A Walk To The Village.....

It was a sensational feeling walking Kye on a normal lead I to the village today. He took everything in his stride, and took it all in. Anyone not familiar with Kye check out the video "Kye's Story" a few posts below.....

Always In Our Hearts.....

Thought I'd share this lovely poem with some photo's of the wonderful Meg. Both sent to me by Lesley, and whilst the words are such a beautiful and fitting tribute, the photo's show just what an amazing little dog Meg was.....

Through To The Final, But REALLY Need Your Support Now.....

Thanks to your fantastic support we have qualified to the last 20 of the Ocean Finance Win The Tin Competition.....

We are up against some very tough competition, so if we want to win the £5,000 we really need the support of you and all your family and friends.

All you have to do is follow the link below and click on the VOTE tab next to us. Tell everyone and ask them to vote..... Help us CHANGE LIVES.

http://www.oceanfinance.co.uk/win-the-tin/

Don't Forget This Friday.....

Wanna Help Us Win £5,000.....

If you want to help SHAK win £5,000 then please nominate us in the competition below.....

http://www.oceanfinance.co.uk/win-the-tin/

Thank you in advance for your support!

As Promised On SHAK TV..... Kye's Story.....

As promised from the little teaser a couple of weeks ago, here's Kye's Story.....

I guess if anything this video really does show the work we do from start to finish, and also what can be achieved.

You can see more of our videos on SHAK TV.....SHAK IN MOTION:

http://shakinmotion.blogspot.co.uk/

Sad Times.....

I'm afraid its a really sad update today, as we all begin to come to terms with two pieces of very sad news.

A sudden illness has taken Denbar from the family that loved him so dearly, and the big guy has left a huge hole in a lot of peoples hearts. There was twice in Denbar's life that I stopped him being destroyed. The first time, he was probably just minutes away..... waiting to be called into the room. For him to go on and witness the love and affection that he did was truly amazing and I think the pictures below show this. Thank you to his family for loving him and to those who got him there.

Then on Friday I got the shocking news that Lesley had had to say goodbye to the original SHAK minx, little Meg.It appears she suffered a serious of horrendous fits or seisures out of the blue, and the last one in particulair was quite horrific. She never came around.

Meg was a real spirit, a wonderful little dog that was so sharp. Yet she proved everyone wrong, including me, by finding true love and a home in the outside world with Lesley.

I remember very clearly the day I collected her from Birmingham, the only way I could have her was if I drove there myself to get her. She wasn't trusted to be moved from car to car. She of course found love with Otto 2 and then on to her big brothers and sisters at Lesley's house......

"This is what surprises me most – that this difficult little madam has wormed her way into my heart without me really noticing. She as never meant to be my dog, but she was such a massive presence – so much character in such a little dog that, without her today, the house feels like it`s lost its heartbeat. Not many people were lucky enough to see the great side of her – clever, funny, feisty and with such a huge capacity for pure joy. She was irresistible and I feel so incredibly privileged to
have had her share my home and life for the last year. She shone more brightly with every month that went by and we had so much fun together.  The little dog that nobody wanted is going to be hugely missed – I don`t expect to meet such a wonderful spirit again.

Run free my little Meggles – you were truly loved in the end"

And just to cap it off, it all comes at a time when another dog we've lost was strongly in our thoughts. Saturday was two years to the day since we lost Miko. A dog whose turnaround I class as my own personal greatest achievement, and also the biggest turnaround in the charities history.

Remembering the stories of the likes of Denbar and Meg bring it all back, how much suffering and how so close these dogs came to losing their lives. Miko was a big inspiration in being able to give these dogs a chance.....

Here's what I wrote when he died:

The picture that introduced me to Miko.

Miko became unwell this morning, and at 6am I rushed him to the vets with a suspected stomach torsion. Surgery showed that as well twisting, the stomach had severely ruptured, to the point that it was unrepairable. I had to say goodbye to a dog that had become my best friend over the last couple of months.

Stomach torsions happen in "barrel chested" dogs, there have been several studies but none have come up with a definitive reason for why they happen. It's just life I suppose, but it's a horrible thing and as soon as I saw Miko I knew it was serious.

Miko's last weeks on this earth have been a pleasure for me, him and my other dogs. The turnaround in him from when he arrived 3 and a half years ago is nothing short of amazing, and will give me strength to keep going and give these dogs a chance.

People have already started to tell me "at least he was with you in a home at the end, he was lucky to have you" but I see it a totally different way. I was lucky to get to see the real Miko. The Miko that adored my daughter, the Miko that loved to play with the other dogs despite his poor frame, and the Miko that loved to gaze into the fire on a night time.

Miko was incredible and I am going to miss him so much. Maybes a bit like Dudley the bond we shared was close and instant, and the hole he has left behind in my life just as big.

A Bit Of A Teaser.....

Sorry if this is a bit if a teaser, but this photograph will probably only make sense to the people who come to the kennels or were involved in Kye's rescue. Don't worry I am working on a film of his story for SHAK TV, but in the meantime just note, no muzzle or rigid lead.....

Making Friends.....

There has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes as usual, and I thought I'd show you the good side of the work we do. At SHAK we believe strongly that dogs are sociable animals, and pairing them up is a big part of our day.

Here's Charlie and Lucy.....

And here is our other Charlie (yes we have 2!) and Bella enjoying their fun in the sun. The likeness of Lucy and Bella is uncanny, but both came from different areas.....

I am delighted to say we are currently working on a new Forever Foster home for Charlie (2, the Labrador) but we would love to see the other three with homes of their own. If you'd like to know more then please contact foreverfoster@shak.org.uk

Trick Or Treat?....

I just have to share with you this picture of Woody and Luna all set for Halloween.....

Seven Years On.....

Saturday marked the seventh anniversary of a me losing a little dog that I really loved and tried my hardest to save. Portia died from cancer, yet was such a happy little soul. She used to come and stay at home with me, and I guess so many have benefited from that now over the years.

I wouldn't swap the time I had with her, she taught me that life is cruel and sometimes your best just isn't enough. How she ended up needing me I'll never know, but I think about her even now.

Bathtime For Fagan.....

Speaking of Sheena and Roger, despite such bad news they still opened their front door to give Fagan a day out and a medicated bath. As you can see, I think he really enjoyed it!

We really would like to see this old boy settled with a bathroom to call his own! If you'd like to find out more on how you could provide this for him then please contact foreverfoster@shak.org.uk

Some Bad News But Happy Times For Penny.....

We've had some bad news regarding a dog that has won the hearts of so many. Penny has developed a cough at times, and given her past medical history (you'll remember the huge mammary tumour) we decided we couldn't take any risks. A CT scan confirmed our worst fears, and it would appear that Penny now has secondary tumours in her lungs. At her age and condition it really doesn't seem fair to put her through anymore, shes been through enough major surgery already, and from experience when their are secondary tumours in such abundance there isn't much that can be done anyway.

So we've all made the decision to just let Penny enjoy the time she has left. Her foster Mam and Dad clearly adore her, and as you can see from this photograph yesterday, shes come a long way from the little dog that was so frantic in a house.....

What You Looking At.....

I love the look of concentration on Floyd's face here..... Apparently there is a Custard Cream just out of sight!