Life, love and photographers

So far this year has eased me in nice and gently to the life of rescue, we've caught up reasonably well with the Christmas back log and many of the dogs are now moving on nicely into their new homes. The recent snow slowed things down considerably as no one could move - isn't this country really crap at coping with extreme weather LOL.
Hildas backside is healing nicely - she really has not noticed that someone knicked her tail, the stitches are due to come out next week and we've had no problems with the wound opening up or becoming infected, all we need now is for the fur to grow back over and the little stump the vet made out of fat and it will look like the tail she originally had.
We've had a house guest for most of this week, Jason's friend Kira is staying and bearing in mind she works at a kennels and lives with several bulldogs of her own, she's been really useful to have around the house. The dogs love her and she came with me this afternoon to the local Pets At Home who have granted us £1000.00. The local paper wanted to photograph the hand over of the cheque - I'll post a copy of it here as soon as it's printed in next weeks edition.
Other than that life is the same old round of work, dogs, phone calls and sleep.
Finally, for all those that think the persistent bulldog bashing is justified, you might want to watch this ............ Hillplace Bulldogs showing the world that well bred bulldogs can do everything expected of any dog - enjoy

Positive thoughts needed ....

Just left Hilda at the vets, my poor baby girl is having her tail amputated this morning so we need all the positive vibes we can get please. Will post later and let you know how she is

The Bateman Report

I did ask in a previous blog for breeders opinions of this report but I think it got lost in the snow. The Sky news coverage showing Maria and Ralphs beautiful bulldogs having a great time in the snow is just fantastic but the serious side of this is will it work? I really would love to know what breeders think of the report and the proposals that will be made as a result of it. From a welfare point of view it can only be a good thing but your comments are more than welcome.

See the Hillplace gang having fun at http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/video/Dog-Breeders-Face-Changes-To-The-Way-They-Operate-After-Mistreatment-Allegations/Video/201001215522303?lpos=video_Article_Related_Content_Region_1&lid=VIDEO_15522303_Dog_Breeders_Face_Changes_To_The_Way_They_Operate_After_Mistreatment_Allegations
The full report can be found here http://dogbreedinginquiry.com/publication-of-the-inquiry-report/
Enjoy ...

OK, we are so bored of this now

With everything still frozen solid and under a ton of snow, the bulldogs and I had very little choice but to just give in and build a snowman. Despite Denis thinking it was a toilet, Charlie thinking that everyone that went near it whilst I was building it needed to be told off we did actually manage to get one built. Enjoy our pathetic efforts ...

News over the weekend that the Beckhams are already fed up with their bulldog and have given it away to Gordon Ramsay came as no suprise, if ever there was proof that thought needs to go into buying a dog they've just provided it. Full story here: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2801148/David-Beckham-palms-off-pet-dog-to-pal-Gordon-Ramsay.html

Global warming? My a*r*

I hope you are having fun in the snow, we certainly are not - no kennel help, no water in the kennel and my big fear is that the power is going to go out because night time temperatures are currently running at anything between -5 and -12 with forecasts to go even colder. It does seem daft that the entire country grinds to a halt but to be fair what else can we do? We can't even get the car off the drive way as it's buried in at least a foot of snow which is now frozen solid - there's abandoned cars all up the lane which is nothing short of an ice rink at the moment as no one bothers to grit up here but there's no refuse collections either because the truck simply can't get here so things are starting to get desperate LOL. This is the view from our living room looking towards the south downs - note the impressive icicles LOL

News in Our Dogs this morning that breeding rules are to be tightened with the introduction of a registration scheme. Done correctly this will certainly (hopefully) make my life a little easier, but I'm really interested to hear what breeders think - let me know please

Look familiar???

We've got about 10 inches of snow at least here this morning, Hilda thinks snowball fights are the best

But I almost had to dig the kennel out to get in LOL

It sure does look pretty in the garden though

Happy 2010

I actually managed to get a whole week of work, but it wasn't without it's price. Just as I finished at 4pm on the 23rd December and headed into the bedroom to finish the wrapping the mobile went off, a dogs home had a dog that wasn't coping with the kennels and could we take it before Christmas to prevent him from being put to sleep. A railroad was set up to move him to the closest available foster space and all was well until the second section of the railroad rang to say "this isn't a bulldog". I have no idea what he was, some kind of Labrador, beagle, boxer cross - but most definitely not a bulldog. The dogs home had since closed so we agreed to continue with the railroad and foster him as planned and sort it out after Christmas, which was fine until he started becoming aggressive. Needless to say the foster home could no longer help and by 8pm Christmas eve I was sat in an emergency vets helping to send him to the bridge. Poor wee man had no idea what was going on, the kennel was not an option as he we knew he wouldn't cope with that and sending him back would have had him put to sleep anyway so we figured we'd save him any more stress and just do it. He was a very very old boy and I did my very best to make his last moments as peaceful as possible but not a great way to start the festive season I can tell you.

I actually managed to spend the entire week reading a book (I never get time to read a book) but come new years eve and 12am the skies exploded with fireworks and all the dogs here (despite them all being very heavily dosed up on calming solution) all began to try and dig their way out of their kennels, in the house Maggie was doing her best to catch them and Hilda was joining in the game of lets chase the ...... what actually are we chasing??? Daisy, my beautiful black beauty was huddled in a corner looking absolutely terrified!

Come the morning Daisy was quiet and her breathing was very huffy, she's not a great breather and stress can set it off, she didn't want to eat so spent the day under the kitchen table keeping out of everyone's way. That night she was really sick but was refusing to move out of her corner, so I made her comfortable, sat with her until she fell asleep and went to bed about 1.30am.

I was almost too afraid to check on her come the morning but sadly she was really really sick by the next day. I think she'd gone blind so I rushed her to the vets where blood test revealed advanced kidney failure. I'd waited 10 years for her but putting her to sleep was the only option, she made my dreams come true after seeing a black bulldog in American when I went out for the Bulldog Nationals in 1998. She has now joined the others in the graveyard at the bottom of the garden, rest in peace my sweetheart - I sure do miss you.

News that the Beckhams have got a bulldog raised some eyebrows in the press. Good friend of the bulldog (not) journalist Jemima Harrison wrote a scathing article in the Times: (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1239792/Why-DID-Victoria-Beckham-buy-David-bulldog-Christmas.html) which is once again factually incorrect - but my personal worry is that the world and his wife will now go out and get a bulldog so they can be like Posh and Becks. Guess who'll be picking up that mess in 18 months time?? Please don't go and buy a bulldog just because they've got one, they won't keep it and should they ever come back to the UK the poor soul will be discarded like a used toy.

Anyway, hope 2010 brings you all everything you need and try not to get stuck in the snow, we've got about 15 inches of the stuff this morning!!