Well, we’ve made it to the end of our first month without losing any dogs and although our To Do list remains scarily long, a lot of the setup items are done, and we feel as if we’re getting back on to familiar territory.
Running our own association isn’t quite the same as helping with someone else’s. In many ways it is tougher as we have to make the decisions for our dogs, but in others it is easier as we are the ones making the decisions for our dogs!
We have taken on six dogs during October and already we are dealing with a sad situation for one of them. Elgar, the rough collie x, is experiencing seizures, but thankfully he is out of the pound so he is being cared for and monitored, and rest assured we will be doing the best we can for him. It does mean that we’re going to be more nervous than we expected when we open our first vet bill, but we know vet fees are always going to be our biggest cost and the one that can hit us hard at any moment.
As he’s in a foster home, we know Elgar is clean, good with cats, LOVES chasing a ball and is a very gentle and sweet boy who has obviously been loved. Once his health issues are under control, we’re sure he’ll find his happy ever after quickly.
In happier news, Ludwig (Bisto), Margot (Dido), Helga and Peanut are all in their new homes and seem to be settling in well. There’s always a period of adjustment as dogs get used to their new families and the families get used to their new dogs, but we’ve had some lovely news and we look forward to hearing about what the future holds for them.
The last of the six dogs, Heath, remains available for adoption and is in a foster home in dept 85. He’s a really cuddly, really lively (apparently he doesn’t stop moving, especially his tail!) four year old collie x. He gets on well with other dogs, loves people and would really love to be the centre of someone’s world.
We achieved so much during October, but we really wanted to be ready to introduce ourselves to the crowds at the Hope Booksale, and we had a wonderful weekend there meeting lots of new people and catching up with old friends.
One of the most endearing things, was seeing our little Helga meet her double. They could have been brother and sister, but we’ll never know for sure.
Looking forward to this coming month, we are hoping to get out and about at some Christmas events so please keep an eye on our events page to check whether we are anywhere near you.
We have also launched our Remembrance Wall Appeal to raise funds to buy what one friend described as our HQ building, which in reality is a big shed for the Hope Shop at Sainte Soline where we showcase one of our dogs each Tuesday.
In return for a donation of 10€, we will add the name of your dearly departed pet to our wall as a memorial and your donation will help improve the chances of our dogs finding their own happy ending.
Donations can be made via Paypal (please use the Friends and Family option to avoid charges), by cheque or by cash if you are local to us at the Sainte Soline shop.