Already we are nearly at the end of February and the Christmas Party, which was as usual tremendous fun (see the website pictures) and raised over £500.00 in cash for the dogs at Christmas is but a distant memory! Suffice it to say that thanks to your generosity the dogs had their best Christmas ever and I didn’t mind at all cooking Turkeys for the four days before Christmas So that our little dears could slumber on very full tummies indeed!
Speaking of generosity. two events stand out. First the tremendous generosity of Greyhound Friends from whom the donations poured in during November and December and practically every card I opened had “ a little extra for the dogs” and Jenny and I would like you to know how much they enjoyed their “extras” – especially the picking up that was done without complaint by Jenny and her team!!! Secondly, your most generous response to my appeal for Bruce and his Arthrodesis ( wrist plating operation). One of our very good and longest term Greyhound Friends sent a cheque for exactly half of the £2,000.00 we needed and the rest of you did the rest! Wendy had a raffle in the shop, people who heard our Radio Appeal dropped in with cash, Jenny mugged everybody who set foot in the Sanctuary and some that didn’t, so that Bruce was able to have his operation on 9th January. The good news is that he is out of plaster and allowed a short walk every day and has only one more X Ray to undergo before he is given a clean bill of health. He is only three, well bred and otherwise very fit, so Pauline and Tim who in a moment of weakness on Christmas Day said they would take him in and special him, have their hands full containing him! They also have another problem in that Bruce is leaving them in no doubt that he has found his home for life, as he would clearly die for either of them, if asked- or even if he isn’t! The problem is that they have THREE other dogs already one of whom is Foster ( who has also decided he has died and gone to heaven!) and who really doesn’t care too much for the tawny upstart who is commandeering the best beds and more than his fair share of love!
So whatever Bruce wants, we really do need to find him a forever home preferably with a bird for company or a bloke, he isn’t fussy and fairly soon too! So if you are prepared to tickle his tummy endlessly( his favourite game) and give him controlled on lead exercise for at least the next six months, please get in touch so that we can give you the third degree!!!
We have found homes for many of our dogs even since Christmas and have had a whole clutch of cat friendly dogs and bitches who have barely touched the sides and interestingly, and I don’t quite know why over as greater a geographical spread as in the early days 8 or 10 years ago when I routinely drove from one end of the country to the other. Once or twice it has been because a prospective owner is disillusioned with other rescues and has heard of our reputation, but I can’t think that is the only reason. Certainly we know our dogs inside out, and we try very hard to present a perfect dog for homing, and people know we care, so perhaps that’s it!
DOGS CURRENTLY FOR HOMING
We have amongst our kennel population several dogs that are sticking for no good reason the first of these is
ROSIE a pretty three year old fawn girl, found as a stray. She is kindly loving and and quite petite and would make a lovely pet for a single person or a family.
SEAMUS – a lovely white and brindle boy in a home for 2.5 years and returned because his septuagenarian owners claimed they are separating- not from where we are standing -and the poor boy is distraught to be back in kennels. He is clean, good with other dogs and was used to going off lead- but at 7 he is an older dog who deserves a home.
PATCH – a brindle and white boy now 4 whom we have had for a year. He is currently living indoors with me. He is very affectionate, clean and well behaved in the house although food is of enormous interest. He doesn’t steal and as yet he doesn’t do sofas although I did find him upstairs on my bed the other day! Upside down of course…. He still isn’t brilliant around small dogs, but will walk past them and doesn’t bother them if they don’t bother him. He is o.k. with larger breeds. He lives very happily with three bitches and he will make a lovely affectionate pet.
BELLE (Black 6 year old) possibly the most affectionate bitch in the kennel . She likes to be first foremost and first in all things. So would need, as she has now, a really firm companion- or a complete pushover! She has lived with both and is in that sense one of our most versatile kennel dogs. She does give small growls at other dogs, but never follows through and she really does deserve a chance with a sensible owner.
DUKE a Black two year old adolescent LOUT but completely malleable and a real genuine boy who needs a home to sort himself him out. He is bursting with goodwill and affection and it would be nice if he had his own special person to share it with.
VICKI his mum also black, aged 6 is a real sweetie of a girl, affectionate, dignified and quiet now she is out of racing kennels. Not terribly keen on really tiny dogs, Vicki wants a quiet life.
JIMMY Brindle 4 year old. Initially we thought he might be cat friendly,sadly he isn’t and so has no fast track out of kennels- he is shy and unsure until he knows you and needs a foster home to help him prepare for life outside kennels. He mixes well and is amiable with other dogs, so if anyone would like to help him, please get in touch,
TITCH another dark ginger brindle boy aged 5 - he is quiet, well socialised , very afraid of fireworks and would do well with another bitch for company in a quiet environment He tends to go to pieces in a busy urban environment- but if you live in the country- this is the boy for you!
TROY
A bit of a nightmare in kennels, Troy is extremely affectionate and needs a home with a strong minded, physically strong experienced owner. We are hoping that his kennel behaviour is just because he has come from a small quiet racing kennel where he lived alone into a busy rescue kennels. He can be a handful on the lead.
He is an
extremely handsome three year old brindle boy and on his own away fro m
other dogs is delightful. He kennels with a bitch quite happily, but is
walked alone and muzzled as he is a complete git on the lead around other
dogs.
CHARLIE another stunningly beautiful light brindle boy. Charlie can never be trusted around other breeds. He must always stay on the lead. That said he is loving, loyal and has a lot going for him. We would home him to an experienced dog person, with another bitch for company or on his own on the strict understanding that he was never let off the lead in a public place, or with more than his own bitch for company.
If someone will take on PATCH, I will have him indoors with me- because despite his problems, he is a glorious dog and he does deserve a chance.
Apart from these special ones we have a wonderful pair BUSTER and BREEZEY
who have made it perfectly clear that they ARE married and when we homed Buster, Breezey went to pieces and Buster got nasty and had to come back! Their reunion was a sight to behold- so we are going to do what they want and home them together! Buster is a strikingly handsome brindle and Breezey a winsome black girl, both are 4 both are good with other breeds and both need a home together!
There are another 20 or so all looking for homes. Some are very new in and we need to assess them first, and others are just so pretty they will fly out of the kennel. One such is JOEY an enormous white and black boy just coming up to three. He is a complete clown of a dog totally amiable, keeps his brains in his trousers which are just about to be removed!( The contents of the trousers, not his one working brain cell!) Bawls his head off at feed time and generally gives every impression of being an amiable teenager!! I hope we don’t have him long because he will be such a joy in a home. We have his sister SPLASH too and she is a chip off the same block and sings to you at the slightest invitation, in fact they both do- the Bach Choir they are NOT But they have a unique charm !
OTHER NEWS
A mixed Bag!
We have our first home grown Marathon Runner in Denise Clark one of
Our Trustees who after 5 years of trying, has at last got in to run for Fen Bank
She is sponsored by Cromwell Vets in Huntingdon, and a Form is included in the magazine for you to fill in with names and money! She has also written an interesting article about her preparation for the run.
Elsewhere in the Magazine I have written an account of my attendance at the NGRC Stewards’ Enquiry in London , following a complaint Fen Bank made to John Curran at Kinsley Track about the condition of a greyhound coming into kennels. I have to say that it was thorough, meticulous and scrupulously conducted and upheld our complaint against the Trainer concerned.
We submitted our own affairs as a Charity to scrutiny by Independent Examiners Ltd. a firm of Charity Specialists based in Sussex and came away with a clean bill of health and some new ideas for development in the next ten years! We are now a medium sized Charity thanks to your generosity and support over the first ten years!
We now have a volunteer Jill Kirby, who is helping with
administration- an increasing burden as we get larger. Jill is also
helping out in kennels two afternoons a week when Jenny has days off. I
wonder how we managed without her before. It certainly has got busy of
late!
The main magazine is now sent out by Gaynor Kirkby who helps us in a hundred different ways doing the jobs that are time consuming but essential and we are very grateful l to her.
Our Patron, Daphne Ledward - Hands has recently undergone Surgery for uterine Cancer and is making a steady recovery. She kept a cancer diary which is on the BBC Radio Lincs. Website and which makes fascinating listening. We all hope she will be back gardening soon! Quite understandably
She and John have cancelled this year’s Open Garden Weekend which is one of our important fundraising opportunities, so I have booked a few more shows instead. Any help greatly appreciated!
Hearing Dogs for the Deaf have generously included us in their tripartite sponsored Walks weekend on the 17th and 18th May all funds raised are divided equally between the three charities and there are three different lengths of walk in very pretty countryside, so come along! There is a sponsor form on the website.
Canine Friends have also included us in their Fundraising Draw and you will find a couple of Raffle books in with this Newsletter- please return them if you can as we will be down on fundraising this year and as we get busier it gets so much more expensive!
Wendy who continues to do an amazing job at the shop in Alford had her twelfth birthday recently( we add the digits together after 40- it makes you feel young!) and we hope she will go on until she grows up- now this really is somebody we can’t do without- she helps the Charity survive.
The Trustees Report has now been sent to the Charity Commission and anyone wishing to see the year end accounts can access them on the Charity commission website- just type in Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary and up it should all come. Because it is cumulative year on year, it makes quite interesting reading to see how we have developed with your help.
Sandra and the Fen bank Team
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