Yogi Needs YOUR Help.....

I keep talking about the revolving door, and young Yogi is a very special boy who has come through it after arriving as stray.

I say special for several reasons..... because he is still very much a baby, but also because despite being so young he has already suffered life changing surgery.

Yogi doesn't put much weight, if any, on his back right foot, and whilst we're not entirely sure if the reason I think the fact he has had his middle two toes removed will account for a lot of it!

Despite being an absolutely gorgeous boy, the chances of getting him a home without knowing what's wrong, and having no history whatsoever, is very slim.

Rich very kindly took Yogi to the vets on Wednesday where no issue with his leg was found. Obviously the toes that are missing are very much the weight baring ones, which in turn could explain the limping, but it has been decided that an x-ray to find the full cause is the best way forward.

The next step in Yogi's journey will cost sound £300. This is where you can help him.  We appealing for people to help us pay Yogi's vets bill so we can help him get his young life back on track. He honestly is such a loving boy and deserves this at the very least.

You can donate via PayPal to shak@shak.org.uk

www.paypal.com/gb/

Or by sending a cheque payable to SHAK to SHAK Greenwell Road Alnwick NE661HB.

Thank you in advance for your support.

(Please note that Facebook viewers will need to click on the post to see all the photos.)

Good News For Lilly.....

I'm pleased to say that we have had the results from Lilly's biopsy back......

And I'm delighted to say the tumour that has been removed is benign!!! Excuse my lack of veterinary experience but the explanation I have received from the vets goes something like this:

Lillys lump is a lipoma! Non cancerous fatty mass - local excision is curative in the majority of cases. Mass also has a mild chronic inflammation, in some areas numbers of mast cells are increased and there could be concurrent hypersensitivity condition, such as atopy (skin!)

So that explains a lot with her skin too.

She is doing very well in her foster home, but as she was weined off her steroids her skin has slightly flaired up again. She is going to our vets on Friday.

We are currently sitting through the application forms that have come in to offer her a Forever Foster home, and hopefully one will be exactly what Lilly needs.

I think this a massive, positive step in Lilly's new life. I have to admit I didn't think we would heat good news. However I think it is also obvious she is going to need on going veterinary treatment.  If you would like to help towards her full recovery you can donate via PayPal to shak@shak.org.uk

https://www.paypal.com/signin?country.x=GB&locale.x=en_GB

or by sending a cheque payable to SHAK to SHAK Greenwell Road, Alnwick NE661HB

Thank you. 

Lilly's Story Hits The Local And National Press.....

It appears the media have fully got behind out little Lilly. Front page of the Northumberland Gazette, and the story has also given us our first ever piece in the Daily Mail.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/~/article-4820262/index.html

Lilly's Weekend.....

It's been a busy few days for little Lilly this weekend, as the search continues to find her a permanent home.

She has been staying with me since Thursday and has been incredible with everyone she has met, and loves being around the other dogs.

After breaking her story there has obviously been  lot of interest in her, but the awareness that was clearly present at all the events she has attended this weekend has been nothing short of amazing.

So Thursday and Friday Lilly joined Haden, Lennox, Sam and Ember at HQ for SHAK Boutique, where as you can see she made herself very comfortable!

Saturday saw me very proud to be invited to judge the dog show at Warkworth Show with our good friends from Moorview Vets. Sky joined the group of dogs having the day out, and they all did us very proud! As I said everybody seemed to know who Lilly was, and she seemed really pleased to meet them all!

Then today it's been a day of rest at home and enjoying the Northumberland country side, especially the sunset.....

The weekend has brought an offer of foster home for Lilly to go to whilst she recovers fully and whilst we wait for her biopsy results, which is greatly appreciated, but she'll be  big miss from here. So the days out have been well worth while.

We are still looking for a permanent Forever Foster home for Lilly. If you are interested please email foreverfoster@shak.org.uk 

(Facebook viewers will need to click the post to see all the pictures.)

Lilly Update.....

After an understandibly  wrestless  night after such big surgery, Lilly looked remarkably brighter today. She had a busy schedule, first up special guest at the SHAK Boutique and then a fleeting appearance at the local. Everywhere she went she made new friends.

I have a busy weekend planned attending several fundraising events, and it seems a perfect opportunity to let her meet people and hopefully find her new forever foster home.

Tonight she's curling up with the rest of my dogs, and accompanying me as my shadow everywhere I move. She has so much love to give, she will make somebody a wonderful little companion.

If your interested in offering Lilly a home then please contact foreverfoster@shak.org.uk

(Please note Facebook viewers will need to click on the post to see all the photos.)

At Last I Can Introduce Lilly (WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGES).....

There has been a lot of interest in our new arrival, understandably given her condition, and I'm pleased to say that today was a huge day in her life.

The legal situation that has stopped me posting has progressed, so today I can tell you all about Lilly (as we have called her.)

I think it is very important to point out at this stage that although Lilly was signed over in horrendous condition, we are not interested in the past. Her previous owner now has to face the legal system and hopefully justice will prevail, we know she is 12, however all we care about is her life from TODAY.

You can see from the photos on arrival with the Animal Welfare Team of Northumberland Council she was suffering from a horrendous skin condition, her face especially was so red and sore, but also her claws were disgustingly overgrown and her ears were so swollen and infected they were simply shut.

However, it wasn't until Lilly stood up in the house that the Animal Welfare Officer saw the true horror of the neglect she has suffered. Hanging from between her back legs was a huge mass, that almost touched the ground when she walked. Even worse was to come, when on closer inspection it appeared the mass was being held together by string!

The Animal Welfare Team took Lilly straight to The vets after she was signed over, where she was prescribed eardrops and steroids for her skin, today she was back at the vets to get the mass removed.

It turns out the mass was indeed a tumour, and I have authorised it to be sent away so we can see if it is malignant or benign.  I will of course let you know as soon as I do.

Tonight I'm very grateful to Sarah for giving Lilly somewhere warm and calm to recover, her first night of her new life, and tomorrow we start the search to find her a new home to call her own.

If you are interested in giving this beautiful girl a new start then please email foreverfoster@shak.org.uk

(Please note Facebook viewers will need to click on the post to see all the photographs.)

SHAK Boutique Number 2.....

Tomorrow sees the opening of the second SHAK Boutique at our HQ in Greenwell Road, Alnwick NE66 1HB.

A lot of hard work goes into arranging this event by Jill and some of her fellow volunteers, be great to see you there. I'm planning to take along a few faces you may recognise too.....

For full details see the piece in this week's Northumberland Gazette:

http://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/pop-up-shop-is-set-to-open-its-doors-to-support-dog-charity-1-8696079

Random 48's Alert......

I haven't run one of these for a little while, but as we are very proud to of reached over 4,000 likes on our Facebook page SHAKthesanctuary I thought we'd celebrate with a random 48!

I'd like to think the work we've done with Eden and Ged are great adverts for what we do, but more importantly for showing what CAN be done rather than destruction. The new girl we have taken on has her own issues, and medically is going to need a lot of attention.

All of this costs money, and that is where you can help these dogs, and have a real impact in helping to change lives.....

All I'm asking is that in the next 48 hours you donate £1 via PayPal, yes just £1, and then if all of our Facebook followers did the same we'd raise over £4000!

When you look into the faces of the likes of Eden and Ged, all we see now is love. They weren't always like that.....

So please log onto PayPal and send £1 to shak@shak.org.uk

https://www.paypal.com/uk/signin

Thank you so much for your support.

A Lot More Relaxed.....

I've had a few days off with the school holidays, and it's been great to see Melissa, David and our very special SHAK girl continuing Lennox's good work with little Eden.

The video below show just how excited she is to come out these days, just listen to the excited squeals, and also how much more relaxed she is on her walks.

The very last clip was on our walk today, just me and her, she was even relaxed enough to have a nibble of grass!

So proud of her, and Mel, David and Bree. It was great to come in again and see so much progress.....

A Little Update.....

I've had a lot of interest and questions regarding the dog in my previous post. There are some legal issues that are standing in the way of posting any details at the moment but as soon as I'm able to post I will.

In the meantime rest assured that she is being looked after and already winning our hearts. We have her booked in for surgery next week, and along with other conditions we are trying our best to nurse her back to full health.

Thank you for your patience.

One Of The Worst Cases Ever Arrives.....

I mentioned the revolving door we seem to have at the moment, and it's swung inwards again today.

I am still waiting for authorisation to share the state of this poor girl, but I can say hand on heart that what I've seen of this girl, it is without doubt one of the worst cases of neglect/mistreatment I have ever seen.....

I will post more when I can.

SHAK Teams Up With Templeman Retailing and Vending.....

We're delighted to announce our sponsorship with the fantastic Templeman Retailing and Vending. A local family run company, who really have changed the lives of our dogs forever.

In fact I think the support from Chairman Neil Templeman, Director Wendy Templeman, Managing Director KevinTempleman and the whole team is what you could call 'life changing' and not just for the dogs. We have been able to add to our workforce through their sponsorship and vastly improved the level of care and attention we are able to give to each and everyone of our dogs. It doesn't stop there though, and there are already plans to increase the exposure and strengthen the bond between both organisations.....

This includes the SHAK logo and website on every TRV vending cup, whilst also the fleet of new vans will also carry the SHAK logo.....

Kevin Templeman has also come up with some other amazing ideas that will be announced in due course, and for which we are extremely grateful!

It's incredible that the whole company has got behind us and supports us in every aspect of our work. Last weekend we welcomed Steve Jordan And Paul Taylor from the sales team to have a 'day in the life of' experience, and it was also great to welcome Paul's daughter Jessie onto the team. Here's some photos and a few words on how they found it.....

Templeman Sales Team Support SHAK. (www.shak.org.uk)

Over the course of the weekend the team from Templeman Retailing & Vending proudly continued to show their ongoing support for local dog charity SHAK.

The sanctuary for abused, mistreated and neglected dogs had the pleasure of welcoming some additional volunteers to offer a helping hand with some daily activities including dog walking, kennel cleaning, feeding the dogs and general pooch pampering. Steve Jordan, Paul Taylor and his daughter Jessie Taylor spent the weekend helping the team at SHAK look after more than 70 four legged friends currently in the charity’s care and what an amazing experience it was.

When asked about his time volunteering Steve Jordan said “after meeting Stephen Wylie the charity’s founder, he introduced us all to the world of SHAK and it very quickly became clear what an amazing job this charity does. Stephen explained some of the unique reasons as to why the dogs are in SHAK’s care and for anyone who is a dog lover some of the reasons were truly disturbing and difficult to accept. Following our experience one thing that has become crystal clear is that it is not just humans who need a little love and support from time to time, this weekend has been unforgettable and so so rewarding, I would encourage all dog lovers out there to give up a little of their time and help this fantastic charity”.

Steve and Solo.

Jessie, Taz, Steve and Solo.

Jessie and Taz. 

Paul and Duke.

It's not all cuddles!

Paul's turn.

I prefer the smell confectionary!

I cannot express in words how grateful we are for the support from Kevin and his team. In hindsight, life changing doesn't do it justice, it's beyond that. We are all extremely grateful.....

(Facebook viewers will need to click the post to see all the photos.)

FREE Delivery.....

There is FREE POSTAGE on everything on our SHAK Teemill store this weekend, including our Graffiti Tees featuring Kai.....

To order benefit from the special offer, order yours before midnight on Sunday from:

https://shak.teemill.co.uk/

No Need For Words.....

A Venture Further Afield.....

I had another amazing afternoon with Eden as we ventured into the village on our own. Getting out of the van she decided she wasn't sitting in the rain and decided to go for a walk.....

Although things still frightened her you have to remember this is the FIRST TIME EVER she has walked in the world outside of the farm. An amazing experience.....

Another Sunny Day With Eden.....

Another gorgeous day in the village with Eden and Kerry....