05/12/2024
05-12-24 SYVLIAS'S DIARY - HELPING DOGS AND MANKIND ALIKE
Plus click here for Many Tears Animal Rescue - Sylvia's Special Christmas Auction!
Having survived the epic journey through Ireland last week I thought I was going to be in for a much quieter week, but it hasnât turned out that way at all. Last night we had a call from some people telling us of a sudden death of a breeder who we have picked up from in the past. Very early this morning Bill and I got up, did our daily jobs and went off to pick up all the dogs at the kennels. Before arriving we were told some of the dogs were heavily pregnant and when we got there one of them had just given birth. So we decided to pick up all of the others first and then the mummy with the puppies were separated and I put the puppies down my front, and we drove home as fast as we could.
On arriving home, a nice warm kennel was there, and we managed to settle her in happily, and all her puppies suckled straight away. I took a deep breath and thought thank goodness something is going right. As I walked out, I saw one of the dogs from Cyprus being adopted and I smiled again and thank goodness something was still going right for once, and when I walked into the surgery, my beautiful âPolar Bearâ the German Shepherd I think so much of, had just been castrated, and again I thought thank goodness things are going right.. However, my thoughts were soon changed when another phone call came.
A mother was phoning the rescue about her adult daughter and 14 dogs who were living in a caravan with no electricity, no water, and no neighbours besides a horse. She was extremely worried for her daughterâs wellbeing and I began to think about weeks earlier when I received a distraught message about a woman having suicidal thoughts. In the midst of it all, I attempted to find the original plea for help but failed. I was always willing to take the dogs, but that was not what she wanted at the time, she had wanted a place to live with the dogs in a corner of a field in her caravan. She had again stated if she could not do this, she would kill herself. This I could not do, owing to the fact the council would not allow it and some of our neighbourâs reported us for merely sneezing.
I talked to the mother for some time, and explained I thought this to be the same lady who had made contact via Facebook before, she confirmed it was, and explained her daughter was not well, and if she said she was suicidal that unfortunately, she would try, as she had before. I then asked if her daughter had a phone and was given a number. I called and luckily she answered. I explained that I could take the dogs, but would not leave her alone so I would drive her to her mums. She agreed and requested to keep four of her dogs. I informed her that she may be able to keep two, but I would need to assess their condition first. She agreed, so we asked for the postcode of the place, but she did not know. We asked for directions, but she did not know. Finally, we asked for the mobile number of the yard owner, and this she was able to provide. I eventually obtained the post code, and her mother agreed to take her daughter and potentially two dogs in, and so Chelsea and I set off. We got to the postcode provided and no one knew of any caravan and dogs. We knocked on doors and eventually called the mum again and unfortunately she did not know the postcode, how to get to the caravan, or where it was. We called the yard owner again, who attempted to confirm the paperwork of the postcode, and realized she had given the wrong information. By then, we were 30 mins away and racing for time and possibly a life. At last, we found her.
A coloured cob roamed the yard, and as the dogs were not lead trained and the horse was so lonely and clearly wanted to live in the caravan, the dogs could not go out. A 14-foot caravan, 14 frustrated dogs, a freezing distraught lady and us pretty well out of our depth. But Chelsea and I pulled together and talked to her and we agreed on the dogs she could keep, a fourteen year old and another little old dog, who were both already castrated. We gathered up all of the dogs, but unfortunately, not the lonely horse, who wanted to come too but belonged to someone. Finally we set off to find her mum, and we did this with 14 upset dogs barking behind us in cages in the van. The poor lady sobbed and shook all the way. We found her mum's place and unloaded her belongings, a sack of food we had brought for her and the two obviously well cared for little dogs. Then we put the sat nav on to drive home and of course this again was a problem because nothing ever comes easy. It took us to a low bridge that we could not fit the van under and queues of traffic were behind us. After a lot of cross drivers and time I eventually was able to turn around and rerouted. We arrived home 4 hours after we left to the pouring rain, but loyal staff who stayed on to help, and provided comfy places for the dogs to settle. What a day!!!!
Thankfully all of the dogs we have taken are in good health but about three-quarters of them are above 10 years old. Theyâre going to be very hard to home, and all need a certain amount of veterinary work done on their teeth. Unfortunately, they have not had inoculations and all the normal things that we like to do for our dogs. Weâve tried to make the sitting room a sort of comfortable situation for them so theyâre not so displaced, and weâre hoping that we can make them happy until very kind people come to adopt them. I am totally totally burnt out tonight and just donât know what to do with myself. Iâm so tiredâŚ. I am hoping a good night's sleep will change everything, because the last few weeks have been very hard, and just a little bit of normality would be amazing.
That night was a tough one and the day before a puppy died. It was a newborn puppy and appeared to be doing very well. Twenty minutes after it had been checked, someone else went in to assess it and it was dead, and when called I just could not revive her. Whether she had suffocated underneath the mum, or what, we do not know. But it makes sleeping hard as I get very jumpy and worried as we have so many mummies here now. So, I just keep getting up and checking them all just in case something has gone wrong. Then when I finally got to bed, bizarre things kept entering my mind and I tried to roll the very comatose dogs off where Iâm sleeping towards Bill, because they do not seem to realise that I need some space in the bed. Of course, they pretend theyâre fast asleep and couldnât possibly get up and move even 5 inches, so I can edge in, lie on my side and get that tiny bit of bed.
Now we have a big bed, a really big bed, and that means making it is awful, and at the moment itâs even worse with my bad back. Even so it was always a real chore, so I thought thereâs probably other people who are in the same boat and I thought I would tell you my recipe that has made this hundred percent better, so here goes.
First you donât moan about it to your partner, you just quietly make the bed, and you make it look as pristine as possible, except you go to your side, pull up the sheet that you lie on and you shake it gently towards their side, then you make the bed, and make it look absolutely beautiful. Put the little pillows on the top, or whatever you do, and make it look very very nice and inviting. Then, when your partner comes upstairs and you say Iâve made the bed, and they say oh thank you, and then youâre getting into your nice side. You do this for about three days, sometimes less, and at last on the fourth day you go upstairs, and the bed is all made for you. This is because they donât like to say that you havenât done a good job, when you clearly have tried so hard to make it lovely for themâŚ. but they donât want to sleep in grit and sand that at least 24 dog paws worth of everything that comes in with those dogs and has been shook from your side of the bed to theirs. They do it and then you thank them, and you know they will continue to do it until the day they forget, and then you do the same all over again. Itâs wonderful and the sheets are much tighter and much better for me as my partner is much stronger than me. Bill can lift up the whole mattress and really make the sheets tight, and really shake the sheets out, and also he even changes the bed because I guess he doesnât want any mishaps on his half of the bed. I hope it works for you because it certainly cuts down on my work, and itâs made my nights a lot more pleasant so just thought Iâd share that with you.
All the bed making ideas were learnt from horses and dogs too! I have found carefully suggesting things with actions and bribes, or making the wrong dissuasion un-comfortable, the right one so much better, works great with humans too. But that isnât the only random thought I have. I have so many, and they involve all sorts of bizarre things, like making the cats a sitting room, rather than their little outdoor runs. Then making them really feel special, comfortable, and happy. There are so many other new ideas for the staff to do, ideas for the washing, and new ideas for the future. This morning I went and cleaned all the filters on all of the heaters in the vets and in the main office, all because of all the stuff floating and worrying me in the night. I expect everyoneâs the same as me. They will have problems, things that seem so important in the night, but in the daylight, it can be pretty well resolved. Here at Many Tears it doesnât matter how much I plan the day, the day will run away from me with all sorts of bizarre things happening. Thereâs never a quiet moment for me and itâs very tiring, but again itâs very rewarding when I get to see the wonderful dogs go to their homes.
Itâs an awful shame that some people actually choose their dogs because of their looks, or their breed ,but not for their write up. Polar Bear is such a lovely placid gentle German Shepherd and I havenât seen any problems at all. In fact, he's as sweet as any cavalier, but nobody seems to be interested. I know itâs early days and he might settle and change, but I get the feeling that he is a good guy but unfortunately he still has no interest. Then look at our beautiful Orpheus, a Cypriot dog who suffered so terribly before being rescued by âSirius Dog Rescueâ he has gone through so much; we will sponsor his medicines if ever he needs them again too. We just need that Home, those people who really care, who are really really going to love him and get him to trust man. It's going to take time to find those people it really is.. I think about the couple who adopted the Ukraine Dogs and who sent me such lovely pictures of the dogs lying on sofa and just being so loved, just wonderful, and then I think about our âOrpheusâ and how well he would fit in, but you know we asked for two you can hardly sneak another one can you? I guess if I could I would be able to have him myself. I had a Cypriot dog from the same people, many many years ago, he too was a hound, and it was a hard hound to take home. He was called Bashful, and I love him dearly. However, in those days I didnât have 14 dogs.14 huge dogs that range from an Irish Wolfhound down to a little terrier but even the little terrier cross has the heart of a lion, and also can be fierce like one. 14 Dogs is a lot but itâs only because they share going into the staff rooms in the day and theyâre not left alone that I can do this. And itâs only because I have the security to keep them safe, because I have biters and fighters, and dogs that are on pills and all sorts of dogs, including blind dogs. They are all my family and theyâre all welcome on the bed, except for the Wolfhound because if he gets on the bed there is no room for anybody else.
Something that is very sad to me and is so haunting are the dogs that come in with eyes that are so painful, or are potentially going blind. The other day a very small Shih Tzu came in with one eye bulging from a ruptured ulcer leaving a hole in her eye; the pain must have been unimaginable. The vet removed her eye and at that point it was clear the other eye was unseeing too, and the ulcer we were treating was not looking like it was getting better. We kept treating the eye, but in that time, she was completely shut down in what is now a black world to her, and without any recollection of home. Unfortunately, days later the other eye was removed and it is apparent that she is such a terribly sad dog, it breaks my heart. She does have a Shih Tzu friend who also came in with neglected eyes, but nothing now is helping her sadness.
Eye problems are a real worry for us as many need to see a specialist, and that is very costly. Our dogs very often come from breeders and they have never lived in a house or walked on a lead, and often come with cloudy eyes that are cataracts. These cataracts can often be removed but the cost is great. Many thousands a year are directly spent on giving dogs the gift of sight and luckily, we have a very special fosterer who cared for these dogs, before and after this surgery. The care especially after care is VERY important and will result in the dog's operation either being successful or not. Sharron must give multiple medications at specific times and journey back and forth to the vets. She has volunteered with us for years and I have asked her what difference it makes to these poor dogsâŚ. she has told me that literally the next day the dog has changed from shut down to a happy and animated dog.
Funding this is very hard as to operate on two eyes if after the tests the dogsâ eyes are deemed operable cost around ÂŁ6000. We are trying to raise more funds by asking you to go through your belongings and any silver or gold, watches and costume jewellery- however small to send to us. If you can mark this as a gift of sight that would be amazing. We have a lovely volunteer called Dee who will get the best funds possible for the gold or silver. Please think about the dogâs darkness as your shiny gold and silver could bring light to their sad lives. Please look, THANK YOU!
In a week or so we are welcoming two very special canines who have been saved in Korea from the meat trade. The rescue we are working with is called ARK. They are desperate to help these dogs, they save them, get fosterers if they can to assess them and then try really hard to get help from anyone who will listen. Once here we have the task no matter how long it takes to rehome these poor souls. We have two lovely ladies Vivian and Sash, and their team of helpers who run monthly auctions to help fund projects, and this month their money will be helping these dogs. Please look at their site https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093615307462, this is what they wrote to me: ARK Shelter is the rescue shelter for dogs who were bred for the dog meat trade. Currently having 120 dogs at the shelter who are all still looking for a home. The motto of the shelter is "ARK where cruelty ends and the humanity begins". Donations are welcome through paypal: [email protected] ARK dogs. Jessie and Nux are Jindo mix who have been lucky enough to be rescued right before Bok-Nal (when the dog meat soups are mostly consumed in the year). And they are now ready for the journey to find home in the UK.
My week for the diary ends Thursday, as that is when I send it to support to post. Last night, Wednesday night, I was grateful I got to bed at a sensible time. I was slightly worried about a heavily pregnant retriever, (the second pregnant retriever we have had from two different places) but I do worry a lot. And as she has not had a c section before, or at least no scars visible, and the pups and her when scanned the day before appeared to be doing well, I felt I was probably over thinking. However, before Bill came up to slide into his tight grit free bed, I had asked him to check her. Then at 11:30pm I went out again and this time I felt more uneasy. I took the poor dogâs temperature, and it was low and I could tell she was uncomfortable and worried too. I called Emma our vet on site, and she hurriedly came over. It was agreed we should scan again and probably do a c section, I got Bill up and called Amanda, who got up and drove over. We had to move the poor mum to be, who does not know how to walk on a lead, in a wheelbarrow as I cannot lift, Bill is not supposed to and Emma also has a bad back. Amanda had not arrived by then as she was having to drive 20-30 minutes to get to us. The scan revealed the pups were in distress so preparation for the c section began. Usually, a team of staff stand with clean warm towels, the vet then gets the pups out and without touching us so she remains sterile, drops the pups into the towels, and each person ties off the umbilical cord de clams it and cleans out the pups mouth and rubs vigorously to get the pup to take a breath. This happens very fast once the first is out. However last night, Amanda was assisting the vet, and Bill, who has never done this, and I had to receive and recover the pups. With only two of us it was a very worrying task, but we succeeded! At 4:15 I went to bed, got up to check again and then slept until 5:20, I then got up and checked again and started my day. Now I am finishing my diary.
To give you an update before I go, as I am sure you remember our Lux so far has survived the huge, complicated liver shunt operation. Dear old Sian, the old horse has perked up, and is looking 100% better and is even going on slow short ridden walks, as well as the ones she does in hand. So yes, there is plenty to thank my God for, though sleep is not one of them.
Thank you for your help support and being there. It means a lot to me. Please remember my on line auction is now on with many unusual items that if bought will truly help the rescue. PLEASE SUPORT
Many Tears Animal Rescue - Sylvia's Special Christmas Auction
Thank you for your help support and being there. It means a lot to me.
Sylvia x
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=JYHPP83XUSH3Y
