Little Gifts

Bluey it is so hard to comment on this. People in rescue tend to be very passionate about their beliefs in what they are doing and why. How shelters or private rescues are run is often determined by the resources available, including manpower for cleaning, feeding, socialising and training. This group sound like they have been doing their very best with what they had but maybe it still wasn't enough for the animals in question? That's why it is hard to comment without seeing or knowing the shelter or skills of the volunteers. Perhaps things have deteriorated since you got your dog from them? Perhaps the RSPCA had already notified them of changes that needed to be made and they were unable to comply? It is so hard to know but I understand your anger and the distress of those who have been running the shelter going through this experience. I know that I would feel the same way if this happened to a group I was involved with. And please don't take this the wrong way - it is simply a comment to get you and other angered supporters thinking - in the time it takes you to do up and send a letter of complaint to the RSPCA you could've cleaned a couple of those kennels or fed the dogs at that shelter or taken a couple for a walk. It sounds to me like they desperately need more people to volunteer regular time at the shelter and I just wonder if any of you who are angry have thought about how you can assist in a more practical and ongoing way so this never happens again? Volunteering is incredibly rewarding for both the individual and the animals.

Maybelle the chook! We had one called Big Red because she was big and red! We had another chook called Lucky because she nearly killed herself through chook stupidity on numerous occassions so she was lucky to still be alive!

I've probably posted some of these before. Woody - budgie who liked to chew sticks and who was eventually killed by one! Waddles - irritating, feet chewing duck Hey Dog - corgi/GSD cross named by original owner who was a young, deaf boy. He also responded to Gordon and Ian. No idea why! George and Ba-Ha - nubian goats Talia and Beauregard - black moor goldfish Randy - bubble eyed goldfish (and no he wasn't randy) Ben the Bastard - nasty tabby cat My younger sister has very strange cat and pet mouse naming standards. She has had Dr Julias Sumner Miller (she always used his full name), Socrates (Soccy), Noble and a range of other scientist/Nobel Prize winners names I can no longer remember. Most of them you couldn't even give a decent pet name to!

Maybe Suleiman likes his water with a spot of 'cordial' in it for more flavour? I really need to video Tempeh doing her mail inspections every day. She takes it so seriously and practically gives me an all clear nod when she is satisfied I can open the mail. Window envelopes and small packages from China get the biggest sniff down.

I hope it goes well Panto and that your car overflows with trackie coats! Hey you should try and think up a cool name for them - I know that the pyjamas I will be making are going to be called 'pei-jays' (Made in Peiradise!). Maybe something like Winter Warmies for you and the workshop? (I don't have my creative hat on this arvo!).

This has made me realise I have boundary issues in the other direction. I know potential adopters are vetted by Ams before they come to meet and greet any fosters at my place but once they arrive I don't care what they do or where they look! And our meet and greets often take place in our lounge area as it is big and there is air cond and we can confine/comfort the foster if they are a bit unsure of what is going on. I guess we are lucky in that one of our dogs is also the household security guard so if someone was wandering around doing anything remotely suspicious she'd be telling the world about it and they'd probably be soiling their pants! I don't even bother putting my handbag and wallet somewhere discrete so this is a timely reminder to me that not everyone can be trusted. I have obviously been very lucky so far.

I think she is getting more beautiful as she gets older! Her eyes seem to have changed colour again but are still very soulful! Tempeh is about 10 months old now, is still all legs but has the deepest bark! I have no idea where it comes from given that her talking voice is high and girly. She's currently asleep with a chewed toilet roll still attached to her lips and a chewed stick next to her head. Some things don't change as they get older!

Stussy (sbt) was a rescue and even as a pup she was very intuned to me. If I was having a bad day she hop onto the bed and give me her favourite toy of the moment. I figured she thought it cheered her up so it had to cheer me up too! Even though she doesn't bring me toys anymore if I'm sick (or in bed having one of those days) she doesn't leave my side and spoons me whatever position I move into. And she never, ever goes silly on the bed unless she is absolutely sure I am fully awake and ready to get up. How does she know the difference to when I'm awake but grumpy and not wanting to get up? On those days she just snuggles closer! Our new little pei girl Tempeh seems to have picked up some of the same vibes. When I shattered my wrist I never had any problems with Miss Crazy getting too rough with me, even though there was a lovely photo taken the day after of her actually sitting on top of my doped out carcass! She loves attention and my bed is regularly full of sticks and toys (and my sister's dirty clothes and shoes) that she has left me so we can play together! The main difference though is when she is awake she expects everyone else to be as well! She will jump on the bed and nibble on body parts and talk and do body wiggles until you notice her. She also likes to get a drink first thing in the morning and come and dribble it from her chubby chops all over you! What's not to love?

Nope, not spoilt! I like the coordinating kitchen appliances SG!

Trust your gut. They may not be from the RSPCA but if it looks like fish and smells like fish then pull out that wedge of lemon and some tartare sauce because it's definately fishy!

I buy any fleece and ribbing fabric and steel bowls that I can when I am doing my op shop visits. I also buy fleece and wool when it is on sale at Spotlight and Lincraft. Previously I've used all this to sew and knit coats for rescue. This year I've branched out and will be focussed on making coats and replacement bedding for the pei (and large pei) at Peiradise and will be knitting and sewing made to order coats to sell to help cover the vet bills. I have been very lucky to have had a whole heap of patterns bequeathed to me including for making the 4 leg pj's for dogs. I've also had 2 dog coat knitting patterns that cover small up to huge sizes shared with me, which has really helped. The other idea I will share with you is getting supporters to commit to doing a letterbox drop in their local area of say 50 to 100 small pamphlets just before Spring, calling for clean but unwanted/damaged linen and fabric (including doonas, blankets, pillows, towels, sheets). I regularly get damaged/half chewed doonas and pillows - wash the stuffing and use it to then make new dog beds for rescue and the dogs really love their new squishy beds! Old blankets and fabric can be used to make bedding, cat slings and dog coats for the following winter. (as long as storage isn't an issue in the interim) So many people chuck out damaged linens and as we know, rescue can go through loads of it each year. It's kind of a cycle up here that I am hoping to get into so we are more prepared for winter before the cold weather actually hits. I now have the supplies to start knitting and making coats in April and will be calling on our local supporters to assist. Then come spring I should have enough donated materials from the letterbox drop to create and store for the following year. There is nothing stopping other groups doing something similiar - there are even no sew coats and dog beds (I have patterns for both but just think rectangle for the dog beds!). So Panto this is a great idea and I hope it is successful! Lots of people would support rescue if they knew of other ways to do it rather than donating money (which they may not have to spare). Good luck!!!!! I hope it goes well!

He rocks the dag look too!

They gave cause for Tempeh to do an extremely serious mail inspection! She wanted to take the envelope into her custody for further inspection!

That is hilarious!

We often get scared looks in off leash dog parks when my sister screams out 'WOLF' to recall her dog!

She's a cracker!

My mum has a tabby cat called Joe after the boxer Joe Frasier. It was abandoned by its mother (a local stray no-one can catch) at maybe only 4 weeks of age at mum and dad's place. It took mum weeks of leaving food out for this tiny, lonely thing before she was able to hold it and show it real love. Due to him being a fighter he got a fighter's name!

I always think of that Dixie Chicks song when I see your Earl!

Why not DD! Was it you who had Caramel and Vanilla? And all you lucky people who simple chose a name and your dog responded to it! I dream of having that experience one day!

Did you notice him borrowing stamps or sending emails to council? He obviously has a lot of pull with someone!

I'm sure we've had a thread like this before but the Charles Wentworth (Charlie) thread had me wondering given he has siblings called Emmy and Skeeter (I love Skeeter for a name!) how he got his name. And of course when I first joined DOL there was the well loved Gherkin the pug. Plus there are a few female Stevie's who I'm thinking might be named after Stevie Nicks? In our house we have: Wolf - so named as she looked like a Wolf cub when my sister first got her. Stussy - a name she picked for herself. It took a week and a myriad of friends helping, calling out names until we discovered that she thought she was a surfer dog and finally responded to the clothing brand name. Tempeh Soya-Bean Dean - started out as Dimples and when she became a FF we wanted to give her a chinese name to reflect her asian shar pei heritage. I spent ages researching and checking in with Cantonese speaking friends for a name that reflected her personality but Tempeh was the closest sound to Dimples we found that she would respond to. Plus she has freckles that look like the food! As I am a bit silly I had to add the Soya-Bean as her middle name (it's what tempeh is made out of after all) and Dean is our surname. So that's the name on all her official documents! I generally just call her Doodle-Bug.

Slightly OT but Stussy doesn't make any other noise to indicate a vom-bomb other than a slight 'cack' as it all comes flying out. The other night she'd been doing zoomies, had a drink and then come and draped herself over me as usual. Suddenly she cacks up the water and unfortunately one of the other dogs was lying directly underneath us on the floor and copped it. 'Twas quite funny - at least it wasn't on the carpet for a change!

Oh Baifra! Thank you for opening your home and hearts to Oakley and Chloe. He looked like the most beautiful boy and he has left you far too soon. XXX

I was just writing about shar pei quirks on Facebook! Tempeh is the Queen of Quirks in this house. Her new one relates to dinner time. She eats out the back (on a comfy and dry mat). As I carry her bowl out she runs down to the lounge and jumps up and off once then runs out to the dinner spot. While she waits for me to catch up she slaps at the back door with her paw to shut it. As it has one of the gas closer things on it that has been heavily abused it shuts by itself with a slight push and usually shuts just as I am exiting (leaving the other dogs inside). I always make her sit for her dinner but being a stubborn pei sometimes she feels it is not necessary and I get verbal abuse for denying her her dinner before she does a half arsed sit for me and I figure that is the best I'm going to get. Once she has finished she starts bashing on the back door to let me know! As it is currently 3 minutes till her dinnertime she is currently behind my chair crying and every now and then gives me a light bum nip or chews on the chair handle for emphasis of her concern. Now 2 minutes!

I love that last one!!!! That would make a cutest card!