Change Lives

Change Lives

Sunday 27 October 2019

Can You Spare £2?....




We haven't done anything  like this for a long time, but as we head towards the lean winter months we really need your support more than ever.

Our Facebook page currently has nearly seven and a quarter thousand followers (7,250) Amazing support of which we are very grateful.

However, at the moment it seems like everything we do costs money. It is getting harder and harder to survive.

We know times are tough for everyone with Christmas approaching, but if all.of our followers donated as little as £2 it would be such an incredible help.

Just think with everyone pulling together we could raise £14,500. That would take a huge pressure away this winter and make such a difference to the day to day lives of our dogs. Afteall, what can you but for £2 these days!


To donate please click the direct PayPal link below and thank you in advance for your support .

https://www.paypal.me/shaksanctuary

Tuesday 22 October 2019

Goodnight To Our Special Boy......




As I write this it still all feels  very raw. Recently I shared with you the story of one of our long term residents Mac, the Border Collie who had been found lying beside his dead owner all those years ago. Over the years that we had him he never quite learnt to fully trust people, but he did used to love chasing his frisbee.

Friday morning, Mac was a little unwell in his kennel but still enjoyed his two walks. Saturday morning Rich came into a right mess and found Mac had been passing blood. I knew it was serious so put my day off to one side and rushed in to see him. When I got there he was in a sorry state. No appetite and no energy. He just kept passing bloody diarrhoea,he needed to see a vet.

His lack of trust meant that wasn't going to be easy, but I managed to get him in a crate and off we set.  Being confined meant he couldn't react and at the vets Emily managed to give him an antibiotic injection as well as one to stop the diarrhoea. Then he came home with me.

If there was anyone on this earth Mac trusted it was Rachel. He was pleased to see her and even more so when she spent the night with him on the utility floor.

Sunday there was no mess, but he still wouldn't eat. He was happy pottering about for the toilet and getting a drink of water. He was still so lethargic though, spending a lot of time sleeping. For him to continue taking his medication we needed to get some food into him. Such was the bond between Rachel and him, that she did not hesitate when I suggested trying to syringe chicken soup into his mouth. Such a huge ask for a dog that had never let anyone that close to him. Amazingly he let her do it, it was a special moment to witness love and trust.

Monday morning came after another night on the floor with him. He had a little more soup for breakfast but when it came to going out, Mac was unable to stand. Even though I tried to lift him to his feet, he simply collapsed again. We knew we had to take him back to the vets.

The response of the SHAK team to my plea for cover at the kennels was incredible. A full squad assembled,  whilst Charlotte even travelled all the way up from York to allow us to get him the best treatment.

Moorview were also fantastic.  Due to his history they allowed us to accompany him as he had blood tests and an ultrasound scan.  Everything was explained  down to every little detail, Tom made sure we understood everything. Then the blood results came back.

Mac was suffering from a very high level four kidney disease.  It was beyond any form of treatment.  He had been so brave, that he hadn't showed us any obvious symptoms. There was nothing we could do, he was dying in front of us.

We said goodbye to Mac with Rachel's lips pressed firmly against his nose. There was no need for a muzzle , no need for sedation. He died like any other much loved pet would.

Some might say that the change in his temperament was down to being poorly. I'd like to think that having stayed beside his own dying owner, Mac understand the devotion Rachel showed by doing the same for him. He had found a home when he needed it the most, he found out true love goes both ways and above all he learnt how to trust again.  I am very proud of them both.

Tuesday 15 October 2019

Check Out Oscar On Our Instagram Page.....

See why Oscar is making is all so proud at our Instagram page shak_sanctuary_official


Haven't got an Instagram account? It's easy to set up and you'll then be able to see so much more of our dogs on a daily basis.

Thursday 10 October 2019

What Happened In The Past They Do Not Forget.....



I've hinted  a few times how dogs have become disposable, how breeds become fashionable and also how often for all the wrong reasons dogs are cast aside and displayed as undesirable because of their breed. It has become harder and harder to find space and then ultimately homes for these dogs, as the fashions change or the public's perception is distorted.

As a child growing up in the eighties it was German Shepherds, or Alsations back then, that got it. Then during the nineteen nineties it was the Doberman in all the Hollywood films, with their ears pinned and tails docked, that were the classic devil dogs. After that of course it was the turn of such an amazing breed as the Rottweiler. All wanted as a status symbol and then banished from being acceptable family pets.
In more recent times we've had the same trend take over the fortune of American Bulldogs, Huskies and of course, the much maligned Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

So, imagine my joy a few years ago when what turns up as a stray dumped locally at the coast? A Husky cross Staffy! I remember a friend of mine who was involved with Husky rescue at the time say you couldn't deny that the dog that was to become known as Bandit, was a Staffy with a Husky's coat on! I guess that pretty much summed him up.

Rich came up with the name because it really did match the forlorn character we had inherited. A loveable rogue, but deep down he had some severe issues, whatever had happened to him had scarred him for life. If only they could talk and let us know what they had been through.

I remember once he had a water infection, so I took him to the vets. After receiving antibiotics I thought he deserved a little treat, so i took him for a walk on the beach on the way home. Remember, he had been found wandering at a beach not that far from where we are. He spent the whole walk looking for somebody, searching the horizon. It was heartbreaking to see.

I'm not really sure how the next part of the story happened, hes certainly not the traditional kind of dog that would appeal to me on a personal level, but with all his strange ways  anxiety and fear aggression, he somehow ended up coming home with me. I guess it was just fate.

I can't say it has been an easy few years, in fact even now if hes on a walk and a car goes by he freaks out, twisting and turning the lead so much he has unravelled quite a few. If he's off lead he chases the unsuspecting driver, oblivious to the emotion and desperation running through the blood of the dog that most times they don't even notice. I think deep down he is still looking for that person who maybe drove off and left him all that time ago.

I wouldn't swap him though, he deserves so much more. He is learning all the time, growing into being a dog and a pet. Although if Rachel is about, I don't get a look in.

Hes definitely a Mammys boy, but he is a perfect example  that whatever happens in their past, sometimes they never forget.



Bandit is trying really hard and doing so well at learning the ropes. It has taken a long time for him to begin to settle, but we are both extremely proud of him.

Last week when the seasons changed from summer to autumn, we had a day at home. Bandit spent it in front of the fire. He took pride of place and loved it. This photo means so much, it's a symbol that he feels settled. I'd like to think so anyway.


(This is the full unedited piece that was in today's Northumberland Gazette.)