Fit For A King!

I just wanted to show you Rocky's adorable new run my mam has made him! 

Now that Scrappy isn't here he's very shy and likes to hide in the corner of plant pots from the world. Now he has two little tunnels to hide in should a human or naughty dog pass, lovely fresh grass to eat and plenty of sunshine! (Well, maybe...)

Paws For Tea

 

Well today was the big day! I spent last night baking in preparation for today's Paws For Tea fundraiser to raise money for the Blue Cross. 

     Chloe's pawfect chocolate cake

      Almond shortbread (delicious!!) 

    Home made chocolate profiteroles 

Apart from my er, rubbish icing skills, I can confidently say everything was delicious since I came downstairs to empty plates and crumbs! 

I was a little nervous how people would react to me asking them for money as i'd never done anything like this before, but I know the Blue Cross is such a worthy cause I knew I had to try. 

Our office is quite small, only has 15 people in or so, but i'm thrilled to say I raised £35! I'm going to keep rallying round friends and family over the weekend to see if I can make it £50. Every little helps, so hopefully I can help some big paws and little claws. 

Today was so much fun, i'd definitely do it again! Did anybody else hold a tea party today? Don't think i'll be giving up the day job to become a baker just yet though! 

You can read more about tge Blue Cross at www.thebluecross.org.uk or tweet them @the_blue_cross

Cheers everybody! 

Save Our Strays

Now as you know, I'm a huge advocate of animal rescue, I have the biggest heart when it comes to animals needing a forever home, but unfortunately I don't (yet!) have the time or space to rescue more animals, which is why I am honoured and humbled by the work Save Our Strays do. After the sudden loss of my beloved baby boy Ollie, I know the pain that losing a furry family member can cause, but even though we only rescued Ollie for such a short time, it was absolutely 100% worth it. I would do it again and again, because I know that Ollie had the best life and the best time while he was in our care. 

A local charity to me; North-East based Save Our Strays was set up ten years ago by animal lovers Margaret Young and Peter White. Taking in unwanted dogs from the local pounds, some who have been there for years without ever experiencing the true love and care they deserve, S.O.S care for these beautiful dogs with great dedication and patience. Working with a number of fantastic foster parents and volunteers, Save Our Strays have now rehomed around 1,400 dogs. 

I think what I love most of all about Save Our Strays is that they never turn an old or unhealthy dog away. I get so frustrated by people who won't adopt a dog older than say four or five, because of the health problems associated. Dogs can live until their twenties, yes I understand that it's heartbreaking to lose a dog, and adopting an older dog does mean you inevitably have less time together, but the benefits an older dog can offer you certainly outweigh the negatives. The majority are already well trained, loyal, calm and just looking for a family or friend to share the rest of their days with. Now that Miffy is getting older, I treasure every single day with her and thank my lucky stars that she has made it to seven years old with (touch wood) no major health problems. It's been so rewarding to watch her grow from a nervous little dog into adulthood. Her personality and character are absolutely second to none, she is very much her own little person and will be terribly missed when she does go. 

Here's just a few of the gorgeous older dogs desperately needing homes at Save Our Strays: 

Baxter

This gorgeous cheeky chap is 10 year old Baxter, rescued with only one ear, but sadly nobody knows why.  Said to be a very happy, pleasant natured dogs, couldn't you imagine just cuddling up with Baxter at the end of the day, or watching his little face so excited as he goes for long walks on the beach? 

Dinky

Now this is Dinky, a gorgeous little terrier thought to be around 12 years old. Beautifully natured and looking for love, Dinky is currently living with a foster carer, in what is hoped will be a forever home. 

Roxy

Poor Roxy is 14 years old and was found beside her dead owner, believed to have lain their for up to four days. With a large mass in her stomach weighing an incredible six pounds, Roxy underwent surgery and is recovering well. Currently in foster care, Save Our Strays will continue to pay for Roxy's vetinary care for the rest of her life. 

Save Our Strays pledge to help first and foremost dogs who are unclaimed from the local dog pound. They also take in r eferrals from the police or social services where the owner has died or suffered extreme illness or trauma, as well as dogs from private homes where there is a crisis situation. Absolutely phenomenal work, I personally am brought to tears when I visit websites like this (mainly because I'm so soft!) but because I fail to understand why animals are mistreated. 

HOW WE CAN HELP

Whether you already donate to a charity or not, there are other ways you can help, especially if you're short on money in these tough times. 

Become a volunteer.
Dog walking at the kennels on a Wednesday afternoon.
Street collecting or home baking for their events.Assist in fundraising such as-
Donating Tombola/Raffle prizes.

Raise money for  the charity without costing you anything! Do you shop with Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury's M&S or Argos? You can raise money for Save Our Strays whenever you shop with them and 2000 other stores by using our fundraising website, easyfundraising. It won't cost you a penny more and everything you buy will raise money for Save Our Strays.

Use this link http:// www.easyfundraising.org.uk/ causes/saveourstrays and please share this with your friends and help raise much needed funds. 

The charity are always in need of good quality items, unwanted presents etc for our tombola stalls also clothing, shoes, belts, DVDs, CDs, bedding ,books, bric a brac, household items, small furniture etc - in fact anything you think we can sell to raise funds. Please telephone Yvonne 07738839019, Lynn 07952 334379/01287 203794, Gloria 01642 286679 to arrange collection/drop off.

So if you're looking for a new family member, or have the space and time you can dedicate to becoming a foster carer, please check their website out, it is certainly one of my ambitions. 

You can contact Margaret on 01642 4788667 or email the charity at saveourstrays@hotmail.co.uk

www.saveourstrays.org.uk