What is the difference between a Galgo and a Podenco?

Sunday 29th May, 2022

 Someone described this very nicely today and gave this example: 

Imagine visiting a safe, fenced-in area where the little dogs can run free. This is what happens:

Arrival: 

The Galgos run a few very fast laps. The Podencos greet every dog, every person, every tree and every blade of grass with an endless variety of body language and facial expressions.

The first 5 minutes:

The Galgos run a few more very fast laps. The Podencos dig up hidden critters, roll through every muddy pit of unknown origin and do a few small quick laps.

The next 10 minutes:

The Galgos assume an elegant posture and look around to take in their surroundings.

The Podencos, meanwhile, have rounded up at least 3 "normal" dogs (type Labrador or shepherd) and convinced them that digging, chasing mice etc. is the most fun a dog can have. 

From that moment on, you get angry looks from the owners of those "normal" dogs. They came well prepared with treats, toys and whistles etc. and are afraid that their champions will now forget all their learned skills.

The next 10 minutes:

The Galgos run another lap and then go back to posing. Graciously they allow to be stroked, after which they continue to observe their surroundings. Meanwhile, the Podencos have laid the foundations for a large pond. They have discovered two unknown species of mice and added at least three new builders to their group.

It starts to rain:

The Galgos have had enough. Their body language and facial expressions are clear: Pathetic, neglected, completely miserable. The Podencos are happy: mud digs much better than dry ground.

The journey back home:

Everyone is happy. One of them smells a bit strange.

A little later during the journey back home:

One of the Podencos vomits.

At home:

Towels for the Galgos, shower for the Podencos.  Angry looks from all of them. Shower for the owner.

During the shower of the owner:

Deep sleep for the Podencos. The Galgos steal everything from the kitchen counter and from the kitchen cupboards.

It was soooo boring on the playground.

In Memory of Cloudy ... a long, happy life after a miserable start.

It's a few weeks now since Cloudy's wonderful owner wrote with the sad news of Cloudy's sudden death. I noticed it immediately but since I was away I was not able to record it on the blog. But there is a very special reason why I noticed ... because I was with Fabienne when we rescued Cloudy and his companions from a breeder. And she allowed me the enormous privilege of giving him his name ... Cloudy was a pet name my mother used to call me. Shortly after this this precious little dog was adopted. I have been trawling through my blogposts to find what I wrote about him at the time, but so far without luck. 

The message from Cloudy's sad owner.

Less than a month ago I brought you the sad news that our Spanish Princess Camila had died. We have not yet recovered from this grief and the next shock came. A few weeks ago I wrote that our Spanish sweetheart Cloudy is doing so well and despite his age (almost 13 years) he is still as healthy as a fish. Last night a drama happened that we still cannot comprehend. It was around 02:00 last night when we suddenly heard Cloudy panting. At first we thought he might need to go outside so we let him out into the garden, where he did a little peeing and then went back inside. Once back in the living room it happened that suddenly one hind leg became paralysed, soon followed by his second hind leg and his eyes were very strange. It all happened so fast. We put him on the couch where it soon became clear that he could not understand what was happening. I cried and realised immediately that there was probably something wrong with his heart, before we could call the vet Cloudy had already died. My husband tried to resuscitate but without success 😭😭😭 Despite the fact that it went so fast and we saw everything happen and we know he did not suffer, we cannot get the image out of our retinas. We were so helpless, I told him how much I love him, repeated his name 10 times but still his life slipped through our fingers 😭 We still can't believe it, especially because he was never sick, yesterday evening he ate normally, nothing special to notice and so suddenly he is gone. This afternoon we took him to the crematorium and chose a beautiful urn for him. A bronze heart with a golden heart in it, this fits him so well especially because I always said to him "Cloudje with his heart of Gold". He was my first sweetheart who I adopted through ACE and shortly after that Camila came to us through ACE as well. Both the same age, both in short succession through ACE from Spain came to us, both so very sweet and special and now both in 1 month time left for the rainbow bridge. I comfort myself with the thought that he did not suffer and had a beautiful life until the last day. Comfort in all the beautiful memories and how grateful we are that he was in our lives for 10 years. But the loss, the sound of his bark, the sound of his feet walking on the floor.... it leaves a huge void and last night a piece of my heart died with him 💔😭

We want to thank you so much for bringing two wonderful sweethearts into our lives and our hearts. It was 10 years full of love and in our hearts they live forever! 

Also now I send you a video with some memories of 10 beautiful years with our Cloudje with his heart of gold ❤️

Love,

Nanda

Fabienne's Diary: Dumped at the killing station at 12 years old!!!

 Sunday, May 15, 2022

He came from a killing station after his owner gave him up there. He had become too old and his owner could not bear the costs involved in his old age. 

So this sweet English Bulldig came to us. He is an old man who is still very strong and has good senses, who still walks with us and is still good for his age.

He realises that he has been dumped. The first week he didn't eat, there was no life in him, they told us. He kept looking at the door where he saw his owner walking away. 

Since he came to us he is doing a little better, but Jack is a quiet boy who can't understand all this. He is social and sweet with all other dogs, great with people, he doesn't hurt a fly. He walks up and down a bit and the puppies lay down next to him, it's all the same to him. 

The company he keeps and the different atmosphere here with us make him shine again in those faithful eyes of his. Jack is an old boy who would like to come home somewhere, for a few more years. 

Jack is the umpteenth innocent caught with us at the Refugio,...

For more information about Jack, please click on his name.

Happy Passos Largos - such a darling that his foster family couldn't bear to part with him!

 

On behalf of our Maurice, Toad, Wario and the whole ACE SHIN family, here's to a happy week end!

 Saturday 14th May 2022

Maurice 

Hello. I'm Maurice ... Im a super sweet, strong boy. Some people are a bit scared of Rottweilers, which may be why I'm still in a kennel at ACE after a whole year. You needn't be scared of me ... just look at my video with Mitch when he stayed in my cage for 24 hours. You can see how nice and gentle I am and how much I love to play with my ball. It's true I would like a strong but kind owner who understands my breed and who is not scared of me. Could that be you? I will be loyal to you forever and love you to the end of time. If you click on my name below my photo, you can read more about me.

Love Maurice XXX

Toad

My name is Toad. English people will probably find that a funny name for a dog, but I'm not supposed to be called Sapo, which is Spanish for Toad. So I'm just Toad ... hello. I'm a Mastin Espanol, which means I will become quite a big boy, as I'm only 10 months old now. I've been at the Refugio for about 6 months, so since I was quite a small puppy.  I am a gentle, good natured fellow and I'll love you to pieces. Could you find a place in your heart for me? Please. To find out more, please click on my name under my photo.

Wario

This is Wario. He's a lucky boy because after spending 6 weeks with us he's been reserved. This means that he'll be going home soon, once all the home visits and checks are done. Wario is a beautiful cross Labrador and at only ten months old he can now get the loving, fresh start in life that all dogs deserve.

RTL NEWS: Kelly locked herself in doghouse for 24 hours to raise awareness for shelter dogs

  Thursday 12th May 2022

It has to stop with people who dump their dogs all the time. That is the opinion of Kelly from Rotterdam. To make her point, she locked herself up in a dog kennel in a Spanish shelter for 24 hours. This afternoon she was allowed out. "I have felt the desperation of the dogs."

Kelly has worked at ACE-Charity, a shelter for dogs in the Andalusian town of Cala de Mijas, for almost six years. She normally pulls the door shut behind her at 5pm, but yesterday was different. She locked herself in one of the cages, between the dogs.

Boredom

What struck her immediately was the silence when her colleagues had gone home. "As long as there are people walking by you can still distract you, but after that you are really left to your own devices and the other dogs. I had no phone, no book, nothing to do", she told EditieNL.

The 27-year-old woman had to make do with a pen of about three by one and a half metres, consisting of an indoor and outdoor area. "I installed myself in the inner part with a mat and sleeping bag. Lying down did not fit, so I lay there folded up, together with a large dog. He came to sleep on my neck. He was happy with the human contact.

Other than that, she only had a water bottle with her. "Today I only got food at noon, just like the dogs. I really wanted to live like them. I could do my needs in a bucket or in the drain in the cage. Stopping was not an option, of course."

Loneliness

Kelly felt lonely in the cage. "Of course a dog's way of thinking is different to a human's, but I'm sure they experience restlessness and loneliness in the same way. When the last staff members have left, you notice in the shelter that despair strikes. With every little sound, hundreds of dogs start barking at the same time, hoping that someone is there. I felt them thinking: another day has passed, and again no one has come for me.

This afternoon she was released. "I'm still a bit speechless," she says shortly after. "I feel empty. It only now dawns on me what I have actually done."

Goal

Online, people can support her action by donating money. In addition, she hopes to make people think. "Millions of dogs around the world live like I have. But not for 24 hours; sometimes for years. Waiting for that one boss. Some people dump their dog after it has done one pee in the house. They take it to a shelter and never look back.

By sharing her own experiences, she hopes people will understand what it is like for a dog to be locked up. "I would consider a week to be quite intense. You go crazy mentally. You can see that in the dogs. Some of them are circling around in their cage all the time. At a certain moment it becomes very heavy. I really hope that people will think again before they bring their dogs to the gate.

You can read the original post here.

It's over! Mitch and Kelly are out!

Thursday 12th May 2022

Here are our Mitch and Kelly, out again! We can't get the look of Maurice, Toad and Wario out of our minds... Why are they leaving? Yes Why are they leaving? Their 24 hours were long...the night lonely, a gate might mean luck...someone is coming. No rest...everything is coming at you.... Thank you to everyone!!! Thanks for the sympathy...The many donations...May the sweethearts get a golden basket...and may people think about having a new resident with 4 legs come to live with you...not for a while...but forever! In our Ace Shin there are 500 dogs and 200 cats who were once at home? May the message...the efforts of Mitch and Kelly have a real impact.

This week Mitch and Kelly volunteered to be locked up for 24 hours ...

Thursday 12th May 2022

Mitch and Kelly chose to be locked up, separately from each other, for 24h in a doghouse in our shelter.

They did it to raise awareness of what it must feel to be locked up in a noisy environment scared, confused and in some cases far from your family. They want to draw your attention to the millions of dogs (and cats) who through no fault of their own end up in a shelter. Animals that often have known a home and are now locked up between 4 walls and bars. Hours, days of endless boredom pass by, where they have to beg for every bit of attention, for a stroke from a caretaker or volunteer. And hoping that this one person, this one owner will notice them, give them a chance for a new life. Mitch and Kelly want to show solidarity with these animals and also feel how it feels to be locked up like this. Who will give them a boost and support them (and our sweethearts) with a donation? 

The day and time arrived. At 3pm on 10th May they were ready.

Mitch was interviewed on Radio 2 ... https://radio2.be/luister/select/radio-2-spits/mitch-zit-24-uur-in-hondenhok-met-rottweiler-maurice-we-delen-alles-behalve-zijn-eetbak

Kelly was interviewed by Rijnmond.

Kelly, a carer, locks herself up for 24 hours in a dog kennel in Spain: 'This way I really know what shelter dogs go through'. ..  https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/1498544/verzorger-kelly-sluit-zich-24-uur-op-in-een-hondenhok-in-spanje-zo-weet-ik-pas-echt-wat-asielhonden-doormaken  

We went on line in Mijas too!

Everyone was on board! 

Hopefully the message will work!

There are 2 parts to the report:  

https://mijascom.com/?t=52&e=1680 + 

https://mijascom.com/?t=52&e=1681

They stayed in their cages all night and then there were just a few more hours before they could go home. But ...  the thousands of dumped dogs  in rescue centres, wherever they are, "sit" and wait...Day in and day out... Waiting for that one owner to get them out of the cage...Waiting...the loneliness...the loud barking...the memories of home...so many to mention....

There is only one important message... Adopt us, but not for a short time...but for life...

You can still donate here

Fabienne's weekly overview ...

Friday 6 may 2022

Busy? Just a bit ...You start answering a mail in the morning and by 6pm it's still open...  Lots of visitors, problems to solve, or lying awake... it was quite a week. And not to forget our action! Mitch and Kelly 24 hours in a cage! How does it feel? We are going to interview them every 3 hours and also once during the night because what goes through a dog's mind when you are suddenly in a cage from your own basket at home? For more information about the campaign or to donate, look here https://ace-charity.org/24-uren-in-een-hondenhok/ 

A very happy week to everyone! 

A bittersweet but such a happy day ... Alexandre Le Bienview has been adopted!

Sunday 8 May 2022

Our beautiful Alexandre has been adopted. Poor sweet dog has not had all the luck in the world, until now. He was dumped and then spent far too long with us. He was adopted and it didn't work out. But now, now he has a lovely forever home. 

Despite the farewell to Alexandre 's shelter daddy Dave being tough, it's still a day of celebration for Alexandre !!! He has been adopted!  

Lupin...Whats up?

 

Tuesday, 3 May 2022

Lupin has been in the Refugio for almost 1 year and she would love to go to a home of her own, to people who have patience and also know the breed! For more information about our Lupin, please click on her name.

A very special action in our Refugio: 24 hours in a doghouse!

 Tuesday 3 May 2022

On the 10th of May volunteer Mitch will spend more than 24 hours in a cage in our Refugio. He will only bring water, a bucket and toilet paper, and sleeping materials, and no mobile phone, tablet, watch or book. He will eat together with the dogs (from a bowl).

In this way, he will draw attention to the lives of the millions of dogs living in shelters, dogs that were once welcomed by their owners, but then for one reason or another suddenly became too much, got in the way.

These dogs were unsuspectingly dumped by their owners. They are now locked up between four walls and bars, continuously surrounded by barking and howling. Hours, days of endless boredom pass by, where they have to beg for every bit of attention, for a stroke from a carer or volunteer. 

And hoping that this one person, this one owner will notice them, give them a chance for a new life. We will follow Mitch closely, and interview him regularly. Since we only live on donations, he hopes to bring some money into the house for our sweethearts. That will certainly make his stay more bearable! 

Who will give him a helping hand and support him (and our dears) with a little money?  

ES74 0081 0619 5800 0145 7846 (Spanish bank account), in the name of Animal Care Espana Dogs In Need

oVv 'action Mitch'.

Or via this link: https://ace-charity.org/24-uren-in-een-hondenhok/

Experienced and patient owner wanted for beautiful, strong-willed Catahou!

Monday 2nd May, 2022

Catahou

Catahou came to us from a woman who had six other dogs and could no longer take care of him. He's been with us for three years and is no longer really good with other dogs, so keeps to himself and has therefore become isolated. We are gradually trying to help him become social again.

Catahou is a Catahoula Leopard Dog, a rare American dog breed, recognised by the British Kennel Club though not yet by the American Kennel Club. Among the characteristics of the breed are intelligence, inquisitiveness, independence and energy. This handsome boy, with his beautiful eyes, is a very special boy who tries to get his own way and will push the boundaries. He has never bitten.

But he's a strong character who needs an owner who is also a strong character, willing and able to set boundaries and who won't be afraid to be firm with him. With the right person guiding him, consistent training, mental stimulation and lots of exercise, our beautiful Catahou will become the dog he was always meant to be, a gentle, loyal and loving companion. 

For more information about handsome, strong willed Catahou, please click on his name above.

 

 

Balou the bear: another long stayer who would love a forever home.

 Monday 2nd May 2022

Hello. I'm Balou. Balou the bear. I'm a big boy but a nice boy. I am staying with my lovely foster parents in the Netherlands. I love them and they are so kind to me, but what I really need is a home of my own. Have you perhaps a big home and a garden so that a big fellow like me can stretch my legs? I'd like to go for walks too. I have been in the shelter or in foster since I was a small puppy - in fact for most of my five years. 

So ... would you like to come and visit me? I'd love to meet you and maybe... maybe ... you're the one?

For more information about me, Balou, please click on my name. Thank you.

Visit our stand at Animal Event 2022 - on May 6th, 7th and 8th at Beekse Bergen Hilvarenbeek!

On May 6, 7 and 8, the terrain of De Beekse Bergen in Hilvarenbeek (near Tilburg) will be transformed into a true (domestic) animal festival. Animal Event is the event for animal lovers from the Netherlands and Belgium. The event is perfect for a fun day out with friends or family, and of course your dog is welcome too! Their owners can choose from spectacular animal shows, interactive workshops, or a visit to one of the atmospheric food courts or 160 different stands.

A visit to the ACE | SHIN  stand is not to be missed! Get to know our organisation live, visit our dogs and cats for adoption  virtually, and support us by participating in the lottery! Each day there are 2 raffles with multiple prizes including a beautiful gift certificate for the ACE | SHIN webshop: www.aceshin.steunons.be

During the Animal Event you can also support ACE | SHIN by donating your (still valid) gift card(s)! For each gift card (not expired) handed in, we receive a generous compensation from our redeeming partner. We use that money to give hundreds of dogs and cats loving and essential care. See also: www.ace-charity.org/cadeaukaart-doneren

The stand is sponsored by Tafereeltjes.nl; a big animal fan and the place to go for atmospheric home decoration and gifts for every occasion!

La Sierra Event - a three course meal, live entertainment and a raffle with fabulous prizes!

 

In Memoriam Lana ... our 'database dog' and Han's beloved soulmate.

Sunday 1st May 2022

Lana, a rescued Podencote adopted from us, passed away today from her owner. Pain, sadness and emptiness... that is what you feel when they pass away from us.

A farewell that always comes too soon even though she was almost 16 years old. She was the darling of Han, our strong force behind our database. Thanks to Lana's adoption we met Han 16 years ago and since then he is the one who created, looks after and maintains the database.

Lana, thanks to you thousands of dogs found a home and today we cannot imagine life without our database. Thanks to you.

Thank you for this adoption Han, your Lana, and as you put it so nicely:

They say, you get the dog you need. That WAS Lana. I learned a lot from her... She was my soul...

We are very sorry for your loss Han, we all feel the same... But for sure she is sitting on your shoulder like a little angel, forever.