Change Lives

Change Lives

Sunday 29 April 2012

King Goes Home.....

There is a lot of work goes on behind the scenes by the great people I have alongside me, and after the successful move for Bailey, Lesley and Geoff have already come up trumps again.King has been with us for 2 and a half years after being kicked out as a stray. He couldn't find a home because of his behaviour, but simply because he was so big and strong. After weeks of work and trips to meet new owners, King went home yesterday, to a farmhouse with another little dog. The kennels don't seem the same without him, but read the email I got last night, he deserves this.

"Hi Lesley & Geoff,

All going really well, we went for a short walk after you had left and King was good as gold. He walked to heel and did not pull at all.  He is o.k with Ted, a few little grumbles if he sniffs where he shouldn't but nothing worrying. I am just making dinner and he is as calm as anything, totally obedient.  I have asked him to lie down as I don't do food and dogs and he is happily watching me and having an intermittent snooze on the kitchen floor.  Not stressed at all!

He had a sensible bowl of food when we got back and ate all of that, then promptly went for a poo when we took him outside, so a jolly good boy all round.

Thanks, so much to you both, for all the driving and everything, he is really lovely :-).

I will keep you posted and get some photos soon."



Thanks to Lesley and Geoff again for making a massive difference to one of SHAK's real BIG boys.

Friday 27 April 2012

Time For A Bailey's.....

I'm delighted to say that after a fantastic time in foster with Lesley, our Bailey has now moved to his Forever Foster home. Bailey is such a wonderful boy, an obvious after Christmas kick out puppy, and it was crucial that he left here on the right path. Lesley has done a fantastic job in carrying on his socialisation, and finding him a great home. Thanks Lesley and good luck Bailey.

2 Years For Bentley.....

Yesterday marked the 2nd anniversary of us losing a dog that had a BIG effect on us all up here having arrived with us via a pound where he was due to be destroyed. Bentley was given that name by the people at Rochdale Dog Rescue because he was simply that big, the size of a Bentley! He was wobbly on his back legs, and we weren't sure how long he'd be with us.

A hunger strike when he arrived at the kennels we were using at the time lead to him moving into temporary foster with Andy and Jackie, and he simply never left. I remember tales of Andy taking Bentley into the shower to bath him, and I know the big guy thought the world of his new Dad. Run free Bentley, it was an honour to be able to give you the chance of such a great year.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Koko Pops.....




Koko is another that was facing being put to sleep for getting herself in trouble having been terrified after being beaten and abandoned. She has blossomed with us and is such a playful and sociable girl.Time is a great healer, and this beautiful girl proves that.

Hello Lennox.....




Lennox arrived recently having been a stray. He was written off because of his age and the fact that he is a very large Crossbreed. The say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but Lennox is disproving that theory as he is learning that being with other dogs isn't such a bad thing. He's toy daft, and casting faster than we can brush him, but what a happy boy. Proud to have you on board big man.

From The Dunes To The Pillow.....

One dog Melvyn was able to take home is Poppy. I'm sure I've mentioned her on here before, but in case you've forgotten Poppy is an old girl that was found abandoned on the beach. Mel and Tracy fell in love with her instantly and welcomed her into their home. This is her last night relaxing on their bed! Photo's like this make all we do worthwhile. Thank you guys.

Shadow Goes Home.....

A bit of research and a few phonecalls over the weekend lead to me speaking to Shadow's breeder who was genuinely shocked that he had found himself in such a situation. I'm delighted to say that today Shadow moved into foster through his breeder, and the search begins for a new permanent home. This dog came so close to dying at just 10 months old, thank you to everyone who help save his life. The vets, the breeder, his foster Mam and Dad, and last but certainly not least, my team who took this boy to their hearts. Melvyn, its good he's moved on, you can stop crying now!


Best of luck Shadow.

Friday 20 April 2012

Buster Having Fun.....

I also had to include this picture of Buster. If ever there was a shot of a big Mastiff type having fun, then this has to be it!

The Wonderful Diesel.....




Diesel has been with us a while now, and we are working on trying to get him into Forever Foster. As you can see he is both playful and athletic, and would be a great fun companion for someone.

Shadow.....




Some pictures of Shadow who arrived with us yesterday after a desperate dash to the vets. Hard to believe that this baby was so close to being destroyed. I'll update you on his progress once he has settled.

Thursday 19 April 2012

A Year On For Keiser.....


It's a year today since we lost another big boy that finally found home when he came with us. Keiser arrived with quite a reputation, but was such a stunning boy. A great personality, and a real character, he wondered into the kennel owners house one day and simply refused to leave.

During his time with us, Keiser battled against testicular cancer and also had to have a toe removed but still he was always pleased to see you. Old age and illness beat him in the end, but it was an honour to be involved in finally making this boy happy. Run free big guy.

Monday 16 April 2012

A New Hope.....




Some more fantastic news on Hope, as she continues to gain the pounds. She came to see us today, and looks absoloutely amazing. Her new weight is a whopping 19.7kg, a far cry from the 12kg dog I picked up.

SHAK Supporters 200 Club April Draw.....

This months winners are:

1st Prize  - 89 Lee Appleby

2nd Prize - 188 Gavin Phillips

3rd Prize - 7 Thomas Gardner

Thank you all again for your continued support!

SHAK Hits The Madrid Marathon.....

We have some wonderful offers of support and fundraising, and this is another one. Thanks to my old pal David Shearan for running the Madrid Marathon for us on the 22nd April. It's amazing to think that SHAK will be represented in Spain. Anyone wishing to sponsor David and help us out, can do by the following link:

http://www.everyclick.com/shakmadridrun

Thanks David, and best of luck!

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Jetta's Easter Weekend (And Lynn's).....




Written by our own Lynn Sharp:

This weekend I was privileged to be accompanied by another SHAK dog as I completed three days of the Hadrian's Wall walk.  On Stephen's request I took a young rottweiler/doberman cross called Jetta who had been reported to have dog aggression problems.  After a day at the kennels on friday I piled all of Jetta's paraphernalia into my car (dogs don't travel light you know!) and plonked him on Andrew's knee who I was giving a lift home. 

On arrival at my flat I let Jetta settle down and then we spent a lovely evening with some friends of mine who were round for dinner.  Jetta coped fantastically with meeting new people in a new situation and took a distinct liking to Liam who
insisted on taking Jetta out for his 'wee walks'!  I suspect if Liam didn't work full time I may well have lost my walking companion at that point as he'd have been off to Newcastle on the bus!

The next morning Jetta once again took up his position as my wingman in the car and then we headed for our hotel just outside Carlisle.  After abandoning the car we set off on the first of three days walking along the wall.  We encountered what seemed like numerous new experiences for Jetta all of which he took in his stride.  The initial problem was the swing gates that he had to wind his way through at every fence crossing.  Initially he was really scared of them and kept trying to get through them at the same time as me and my rucksack which all regular walkers will know is a physical impossibility!  By the end of the day however he was trotting straight up to them and looking at me, patiently waiting for me to push them into the middle so he could u-turn through them at high speed - sometimes forgetting that I was still on the other side of the gate on the other end of his lead!

After about an hour of walking (in glorious sunshine I may add, not that it lasted) the 'dreaded' moment arrived as I saw a man heading towards us with his two labs and a spaniel, all off lead.  Well, all I can say is, if Jetta is dog aggressive, then
so am I!  The four of them were having a good gamble around each other, sniffing and playing and I suspect there may even have been a bit of eyelash batting between Jetta and the girl spaniel...

The rest of the day (ten miles walking) passed really well with Jetta never running out of energy and his tail constantly wagging.  He proved himself to be a loving, friendly, attentive dog with everyone we met.  In fact my only complaint would be we had to keep stopping when we passed people as they all kept asking about him, wanting to pat him and commenting on how handsome he is.

On arrival at our hotel (the very dog and owner friendly Walfoot Hotel) I felt confident enough in Jetta to leave him in the room unattended whilst I went down for dinner.  On my return I found him sleeping on his blanket behind the door with nothing disturbed - and no warm sleeping dog shaped patch on my bed!  Jetta succeeded in charming Nigel the owner of the hotel as well - I thought I was going to lose Jetta again there too but unfortunately Nigel's two labs would probably have something to say about that.

Day two saw us completing a colossal nineteen miles which he once again took in his stride albeit I'm sure the looks during the last half an hour were asking me if there wasn't a bus we could catch! During the day I decided to see what else this intelligent puppy could learn so he's mastered the art of drinking out of a water bottle (invaluable if you do a lot of walking!), indicating when he wanted water by stopping and looking at my rucksack and climbing over stone stiles.  Unfortunately the little wooden stiles were too much for him leaving me to practise my weight lifting (never easy when the 'weight' is wriggling) and he didn't approve of where we stopped for lunch, The Greyhound Inn, which I think he felt should have been called the Doberweiller!

Day three started with my alarm going, the TV going on, Jetta lifting his head...and then putting it straight back down again!  As soon as his lead appeared though he was raring to go again - far more so than I was.  Unfortunately we lost the weather this time and proceeded to do six, hard miles in the rain before 'we' decided enough was enough and headed home without completing the last seven.
 
Jetta has done himself nothing but proud this weekend.  As I said, he's encountered numerous new experiences, tens of dogs and even more people without batting an eyelid.  In fact, I'm not even sure if he can bark!  He even tolerated a bath when we got home today without me having to put a hand on him other than to wash out the shampoo.  He's a fantastic little dog who is incredibly affectionate and impeccably behaved (after a bit of work with sheep!) and deserves a great home.  He really is a little gem and whoever takes him will be just as lucky as he is.    

Thursday 5 April 2012

Big Day For Hope.....

Today was a big day for Hope, as she was declared well enough earlier in the week to under go the dental she so desperately needed. Two mammary lumps had also been discovered as she had gained weight, and it was decided that it was for the best if they were removed as well. I'm delighted to say that both operations went well, and Hope is currently lying on the sofa back home with her Mam and Dad and her three k9 friends. This little girl has come so far so quickly, and today was a big step in completing the turn around in her fortunes. Get well soon Hope.

(Obviously treatment like this is expensive. Anyone who has been following Hope's story and would like to donate to her vets bills can do so via paypal to shak@shak.org.uk or by cheque made payable to SHAK and sent to Wildwood Cottage 3a Stead Lane Bedlington Northumberland NE22 5LT or you can donate at the Moorview Vets directly. Their details are: Station Road,Backworth, Newcastle upon Tyne NE27 0AA Tel - 0191 2566990. Please mark all donations HOPE'S DENTAL. Thanks for your wonderful support.)

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Good Luck Tammy.....


Another beautiful SHAK girl that has moved onto a new life and family is Tammy. Another Lurcher that had been badly abused before she came to us, another rescue saved her, and then turned out to be such a darling.

Tammy lived with Charlie, and looked after him, but now it was her time to be looked after. Good luck Tammy, your face tells a million stories. At least now you have a happy one to tell the world.

Monday 2 April 2012

Holly Goes Home.....


Another lovely girl we've been lucky enough to help on her way into a home is Holly. Fresh from her new haircut, here she is relaxing with another SHAK girl Shabby and Dizzy. I couldn't understand why Holly ended up needing us, but I know now that it was all part of the journey to her finding home. Thanks to our very own Vicki and Jude, both girls look amazing.

Laser, Hope And Gypsey.....


It was with great relief this morning that I was able to pick Laser up from the vets after he spent the weekend at the vets recovering from an operation to remove testicular cancer. Laser, pictured above far left with his best 3 mates Murphy, Butch and Kane(and me)is a lovely dog that has always lived with Murphy, so the 4 days apart have been difficult for both to comprehend. I'm delighted to say though that Laser was the perfect patient, and I'd like to thank everyone at Moorview Vets for giving him nothing but the best care.

Monday is Weigh Day for Hope, and I'm pleased to say she has once again gained weight, and is now an impressive 18kg. Thanks to Sheena for all the wonderful work you are doing with this girl.

Today also marks the second anniversary of us losing Gypsey (pictured above), a wonderful girl who proved everyone wrong. Anyone who enjoys a drink in the Border Terrier Pub will remember the special greeting you received from Gyp as she lead you to the bar. You were amazing girl, I'll never forget you.