Dear little Gloria - home at last

On arrival at El Refugio - so happy to be saved!

So pretty and looking so much younger than her eleven years.

I'm tempted to call her 'my little Gloria' though of course she isn't mine really. But Diana and I rescued her in September, along with Muffin, when we went to the nasty killing station at Canes. We couldn't take many and as always it was a searing experience. Indeed I have never hugged Gloria nor Muffin. I could only talk to them through the bars of their cage as the 'authorities' said they could not be released straight away. By the time they got to the Refugio I was already back in England.

But there's always a very special bond with the dogs you have taken from the killing station. It nearly compensates for the sorrow about those you left behind. Months later I am still haunted by the little black and white dog in the next cage. And the puppies, and of course darling Hobie whom we couldn't save.

I was amazed when I saw Gloria on the website and saw she was an oldie - already eleven years old. She didn't seem old at all, she looked like a much younger dog. Muffin was reserved almost straight away though he hasn't left the Refugio yet. I kept an anxious eye on the site and the database to see what was happening with them both. And then, looking at Ineke's splendid blog last week, reading about the arrivals at Eindhoven, who should I see. Gloria!

So she's home at last. In a forever home where she will be loved and cherished and not thrown callously into a killing station by an uncaring boss. She must have been in a family before because she was well cared for, not the bedraggled heap of misery that we see in many abandoned dogs. Despite the traumas and separation she has been through, Gloria is an affectionate, loving dog. You only have to look at the pictures taken the day she arrived at the Refugio. So happy and accepting.

And now she's home. So lovely to see. I hope she'll have a wonderful life. I'm sure she will.

More happy dogs with golden baskets

These lucky darlings found their forever homes this November. Among them my very special Rufus.

Great news from England ...

Happy Chelsea in England

... about six weeks ago, two of our puppies - Moussa and Poushpah - made the long journey to England. They're the first of our dogs to be adopted in the UK; it wasn't possible before because of the British quarantine laws. All that changed nearly two years ago. Nevertheless, adopting into England is not our normal pattern as we don't have the same large organisation there that we have in the Netherlands and Belgium and other European countries.

Moussa and Pouspah, now named Chelsea and Turner, took part in a puppy training course in our area. We were asked if we would allow some of our pups to take part - indeed four of them did. And two of them got lucky! Three of the British people taking part fell in love with these two sweet dogs. Several months later, after the appropriate checks and home visits, they were happily settled in their new homes - Chelsea with Jamie and Gemma, her little girl and their three dogs. Turner with Lucy, her two lovely girls and their two dogs.

Both sets of adopters are dog trainers so the puppies have got off to a great start. I will send news and pictures of Turner when I have them. Chelsea's adopter, Jamie, sent me these photos and told me of her progress. She's turned out to be highly intelligent with a talent for tracking and is absolutely adored by her new owners.

Jamie writes: -

Chelsea has settled in brilliantly she took to my dogs very quickly and they get on great her confidence is building daily. 

She has taken part in a few classes with myself and we have found she loves using her nose. She has spent the last 3 days on a Tracking course run by the IMDT with Gemma and Gemma tells me she amazing at it! 

She is still very nervous around dog she doesn't know but that will come hopefully as her confidence grows. 

Her recall is now awesome and can let her of lead but I'm careful about where I do that and only if there's no other dogs around. 

Her and my Shepherd Frankie play nicely and cuddle up together and every night she spends cuddled up to me on the Sofa! :)

We absolutely adore her !! 

With her new siblings - L to R Frankie, Chelsea & Cookie

Chilling out with Frankie

My very own golden basket

On the sofa with Cookie

Clever Chelsea has nose for tracking - with Gemma in training

In the forest

A joyful reunion with her brother Turner - seen here with Jamie and Lucy

Grateful thanks to the Facebook Group

The Facebook Group - 'saving and selling stuff for dogs' have worked very hard and raised the money to buy 20 dog houses to donate to Fabienne for the dogs. These houses are for the dogs who run free in various sections, and in the loft, where there is no place for them to shelter from the wind and rain. We are so grateful, as are the dogs.

 

Some of the flat-pack pallets and before unloading

Putting them together

Adding the finishing touches

Some of the twenty new houses

Another one is finished

The completed dog house

Our students recieve a visit from their supervisors

Quite a handful!

Enough of the cuddling, I want to play now!

The airport is our second home ...

... every week we have many flights, sometimes as many as three a day. It's hard work but it is joyful too as it is the first stage on the journey. At the end of the flight - whether to Belgium, the Netherlands or elsewhere in Europe - our sweet dogs are met by their new families, and in some cases their new foster parents. Here are some photos from a particularly busy flight - note how many trolleys there are!

Isabelleke arrives with one of her fosters.

A happy Isabelleke

Vivien, Marga and her friend and Diana with the lucky dogs. We are so grateful to our friends and volunteers who escort our dogs. Without them they couldn't fly.

A little snack!

Vivien and Isabelleke.

More arrivals ....

... this time the happy dogs landed at Eindhoven on 27th September. 

Sweet, patient albino Dorientje with her new boss

Santi gets a welcome hug

Vivien with Daryl

             

Vivien gives Dorientje a quick hug before handing him over to his happy adopters.

Delighted group of adopters with their new family friends 

... from left to right Santi, Dorientje, Tita and Daryl

One more photo, then off to their golden baskets!