Tailwaggers Club Trust

Can you help?

2012-01-25T06:39:00.001-08:00

Mandy was the victim of domestic violence. She lost her home, her family, her job. She became very depressed and had a breakdown. The only thing she has left are her pets. Sadly, the council temporary emergency housing she has been offered is not pet friendly. Via an earlier appeal on facebook she was offered, very generously, some temporary accommodation where Mandy, her elderly rescue GSD, her young Dobe and her cat could all stay together but even though it would have been cheaper than the BandB the council refused and further told Mandy she would be making herself "intentionally homeless" if she moved and she would go to the back of the queue for housing. The pets are currently in a short-term temporary foster home, but that runs out very shortly and we need to find a plan B. Mandy can't drive, and needs to be close to the hospital and her counsellors in St Austell, Cornwall for support and medication.

Tailwaggers Club Trust has set up this fund so that we can help Mandy keep her family together. If you could foster the dogs and cat or help in any other way please contact beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk. The RSPCA and Dogs Trust have all been informed and are unable to assist. Any donated funds not needed for Mandy's case will be used on other Tailwaggers emergency cases.
http://www.justgiving.com/MandyHomelesswithPets

Looking for a new team member for Tailwaggers

2011-09-06T05:46:00.001-07:00

Do you have some spare time and admin/bookkeeping skills?

Do you love pets and want to help pet owners in crisis?

Have you heard of Tailwaggers Club Trust? This small and ancient charity needs someone to step into the shoes of the legendary Sid Nye who should have retired last March but is still working as hard today as ever! We recognise we are unlikely to find anyone person capable of taking over the whole of his job and are just so incredibly grateful that for more than 20 years he gave his time to the charity free of charge.
We have split the role in two and we now seek someone special to do the admin side.

Are you good with figures - able to do simple book keeping?

Would be able to attend and co-ordinate four trustees meetings a year
(we meet at the BVA headquarters in London)?

Have you got a computer with email access?

Tailwaggers Club Trust is a small, ancient charity that helps pet owners in crisis and we are looking for applications for the role of Secretary.

Here is a brief job description, please email me if you have any questions.

Tailwaggers is not a wealthy charity by any means, but there is a possibility of a small honorarium with this position for the right candidate as we recognise we would probably have to wait another 20 years for another saint like Sid to come along!

Please email Beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk if you are interested or want to know more.

TAILWAGGERS CLUB TRUST

Secretary's job description

ACCOUNTING

Maintain record of all payments and receipts analysed by category

Maintain a Statement of Activity and Balance Sheet.

(Currently this is achieved by a spreadsheet where a single entry for each transaction

updates all the required fields)

Appeals. Keep a separate record of each appeal showing the donations made, cheques issued and balance in hand.

Prepare budget for current year.

Reconcile book balances with bank statements every month.

Transfer money between accounts as required.

Bank cheques received and acknowledge donations.

Write the Annual Report

Prepare accounts for audit at year end 31st March, ensuring supporting documentation is complete

MEETINGS

Fix dates for meetings based on Trustees availability.

Prepare and circulate agenda in advance of the meeting

Prepare such financial reports as required by Trustees for presentation/discussion at meetings.

CHARITY COMMISSION

Complete Annual Return (Can now be done on-line)

Send them a certified copy of any resolution agreed by trustees changing any administrative aspect of our Governing Document.

GENERAL

Check Email daily and deal with messages as necessary.

Forward email applications to another trustee.

For more details or to apply for the position email the Chairman, beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk or post c/o Tailwaggers Club Trust Secretary, Dogs Today, 4 Bonseys Lane, Chobham, Surrey. GU24 8JJ

Registered Charity No. 265069

Great news!

2011-07-28T01:50:00.000-07:00

Regular readers will know that at various point over the last couple of months we have tried to help OAP Dee stay together with her two dogs Rosie and Milo. She had ended up homeless and had been placed in a council emergency halfway house shelter in London, but it didn't allow her to have her dogs with her. Hence she had taken to sleeping in her car with her dogs.
This obviously couldn't continue and somehow we got to hear about it via a kindly vet and dog walker.
Via Twitter and facebook and blogs we launched an appeal to find a foster home for both dogs. There were many twists and turns as Rosie turned out not to much like being around other dogs and poor Milo needed to be near to the PDSA vets to get to his appointments as he had a fast growing lump on his leg.
But somehow, just in the nick of time, solutions were found and Rosie and Milo settled into loving foster homes with incredible people (Lorna had Rosie for most of the time, Kia and Tim had Milo and Bernice had Rosie for a week and Caroline and Mercedes were the ones who discovered Rosie was better alone!). Via ancient charity Tailwaggers Club Trust (of which I am Chairman by the way!) we launched an appeal for an emergency fund to pay for dog sitters or kennels etc to make sure dogs and owner didn't have to face a night in the car again. You were all very generous and we did need it a few times.
Last night I got the great news from Lorna that Dee is being housed on Friday and Milo and Rosie can rejoin her.
These dogs are Dee's life and it is just fantastic that her life is now back on track and her doggie family is being restored to her. When she had asked for help alone she was told to sign them over to a rescue for rehoming - something we all knew she'd never do.
I know that Rosie and Milo will be very much missed by their foster homes, but what they did for those dogs is the greatest act of love imaginable. And what they did for Dee... I've spoken to her several times over the last few months and being homeless at her age is very upsetting, but knowing that total strangers will offer to help you is life changing.
This whole episode encouraged us to write an article on fostering which will be in the September issue. That and @missyredboots Judith Broug's gentle nagging us to do something on fostering! (Judith designed the Don't Cook Your Dog campaign stickers and website... so lots of good ideas!).
So watch out for the September edition of Dogs Today - out August 11th.

Can you help put Scooby back together again?

2011-07-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of June, Denise Nicholson received a call from a vet surgery in Worthing to say they were treating her son’s cat, Scooby. The tabby had been hit by at least two cars and was 20 miles away from his home in Burgess Hill. It is not known how he made the long journey. Vets were able to identify Scooby and contact Denise because he is microchipped.

Denise said, “I can’t recommend microchipping enough. My son's previous cat, Tommy, was killed by a car and we were both devastated, so Scooby was a replacement for my son. I had to make the decision whether to put him to sleep but I decided against it and told the vets to try and do everything they could to save him.”

The five-year-old boy has undergone extensive surgery – costing just shy of £4000 – to help him to walk again. Scooby’s rear right leg sustained multiple injuries and now has synthetic joins and ligaments, his pelvis had been displaced on one side, his kidney detached, he developed peritonitis from the blunt trauma and his left foreleg sustained a horrendous injury, leaving him with an open wound which requires ongoing treatment and a possible skin graft. He also required hours in an oxygen tent when he was first brought in to the Worthing vets as he had respiratory problems.
Denise is on a low income and is been a single mother to her teenage son, whose father passed away in 2006. She has contributed £500 toward the bill so far. Tailwaggers, Paws and Claws, and the RSPCA has given £1,100 between them. Since the initial bill, Scooby has had to have the x-fix on his leg removed, and may require a skin graft. This has added another £1,000 to the bill. It is also costing between £50 and £100 per week for check-ups with Scooby’s registered vets in Burgess Hill.
Denise would be incredibly grateful for any help to cover the cost of Scooby’s bill. She said, “I really appreciate the help and sympathy that everyone has shown both Scooby and myself.”

In the unlikely event that we raise more money that is needed to put Scooby back together we will use the funds on other deserving Tailwaggers cases. Click here for a link to Scooby's JustGiving appeal.

Rosie needs a place to stay...

2011-06-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

HELP!!!!

Rosie now needs a place to stay again from Tuesday afternoon or even before that if you can manage it to make sure she settles.

We need someone to take her from Tuesday afternoon or earlier and keep her until Dee gets rehoused - have asked for an ETA for that, but it can't be much longer as the halfway house costs the council a small fortune. The foster home doesn't have to be in central London, but they do need to ideally not have any dogs or cats.

Rosie is 11 years old and very sweet with people.

We have some funds as yet unallocated from the appeal but we have already eaten into much of the money already donated for dog sitting cover on other days when Rosie needed a sitter.THe possible bill for an animal aunt to cover the period current foster mum is working is just too enormous to contemplate and we just don't have the money donated to anywhere near cover it.

Hence we are now officially desperate! To add to to equation - I am so busy with the Don"t Cook Your Dog Campaign and school holidays having broken up plus being about to go away myself, I really can't spend as much time trying to make this happen as I would normally and have already for this case - so I am begging you to please help me find somewhere for Rosie to stay!

Click here for their JustGiving link - we are really in need of topping this up now as we've lost all margin of error. Tailwaggers is a tiny little charity and we really do need your help!

My email address is beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk if you can help in any way at all!!!

Rosie's owner Dee is an OAP with mobility problems. Due to misfortune she's ended up homeless in London and the council halfway house wasn't dog friendly so rather than give up her two dogs - which are the most important things in her life - she chose to sleep in the car with them instead. As soon as we heard about this we tried to find foster home for Rosie and Milo - and Tailwaggers Club Trust set up a Just Giving page to mean we could pay for dog sitters etc to keep the dogs safe. We've already used some of that money for cover days when Rosie's foster mums had to go out to work and leave Rosie.

Milo is happily settled, but Rosie needs someone who has no other dogs or cats as Rosie is not greatly socialised. She can be left for a couple of hours but gets distressed if any longer. She is a very affectionate and loving dog and all her foster mums have adored her.

Hopefully Dee will soon reach to the top of the emergency housing list and will get her own place and she can have her best friends back. But until then, we need a plan B. If you think you could offer Rosie a temporary foster home can you email me beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk with more details. Many thanks!

Here's Dee's other dog Milo in his Foster home.

I've just received this email about Dee's other dog Milo's who is with foster mum Kia.

Dear Beverley

We have just found out from Dee that Milo has cancer in his lump on his leg. Fortunately it won't spread to his organs but the worse case scenario might be losing the leg.
I will let you know what is happening after we have seen the vet next Tuesday. I will be giving him LOADS of healing in the mean time.

Anyway ... A lovely lady called Lisa Gozling sent Milo of a box of cookies from Daisy's Dog Deli. Please see the link underneath as I have filmed him eating them and out its on Youtube so hopefully you can add it to your next blog.

I have also enclosed some more pics. The third one is of Dee holding Milo outside the vet... she said she doesn't mind you putting it in your magazine or internet if you write another blog.

Milo has officially become one of my closest and best friends. Tim is very busy with Cleo so Milo has adopted me as his temporary Mum and he follows me everywhere. He causes me to laugh out loud at least five times a day as he such a strong character. I love him sitting next to me on the sofa and his special Zebra-print, fluffy basket that I bought him is right next to my bed at night.

He seems to love eating lettuce, broad beans and all sorts of vegetables etc that he constantly begs from my plate. He can be a grumpy growler at times but I think that's because his little leg hurts him where a Rottweiller sat on him recently.

In short I love him profoundly and it will break my heart into a hundred pieces to let him go back to Dee. But I will never forget the happiness he has given me and how healing his company is on so many levels.

Kind prayers for his healing would be very much appreciated if your wonderful readers could possibly spare the time.

My love and gratitude

Kia xxx

My email is beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk
The Tailwaggers emergency Just Giving appeal is www.justgiving.com/Rosie andMilo/

Help Sue back on her feet...

2011-04-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

Sue the Lurcher was so badly scarred and emaciated when she was rehomed by John Fairclough in December 2008 that it was difficult to determine her exact age, but she is thought to be around six years old.
In January, Sue began limping and was diagnosed with a mild articular swelling of the left elbow, extending towards the shoulder. Although her mobility improved initially with the aid of an anti-inflammatory and painkillers, a few weeks later John discovered that the inflammation had worsened, causing nerve damage. Sadly, Sue was now unable to use the limb and amputation was the only option.
John said, "The pain she was in concerned me most. Her leg was so swollen, red and angry that I was worried she would have to be put to sleep."
The rescue centre that rehomed Sue informed John she had probably been used for hunting and her vet confirmed that Sue's injury is consistent with her previous lifestyle.
Sue's leg was amputated on 8 April and John is now trying to keep her mobile. He said, "Sue is doing fantastically well. She is enjoying short walks to the park to sniff the flowers."
Unfortunately, Sue was not insured at the time of treatment. Although John had previously insured her, when the time came to renew last Christmas, just weeks before Sue began to limp, John found the premium had increased way beyond his means. John is unable to work due to illness but has already paid over £300 towards Sue's treatment and his son, Sam, has donated over £800 from his savings. Tailwaggers has also made a contribution, for which John is extremely grateful. He would warmly welcome any help with the remainder of his vet bill.

If you can help, send a cheque (payable to 'Tailwaggers Club Trust') c/o Dogs Today at our usual address, or visit www.justgiving.com/Suethelurcher

Going the Distance for Tailwaggers

2011-04-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

A collie cross and his owner are undertaking a staggering 70-mile trek in aid of Tailwaggers Club Trust. Jennie Keighley and seven-year-old Troika will take on the challenge between 16 and 23 May along the Cumbria Way in the Lake District.

Jennie met Troika while volunteering at an animal shelter in Lancaster, when he was 18 months old. She said, "He came from a young owner who couldn't afford to keep him any more. Apparently, he had broken his back leg badly as a puppy, and the vet was unable to fix it, so it had to be amputated.

"I hope to show that disabled animals can still live happy and fulfilling lives, and want to raise money to help treat ill or disabled pets, like Troika, and Tailwaggers fits the bill perfectly."
To make a donation towards Jennie and Troika's trek click here or send a cheque (payable to 'Tailwaggers Club Trust', marked 'Jennie and Troika'), c/o Dogs Today at The Dog House, 4 Bonseys Lane, Chobham, Surrey, GU24 8JJ

Thank you Highgrove Vets!

2011-04-11T03:38:00.000-07:00

On the 17th April Highrove Vets in Portsmouth are doing a sponsored walk for Tailwaggers - plus they've just sent us a donation of £88 raised from the collection box in their surgery.
Thank you so much to all the staff and clients at this lovely practice!

Poor Izzi needs our help

2011-03-15T03:05:00.000-07:00

Izzi, a three-year-old Great Dane, has recently endured two painful cruciate ligament ruptures and an MRSA infection. Although Izzi is insured, her owner, Margaret Nelson, is facing an expensive vet bill, because the policy's limit has been reached and the insurer regards Izzi's cruciate injuries as the same condition, despite vets stating that they are not.

Izzi was rescued from her breeder's at seven months old, after being discovered locked in a cage. Vets later discovered that Izzi had a compressed skull, the result of being struck with a hammer, and, because of this, her eye was removed.
Margaret explained, "I've owned Great Danes my whole life, and adopted Izzi from Great Dane Rescue in June 2010. I thought that I'd take out good insurance for her, though thankfully she didn't have any more problems with her head."
Unfortunately, shortly afterwards, the cruciate ruptured in Izzi's right leg. It was repaired, but the fixings didn't hold and one of the plates had to be removed because of infection.
Then Izzi's other cruciate ruptured. It was operated on, though afterwards X-rays revealed that a screw in Izzi's left leg had snapped. She had external scaffolding fitted and was also diagnosed with MRSA, from which she has now recovered.
Margaret is a nurse and has been carefully looking after Izzi, as has her other dog, King Charles Tianna. Single mother Margaret is only able to work part-time as she raises her nine-year-old son, Joshua, and has paid over £1,000 towards Izzi's recovery. She is appealing for help from kind-hearted fellow dog owners.
Margaret said, "I can't express how much it will cheer everyone up to see Izzi back to full fitness. I have a disability and when Izzi was well, we could walk three times a day, which I'm sure helped me, without overdoing it. I'm so looking forward to this again."
If you can help Izzi, send a cheque (payable to Tailwaggers Club Trust) c/o Dogs Today at our usual address, or visit http://www.justgiving.com/izzitailwaggersappeal

Thank you Darley House!

2011-02-04T02:52:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share with you that Darley House Veterinary Centre in Bolton have raised £292 for Tailwaggers via a Christmas raffle and a collecting box in the surgery!
If your vet surgery, dog training group etc would like to organise a raffle for Tailwaggers we'd be really grateful and Dogs Today would be delighted to donate a subscription as a prize!
If you'd like to organise a raffle prize email rachael@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk and she'll sort it all out for you!

Khan's huge fall and even bigger bill

2010-12-16T01:59:00.001-08:00

In July, 18-month-old Khan suffered horrendous injuries after falling 34ft from a railway bridge. The accident traumatised her family, the Lawrences, and left the Boxer-collie cross fighting for life.
Khan had followed Joanne Lawrence’s children, Melody and Ryan, up onto a bridge during a walk along a disused railway line. Joanne called her children down but to her horror Khan tumbled off the side.

Joanne remembered, “Every emotion went through me: I was numb and scared and a lot of guilt set in later.”

Then, on the way to find help, Joanne’s father Ian collapsed. Torn between helping him or her dog, and with Melody and Ryan deeply upset, Joanne telephoned an ambulance and ran to Khan’s side. With Ian in the paramedics’ care, Joanne rushed Khan to the vet’s.

Khan had suffered a break to one paw and a back leg, which had a massive haematoma, and hairline fractures to her pelvis and another paw. She stayed at the vet’s for over a week after a major operation and went back later for further surgery. Joanne said, “The staff at The Animal House in Rugby saved her life; I think they’re heroes.”

Khan is slowly recovering and has had to spend much of her time in a cage, unable to enjoy her young life.

Joanne has been let with a bill totalling £4,500. Thankfully Khan is insured, but up to a limit of £2,500. Tailwaggers has made a donation towards Khan’s treatment and Joanne is now appealing to fellow dog owners for help towards the rest of the bill.

Joanne said, “To be able to do the normal things with her would mean everything to me and my family; she is a great friend and I couldn’t imagine a day without her.”

Fluffy needs our help

2010-11-25T12:47:00.000-08:00

Eight-year-old Fluffy had a lump successfully removed from his leg in September, but when his owner, Susan Smith, picked him up from the vet's, she immediately knew something was wrong: Fluffy's stomach had started to swell.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," said Susan. "Fluffy's vet tried to expel the gas, but after five minutes he told me that Fluffy's stomach had twisted and he had only minutes to operate."

Fortunately, Fluffy's life was saved after a two-hour operation involving three vets, which caused Susan's bill to rocket to £1,519.94.

"I feel so lucky that we were at the vet's at the time," she said. "I still can't believe I have my boy."

Susan has spent the last few years battling breast cancer, which thankfully she has now recovered from. Susan's beloved Bullmastiff was her rock throughout her treatment, but being unable to work meant she couldn't afford expensive insurance premiums.

"I had six treatments of chemo and after each I was exhausted," said Susan. "Fluff would be lying next to me and I could see in his eyes that he knew I was unwell. I would talk to him and tell him I was going to be okay. After all that treatment, Fluff will not leave my side."

Susan found a job at Morrisons, but unfortunately the branch where she worked burnt down and her work hours have been reduced. Tailwaggers Club Trust has donated towards Fluffy's treatment, the PDSA has given £80 and Susan has paid £100. She would warmly welcome any help with the remainder of his vet bill.

To make a donation towards Fluffy's surgery, visit http://www.justgiving.com/tailwaggersfluffy/ or click the appeal box under the facebook panel to the right of this article or send a cheque payable to 'Tailwaggers Club Trust' c/o Dogs Today at our usual address.

Fluffy in happier and healthier times

In the unlikely eventuality that we receive more funds than needed for this case we reserve the right to redistribute funds to other needy cases.

Trying to save her husband's dying gift

2010-11-09T04:57:00.000-08:00

Just had a very emotional conversation with Mrs Pritchard who approached Tailwaggers Club Trust for some help.
Having heard the full story I thought I'd open this one up as many brains may help untangle this one...
Mrs Pritchard's husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer and they had not long lost their beloved dog. He didn't want her to be left alone after he had passed so set about finding a new dog. They visited rescue sanctuaries but her husband couldn't find, "the one".
It was when they met a Sheltie that they realised this was the dog for them. They visited a breeder and Jack was found. A beautiful tricolour dog.
There was a lot of sadness in Mrs Pritchard's life. Not long after her husband died her ex husband was found to be terminally ill too. She nursed him and took in his dog, an elderly Corgi. Then Mrs Pritchard herself fell ill with Ovarian cancer.
Jack went in to be castrated, but shortly after coming home he couldn't stand up, he was falling over. His back legs didn't seem to work.
Lots and lots of tests were done at the vets but nothing could be found to explain his back leg weakness.
Jack appeared to get better, although he always did have a jippy tum. Mrs Pritchard put him onto James Wellbeloved and things seemed to calm down.
Then two weeks after his booster vaccine, Jack had some fits and was foaming at the mouth. He was hospitalised and more tests were done and the vet seemed to think the earlier problems were related and it could possibly be IBS.
Mrs Pritchard is a pensioner, a widow. The vet bills are massive and the problem as yet unresolved.
She has already cashed in an ISA and is now looking at extracting some equity from her house to pay the vet bills.
Jack is currently out of hospital and urinating every hour - which means she is getting up all night to let him out.
Jack means the world to her and she is worried sick about him. He is currently on prednisolone, zitac and netoclopranide. He has lost a lot of weight and his coat looks dull and seems to be changing colour.
She feels her vet couldn't try any harder, he wants Jack back in for more tests. He wants to look at possible Thyroid problems next.
Her total vet bills to date are close to £4k and rising.
I have suggested she might wish to consider a referral to a holistic vet - just to see what the alternative world can suggest in this case. Looking at perhaps changing the diet as if this is an extreme form of IBS then maybe a more simple diet may help. And also to try to reduce any further challenges to this poor dog's immune system by looking at blood testing before further routine revaccination.
It could just be coincidence that both health crisis have been after surgery and vaccination - but could this be an autoimmune condition that is flaring up after any challenge?
Money is very tight and after all the money spent to date Jack remains very poorly and without a clear diagnosis.
Mrs Pritchard says she is open to any logical suggestions and feels very worried for her beloved dog.
She lives in Cornwall between Plymouth and Tavistock.
Can anyone recommend a nearby holistic vet?
Mrs Pritchard said it had been lovely to talk to Tailwaggers as it has been so hard going through all this with Jack alone, but that she will go to any lengths to save Jack. She has every confidence in her vet, but would not like to leave any stone unturned.
I will set up a JustGiving appeal on the Tailwaggers blog for Jack as no matter what Mrs Pritchard who receives pensions credit is struggling with the bills she already has.
Anyone got any ideas? Anyone in Shelties seen or heard of something similar? Mrs Pritchard says that the stud dog owner has had some colitis problems in her dogs. Mum is apparently of Russian descent, but the breeder has moved so Mrs P can't contact her. The pups were reared on raw mince so it seems likely the breeder was a raw food feeder.
I've set up an appeal for Jack on Just Giving.

The excessive urination is probably being caused by the prednisolone - this
is a common and well recognised side effect of steroids. It may be possible
to continue with the prednisolone but at a much reduced dose.
As your correspondent Queenie says, there may be a Burns food which is
suitable for Jack. All our adult foods are very digestible and low in fat.
They will not cause irritation to the digestive system. The feeding amount
should be less than the recommended amount and should cost no more than
40-45 p per day and possibly less. Mrs Pritchard should not attempt to
manage this on her own; she needs to work in consultation with the Burns
Nutrition team.
When we decide what food to go with we would be willing to supply her with a
free bag to try.
John Burns BVMS MRCVS
Burns Pet Nutrition

Vada needs your help

2010-10-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

In April, Vada, a previously feisty and playful terrier cross, developed a limp. After several visits to the vet’s, it was discovered that she has suffered serious damage to the carpal tendons in her front legs. The seven-year-old requires expensive surgery – costing over £3,500 – to enable her to walk again.

Her owner, Kristy Allen, said, “I was devastated for Vada. I also felt helpless, this had happened so quickly, at first she was just limping. Then to be told her tendons were damaged beyond repair, it was just awful.”
Unfortunately, Kristy was unable to insure her dog because of pre-existing health conditions. Sadly, Vada’s condition is now deteriorating; she can’t walk for more than 10 minutes, can no longer run and play with Kristy’s other dog, Max, and is completely flatfooted.
In September, it was also discovered that Vada’s lymph nodes were inflamed; there was a chance she may have lymphoma. Thankfully Vada was given the all clear, much to the delight of Kristy and her husband, Nicholas.
“It was like a weight had been lifted – such relief!” remembered Kristy. “It was a shock for possible lymphoma to be thrown into the equation, I remember thinking how could things be so unfair?”
Kristy and Nicholas, a self-employed roofer who is experiencing difficulty finding work, are expecting a baby, due in December. The couple have decided to use the money they’d saved for the new arrival on Vada, and by also auctioning off items on eBay and selling their car, they have accumulated £1,000. Fortunately, their family have bought the items needed for their baby, and Tailwaggers Club Trust has kindly made a donation for Vada’s desperately needed surgeries.
Kristy said, “Saying it would mean the world for Vada to have her little legs fixed doesn't seem to cover it. It would mean everything to me; Vada means everything to me. She's my family.”
You can donate to Vada's Tailwaggers appeal via JustGiving by clicking the box to the right of this story or clicking here.

Oliver's twist - update

2010-09-30T01:27:00.000-07:00

Who can forget Oliver? We featured him on this blog a little while ago and in Dogs Today magazine's October edition. This three-year-old Springer-Patterdale cross suffered an extremely painful spiral fracture to his hind leg. Out-of-work owner Darren Puttock sold his car and his computer to pay Oliver's vet bills, but when there were serious complications the vet bills spiraled out of all control and Darren had nothing left to sell.

Thankfully Oliver’s break is nearly healed, but unfortunately he is still having to make regular trips to the vets, visiting three or four times a week.

Although he is able to put weight on his leg, this is proving a double-edged sword. As Oliver can now move his limb, his wounds keep reopening, meaning they have to be treated often.

Also, with Oliver bearing weight on his leg, his bone has broken through the skin where he lost the pads on his paw, which sadly cannot be dressed.

Oliver’s owner Darren remains positive, however, and very much hopes that with the continued help of generous dog lovers, his best friend will soon be back to full health.

Oliver and Darren would like to thank everyone who has responded to Oliver's Just Giving page. "Thanks for your messages of support and donations, you guys and girls are amazing, thank you so much. Oliver & Darren."

If anyone is able to help Darren and Oliver in this final phase of his treatment please click on the link to his Just Giving page. They are still short of what is needed to get this lovely dog back on all four of his feet!

Storm is under the weather

2010-08-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

Two-year-old Storm has been diagnosed with a life-threatening heart defect. His owner, pensioner Rita Lynch, fears she will lose her companion forever unless he has an expensive operation she simply cannot afford.

The white German Shepherd was taken ill in early August and diagnosed with a heart condition by vets, but the full extent of his problem was not realised until a referral to the Queen Mother Hospital in Hertfordshire. Storm has suffered a heart defect undetected since birth, called patent ductus arteriosus.

The ductus arteriosus is a blood vessel that should close shortly after birth. In dogs with the condition the vessel remains open, causing abnormal blood flow though the heart and lungs. Unfortunately, Storm was also diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat.

Rita said, “I was very shocked to hear of Storm’s diagnosis as he showed no signs of being ill; he was so active and would never rest. Storm is being treated with tablets at the moment but these will not make his condition better – he will deteriorate within a year.”

Storm’s young life will sadly be cut short without an operation to close the blood vessel causing the problems.

The operation costs £3,500 – an expense Rita’s pension will not cover, especially considering she has already paid £700 towards the initial consultation fees, with some support from her family. Tailwaggers Club Trust has donated £750 towards Storm’s operation; now Rita is appealing for help from fellow dog lovers and would be hugely grateful for any donation – no matter how small – that they could manage.

Rita explained, “Storm is my friend as well as my pet, as he knows when I am not very well myself and lays by my side or puts his head on my lap. He came to me at seven weeks old and what a little pickle he was, but I loved him for it. He has grown into a beautiful dog and I don’t want to lose him – it would destroy me.”

Update

I have some very sad news to pass on. Storm has died very suddenly at home, possibly of a blood clot. Rita's son attempted the kiss of life, but nothing could be done. Rita is obviously devastated, but she still asked us to thank everyone for their help and support. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Rita and her family at this terribly sad time.
Beverley

Oliver's poorly paw

2010-08-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

In June, Oliver, a Springer-Patterdale cross, suffered an extremely painful spiral fracture to his hind leg. The unfortunate three-year-old’s owner, Darren Puttock, is self-employed in the building trade, and with no work available at the moment, is appealing for help with his dog’s vet bills.
Darren explained how the accident happened: “When I got a treat out, Oliver jumped up and his back legs went from under him. As he came down he put out his rear leg to stop himself from falling on his back, and landed in a twisting motion, with all his weight on one leg.”
Oliver was referred to a specialist, who planned to pin the broken bone, but this was not possible due to the severe corkscrew-type break. It was subsequently decided that Oliver should wear a plaster cast.
Unfortunately, Oliver’s leg became gangrenous. Sadly, this has led to Oliver losing the pads and smallest digit on his paw.
These complications to an already unpleasant injury mean that rather than a cast, Oliver wears a bandage that is changed weekly so his wounds can be cleaned. To date Darren has paid £2,200 towards his dog’s recovery, generating the money by selling his car and laptop. Oliver’s treatment is likely to continue for another eight weeks and could cost a further £2,400. Darren is extremely grateful to Tailwaggers for donating £300 and would welcome any further donations to help his dog back on to all four paws.
Darren said, “Oliver was such a active dog: he could run up to 10 miles a day, loved swimming and was constantly playing and socialising. He has a great temperament, is well behaved and loves everyone.
“Oliver has always been there for me during tough times, and it would mean the world to me if he could regain his full fitness.”

If you can contribute anything towards Oliver's treatment please click the Just Giving appeal box to the right of this story or click here

Can you help Phoebe?

2010-07-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

At the age of just nine months, Phoebe, a Labrador, has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia in both hips. The crippling condition is particularly severe in her right hip, leaving the pup incapable of living her young life to the full.
Phil Henderson purchased Phoebe in December 2009. He thought he’d done everything right – he found a Kennel Club Breeder, met Phoebe’s mum and was given both parents’ pedigrees. Unfortunately, while the sire had been hip scored, the dam hadn’t.
He said, “Phoebe’s HD affects her life in every way: she can’t go for walks longer than 10 or 15 minutes three times a day, and I can’t let her jump up, because of the strain it puts on her back legs. Imagine a nine-month-old Labrador not being able to go out whenever she wants to, it’s frustrating for me and I can’t imagine how she feels, not being able to play with other dogs in the park, which she loved.”
Phil spent his last £300 on Phoebe’s X-rays and has now been informed that it will cost £8,000 for a specialist to repair her hips. He had insured Phoebe, but unfortunately didn’t realise it was limited to emergency cover only. He has now taken out new insurance, but Phoebe’s HD is classed as a pre-existing condition.
Because Phil is disabled and unable to work, he is appealing for donations to help change Phoebe’s life. He said, “I would love for Phoebe to have the operation so she can have a normal dog’s life, and we can do the things that we should be doing now: walks, playing, swimming, all the things she craves, but sadly, it’s not possible at the moment.”
If you would like to donate to help fund this operation please see the JustGiving appeal highlighted to the right of this post.

KC Charitable Trust donation

2010-06-30T01:52:00.001-07:00

Tailwaggers Club Trust was very pleased to recently receive a £5,000 donation from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust.
Tailwaggers also receives many referred cases from the KC and struggles to help all the people with unexpected vet bills.
Tailwaggers recently received a referral for a struggling pet owner on DLA benefits who had bought a KC reg Labrador pup that has developed severe HD and needs a very expensive operation. The bill for this surgery is predicted to be £8,000. We are investigating the case, but the chap had bought pet insurance without understanding the small print and sadly found when he wasn't covered for anything other than emergencies.
Tailwaggers is very grateful for all donations and works very hard to help as many people as possible. While the donation from the KC Charitable Trust is very gratefully received we do still need your help to raise funds. Increasingly often Tailwaggers is the only charity people can turn to for help.

This thank you letter made us smile

2010-06-17T02:12:00.000-07:00

Percy, the cat had been involved in a traffic accident and faced being PTS. He's all better now thanks to an operation to mend his broken jaw.

Help them home

2010-06-07T11:36:00.001-07:00

Pet Passport confusion left a family heartbroken and deeply stressed. The credit crunch had hit them hard and they needed to make a swift return from Bulgaria after their business failed.

Mr and Mrs Chamberlain, from Epsom, Surrey, have struggled to pay the kennelling fees for their dogs, Clio, a two year old Boxer, and Chanel, a year old American Cocker Spaniel.

On the 17 January the couple discovered their dogs could not enter the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme because they hadn’t had a blood test proving their rabies vaccine had worked – despite being assured by a vet in Bulgaria that all the documentation was in order.

Mrs Chamberlain said, “Here our nightmare started. The only option we had was to contact a quarantine kennel in the UK to arrange entry for our girls.”

Understanding the couple’s unfortunate situation, the quarantine kennels kindly reduced the bill from £5,400 to £3,600. Mr and Mrs Chamberlain planned to find work and save £500 a month, but a week after returning to the UK, they discovered that Clio was pregnant. She gave birth at the kennels and the couple were forced to sell her pups to help pay the bill.

Mrs Chamberlain continued, “Without work and money our family started to suffer. The stress has made my husband unwell; now he is on strong medicine and I am caring for him every hour of the day, so now I cannot look for a job either.”

After hearing of their plight, Ann Podmore at Home Counties Boxer Welfare has sympathetically offered to settle the couple’s bill on their behalf, so Clio and Chanel can be released from kennels without delay. With the generous owners of the quarantine kennels reducing it by a further £2,400 and Mr and Mrs Chamberlain paying £1,300, the final fee was £1,053.13.

If you can make a donation to help repay the money Home Counties Boxer Welfare has advanced, please visit www.justgiving.com or send a cheque payable to ‘Tailwaggers Club Trust’ c/o Dogs Today at our usual address.

Blind hope

2010-06-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Chunk has been diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes, leaving him completely blind at only three.
Chunk, a Yorkshire-Scottish Terrier cross, arrived in the care of Rob Kipling and Deborah Harley in March, with cataracts already affecting one eye.
The couple, from Coventry, West Midlands, has looked after his littermate, Missy, since she was a pup. They took Chunk in after his needed a new home after his first owners' couldn't keep him.
Rob was unable to take out insurance for Chunk because of his existing eye condition.
He said, “Chunk and Missy were so happy and excited to see each other, but now he has cataracts in both eyes and cannot see a thing. He bumps into doors and chairs, and is too scared to go outside.”
Rob has learnt that the combined costs of consultations and corrective surgery by a specialist would total a staggering £5,000.
He continued, “We simply cannot afford this even though we are both employed, as Deborah has only just gone back to work and we now have two new additions to our family. We had been saving up for a holiday but are more than willing to put this money towards the cost of the procedure. We have just over £1,000 and with a bit more saving we could possibly get up to £1,500.”
Because Chunk’s condition will soon become inoperable, Rob and Deborah hope to raise enough to have at least one eye corrected, and any other donations would be warmly received.
Rob said, “Chunk is a lovely dog with a long life ahead of him, we just want it to be more comfortable and fulfilling – any help would be extremely appreciated.”

The family approached Tailwaggers Club Trust. In the unlikely event that more money is donated than is needed for this specific case it will be used for other worthy Tailwaggers cases. We have set up a Just Giving appeal - click the box top right or click this link.

We need you!

2010-05-01T02:05:00.001-07:00

Do you have some free time and a desire to help other pet owners in a practical way? Have you got some office skills? Could you attend a few meetings a year in London?
The Tailwaggers Club Trust needs some additional trustees and particularly someone/ some people to take on some of the secretarial and accounting roles as our wonderful Secretary/Treasurer is hoping to retire after 20 years of loyal service. Side Nye is a remarkable and inspirational 78 year old and it's now only due to failing sight that he's asking to spread the work.
Tailwaggers is a lovely charity. It's ancient but it's even more vital today than it was back in the 1920s when it started. There's no big swanky offices or fat cat salaries. It's lean and best of all very personal.
Every case is listened to on its own merits and often that in itself is a huge help to pet owners in distressing situations.
I doubt we'll ever find another Sid - but there are must be other wonderful altruistic people out there who will help their fellow humans get through a crisis and stick with their pets?
Sid's daughter Carol mans the phone side of things, but Sid is our first email contact. He receives the pleas for help and then contacts the vet where necessary for more information or passes the appeal sideways to the trustees if it's a practical problem that we all need to brainstorm.
If you are interested in getting involved in this friendly little charity and making an incredible difference to pets and their people please do get in touch for more details.
Here's a breakdown of what Sid does - we could split these jobs between several people as he does seem to do a great deal!

ACCOUNTING

Maintain record of all payments and receipts analysed by category
Maintain a Statement of Activity and Balance Sheet.
(Currently this is achieved by a spreadsheet where a single entry for each transaction
updates all the required fields)
Prepare budget for current year.
Reconcile book balances with bank statements every month.
Transfer money between accounts as required.
Bank cheques received and acknowledge donations.
Write Annual Report
Prepare accounts for audit at year end 31st March, ensuring supporting documentation is complete

MEETINGS

Fix dates for meetings based on Trustees availability.
Prepare and circulate agenda in advance of the meeting
Prepare such financial reports as required by Trustees for presentation/discussion at meetings.
Take minutes.

CHARITY COMMISSION

Complete Annual Return (Can now be done on-line)
Send them a certified copy of any resolution agreed by trustees changing any administrative aspect of our Governing Document.

GENERAL

Check Email daily and deal with messages as necessary.

We'd also love to attract someone who is a whizz at web design as the Tailwaggers website badly needs updating. Plus anyone who is interested in fund raising - we can't have too many people helping raise funds as since the Blue Cross stopped helping people with grants at the end of January, Tailwaggers is often the ONLY charity giving assistance to pet people in crisis.

If you'd like to know more, please get in touch. I've been working with Tailwaggers for quite a few years now (though not as long as Sid!) and it is amazing how much of a difference this charity makes and how many lives it touches. Read the story of Charlie for just a glimpse of what we do. Please do join us, it's a great team of animal lovers - we just need some new signings!

Anyone who knows anyone this might suit, please do get in touch. My email is beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk

Please enter the Tailwaggers photo competition!

2010-03-18T02:35:00.001-07:00

Roll up roll up for the Tailwaggers annual photo competition. There's still time to enter... loads of great prizes and a very good cause.

Closing Date: Monday 29th March 2010

Classes:
1. Prettiest Bitch
2. Handsome Dog
3. Puppies 0-1 year
4. Veterans 7-11 years
5. Golden Oldies 12+ years
6. Action Shots
7. Loveliest Eyes (Headstudy)
8. Rescue Dogs
9. The Pack (2 or more dogs together)
10. Mans Best Friend (You and your dog)

Prizes:
Best In Show - Chosen from all 1st places wins…

A supremely stunning large rosette.
Dogs Today Subscription
Winning picture printed in Dogs Today
A voucher for the wonderful www.dog-games.co.uk
Reserve Best In Show - Chosen from all 2nd places wins…
A supremely stunning large rosette.
A voucher for www.dog-games.co.uk
1ST Place - First place in each class will win…
A luxury rosette.
A voucher for www.dog-games.co.uk
Further prizes to be confirmed.
2ND – 5TH Place - Second to fifth place in each class will win a luxury rosette.
Highly Commended - Certificates will be awarded at the judges discretion.
Rules:
No digitally altered photos permitted.
Open to canine subjects only.
One photo can enter more than one class as long as the entry fee is paid for each class.
All photos must be your own work.
Photos must be sent as good quality prints (Min size 6x4 and Max 10x8)
Minimum of 3 photo entries per person due to costs.

Entry Fee:
£1 per photo, per class.

How To Enter:
On the back of each photo write:
· Your name
· Your address
· The animals name(s)
· The animals age(s)
· Breed if known
· The class numbers you wish the photo to enter.
· Class 8 only – the rescue dogs story (100 words max)
For return of you photos, results and prizes please send:
A large padded self addressed envelope (A4 or bigger)
12 x 1st Class stamps
Entry Fee cheque (payable to The Canine Enthusiasts Club)
Send to:-
Tailwaggers Photographic Competition
13 Brunswick Avenue
Horwich
Bolton
Lancashire
BL6 6NJ

Disclaimer:
We cannot accept any liability for any loss or damage to your possessions whilst in transit but every care is taken of your photos whilst in our hands.
Please allow up to 4 weeks to receive your results.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS LINK TO ANY FRIENDS AND FAMILY YOU THINK WOULD BE INTERESTED – THANK YOU.

Amanda Wilkinson
Tailwaggers Club Trust

In Aid of Tailwaggers Club Trust Reg. Charity No.265069

Can we help poor Charlie - update

2010-01-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

We carried news of this story just before Christmas. I saw the photo for the first time today and was very shocked. This poor dog has been through so much but has at last found a kind home. Can we all help them put him back together?
Here's the full story as told to Karen Redpath Dogs Today's Deputy Editor.

A stray dog who appeared in a Glasgow family's garden last November needs extensive veterinary treatment for some horrific injuries.

After the dog's third nightly visit, Scott Campbell, from Penilee, took him in to give him a clean, as he looked filthy. However, when he got the dog inside. he realised that it was dried blood rather than dirt on his coat. The dog's eyes were also very red and looked painful.

At first Scott thought the dog had been in a fight and took him straight to a vet for treatment. The dog was scanned for a chip but none was found, so the Campbell family decided to take responsibility for him and named him Charlie.

The vet was very concerned about the state of Charlie's eyes, but, at that time, his skin didn't look too bad. It was several days later when Charlie's skin started falling off in chunks, that the vet suspected that his skin and eyes were burned by a chemical.

"It could be that he was burned deliberately or he could have picked up a chemical from the nearby industrial estate," said Scott. "We've been walking him around, but no one has recognised him."

Charlie, who is thought to be about two years old, has had daily appointments at the vet for intensive steroid treatment and he may have to lose one of his eyes.

Despite his ordeal, Charlie has become a wonderful pet and is especially good with the Campbells' two young children. Scott said, "He has such a great nature and is a real soldier."

Although the Campbells are on benefits, they have managed to pay £220 towards Charlie's treatment, but the vet estimates the final bill is likely to be another £550. The Blue Cross and Tailwaggers have donated £100 each to help pay Charlie's bill, but the remaining £350 is still to be found.

If you would like to make a donation to go towards Charlie's vet bills, please send a cheque to Tailwaggers (or donate online via JustGiving - see the Box to the right). Once enough funds have been raised, any further donations will go to help other worthy Tailwaggers cases.

Tailwaggers Club Trust is not just another dog and cat charity. It helps needy pet owners in meeting the cost of unexpected vet bills as a result of financial hardship or a consequence of bad luck.

For cat and dog owners who have nowhere else to turn, it can make the difference between life and death for a much-loved pet.

To make a donation by post, please send a cheque (made payable to 'Tailwaggers Club Trust') to The Secretary, Tailwaggers Club Trust, PO Box 1008, Maidenbower, Crawley, RH10 7PY and mark your envelope "Charlie appeal".

Any chance of another miracle?

2010-01-13T10:03:00.001-08:00

Just got another heart wrenching email in, we originally had an email from her older daughter asking for Tailwaggers help and advice on what to do.
Their house is being repossessed in four weeks and they have two beloved Labradors. They'll probably have to go into temporary accommodation which is unlikely to be dog-friendly. They are most keen to find a temporary foster home for the dogs or ideally somewhere they all could stay together until the council finds them somewhere permanent.

Hi Beverley

I'm Lia's mum, Kim,
The two Labradors are called Blaze and Bailey, Blaze is seven and has three legs, she had cancer when she was nine weeks old thankfully she is now fine, Bailey is six years old and in good health. They have both grown up with children as I have a 12 year old daughter, they have also grown up with cats and don't take any notice of them.

They are housetrained, but haven't been spayed. The vets wouldn't do Blaze because she also had some pelvis removed with the leg. Lia, my elder daughter, is in work in Maidstone and Georgia attends school in Maidstone, so ideally we would like to be based around this area.
I was divorced five years ago and managed to keep the house going but was made bankrupt in October 2008. The house is being repossesed to pay the debts, we are on the council housing list and they are aware of the dogs, but the problem could arise if we are put in bed and breakfast until a property is found. Please feel free to contact me either on Lia's email address or this one - or contact me on 07784051589.

Many thanks
Kim Josling

Any bright ideas? Any foster homes in the area? Anyone got local contacts?
What a terribly unsettling time for this family who obviously want to stay together.

The kindness of strangers

2010-01-07T07:35:00.001-08:00

Just had a very tearful Wendy on the line. But tears of joy this time.
She's had a call from a wonderful lady who has lived in Spain and totally understood her situation. She has agreed to loan her the rest of the money.
Hopefully the dogs will be home really soon.
Well done everyone who passed on the message, donated or just thought positive thoughts.
There were donations from all over the world, people have been so very, very kind.
Special mentions to Jeni Falconer and Cerys Matthews and all the wonderful Tweeters for the great RT effort. And to everyone who gave at what must be the hardest time of the year, you are saints.
It may be cold outside, but we had ourselves a little miracle today! Well done, you've restored my faith him human nature.

Can we give this family a happy new year?

2010-01-02T04:08:00.000-08:00

PLEASE SEE URGENT UPDATE AT THE END

When I saw the photos I couldn't stop thinking about these poor dogs. We do receive lots of appeals from people struggling to come home from overseas and these are always expensive cases and it's impossible to hep everyone as we only have limited funds. But if you agree that this is a case we should help, please use the Just Giving emergency page for Comet. If anyone else can offer practical help or solutions Wendy's mobile number is included.

Here's the story.

I am writing to you because I am in the unenviable position of needing to plead for assistance in saving our 4 beloved pet dogs. I am not looking for a handout, just help in our time of need which we will gladly undertake to repay.

We are a family of animal lovers who in January 2004 moved to Majorca with our two Border Collies, in the hope that the climate would help my husband regain some mobility and health. He is physically disabled, uses a wheelchair for much of the day and has a number of associated illnesses which a kinder climate would ease. Our two border collies were his life, and he enjoyed watching them in shows and at crufts.

Sadly in 2005 we had to give sleep to one of them, as he had a grand Mal epileptic seizure, which our vet gently explained he would never recover from. This was devastating for our family including the remaining Border Collie, which was his brother. They had never been separated from birth. A few months later, by pure chance, we visited an outdoor market. It was the height of summer and as you can imagine extremely hot and sunny. There we found, in a small, dirty, cramped cage, a tiny puppy. She had no water and was in full sunlight, and obviously distressed. We argued with the seller, that she should have water and be taken into the shade, but he shrugged his shoulders and walked away. We decided there and then to rescue this puppy and bought her for 70 euros.

We took her straight to our vet, who told us she may not survive, but he would try his best.
Somehow he worked miracles, and the following day she was alert and not distressed when we went to visit her. He told us how best to care for her, gave us food supplements for her and explained he thought she was barely six weeks old. He said he would do all he could to stop this man selling animals on the market, but he feared it would be no use.

Over the next two years, we aquired two more puppies through various circumstances, which we could not bear to see distressed or destroyed for want of love. All of our dogs are happy, healthy, good natured animals, which we love equally and are miserable being parted from.

Through circumstances beyond our control, we found it necessary to return to live in the UK. During our preparation, we took our dogs to the local vet, which was a new vet as we had moved to a different area 8 months previously. She gave them all their rabies inoculations, explained the procedure for the tape worm and tic treatment that we would need to time correctly and entered the details on the paperwork. It was then she found that because the three dogs we had acquired there, had been microchipped after the previous rabies inoculation, we would need to wait 6 months after the blood test to bring them into the UK. She also said that even though the border collie had be vaccinated he would also have to wait because he was two days late. Defra subsequently confirmed this, so we had no choice than to put them in a kennel to wait out their time.

A friend recommended a kennel in Holland, which agreed to take them. They have been well cared for we know, but at this time, the owners are threatening to put them in a shelter, sell them or have them destroyed, as we have not been able to keep up the payments.

The employment my daughters and I had been offered on arrival into the UK never materialised, due to the company changing its staffing policy. This obviously has put a great financial and emotional strain on us, and the thought of us losing our beloved dogs is unbearable.

Please is there any way you can help us? As I previously stated, we will gladly repay anything you can loan us to help us, we are not asking for a handout, just help at this time.

Thank you from our hearts for anything you can do.

Yours faithfully,
Wendy Sullivan (Mrs.)

Update:

I have attached a photo of Comet, she is the tiny puppy we rescued from a Spanish outdoor market. as you can see, now a happy healthy dog, full of mischief and a constant source of fun and laughter.

The other photo is of our Border Collie Pop, 10 years old, very laid back but never the less "the boss". Meg is next in line in the photo..just a year old on 28th September, learning fast how to "round up", usually our feet and of course how to make you feel so guilty with big brown eyes. Then there is Jess in the front, very timid, frightened of feathers, but full of love especially for our eldest daughter. They kind of adopted each other on first sight.

During our stay in Spain, we became an unofficial haven for lost animals. Each and every one was reunited with their respective owners. Many we helped secure their premises, we never asked for payment or received any funding. We were just happy to be of some help.

We had people tell us to put our dogs in a shelter and leave them in Spain. This wasn't a consideration for us, our dogs are part of our family, not just pets. Some shelters in Spain keep the animals taken there for only 7 days, then if they are not claimed or rehomed they are destroyed. Like most places, those that do not destroy a healthy animal, are overcrowded and short of funds.

It was heart wrenching to leave them in the kennels because of red tape. We hate having to ask for help, but we have no other option, as on 9th January, if we cannot pay 2,505 euros, the kennel owners are going to sell them or put them in a shelter. This is all there is left to pay from a 7,000 euro bill. With more time we would have been able to arrange for the money, but time is not in our favour. We had hoped to all be together for Christmas, as their entry into the UK was permissible on 22nd December. This obviously was not possible, and now we face losing them forever.

If people are kind enough to help us out, we are willing to repay their kindness just as soon as we can.

We only have a mobile telephone at the moment. 07748 645 685

URGENT UPDATE:

Wendy has just phoned me in tears. The kennels in Holland have said that they will definitely dispose of the dogs on Saturday if they do not get paid. Lots of people are trying to help - a Border Collie rescue chap in Belgium has offered to collect the dogs and keep them free of charge until Wendy can collect them but the kennels will not release them to him.
Does anyone have any Dutch connections that could negotiate with the kennels to ensure the dogs are not put to sleep or rehomed?
The Sullivans are not looking for a handout - just a temporary loan until they are able to repay.
Anyone got any ideas?
I must say it was a heart-breaking call, there must be something that can be done to stop these dogs being parted from their loving owners.

Just got this email update:

We have approached a Border Collie breeder in Belgium, who has offered to rehouse our dogs until we can collect them for free. He has spoken to the kennel, who he says were extremely rude and abrupt, and refused to negotiate with him at all, and they promptly hung up after stating that if they had not received the money by Saturday they would dispose of our dogs.

We have approached other animal welfare organisations for assistance, to which we are still awaiting replies. The Border Collie Club of Great Britain is attempting to cut red tape and try and help us, but as yet we have no idea as to the amount we may receive.

If anyone feels they can help us with a direct loan, we will give written undertaking that every penny will be repaid.

My husbands DLA benefit was stopped on re-entry to the UK, for some unknown reason, which is still being sorted out. This would have paid the bill.

Can you help Charlie this Xmas?

2009-12-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago Charlie was a stray. Mr Campbell and his partner found him and took him in. They thought he had a mild skin problem so they took him to see a vet for a check up.

Unfortunately the vet discovered it wasn't a mild problem - it was very serious. Charlie seemed to have suffered a very nasty chemical burn and needed intensive steroid treatment. The vet, Catherine Hambly, told Tailwaggers she is not sure whether they will be able to save Charlie's sight which has also been affected.

The Campbell family already love Charlie. They hadn't been looking for a dog but he found them. He gets on very well with their children and although they are on benefits they have already managed to pay the vet £220 so far. The vet estimates further treatment costs at £550. The Blue Cross have offered £100 and gave the vet Tailwaggers phone number. Tailwaggers has matched the Blue Cross offer and agreed £100 but the trustees would very much like to be able to offer to pay more.

If you would like to donate to Charlie's case please use the Just Giving button - this near to Christmas it must be very difficult for the Campbell's to find this unexpected amount.

Charlie has found a loving home and we'd like to help his new owners over this very rough start.

Who knows what led Charlie's previous owner's to abandon him, or indeed what happened to him to cause him such horrible chemical burns, but he's happy now and getting treatment.

We'll be launching an appeal in Dogs Today but as this is an urgent case we thought we should put it straight on the blog.

If more money is raised than is needed to treat Charlie the funds will go to help other pet owners in distress.

We'll come back to the blog with news of how Charlie is, let's hope his kind new owners all have a lovely Christmas together.

Alfie and Skye - Tailwaggers success stories

2009-12-05T11:08:00.001-08:00

Alfie

Alfie is the much loved companion of pensioners, Margaret and Robert Stebbens. He came into their lives in October 2008 when he was just six weeks old. Tragically, Alfie’s breeder had died only two weeks before. Margaret and Robert tried to arrange insurance for Alfie at the time, but were told by PetPlan that this could not be done until he was eight weeks old. Sadly, Alfie became ill within days. One morning Margaret found him pressing his head against the wall and when he tried to move, kept bumping into things.

Alfie was hospitalised for a week for observation and tests and was found to have congenital portosystemic liver shunt. A liver shunt is a blood vessel that by-passes liver tissue, carrying blood from the intestines, stomach, spleen and pancreas to the heart before it can be filtered. This results in insufficient blood supply to the liver so that it cannot function properly. The toxins in Alfie’s blood were poisoning him and causing blindness. He needed life-saving surgery at a cost of £1,700, a terrible shock for Margaret and Robert and a sum that they simply could not afford. In addition there were costs for a special diet, further medication and further tests to see if Alfie’s liver was functioning normally after the surgery. There was an agonising post op period of 48 hours when Alfie fought for his life under the dedicated care of his veterinary nurse, Amy.

Tailwaggers was able to contribute towards the cost of Alfie’s treatment and thankfully he has made a full recovery. In Margaret’s words, ‘We love Alfie unconditionally. He has brought so much fun into our lives and we couldn’t imagine life without him. He’s so full of mischief. He’s just our little Alfie. We are so grateful to Tailwaggers for helping to pay for Alfie’s treatment.’

Note: Portosystemic liver shunts are seen frequently in some dog breeds, including Irish Wolfhounds, Maltese and Yorkshire Terriers, which suggests a hereditary cause.

Skye

Skye’s owner, Michelle Taylor realised something was wrong with her beautiful tortoiseshell cat when she noticed that Skye hadn’t moved from the same sitting position for several hours during the night. Michelle also noticed that Skye’s pupils were dilated.

In the morning Skye seemed a little better and went outside as usual but very unusually she didn’t return. Michelle spent hours the following evening trying to find her cat, feeling distraught at the thought that Skye may have gone to find somewhere to die. Michelle was hugely relieved when Skye returned home the following night but she was clearly very ill. Normally a very feisty cat, Skye lay still and quiet when Michelle took her to the vet, who saw that Skye was severely dehydrated, anorexic and jaundiced. And she needed further tests to diagnose exactly what was wrong.

Diagnostic tests and treatment were likely to cost several hundred pounds – a huge worry for Michelle and her family, as was the decision about how much it was fair to put Skye through. Fortunately for Michelle her veterinary practice were very understanding and helpful and were willing to start treatment with a payment of £50. They also contacted the RSPCA who agreed to contribute a further £30. The Cats Protection League was unable to help, as Michelle didn’t fit their critieria, but gave her the contact number for Tailwaggers.

The rest, as they say, is history. Tailwaggers did help. Skye’s digestive system had an allergic reaction to the waste material being carried away from her liver, but she responded to steroids and antibiotics and is now fully recovered.

Case histories written by trustee Carol Fowler

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2009-12-05T02:34:00.000-08:00

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