Otto Enjoying A Wander To The Village.....

Thought you might like to see these two pictures of Otto enjoying a walk into the village with Ameri this morning. Otto is a tormented soul, that has been so badly abused that he will probably never have a normal domestic home ever again. However, in Ameri he has found a soul mate who has fallen for him in a big way. Look at how happy he is on these.

Bank Holiday Monday.....

Just to prove how useless I am, I only realised it was Bank Holiday Monday this week on my way to the kennels this morning. Hence a little reminder that you have another opportunity to pop to Derek's for a coffee and help us Save Dogs On Death Row.

"Pebbles" at Marine View Seaton Sluice is open tomorrow from 7.30am.

Hand Crafted Walking Staffs.....

Derek has managed to get his hands on a very limited number of hand crafted walking staffs that he is selling in aid of SHAK tomorrow at Pebbles on the sea front at Seaton Sluice. The information that we have is "that the carver was a descendant of the Border Reivers who raped and pillaged their way around the Borders and the staffs which they carved were to raise funds."

Long John Hepple (without the parrot) as he is now known by in reference to his crutches, is selling these staffs for a bargain £6 each, although they begin retailing on line at £23.99!

So grab yourself a coffee and a bargain, and say hello to Derek tomorrow (open from 7.30am) Every penny taken goes straight to help us Save Even More Dogs On Death Row.

Brodie's Morning At The Beach.....

Brodie was a very lucky boy yesterday, as Andrea took him for a morning run to the beach. He came back a very tired and contented boy, after being the perfect gent. As you can see, he had a "whale" of a time in the sea.

Summer Fun And Games.....

Days are flying by, and so much seems to of been achieved over the last few days. Thank you to Karen, Gregg, Andrea, Ameri, Adeline and Marie who have spent time over the last week or so helping the SHAK dogs enjoy the sunshine. Below are some photographs, but its not just Grace, Miko and Smokey who have benefited. There are some special friendships developing between human and K9, the people involved know who they are, and there will be photo's of Brodie's day at the beach posted on here soon.

Enjoying The Sun At The Rescue Place.....

Miko and Grace.

Enjoying The Sun At The Rescue Place.....

Here is one of the old men Smokey enjoying the sunshine. We think Smokey is at least 11, but as you can see, he still has a love for chasing toys.

Thank You's.....

Just wanted to thank everyone who made Sunday another fantastic fundraising day.

Thank you to the girls who had a wonderful day at Bede's World. Also I'd like to give a special thank you to poor Trevor who gets roped into taking all the tombola stuff to all the events, and gets the job of setting up.

Next up thank you to Sandra and Derek for a wonderful result at Seaton Sluice. Derek wasn't even meant to open, due to being on crutches for his bad ankle, however when he saw the sunshine he couldn't help himself. Thank you Derek, you are a real star.

On behalf of everyone at SHAK, especially the dogs, THANK YOU guys.

Shane.....

A Fun Afternoon For Shane.....

A BIG THANK YOU to Marie for arriving at the kennels today with two huge boxes of toys. In them was a whole load of Kongs and cuddly toys, but also two types of balls that kept the dogs occupied all day.

Mona, Butch, Bodie, Doyle, Smokey and Otto 2 absolutely loved the huge Boomer balls, and all you could hear all day was the big plastic balls being stotted around.

Whenever there was a a moments quiet, all you could then hear was the likes of Judy, Harlie, Murphy and Shane playing with the Babble balls. Here's some pictures of Shane with a Babble ball outside. You can see the concentration on his face.

Busy Weekend.....

Time seems to be flying, and I find it hard to believe we're nearly through May already! This weekend sees another double header on the fund raising front.

As usual on Sunday, it means that Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate and Scones are being served at Pebbles on the sea front at Seaton Sluice. Derek and Sandra do a wonderful job for us, and I know they would love to see you. Just look for the black flags if you don't know where they are.

Sunday also see's Carol and Hayley taking the tombola on the road again, this time to Jarrow and to Bede's World for their medieval fair. It looks like a really good family day out, so if you manage to get there for the day, be sure to say hello to the girls.

http://www.bedesworld.co.uk/

Saturday 15th May 2010.....

It has been one of those horrible weeks where the phonecalls and emails have been non stop. Dogs may have lost their lives simply because we do not have the kennel space or the funding to place them in emergency overflow kennels.

The worst part is because of the reputation we have built for taking "difficult" dogs, it is usually the really desperate cases that are brought to our attention. One poor soul I was asked to help last week had lived in a shed for 3 years, getting into the garden now and then at the best. How can this dog be placed in a home in todays unforgiving society, when she has never seen a car or strangers?

There are lots of ways you can help us strive to give more of these beautiful dogs a chance to start all over. Every penny helps give a dog a place to stay or food to eat. We currently have over 40 large breed dogs in our care, with your help we can save even more.

Donations can be made via PayPal to shak@shak.org.uk, or cheques made payable to SHAK and posted to Wildwood Cottage, 3a Stead Lane, Bedlington, Northumberland NE22 5LT. Alternatively have a look at our online store (www.shakshop.co.uk), place a food donation at Pets At Home in Cramlington, or relax with a coffee at Pebbles at Seaton Sluice on a Sunday.

In the last 4 years SHAK has saved a lot of lives of dogs who had nothing and nowhere else to go. With your support we can save even more.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Still Miss You Poppy.....

A year on, I still miss you Poppy. She died age 16, and was the perfect pet. I know you'll be running free with Shak at the bridge girl x.

Date For Your Diary - Sponsored Dog Walk In Aid Of SHAK.....

I am delighted to announce today the first Dog Walk in aid of SHAK. Taking place on Sunday 13th June (11am meet), the walk will go along the beach from the promenade car park at Blyth to Seaton Sluice, and ending at Derek's caravans on the sea front. So why not stop for a sit down and a cuppa too afterwards, and enjoy talking to other dog lovers.

Sponsorship forms are available from Derek's this Sunday (Thats "Pebbles" 6 Marine View, Seaton Sluice) or email me (shak@shak.org.uk). EVERY penny raised goes to help save the lives of dogs on death row, and keeps them safe once they have arrived with us.

The DogFather (well he is the great old man who runs the kennels).....

For those of you who are new to SHAK, and didn't follow Scooby's story last summer,this is Scooby, a dog that was stab through the eye with a screwdriver and left chained to a tree. He took chunks out of my arm and calf the day I drove 4 hours to pick him up. It took another 4 hours to get him in my jeep, then a week and a half to get the lead off. He is my inspiration.

A BIG Leap Of Faith.....

Today was another big day for Faith, as not only did she go for a walk with Marie for the very first time, but this afternoon they both joined me and Scooby for a stroll in the sunshine. Scooby is the SHAK Stooge Dog, and shows such calm signals to other dogs. Faith on the other hand was very interested, and although still very hesitant, she was eager to get closer to my boy.

Monday 10th May 2010.....

Just a quick update on kennel life and new friendships at The Rescue Place. I've just come back with Faith after her first walk into the local village. This is such a massive step for her, as she had the big wide world to contend with. She was an angel, and even took a cyclist and a lorry all in her stride. She seemed to enjoy the fresh air and the peaceful surroundings, but still kept nudging my hand with her nose every now and then to make sure I was still there. I am so proud of her, she's flat out asleep in her bed next to me as I write this.

Sam has stepped up his socialisation with other dogs, and for the last two weeks has been venturing out with Lola. He is doing well, and hopefully will continue to progress. Mind you, a walk with the beautiful Lola, who wouldn't enjoy it.

Certainly not Shane, who just adores Lola when they go in the runs in the afternoon. In fact, Shane has also been on walks with Lola, and her live in boyfriend Max. Shane is a very lucky boy, as his morning runs are shared with Daisy, so he is making lots of friends, and is looking a much happier dog.

Mona and Brodie continue to play all day long, Scooby and Nina enjoy chilling together, whilst the four boys (Butch, Kane, Murphy and Laser) are such a joy to see all playing together. Even big Gunnar has discovered a love of toys.

And Even More.....

And our own resident "teenage" boys, Butch and Kane.

More Pics.....

Next up Storm and Ameri.

Sunday 9th April 2010.....

The sun was shining up at The Rescue Place today, and it was great to see the dogs out sunbathing and enjoying the weather. Thanks to Ameri and Gavin for giving up their whole day to make it such a joy for the SHAK dogs. In these photos are Oliver and Judy chilling with Gavin.

Nearly Sunday.....

Don't forget Derek's for a Coffee and Scone tomorrow. 6 Marine View, Seaton Sluice. Open 7.30am - 5pm.

Just look for the black flags!

SHAK Shop.....

There are some new items at the SHAK Shop (http://www.shakshop.co.uk/) so please check them out. There should be more arriving soon, but in the meantime why not treat yourself to the 80's style T-Shirt that says it all.

"Poundies Never Say Die" is based on the cult 80's movie the Goonies, and I'm probably showing my age when I say it is one of my all time favourites. You can order your very own "Poundies" T-Shirt here:

http://www.shakshop.co.uk/-Poundies_-_Never_Say_Die/p168627_863308.aspx

Also on there are some wonderful photos that have been donated to SHAK to help raise funds. They are 8 x 10 prints and come mounted in a 12 x 10 mount and protective bag. Every single penny from their sale go to help us save even more "Dogs on Death Row."

http://www.shakshop.co.uk/-Photographs_and_Prints/p168627_919513.aspx

Thanks for looking.

What A Difference A Week Makes.....

Sorry for the overload of photo's, but these pictures make me want to cry tears of joy. Here is Faith on her afternoon walk.