Canine Projects

An update on some of our canine projects…dogs who are or were in rehabilitation for various problems.

BELLE THE DOBERMAN

After a painstaking 12 months of rehabilitation work with us, which followed a great deal of veterinary care at the cost of her sponsor before coming to us, Belle finally found the perfect new companion, and is now living in a lovely little Welsh village.  Belle was a real success story for us, and for her sponsor Pete, and it was fantastic to see her fully rehabilitated from her terrible physical and psychological abuse.

CHARLIE TOW THE LABRADOR CROSS

So called because when he came to us, he was dragging us down the road.  Charlie was referred to us from another dog rescue centre.  He still has a very high prey drive but no longer pulls you over to get to his potential prey.  He has now been successfully rehomed near Wrexham and will be taken on long runs and walks to wear some of his energy off.

MIA THE GERMAN SHEPHERD

Mia was brought to us from K9 Focus dog rescue with dog aggression.  She responded so well to rehabilitation that within 2 weeks we had her running free in our resident pack.  She was successfully rehomed in January.

PIXIE THE BULL CROSS

Pixie also came to us from K9 Focus.  An extremely hyperactive little girl who was dragging us all over the place, lunging at other dogs, and with a very high prey drive.  Pixie is coming on slowly but surely.  There’s no rush with her, as bull crosses are notoriously difficult to rehome, despite them being such loving and loyal dogs.

OLLIE THE ROTTWEILER

Ollie was referred to us by dog rescuers up north due to biting his handlers.  He can be very nervous and excitable, but also very friendly and affectionate.  He just needs to learn a few boundaries and to behave appropriately around people.  This shouldn’t take long as he’s a lovely dog and quite responsive to rehabilitation.

HARLEY THE HUSKY CROSS

Came to us from SHARE (Siberian Husky Rescue).  He has bitten his handlers and demonstrated aggression towards other dogs.  He is responding remarkably well to rehabilitation and we’re confident of him being suitable for rehoming soon.

SADIE THE BORDER COLLIE

Because we’ve had quite a few different volunteers handling the dogs lately, Sadie is feeling much more comfortable around people and being handled and approached by different people.  This has been great experience for Sadie…even more people to throw sticks for her.

STELLA THE GSD CROSS

There has been nothing wrong with Stella since the moment we collected her from the pound.  Very hyperactive little girl, but so friendly with people and other dogs that she should never have been classed as a rehabilitation dog.

DENZIL THE AMERICAN BULLDOG

He is coming on lovely.  Still only handled by Alan and Anne, but we’re looking at broadening his experience now.  He still panics if he gets tangled up in his lead, but when he gets panicky, he’s much more manageable now.  Walks lovely on a lead, even through the pack, is very curious and wants to investigate everything, and would stand and stare at the cats in the cattery for hours if you let him, although he’s never tried to hurt one of them.  Denzil is a very affectionate dog who loves his attention and exercise, but he still needs to build a relationship with somebody before he feels comfortable with them.  We always knew that Denzil was going to be a long-term project.

BEN, SHADOW, ASKIM & LADDIE will always stay with us due to the severity of their past experiences, as will YUM YUM, for whom we’re currently campaigning to build a new compound and kennel.

SADIE & AMBER could be rehomed now with the right kind and patient owners.

Bez the Terrier x

Bez was continually overlooked because he wasn't as colourful as the Jack Russell types that came and went, but he eventually found the perfect home with the perfect family, where he's flying the flag for Wales.

Prong Collars

We had a massive reaction to our photo of the prong collar on Facebook, and the fact that we don't advocate the use of them.  The dog trainers who do have chosen to tell us all how ignorant we are.  However, as much as we welcome their views and have listened to their arguments, we cannot agree with them.  We tried the collar on our own necks today, and the pain and discomfort caused with the slightest pressure was deemed too unacceptable to be used on any of our dogs, regardless of whether the dog has a tougher neck.  We have better methods that don't involve pain, and choose to stick to these, even if it makes us ignorant.

It isn't necessarily the degree of pain caused, it's the fact that pain is used as a training aid at all.  These methods are in complete opposition to the methods that we use, hence we cannot condone the use of them, regardless of timescales or the opinion that there is no other way.  There is always another way.

We hear all the labels that are given to dogs, such as the various aggressions and syndromes.  We tend to throw away the labels and text book jargon, along with the muzzles and contraptions, as dogs enter the Sanctuary, and work with the dog's mind in a holistic way.

No amount of arguing over this will change our minds as we are always looking at more progressive and natural methods that are equally effective.  And it seems that the trainers who advocate their use will not change their minds, so we have to agree to disagree.

Alan.

Tara the GSD bitch

Tara the GSD bitch went to her new home in Wrexham yesterday.  She still needs plenty of socialising and needs to put on some more weight, but she was so good with Geoff that we trusted him to continue the work with her.  Good luck Tara and Geoff.

Adopted Dogs

It's been a good couple of months for rehoming dogs.  After a really quiet period running up to Xmas, which can be a good thing as we know the dogs aren't going as Xmas presents, interest in our dogs and our work has gained momentum.  12 dogs were rehomed between mid-November and January, and with Tara the GSD gone to her new home yesterday, that totals 6 dogs rehomed in February.  We're really pleased with those figures, considering we are quite a small organisation and that we have to put a lot of work into some of the dogs before they can be rehomed.  We've been really lucky with the quality of the homes as well, perhaps due partly to our careful home checks, which are as much based on the potential dog/owner relationship as the actual home.  We've only had one unsuccessful rehoming since the summer, and that dog found a fantastic new home with one of our volunteers' family within a month of his return, and is now doing really well.

Fundraising for Yum Yum

The fundraising for Yum Yum's Compound Appeal has started well.  Bag packing and collecting at the Co-op in Llanrwst raised £250. 

Well done to Angie, Claire, Sarah and Natasha, and all who donated.