Dreadful news from England - but there's hope in the sadness

On Thursday evening there was a fire at Britain's oldest dog rescue centre - Manchester Dog's Home. It was arson. The suspect is 15 years old though nothing has yet been proved. Sixty dogs died - it doesn't bear thinking about.

Thanks to the bravery of the staff and local people over 150 other dogs were saved. And while the thought that someone could do this on purpose to innocent, vulnerable dogs and cause such distress to the people who care about them, the response restores faith in humanity.

Apart from risking their lives to save the dogs, people came from all over the district and some from much further away bringing food and medicine and bedding. The shelter's sister facility took the dogs who'd been saved and offers of fostering poured in. The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals (RSPCA), Dogs Trust, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and many more rescue charities are all standing by to help when needed.

Equally heartwarming is the fact that through the media, including social media, the word spread and fund raising started. £500,000 was raised in the first 12 hours. Today the amount raised is said to have passed £1.3 million. It won't bring those poor darling dogs back but it will show the staff how much people care. The money will be used to rebuild the home, which has been a beloved part of the area since 1893.

ACE Day - and the plane is delayed

This is the first time in three years that I haven't been at Dog Day in Holland. Every year, usually on the first weekend in September, Team Spain comes over to Holland on the Saturday and to Belgium on the Sunday. It's a joyful time when everyone can get together and celebrate all the wonderful work completed during the year and see the happy dogs and their brilliant new owners.

It seems that Fabienne sent a message to say the plane in which they should be travelling to Brussels had engine trouble and thus their arrival in Brussels would be delayed. However, she said the atmosphere was good - and the photo's attest to that.

I'm sure they got there in the end. Watch this space for a full report on the ACE days and also the Pupaid dog show, here in the UK. Since I couldn't be in Holland I found a dog show near me in London. Pupaid is a group of organisations campaigning against puppy farming in the UK. I'll be writing more on this subject as, this week, a member of the British parliament managed to get the whole issue debated in the House of Commons.

I wish everyone a gloriously happy and successful ACE Day. I can't wait to see the camdog footage :)

This is exciting - can we go now?

Not yet, it seems. There's a little problem.

Some members of Team Algeciras waiting patiently.

Steven and Ton - they seem happy enough. 

Caylee and Danita

Caylee, Charlotte & Bodine with one of the darlings.

We are so lucky at ACE to have so many lovely, hardworking students who come as interns as part of their different courses. Many come with strict instructions from their parents - please don't ask us to if you can bring one of the dogs home. But parents love their kids and instructions can always be changed. Here's the story of Caylee and Danita.

It's 25 January 2014 and I am very nervous, not knowing what is waiting for me and my two classmates Charlotte & Bodine as we leave for Spain. We're off on a new adventure, a 10-week internship at ACE. It turned out to be the best choice I could have made because there is nothing more beautiful than working in the refugio at ACE. 

Every day we had fun on the mountain, about half an hours walk from La Cala up to the refugio. No matter how hard it rained or how hot it was, nothing stopped us. Because the dogs are there whether it's raining or hot, so it was no problem to go to work. Yes, certainly, sometimes it was difficult. But it makes you feel so good to see skinny, listless dogs change. They put on some weight and strangely enough they still have confidence in man! Amazing. You do it all for the dogs! Because of the dogs.

Falling in love - Caylee and Danita

Well I went out there knowing that I mustn't get attached and bring a little dog home. They had warned me. I could not bring a dog home. But then one day we went up to the field with the dogs from  Section 2. One dog stood out for me. She was constantly following me. All I had to do was whistle, only once, and there she'd be standing next to me. It was the same when I walked in the section. She was one of the few that kept asking for attention until I gave it to her. 

From that moment it was very difficult for the thing I feared happened. I fell in love with Danita! But it felt more like she had picked me! After briefly consulting my parents and convincing them that I really could not leave her behind, they soon agreed.  I could go ahead and reserve Danita! After the home visit it was all arranged. On 4th April she flew home!

Leaving Spain was very difficult. On the one hand I wanted to go home so I could show Danita what it is like to have a warm basket. And to show her that there really are people who care about her! But on the other hand, I did not want to leave. It felt like I had left all the other 300 dogs behind. There were a lot of tears shed upon our departure.

Settling in!

Once at home everything went well from the start. Danita walked nicely on the lead and ate well. She wanted to play with every dog she met. She was actually already quite housebroken, just the occasional accident inside but that can happen. And you could see immediately that she felt at home. We were also curious to see how she would get on with our 1-year-old female. And over a few weeks they got used to each other with no problems. They are now best girlfriends; they play together, work together to cause mischief and sleep together. 

We quickly signed up for a training course for beginners and this we completed in time for the summer holidays.  This Friday we start agility. Danita is getting better off the lead. 
She is a lovely dog ​​and I am very happy that she was there during my internship! And she is happy with me too. Last July I went back to the refugio for a week. I helped again, with pleasure, along with Kelly. And I'm definitely going to go back a number of times. Because ACE is now well inside my heart and it feels like coming home. 

With her new friend.

Finally, I want  to thank ACE for the great time I had during my internship and for completing the adoption proceedures for Danita so well! We are fortunate to have an organization such as ACE. And of course, Fabienne and Dirk above all, who give everything they have so that the dogs will have a home.

Greetings from Caylee Postmus & a paw from Danita!

Update: Dogs in the Fuengirola killing station - such cruelty, such greed.

Hello people,

Do you remember my diary entry about someone having let at least 15 dogs loose on the marketplace in LA CALA. We were only able to save one of them - TINO ... the killing station got there first. They had already drugged and caught them when we arrived, all except TINO. Yes, we could take them all but only if we paid. This even though we were all still at the market place.

Yesterday I received these photos taken by a visitor who went looking for a dog to adopt. She asked us for help, but we need to pay between €65 and pay €75 for each dog. Thats between €975 and €1125 and we simply cannot pay that amount. If we can't pay these sums, they will kill the dogs within the next few days. They don't care which. Either way it puts money in their coffers. 

I'm going to try to negotiate with the owner and see what he says but .... Many people follow our stories - Spanish people and people from all over the world. I know they will want to know what happens, whether we can save these poor creatures.

We will keep you informed !!!!!

Fabienne

Three more happy dogs arrive at Eindhoven Airport

Yesterday three more dogs arrived in the Netherlands to find their golden basket. Maryori, Zette and Page were the lucky ones!

              

Maryori

Suus

Page

Three happy dogs and just as many happy adopters.

Have lots of fun with your new darlings.

A Message from Sharpi

"Hello everyone,

I am Sharpi and I it's three and a half months since I found my golden basket, with my family and my little friends Victor and Hugo - their people puppies. I feel at home already. 

In the beginning I found it quite strange here; everything was new and I suddenly got to know so many new people and dogs; EXCITING !!!

I stayed close to my family and when we were outside I gave other people and dogs a wide berth. Once when I was loose a big black Labrador came up to me so fast that I jumped into the ditch, I got such a fright; brrrr I was all wet ... And I'm really not that fond of water; on vacation I did not like the sea much ...

But now ... Gosh, I'm at home and feel in charge. Outside I walk proudly with my ears and tail up and nothing bothers me! And what is this great outside? I head off to investigate; sniffing and chasing cats and rabbits.

I really do not pay attention to my bosses who don't think this is so funny and indeed it's a little dangerous. So now I go on a long lead and am no longer allowed to run around free.  

So now I have to go to school with my bosses - they still have a lot to learn though! Yesterday was our first lesson. I really liked it! If you look closely at the picture you can see that I'm happy - my tail is wagging. 

Once we have learnt to communicate well, my bosses and I, I will be able to run free again, nice and loose!

Oh and tomorrow is the big reunion of ACE huh ?! I'll hope to see you there ?!

A paw from Sharpi and maybe see you tomorrow "

MADDER is HOME !!

Happy Madder with her new mummy in Austria