November 24, 2012

Drilling can begin at last ...

... with heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped in any way. And a big thank you to BIMEX BV who donated the industrial pump we needed and paid for it's transport from Holland. To each and every one, thank you so very much.  Dirk has prepared a short video to show the work underway. Such a relief for us all. So much more hope for our dogs - never again a summer like the last one.






Big ears, big heart ....

Caruso is a Podenco, a breed of dog so badly used and abused in Spain. Yet the Podenco is a noble breed, a hound with a highly developed sense of sight, smell and hearing. Their big, alert and upright ears are the hallmark of the breed. They are graceful, elegant and agile. Sensitive, affectionate and intelligent they make great pets for they are loving, good with children and get on well with other dogs and even cats. A wonderful addition to any family, though so often overlooked. For more about these great dogs see my earlier blog post.

Hello

I'm Caruso

Do you like my big ears?

Ten days to live ....

Look at that sweet little bear face. This is Lena. She's only two years old. Yet someone saw fit to take her to the killing station, where she'd last ten days in appalling conditions. Before being killed. Luckily Diane spotted her, grabbed her at the last minute. And now she's safe with us until she finds a lovely new home. We hope that won't take too long for Lena deserves the best - she's sweet and grateful and loving. As well as very beautiful. 







November 15, 2012

What's in the box?

                      Photo: Never seen anything like this ... three adult dogs stuffed in a small box …

When the people from the night shift arrived at the gate, they saw a large plastic crate -again- containing a cardboard box, securely tight with rope. They thought: oh, another a box of puppies.... But it was so heavy that it could never be puppies, it was just impossible to lift. When they opened the cardboard box, they could not believe their eyes. Three adult dogs were in there, folded together, one of them a bitch in heat of 14 kg, one of 8 kg and one of 10 kg. How sick can you be? Sometimes the things you get to see really make you despair. The dogs were all in shock for lack of space and air and needed some time to recover. If we had had no evening shift, we would probably have found three bodies the next day.
How sick can you be in your head to do something like this? How low can you
go?
Fabienne




















A large plastic crate had been dumped by the gate. In it a cardboard box, securely tied with a rope. When the nightshift arrived and found it they imagined the worst. Puppies. It must be puppies and would even one of them have survived?

They tried to pick up the box. It was impossible to lift. Not puppies then. No puppies, even Mastin puppies, would weigh that much. They cut the rope and opened the box - they could not believe their eyes. Inside were three grown dogs, folded, crushed, crammed into that confined space. One of them a bitch on heat. They weighed respectively 14, 10 and 8 kilograms.

How sick in the head can you be? Who would want to do that to another living creature? Why go to all that trouble just to inflict such pain? Abandoning dogs is already terrible ... but this! It makes you despair for the human race, or at least some members of it. Though, come to think of it, can we even allow such monsters to be called human?

The dogs are all in shock from their experience. Crammed together in the dark, barely able to breathe,  their limbs cramped and distorted. Terrorised. Petrified. Uncomprehending. Ten days later, safe in our care, they are still suffering.  Rumba, Salsa and Flamenco are having great difficulty in recovering from the appalling treatment they were subjected to. Yes, they'll allow us to stroke them now, but they're very tense. They tremble and don't want to leave their hiding place under the cupboard.

One thing is certain. These poor, innocent dogs will never forget their terrible experience. All we can hope is that with time, love and tenderness they will begin to understand that not all humans are monsters. They will learn not to cringe, they will be willing to venture out from under their cupboard.

For now we can only wait, offer kind, soft words, gentleness and space for them to recover in their own time. Time and patience and one day, one day we hope they will understand that there exist loving humans, anxious to take them in their arms and give them a loving home and a happy future.

Rumba, Salsa & Flamenco under the cupboard, their place of safety

Flamenco and Salsa

Look at the pain in those beautiful eyes

Flamenco needs love and patience to recover 

Salsa, still fearful and no wonder



With our help Salsa will trust again, one day


November 11, 2012

This is what happiness looks like - all these sweet dogs found loving families in October


Spotlight on ... Margot

Beautiful Margot has been with us since June. She's eleven months old and beautiful in every way. All Margot longs for is her very own family. Could it be you?

Is it my turn yet?

 Waiting and hoping

I love people

Such a beautiful girl

Refugio 6th November - please choose me

We have rescued our lovely dogs from misery, trauma and certain death. Some of them are frightened to find themselves among so many dogs, in such a strange environment. Others are just so grateful to be saved. But there is one thing we all want - loving homes for them. They so deserve it.

 Give me a chance - please!

 I'm so afraid here, give me a home ...

Vagebond - such a sweetie ...

... gentle and patient.  

He'll feel so much better after his wash and brush up

November 04, 2012

Puppies, puppies, puppies ...


....  almost every day we arrive at the gates to find a box, a crate, a suitcase. And inside these tiny little souls, discarded. Just thrown away. At least those left outside our gate are  lucky. They have a chance. We won't abandon them. 

Others are also lucky, but in more precarious situations - dumped in the garbage, left by the side of the road or by the bottle bank. The more fortunate of these little things are found by compassionate people who bring them to us. How many others are not found, left to their fate? It doesn't bear thinking about.

Despite our best efforts, sadly some puppies don't survive. We never give up and our reward is to see those who make it grow it to wonderful, happy dogs. Below you can see some of the latest arrivals and a couple of little stars who have been with us for a couple of months and are doing really well.
                          

Just a crate? We know better

                              
This is what we find nearly every day

In safe hands at last

 Miloha is a little star

Dwarfed in the big basket

 Such a cutie

If I'm very good, will you take me home?

 Krilin, little sweetheart

Such a lovely face 

Krilin - a future ballerina?