Fire and Water - Further Update

Sunday 2nd September
                                    

Two journalists from Sur, the major English Language newspaper, visited last week. They really did us proud and posted a great article about our terrible water problem. (Thank you so much, Sur). On Friday morning, shortly after the article appeared, a gentleman turned up at the gates of the Refugio with a truck loaded with water. And he told us that whenever we needed more we were just to call him.

Also many Spaniards had put messages on their own Facebook page about the water misery at the Refugio. And that got a lot of things moving. Within the day Fabienne had received phone calls from 152 people wanting to come over and help with the cleaning. Others wanted to come and bring water or bring money to buy water for the cleaning.

On Saturday afternoon the Refugio was so full of water that Dirk didn't know what to do anymore. He had been carrying water all day long and did not know where to put it, there was no space left. His back was killing him. Many Spanish people kept on calling and asked how they could help us. Incredible! We were overwhelmed.

As to the fire. The danger is averted for the moment - we were so lucky this time. But we must ask ourselves seriously, what will we do when it happens again? Because this is normal in Spain, it happens every year. We don't have an evacuation plan ready at hand. We don't even have any fire extinguishers so at the moment we couldn't even put out a small fire. We will contact the fire brigade to see if they can help us draft a fire evacuation plan for the Refugio so that everyone knows what they should do in case of fire.

If we can afford it after we have solved our water problem we really want to get rid of all the plants and weeds next to the Refugio. We can't do that ourselves as this area is full of poisonous spiders big snakes and big rats. If it wasn't for them we would have done the job long ago.  

We'll keep you posted, from Spain and Netherlands. For regular updates, please click on The ACE Facebook page

Fire and Water, an update from Fabienne

Friday, August 31, 2012

GRACIAS A DIOS!!

It's been too horrible and we are so very lucky to have escaped a terrible catastrophe, a tragedy. We can thank God that we were spared because the tragic stories all around us are heartbreaking, houses are burned, dogs that were left chained up have perished, burnt alive - among them many Mastins. 

People who have no income had their homes, their assets, everything lost - buried under ashes  and debris. Everything reeks of smoke and the beautiful nature all around is destroyed, the ecological reconstruction will take years. It's just so sad, a large great catastrophe. 

Our refugio dogs have been spared, but what fear it has instilled in us. What feelings and thoughts go through your mind as you try to keep a cool head and deal with the situation. Because if the wind had turned - and it was looking as if it would - we would have to evacuate. We were standing by, people were ready to help but still, we wouldn't have been able to extinguish the flames because we are still without water. 

The water problem is still not resolved. We are tackling it on two fronts - with plans, and fundraising, to dig a deeper well and also trying to get the municipality to put us on mains water. But even today, after a night of much anxiety and such great danger, there is no sign of a gesture from them. 

Dear everyone, we fear the night because here and there there are fires that have not been extinguished. The wind has died down a bit and the fierce fires are now raging further away in Ronda and Marbella. Here is everything "they say" under control, let us hope. We will have a rest tomorrow and start again refreshed. Greetings from our dear ones who have had no idea what was happening around them but very restless because they feel everything so much better than us. They are all ok ... happy.

Fabienne,

In spite of all our difficulties ...

... there are so many heart-warming moments. So many happy endings. We mustn't forget these while we strive to give each precious dog the happy ending it deserves. So here, to keep up our spirits and make us smile is a wonderful picture of little Isabelita - now called Cookie. Just look at that happy, smiling little face - and the joyful faces of her new owners. Wonderful.

Double Catastrophe - no water, now fire ...

(Translated from the Dutch blog, with thanks to Ineke for posting it)

Dear people - we are still without water and now a terrible fire has broken out.  One of our volunteers must evacuate her house - she has 25 of our dogs in her care and Dirk and Fabienne are on their way to rescue them  ... everyone is standing by and ready ... is this fire going to spread to El Refugio too?

Fabienne will first drive past the refugio to see where the fire is located. The river running alongside the refugio is dry, is full of  drying plants and trees. It's a dangerous situation. Everyone is now ready to help ... please let it not be true ....... let in not spread. I'll keep you informed.

For minute by minute updates please see the Facebook page  http://www.facebook.com/aceacecharity

Such determination ...

... he must really like his greens!

Water Update

The situation has not improved. No rain. We are so grateful for the many donations but still need a permanent solution.

Every day Fabienne and Dirk and their helpers take the empty bottles back home and fill them up again from their taps so that the dear ones can have fresh drinking water.

But just imagine ... running the Refugio, going to the killing stations to save what dogs they can, taking more dogs to the airport so they can fly away to their forever homes. All this takes a supreme effort.

It's exhausting at the best of times and this isn't the best of times. Imagine, after these long and stressful days this extra work, not only filling all those bottles but also transporting them back and distributing them around the Refuge.

We pray for a solution. 

Dirk with the mammoth task of filling ....

.... all those bottles

With a little help ...

.... from his friends

Miracles Happen - Yuko reunited with his owner

Sad, grieving and filthy - Yuko when we rescued him

Do you remember Yuko?  I wrote about him in my original 'The halt and the lame' post on July 21st. He's an eight year old cocker spaniel who'd been dumped by his 'owner' and then brought to the killing station. As you can see from the pictures he came to us filthy, scared and grieving. Grieving for his family. Not understanding how this could happen. He couldn't settle, he was so sad. So sad.

And then. A phone call. The lady was in tears. Had we, perhaps, taken in a black cocker spaniel? She and her husband had divorced. Her husband had taken the dog - and then the dog had disappeared.  She lived in Cordoba and had been looking for Yuko for months. He wasn't in any of the killing stations there or in her area.

Such happiness - Yuko and his owner reunited

Was the little black Yuko we'd taken in her dog? Her precious Yuko?  He was! Their reunion had everyone in tears. It was so moving. Their happiness was so great. It's horrible that people use a dog as an emotional weapon, horrible that his poor lady and her family had to suffer. That Yuko had to suffer. But it's all right now. This is one wonderful happy ending. Yuko is home!

A happy family!