Goodbye August.....

Had a nice walk this evening which have me and Henry an opportunity to say goodbye to August with a beautiful sunset.....

The Group Gets Bigger....

The two newbies have come on so well with Bren and Rex that Rich and I decided to really put them to the test....

So the two on each end are boys, the girls (who have never met each other before) are in the middle. They all had so much fun and loved each other. A very proud moment.

Bren Welcomes The Girls.....

You may remember Bren arriving last year, terrified and displaying it in horrendous fear aggression. He was so bad that the pound we saved him from, who had booked him in to be destroyed, described hom as the most aggressive dog they had ever seen. I'll emphasise the point again, he was terrified....

Today of course he's a lot happier and from being discarded and written off, he has turned into a valuable asset for helping others who are finding life in rescue difficult. As these photos of our latest two arrivals show.....

A Huge Day For Indie.....

Having become a resident in my home on a regular basis, today was the day to push Indie a little further and see how she coped with a day in 'my shoes.'

She was amazing and although clearly the change in routine was a huge thing for her, as well as the new experiences, she really was amazing.

First up was a meeting at the kennels with the dog who made Indies arrival possible, little Eden. I wish I could have gotten more footage but Edens fear of cameras made us cherish the shots we got. You can actually see Edies reaction when she notices the camera is on her! I do have to say though as soon as Eden saw Indie she was straight over to see her and looking very excited. It was as if she knew.....

After a little spell relaxing whilst I did some work at the new shop, I thought Indies courage deserved a little reward, so we visited a quiet local beach I know. I think from her reaction it was probably the first time she had ever seen the sea!

I know today has been huge for her, watching her sleep now I can see how mentally exhausted she is. Yes she was frightened and unsure,  but she was also so curious and when she let herself go she enjoyed sniffing and making new friends. I am so proud of her and of course Eden.....

Introducing Rocco.....

With so much going on at the moment I thought I'd take five minutes to introduce you to one of our other long termers who has really progressed in our care.

Rocco came to us at 6 Months old after he was booked in at the vets to be destroyed for being destructive. He was still just a puppy and quite rightly deserved that chance. Once he arrived we found he had a more serious issue in that somebody had thought it was fun to play tug of war with him on the lead, which then resulted in him always biting the lead..... even at walk times.

Over the time he has been here we have worked very hard to desensitize him to the obsession with the lead and now he looks proud as punch carrying his training dummy everywhere he goes.

Rocco loves people and has shared his kennel with other other dogs during his stay, he really is a happy little lad.

I often get asked if I would rehome certain dogs, Rocco being one who often crops up. I'd love to see Rocco in a home but would have to one that is very understanding and where he wasn't left on his own. He has so much love to give.....

If you are interested in learning more about Rocco please email foreverfoster@shak.org.uk

New PayPal Link.....

We are always getting asked how people can donate easily, which is obviously a very good thing! PayPal has for years always been a very easy way and today it has just gotten even easier!

All you need to do now is follow the link below, sign in and add the amount. Couldn't be easier!

paypal.me/shaksanctuary

Thank you all again for all your donations, who wants to be first to try the new way.....

HELP! Calling All Carpet Fitters!....

We have been working so hard on the new shop, fitting in shop fitting with kennel work, and I'm glad to say things are beginning to take shape.....

However there is one thing that has been nagging away at me since we got the keys and today we made the decision that we really do need to replace the carpet!

So once again we come to you for help. Is there anyone out there who owns/runs a carpet or flooring company? Are you a carpet fitter who could help? If anybody can donate a new carpet and/or time to fit it it really would add the finishing touches to our new venture.

Of course we could buy one out of the charities funds, but we really believe that the dogs deserve the best we can give and try to use the money we receive to help them directly.

If you could help in anyway please email retail@shak.org.uk

Thank you in advance.

SHAK Retail Is Here.....

Today is a very special day as I'm delighted to announce our first step onto the retail ladder. Today we picked up keys for our first shop in Bowes Street Blyth and now the work begins!

Continuing on from our very successful boutique days, we have a alternative vision as to how the retailing experience in a charity shop should be. Selling high quality second hand clothes and some very interesting goods as well as SHAK merchandise, our shop will be something completely different from the usual charity shops on the high street.

We will also release details soon as to where and when people can start to donate stock, but please note we will not be selling books, cds, dvds or bric a brac.

This is a really exciting progression for us and will also provide a new food and bedding drop off point and also an excellent chance for events and to meet members of the team.

If anybody is interested in helping in the shop then please contact retail@shak.org.uk

In the meantime, thanks to our resident designer Michael  for creating an image of how the shop may look!....