Department Stores and Rain

We've had so much fun here this morning (sorry if you couldn't get through on the phone, I was having too much fun). Debenhams, the World famous department store chose Bulldog Rescue as the location to get some shots of bulldogs for their forthcoming fashion catalogue. In return for a donation they were given free range to photograph pretty much any dog they wanted - an hour later we were all soaking wet but the shots are hillarious. Every single one of Hilda is her running at the camera, Maggie proper posed from every direction without even being asked. Tupan was a real pro - posing just how they wanted him - although Maddison thought it was a porn shoot and just rolled onto her back and refused to get up. Poppy, bless her - posed her little heart out and the guy was really pleased with her modelling skills, so much so we went back for more but he'd filled his card up. I'll post the photos as soon as I get them as they promised to send some through for me and watch out for them when the store start promotiing their Summer fashion collection.

An ode to those that run breed rescues ...

Tania has a job to do
It pays the mortgage
Keeps the dogs in food
Only when her work is done
Can she help the bulldogs
That become abandoned

Tania has a house to keep
The clothes to wash
The floors to sweep
Only when the housework’s done
Can she help the bulldogs
That become abandoned

Tania has a family to care for
Kids to feed
A hubby to adore
But only when their needs are done
Can she help the bulldogs
That become abandoned

Tania has a garden to tend
The grass to mow
The fence to mend
Only when the garden’s done
Can she help the bulldogs
That become abandoned

So do I, I hear you say
We have jobs
And bills to pay
But I bet you finish work at 5
And I bet your home and garden thrive

Because round here the place is a hovel
For time for chores I have to grovel
Because none of the important stuff gets done
We’re too busy helping bulldogs
That become abandoned

So before you cry “I can’t get through”
Remember …
Tania has a job to do

LIFE FROM A WINDOW ...

... I'm just taking in the view.
Life from a window - Observing everything around you ....

First up, hoooooooooooge sorrys for the lack of blog recently. I don't mind admitting that recently it's been hard to cope and there's been a couple of occassions when I've almost given up and decided I wanted my life back. Last night I sat and caught up on the huge pile of adoption packs that were waiting to be sent out and when I'd finally finished I realised why things have been so frantic - we usually rehome about 120 bulldogs a year, last year that rose to 126 - this year we have already rehomed 156 bulldogs and there's still 3 weeks left until the end of our accounting year!!!!! I feel a bit better knowing that I'm not actually having a real nervous breakdown after all - just more people needing rid of their bulldogs, and it's only going to get worse if the government scheme to insist that all dogs are insured comes into play - See: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/162264/All-dogs-to-be-insured-by-law/ because most people simply cannot afford the premiums - faced with the option of prosecution or dumping the dog I think we can all see how most people will react. I'm still hankering for a revamp on the licence system, and I know I've banged on about this for a long time now, but we need to make it harder to get a dog in the first place - not make it harder to keep one.

Get ready for the Bulldog Rescue Fund Raising Extravaganza

It was during a fairly boring trustee meeting that our Chairman Vicky had the bright idea of doing something for St Georges Day. During the discussion that followed we came up with the idea of asking members of the public to hold a selection of fund raising events across the UK all on St Georges Day. Within 24 hours the idea had taken shape and the Bulldog Rescue Awareness Day was born.
If you want to join in then get your thinking cap on and come up with a fun fund raising idea. All you have to do then is just go to http://www.bulldogrescue.co.uk/stgeorgesday.htm and register your event. Can't think of anything to do? then just make a donation, either on the Just Giving button or by PayPal - either way, lets celebrate St Georges Day in true British style alongside our British Bulldogs!

Vets - a dogs friend? Not so much anymore

When the call came in late one evening that a dog we had rehomed was laying on the floor shaking with a very bloated abdomen, my advice was of course "get to the vet now". Bloat can become gastric torsion very quickly and I think that most people are now aware that once that occurs your window for treatment is very slim. As seems to be the case with most vet surgeries these days, an out of hours "emergency" service had to be used and the dog was immediately rushed in for treatment. The vet on call subsequently told the owners that it was not (thankfully) a gastric torsion but that the dog had a large amount of undigested food trapped which had expanded and caused the abdomen to swell. They said they would keep him over night, give liquid paraffin and try and encourage the dog to pass the food. The following morning the dog was still a bit swollen and the owners were told that in order to prevent the gastric torsion from reoccurring they would need to undertake a £2,000 operation!!! Hang on a minute ... didn't they say it wasn't a gastric torsion? so where did the £2,000 operation come from???? Of course these people don't have a spare 2 grand just laying around ready to give to someone who thinks it would be a good idea to perform surgery for a condition that hadn't occurred? If they can't afford it does the dog get sent back poorly or do they decide to put the dog to sleep because they simply don't have the money to make him well?
These kind of stories are not uncommon sadly, a dog rehomed with dry eye was duly taken to the vet for a check up as we ask them to do, only to be told that his eyes would cost them over £100 per treatment. Where on earth did that figure come from? Dry eye simply needs the eyes keeping clean and artificial tears applying daily (you can pick that cream up in the chemist for £6 a tube), in the worse cases where ulceration of the eye has occurred the treatment will be slightly more expensive but £100 a go? Again, this kind of attitude simply cause people to send their dog back to us because they just can't afford the treatment. Thankfully in this case we were able to reassure the new owners, and I worry that some of these vets try and make as much out of these situations as they can - very unfair to the dog who could find himself back listed for adoption when he had a perfectly good home first time around who was scared stupid by the vet.
Not so long ago we had to help a couple out who's vet would only allow them to take 2 antibiotics a day paid for on collection because they couldn't afford to pay the vet bill in one go. I know of vets who have refused treatment because the owners didn't have the money to pay for it? When did the veterinary profession stop caring for animals and start putting money first? If it's an offence to withhold veterinary treatment as a pet owner, where does the law stand if it's the vet that's withholding treatment based on the fact that they might not get paid.
I'd love to hear your experiences on this subject!

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