A Cry for Help ...

This is taken from Ineke's blog, the Dutch Blog, and is a heartfelt cry from Viviane Hannes, who looks after the Belgian members and volunteers for ACE-Shin and who is a regular visitor to El Refugio.   

Viviane writes that year after year she comes to the Refugio and year after year she sees the same sweet dogs who for some unknown reason have been overlooked by adopting families. These gentle creatures push their noses through the bars, put their paws on your arm as if to say 'please, take me home. Take me home this time.' 

A cry for help.

Viviane has been back from Spain for a few weeks now and can't get them out of her mind. She will be coming out to help again next year - but next time she begs everyone, please please when I come next year let them not be behind bars in the refuge but in a warm basket, in the middle of a loving family.

A cry for help...

For Cervantes, a lovely dog, loving with people, social with the other dogs. Absolutely nothing wrong with him - and yet, and yet - no one seems to see this beautiful boy. This delightful little Cervantes. With this cry for help she calls on everyone not to allow this wonderful dog to stay sitting behind those bars. Cervantes is a young boy still, only six, but he's already been waiting two years for a new owner. Is there anyone out there who'll give him a chance. Find out more about Cervantes here.

Cervantes, with his ball.

Cervantes - who could resist that smiling face?

A cry for help...

For Sid and Suki, two handsome dogs, one a little bigger than the other. Sweet, social ... and everybody walks past them. Year after year, I see their noses and paws pushing  the bars, says Viviane. You take them on a day out to the beach where they can run and run. For once there are new things to see, new smells to sniff. But a few hours later they are sitting back in their kennels where they have been lingering for years. So for them too ...

A cry for help ....

For Sid, four years old. Another undervalued Podenco, he's been waiting for two years already. Waiting for a boss who will help him forget the bad start he had in life. Who will fall for him and show him how good life can be. Here's more about Sid.

Hello! I'm Sid ...

... have you come to take me home?

For Suki. He's also four years old, a sweet Podenco/Bodeguero cross who was saved from the killing station and who had lost his confidence in man. Now he knows that not all humans are horrible and he's waiting for that very special boss who will entirely restore his trust. Who will that boss be? Find out more about Suki's story.

Suki is wondering - is it time yet?

 Are  you my new boss?

A cry for help ...

For Taylor. God knows why he hasn't yet been noticed, because he's so great. Not only is he very beautiful but he has such a gentle character. Friendly with everyone and everything, he'd clearly make  wonderful pet and yet - is it because he's jet black? He's a big boy, a Labrador cross, only three years old. Over a year ago one of our student's rescued him from the killing station, but he's still waiting.

Who want's to give this gentle giant a good home, he deserves more than a long wait in the Refugio.

Read more about lovely Taylor. And then please, will you come and fetch him and take him away to a new life. 

Taylor, enjoying the freedom of the field for a few hours ...

... will you take him home and go for walkies every day? He'll reward you with eternal love.

I'm grateful to Viviane for her cry for help. For drawing our attention to these lovely, overlooked dogs. I apologise is I have mis-translated your words, Viviane. I've had to rely on Google Translate, which is not very good. Thanks you too to Ineke for posting this appeal on the Dutch site. For Dutch and Belgian versions of this Cry for Help, please go to the relevant blogs on the website. You'll also see some delightful videos of all these lovely dogs on the Belgian blog.