their lives.
Both had been adopted as family pets during the latter stages of December and, as so often happens when animals react to a change of environment, had become somewhat unsettled and a little fractious during their first few days with their new families. Despite the advice given during the adoption process and post-adoption assurances that the pets would almost certainly settle if given a little time, the adopters decided they would prefer to return the animals to the sanctuary.
But then along came the snow! Once things had returned to something approaching normal, we telephoned the adopters to enquire as to how things were and were absolutely delighted to be told by both that their animals had now settled in and were now valued members of the two families. Just goes to show that every cloud - even snow clouds - can truly have a silver lining!
If your waistline is still showing signs of those mince pies and perhaps over-generous helpings of plum pudding, or perhaps you just feel some regular exercise might well prove beneficial, why not set up your very own walking club? All you need to do is to find an enthusiastic, loyal, absolutely consistent and reliable friend who will, in all winds and weathers, be ready, willing and able to accompany you upon as many daily walks as you wish to embark upon.
It is also advisable, of course that this new friend should provide that especially congenial companionship derived from an alliance based upon an unsullied and constant affection, with no insistence upon idle chatter, nor ambitions of any social advancement beyond the sheer pleasure of your company.
If those attributes were to be augmented by an absolutely minimal clothing allowance, an undemanding diet of cheap, ready-prepared food, a preference for water rather than your vintage wine and absolutely no intrusion upon your television, telephone, or computer activities, then many people would adjudge you to have found the perfect friend. You might well respond that such companionship perfection would be welcome but almost impossible to achieve, but I can assure you we always have a wide selection of potential candidates at the Hurst sanctuary that will, at some time, include just that perfect companion for your walking club!
So why not visit us and find that very special canine friend that will light up your life. It can surely be no coincidence that the only anagram of god is dog!
At the Hurst sanctuary, many of the animals were fortunately able to find new homes during the weeks leading up to Christmas, in which they would hopefully experience the love and care which had been sadly lacking for some of them in previous times.
Included in this happy band were one or two that had already made significant progress towards the displacement of former traumatic times by an acceptance that they now lived in a sympathetic and caring community. Max, for example, was in a pitiable and highly traumatised condition when he was rescued, but this four-year-old Collie cross rapidly responded to the tender care of one of our foster homes and, having regained much of his confidence, was lucky enough to find a splendid new home in time for his turkey lunch!
Timmy, a young black & white Collie Cross, was left with his vet for a day's procedure, only for it to transpire this was a convenient way for his owners to dump him as they emigrated. Timmy had clearly had a pretty horrendous time with them, but some patient work soon had this delightful little laddie demonstrating his lovely nature and great enthusiasm for as many cuddles as possible! As he now enjoys life with his new family, we suspect his only reflections upon his previous owners will be along the lines of "good riddance"!
One young lassie had very good reason to be thankful that her lovely nature was always most evident, when, abandoned and straying, she ended up in a field of sheep tended by a farmer equipped with a shotgun. As the sheep reacted nervously to this intruder and the farmer strode forward, Vicki, a six-month-old Collie cross, totally ignored the sheep and trotted up to the farmer with her tail wagging in delighted anticipation of this new acquaintance! This act of friendship undoubtedly saved her life and she now delights in the love of her new family.
Some of the animals like Ollie, a delightful three-year-old crossbreed, and Sooty, a charming ten-year-old black cat, had somewhat less traumatic experiences, losing their homes when devoted owners passed away, but were also fortunate enough to spend the festive season in the contentment of new and loving homes.
I should like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation to our lovely volunteers, who turn out in all weathers and circumstances and our truly dedicated band of employees, who staff the sanctuary and provide such loving standards of care to our animals. Together, you comprise a group of people who could be used to set the benchmarks by which dedication, compassion and simple goodness could be judged.
May you all benefit from the joys and happiness you so richly deserve in 2010. On behalf of many thousands of animals - thank you.