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At the sanctuary no two days are the same. A cruelty case comes in, we deal with it, fix the animal up as best we can, pay the vet bill and try to find a good home and then it's on to the next frightened dog or injured cat.
There are always more and more animals in need. Getting round to the reporting on the happy endings is sometimes delayed but we try to catch up when we can.
So what happened to the 'bag of bones' German Shepherd dog, the paralysed Jack Russell, the little dog with three legs, the old cat with the broken jaw, the herd of goats, Krystal the pony who lost her eye...................
This is a picture of Crystal after she returned from the veterinary hospital, she was still very distressed and frightened.
It's a year since she was attacked and what a difference the passage of time makes. It was a very slow process but she has just about regained her confidence, goes out to graze and is her usual friendly and charming self - except with men she doesn't know and then she is very nervous. It's great to see her out in the fields and enjoying life again.
The 'Cruelty Case' German Shepherd Dog
Started to make a really good recovery, he ate well, was able to stand without wobbling, go out for little walks and was gradually losing his 'all hope is gone' expression. We even saw a bit of tail wagging. Then the dog wardens brought us the good news that they'd traced his original owners. Apparently this dog had been stolen and missing for over four months. Who had taken him and where he'd been no one knew. So the wardens returned him to his folks who were overjoyed to see him and will nurse him to a full recovery.
Nolene - the Paralyzed Jack Russell
Sweet little Nolene has made a fantastic recovery thanks to Spire Vets in Ches terfield and the Scarsdale Veterinary Hospital at Derby. Her life saving operation was complex and there was no guarantee that it would work. Nolene is a really brave little dog and was determined to try to get around again. Sitting still with a front end that worked and a back end that wouldn't, didn't suit her at all!
She stayed in hospital for several days and when she came home after the op, she still couldn't walk. At first we had to hold her in a sling, we massaged her legs every quarter of an hour and 'moved' them for her - while holding her off the floor - it was quite a balancing act! At first Nolene dragged her feet but then she was able to stand - a bit wobbly - gradually regained a bit of mobility which increased as time went on. Keeping up with her pal, Jack Spratt was a great motivation. Although she still can't turn quickly and her legs are a bit stiff, she can run and play and is full of the joy of life - it was a very expensive course of treatment - £1600+ - but well worth it in the end.
Jack Spratt - Broken Bones & Only Three Legs
Little Spratt came in when he was only a puppy and had to spend months in a cage (in the kitchen by the Aga) while his poor broken body tried to heal. He'd been horrifically treated - with breaks to his pelvis and one of his back legs and a front leg chewed or pulled right off. It was a raw, bleeding stump.
When the vet patched him up it was all down to t.l.c and careful nursing. Spratt was the perfect patient. He is the most good tempered little dog and bears his disability without any moaning at all. It's been difficult to know what to do about his chewed off leg. The stump did heal but there isn't really enough tissue over the end for it to be entirely comfortable for him. He likes to run about and topples over sometimes because the back leg that was broken didn't heal as well as it might and it lets him down. We've discussed further surgery with the vet - either removing the leg altogether or shortening it slightly so the end could be more protected. But the conclusion is that he is doing well, his health isn't as robust as it might be and he has suffered so much already. We've decided to leave well alone and make sure he has a sheltered environment.
And with his best friend, Nolene for company, that is just what he has. A carefully managed good life. Although we carry him to the field so that he doesn't hurt himself on the hard ground - just watch him run round in the grass with his little pal - he's a happy little chap and an inspiration too.
Raggety - the elderly emaciated black cat
We thought that Raggety was feral cat at first, she was hissing and spitting and telling us to keep away. But it was all down to fear and when she settled down she was as sweet as could be. In a shocking condition though, totally matted and with broken teeth and desperately thin. We thought she had pneumonia and the vet put her on antibiotics - Raggety had been living wild for some years and had survived on her own until last winter when she finally collapsed.
After we'd nursed her almost back to health a wonderful family came along, passed by the kittens and pretty adolescents and said they'd take Raggety home with them. Her coat still needed de-tangling and she was putting weight on bit by bit, so this was all going to be a long slow process. We were delighted that she would have the one-to-one care that she needed and spend her twilight years by the fireside and not out in the cold.
The Goats are Well and Happy
The goats love the fine, sunny weather and hate all the rain we've had. When it rains they stay inside but as soon as the sun comes out they're out browsing the hedges along the fields. They are mostly Anglo-Nubian desert goats so that's probably why they are sun-seekers. Sadly, we haven't rescued any more goats this year, although there will have been many desperate cases. The dogs have taken over as the most needy at the present time. Our goats have a wonderful life here in the sanctuary and are with us for the rest of their lives. One day soon we hope to be able to rescue goats again - so many of them meet a horiffic fate at the markets and it is still legal to ritually slaughter goats in this country. We've been campaigning for years against but so far getting nowhere. We'll not give up though. These are wonderful, gentle, affectionate animals and deserve a better fate than to have their throat cut and be left to bleed to death. Please remember this when you see the Hal-al fast food stalls in some of the shopping centres. Hal-al meat is from an animal that has been ritually slaughtered.
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