Hiker Hounds NI

14/06/2024

TOMORROW Twin Peaks Challenge 🗻🙌💪
Here’s hoping we don’t get rained on too badly.. I’ve said it a million times, thank you doesn’t seem right anymore for all of the donations and support.

Instead of blabbing here’s a few of my favourite hiking p*ks, recent training and lastly, myself trying to blend into the hospital walls in February so I could escape yet another wee unwanted hotel stay 😅💁‍♀️💙

Go Team Hiker Hounds!!! Myself, Hannah, Colm and Kev 💃🙌💪

04/06/2024

May ~ lots of wild dips, walks, bug bites, good doggos and big gurl (skindog) turned 3!?! 💜💜💜
Not the easiest month, two solid years on chemo with more ahead of me 🫠💃 but looking back on the highlights is very important when you have the memory of a drunken goldfish 🐟

29/05/2024

Only about another two weeks to go and we are at almost double the fundraising goal for the Cancer Focus Northern Ireland Twin Peaks Challenge!! 🙌🎉🗻

Thank you everyone so very much in what has been a hard year for myself and 💙
I couldn’t ask for a better (funny/ brutally honest) swim and hiking buddy 💜🐾💜
Also thank you to everyone who read the lovely Cancer Focus article recently, a quick note incase you seen it on Belfast Live or the odd local paper, the Seven Summits I took part in was 2019, not last year, when I was probs in hospital yet again 🫠💁‍♀️😅 just incase anyone thought I was skipping over seven mountains a year ago, I bloody wish 🤣

https://www.justgiving.com/page/gemhikerhoundstwinpeaks?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fgemhikerhoundstwinpeaks&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

02/05/2024

There are too many to thank individually, but together we are over our goal already 😭💪🌊🗻💙 thank you isn’t enough for the kindness everyone has shown for donating, showing support, and coming to swim and chat and brave the cold at my 2 year Cancerversary!!! 😭 The Twin Peaks Challenge Cancer Focus Northern Ireland will be wee buns knowing what and who I’m pushing myself for. Thank you all so very much, I’ve been lost for words this week. So much love, and hug your dags, Gem.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/gemhikerhoundstwinpeaks?utm_source=IG

Major thanks to Backyard Photography Company
Murphy & Bailey
K9 Grooming Studio

21/04/2024

Awk I just had to reshare this from four years ago 💜 good aul Bill loved helping out 🤣⚓️

09/04/2024

Lurcher type dog running on main busy road then ran off up Shandon Park,
Please let owner know if you are aware of anyone looking for their dog! 💙

31/03/2024

The Mountains are Calling!! 🏔️🐾💜 so I did a thing, booked onto the Twin Peaks Challenge 😬
Ever since being diagnosed with cancer back in April 2022, blasted with surgery, chemo and radiotherapy, I’ve been desperate to get back to my happy place, the mountains. I am obviously, so so grateful to still be here, as two years is the most high risk period of reoccurrence for Adrenal Cancer, which led to me being a long term cancer patient, reliant on steroids, and pretty bad mental health 🫠.
To mark this I want to celebrate and get my butt back up the mountains while raising money for a cause that desperately needs help and affects so many of us.

This p*k is the last time I was up there, January 2022, when lil human was 8 months old. I previously took part in the Mourne Seven Summits, maybe I can try that again next year 😅🙌
If you read this far, thank you, and I’ll share more info asap on fundraising 🙌🎉

https://www.justgiving.com/page/gemhikerhoundstwinpeaks?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fgemhikerhoundstwinpeaks&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

22/03/2024

🐕💜🐾

31/01/2024

The lovely Tori who used to run Pawz 4 Fun with her wonderful hoomans.
This was a special one to do as Peter and his family own the great doggy daycare that puts up with Iggy and her tiny loud voice 😅💜
Tori had the best loving home and I wanted to give them something to show how grateful I am for their kindness over the last few years 🐾
Dog people are the best people 😅🎨🥰

30/01/2024

Rehomed

‼️No need to telephone, you need to attend the kennels to rehome. All information contained in this post.

🐶 ‘Scruff’ is a male bearded collie , approx 1 year old. Sadly he was admitted as a stray therefore we have no history but he has been friendly with both the people and other dogs he’s met at the kennels.
Scruff has probably lived outdoors all his life.

🐶How do I rehome?
-We open 10am-1pm weekdays, 10am-12pm Saturday and closed Sundays.
***Bank holidays 10am-12pm
-You need to attend the kennels to rehome, we DO NOT reserve.
-There may be visitors waiting from before opening.
-Visitors will chose their dog in order of arrival (provided they have valid photo ID and we feel they are suitable).
-Visitors do not need to stand at the gate of the kennels, they are welcome to wait in their car and staff will be available from early morning to speak to them.

Rehoming fee for adults is £80.
Rehoming fee for puppies is £120.

A dog licence must also be applied for (we do this at the time of rehoming) licence free for over 65s with no other dogs, £5 for those on benefits or £12.50.

Kennels are situated at 40 Tobercorran Road, Downpatrick BT30 8HU

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**We are a council dog pound and we work very hard to do the best for dogs in our care despite limited funding**

**Home Checks**
We do not complete home checks as there is no funding or resources provided for this. If we are concerned about a particular person or dog we can ask the dog warden to complete a home check prior to rehoming but there is no capacity for the dog warden to complete a large volume of these as they have their normal workload and duties.
ID is taken from each person wishing to rehome a dog, the dog is then microchipped and licenced to the person supplying ID.
We have been doing this for 23 years, we DO NOT just hand a dog out to someone who isn’t suitable even if they are the first person there, many visitors are guided and even refused where necessary when they are unsuitable for a particular dog.

**Spaying/neutering**
We complete spays/neuters when we are provided with funding to do so. This has kindly been provided by Dogs Trust in recent years. When dogs are spayed/neutered under our care they can be rehomed immediately unless our vet advises to hold them due to medical issues. The scheme is not perfect but it has allowed many dogs to be spayed/neutered that otherwise wouldn’t of been and from that perspective it has been a massive success. We feel many dogs recover better in a home than in kennels and for this reason do not hold dogs longer than necessary.

❗️**Facebook comments**❗️
Derogatory comments made against the kennels and/or their processes/policies will not be tolerated. We do the best we can in a very challenging environment and DO NOT have the time to debate with commenters on Facebook about the reasons we do things the way we do especially when they can’t even take time to read the page to establish we are a dog pound. Therefore any derogatory comments around home checks, spaying, etc. will result in the user facing a permanent ban from the page.

09/07/2023

‘Canines, Kid and Cancer’
The Welcome back blog 🌊🐾🙃

I beat myself up a lot, not being able to even walk the dogs some days or feel like I have the energy for my own toddler, can be very hard. Especially after discovering how stubborn I am. The inability to just go for a run or a hike like I used to, all of this as well as forcing myself to take the large pills every single night that will hopefully prolong my life, but also cause me fatigue and other symptoms.

Every day is literally a mental battle, so if writing, sharing and being a bit more raw and open in blogs and on social media helps me (& hopefully others in some small way) find my way back to that sense of purpose in life, so be it.

Anyone interested in my (longer than intended) catch up blog, check it out on the website! 😬🐾🌊
‘Life is difficult’.

Thank you so much to all of the lovely people who still follow and message this very on and off page the past year or so 😅💙🙌
Gem.

https://www.hikerhoundsni.com/blog

01/04/2023

My besties amazing wee spaniel had a bit of an accident, banjaxed his elbow and as he’s inbetween foster and adoption there’s a hefty vet bill to cover 🙈😷💚
I’ve asked for a lot this past month but even sharing can help so much! Thank you!!

Support us with Toby's operation: £9000 worth it for our little guy. In late November my pa… Connor Baker needs your support for Toby's emergency surgery

25/03/2023

Iggy living her absolute best life while we’re away thank you so much Katies Kanines NI 💜

13/03/2023

So I’ve had an absolute mare and need Iggy minded next weekend 🙈😭😭
Friday 24th eve until Monday 27th morning,
Would anyone be free and willing!?
I can fill you in on her special requirements but she wouldn’t even need walked and just needs fed 3x a day. Good with other dogs just a bit sassy initially

09/03/2023

A lil late but Happy International Women’s Day!!
I couldn’t be more grateful for the kind, strong and caring women in my life.
Women are troopers, and I hope my wee woman has just as amazing friends & fam as I do 💜

Thank you so much for the brilliant get together yesterday eve with

I had to take a rest day from the for as yesterday and today were hectic so my side/surgery area is pretty sore and I don’t wanna push it too much 🌊❄️🐾

01/03/2023

1.30 seconds Day One done!! 🙌💪😬 thank you so so much to everyone who has donated so far. For those who don’t know I’m currently still recovering from cancer treatment and major surgery on my side last year to remove a large tumour and adrenal gland, so some days I can do 30 seconds and others 1.30seconds so I’m determined to get to 3 minutes by the end of March!
Thank you again for all of the support 💚

https://www.facebook.com/donate/462920929238978/?fundraiser_source=external_url

24/02/2023

🙌🐾🙌

⭐️big news!⭐️

I have been speaking to some old clients behind the scenes. It’s been a long year but I miss all my dog friends WAY too much.

I plan on coming back to dog walking from as soon as I’m required, but it will only be 3 ish days a week and can include weekends…….⚡️

I am also going back to my roots of teaching wee ones 👶 so will be with my one true love dogs, as well!🌸

For those of my wonderful clients who found new, amazing dog walkers, I want to make it very clear, stay with them! Your dog is very happy as they are!💜

Things will be a little different this time, with walks more tailored and smaller groups, and more opportunity to do long distance adventure walks to exciting places midweek if you’re away all day.

Prices to follow (per dog)
1hr group walk £13.50
1.5hr group walk £16.50
3hr+ adventure walk £25 (murlough,Mournes,portrush etc etc)
Solo walk (30 mins) £8
Solo walk ( training walk, aggression/anxiety) £30

Picture of my 3 hooligans💜

09/01/2023

Instagram stories sale today! 🙌🐾🌊

Hiker Hounds NI shared a post on Instagram: "Living the sea swimming dream with my bestie 🌊🐾 (painful toes temps) I’ll pop up the available ready made items for sale on the stories in the next wee while so have a look through and I’ll respond to everyone asap tonight/tomorrow! (Once small ...

08/01/2023

Upcoming stories sale! 🎉🙌🐾

I have a few new bits made while clearing out old stock, so excitingly there are some Meadow rope collars! (Up-cycled climbing ropes made into one new snazzy rope)
As well as our classic Belfast art canvas and a few other bits.

Im hoping for Monday eve but sadly can’t 100% commit these days to a definite date just incase, so keep a wee eye on the stories if you’re interested in grabbing some sale HH pieces!

T&Cs: please measure and dbl check you are ordering the right collar size as I can’t cover return postage costs, a size guide will be shared! TY!

20/12/2022

I’m so sorry to everyone who keeps getting tagged in these spam posts, anyone any idea why it keeps happening or how to stop it 😅
Also please don’t click any spam links I think I’ve deleted all the posts..

09/12/2022

The emotional day of finding EVIE 💜🐾💜

Four years ago I was her Walker/sitter (and adored her, her sister Rita and her dog dads). When she was missing for 2 nights in this Baltic weather we couldn’t get her out of our heads.

This year has been brutal and last night I was in bed at 7 and in tears, feeling useless and frustrated at how easily fatigued and immobile I can be, chemo is really kicking my butt a bit and it’s been difficult lately to feel myself or to do a fraction of the things I would want to.

This morning I got up, sorted the small human puppy for nursery and got myself out the door in the hope I could help the search for Evie. It is much easier said than done but no matter how bad you are feeling, just one day can make all the difference. After a bit of searching Evie ran right by me and after a small chase we were, quite literally chilling, in a little stream.

It was such a joy to help get Evie home but also I selfishly needed this boost so much, to feel capable and be able to do more than just getting through the day. Has lifted me so much, after a tough week.

I strongly believe in fate or some form of ‘be good be kind & love the earth’ type vibes and it’s just mad to me that Evie and I were both in just the right spot at the right time we both really needed to be there!

We are so so glad Evie is safe and well with her humans Barkley and Waggins and so heartened by how much time and effort people gave to support them through a rough few days!

Hug your dog!
Gem and the hounds

09/12/2022

Best thing I’ve done this year 🤣🙈💜💜💜 so glad you’re home wee Evie xox

EVIE

BEST PHOTO EVER

Well done to everyone that helped with the search and to her owners and Andy and all searchers who put in so much effort to bring Evie home ..

08/12/2022

Please keep an eye out for Evie in Dundonald area

REUNITED WITH OWNER

MISSING: BROWN & TAN COCKER SPANIEL

LOCATION: DUNDONALD ICEBOWL AREA

DATE: 07/12/22

DETAILS: called Evie, very nervous, missing back paw so walks with limp. Chipped and wearing ID tag.

PLEASE PM US URGENTLY WITH ANY INFORMATION.
Thanks