Yet ANOTHER good dog’s life put to risk…

I sat browsing my facebook page, Joe’s legacy tonight and my heart stopped. Just over a year since our beautiful Border Collie died and I was faced with a spine chilling picture like this……………….

Right there on the page originally set up as tribute to Joe. There right in front of me on the screen was a beautiful Border Collie, not unlike my Joe in looks, sat on a vet table with a HUGE stick piercing right through his chest.

“OH MY GOODNESS, when will this stop?” I gasped.

The link is below.  Please – if you love dogs, even if you don’t own one, STOP using sticks as toys.  I have begged, posted, written all about it, there are facebook pages and websites, vets comments, newspaper articles, yet still people throw a stick, a harmless doggy game.  It’s NOT harmless.

I don’t know statistics but I’m sure they’re out there somewhere. The thing is, whether 1 in a hundred injuries from sticks or 1 in a million – ONE IS TOO MANY when it’s preventable by not doing it. Dog’s die – they break bones, they get ran over, they choke… there are things we cannot protect them from, but we can stop using sticks because we’re lazy, or thoughtless, or naive… there’s no hardship to take a ball, or a favourite toy and throw it.

I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it “If you know a toy will harm a child you prevent the child from having it.  Why then do we ignore this common sense when it comes to our dogs?”

Please, look at the links – and at the very least think twice… and share if you care.

https://www.facebook.com/tierrettung.straubing.de/photos/pcb.1580550875512624/1580550652179313/?type=1&theater

Don’t let another good dog die needlessly.

Can £1/$1/€1 get you anything worthwhile today – YES it can.

Dear Readers – an appeal to all of you who love dogs and have a spare note or coin in your bank account.

I don’t usually do money appeals, not via this media anyway, but this is a very special case.  This is because HUMANS have ruined the life of a dog.  I hear you think it.. “Oh no not again, someone touting for cash!” Well, I’m not ashamed to say – on this occasion yes I am.

Here’s the story of Amil,

It’ll never happen to me……..Ooops, it just did

Once again I’m sort of a bearer of sad news… not the worst, but sad.  A friend shared a post on Joe’s Facebook page .. STICK INJURY . The guy’s story follows at the end of this.  I will not add to it other than say that PEOPLE WITH DOGS, NEAR DOGS, LOOKING AFTER A FRIENDS’ DOG, please do not use a piece of tree in any form as a toy for a dog. Throw a frisby, and old tied and knotted rope, a large-ish ball, a dog toy …ANYTHING but sticks and wood.

After over 140000 views on Joe’s story, https://mrsskeats.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/dont-let-another-good-dog-die-needlessly/, numerous views on his facebook page, views tweets and retweets on twitter and word of mouth via other circles I believed naively that people were getting the message.  To read those words “ ‘it’ll never happen to me’.“ made me shiver.

Martyn and Jet’s story

Like most dog owners, I’ve been warned countless times that sticks and dogs are a bad combination and thought ‘it’ll never happen to me’. Well last night it did.

Jet brought a stick back and her mouth was covered in blood. I wiped it away and it came back instantly. Managed to prise her mouth open and blood poured out and onto the grass, and I do mean poured. I ran her to a water bucket nearby and washed some of it away but more and more kept coming – easily a pint in the space of a minute. Finally it slowed and stopped and I got her inside for a look. I couldn’t see much but all that blood had come from somewhere and I’ve never seen an animal look so wretched and in pain in all my life, so to the vet it was.

The vet couldn’t see exactly what she had done, but knew it was bad so took her straight in for a look. One operation later and it turns out that the stick had tore through her tonsil and soft palate, nicking an artery on the way and ploughed over an inch into the soft tissue above her palate. I was told in no uncertain terms that it was a miracle she didn’t bleed out in the field there and then, and had the stick went in even a millimetre to the side she would have been dead, no question.

Once I had her home i went and found where it happened and got a few pictures. Hopefully they will make you all think twice before throwing a stick. I’ve definitely learned the hard way.

***Update 25/09/2014***

Jet has been for her 3-day check-up at the vet and it all seems to be healing okay, but she still has a hole in her palate and is still on plenty of painkillers and antibiotics. Back on Monday for a check-up again but we seem to have got off lucky, although the hole might not heal properly and it will take her a few weeks to fully replace all the blood she lost. Glad my girl is tough as old boots!

 

 

 

 

From a photo to a puppy or two…in a week when 60 dogs are murdered in the UK…

Well readers, in a week when a teenage boy single handedly murdered 60 dogs, and hundreds more have had to be moved in a hurry (See news, Manchester Dogs Home) as a result I found it especially hard and a little frightening that we STILL can’t get Tess from kennels, but we’re almost there.

I’ve been working many long hours extra to my day job to raise funds to sponsor my chosen Romanian rescues,

Joe died but his death is still carrying a message

It’s 19th June 2014. Joe died 6 months ago on 23rd December 2013.

Joe was a 6 year old beautiful boy taken from us after only 10 months by a cruel twist .. an accident .. lack of information .. so I started a mini campaign.  And I’ve just read about another poor soul, a friend of a friend, having to wait to see if his dog will survive a stick injury.  Heartbreaking.

Ok so writing about it channelled my grief but the whole thing goes beyond that.

What was to be thought a rare freaky accident turned out to be all too familiar to vets and families worldwide.  What was thought to be a personal kick in the nuts turns out to be a case of ignorance is most definitely not bliss.

I received hundreds of comments on my first post after Joe died. I received hundreds of facebook and twitter comments too.  The current WP views are at over 139000 which is great, and yet not enough.  Dogs are still being treated for nasty stick injuries, vets see a few each month.  I can’t preach and stay stop it, but I can let anyone and everyone who cares know what a potential danger stick throwing is: better than being totally ingnorate of the risks.

What happened to Joe, and happens to dogs all over the world at a frighteningly all to often occasion was borne of ignorance, stupidity, even years of  “that’s what we do with dogs”.  We simply never thought about the consequences it could bring.

Historically, when man decided to have dogs as pets and not merely working companions (not all that long ago in the UK) chasing a stick was a favourite game.  We’ve all seen the old adverts in faded yellows and reds with a boy, stick in hand and his faithful dog pantng happily as he waits for the ‘toy’ to be thrown.  Why should we think it’s dangerous? We see things like celebs on the One Show with their dog, happily throwing it a stick, or in videos…. Dogs and stick throwing seems synonimous

These are but a few stories of reasons why we should try and change this……………..

https://mrsskeats.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/dont-let-another-good-dog-die-needlessly/

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/dog-saved-stick-throat-scare-6645241

http://www.croftreferrals.co.uk/news  read Flick’s story

The list goes on.

Please think twice before you throw a stick for your dog to chase.

In memory of a beautiful dog, whose life will not ever have been in vain, but will mean so much more if we save others from pain.

 

There are good people – then there are Angels.

Anyone who has read my posts – and 133000 plus have read my post about Joe’s death – will know I  love animals, including dogs. I’m not about to bore anyone with the why’s and wherefore’s as if you are reading this, chances are you love, or at the very least, have a respect and liking for dogs.

What I am about to do is ask you to follow the link.  It’s not spoof, spam, viral etc.  It’s simply a song, put together a while ago with the aim of raising funds and awareness for rescuers or our four legged, waggy tailed friends and companions.  It’s still important, they still need support….

K-9 Angels have come to my attention in recent months, mainly through adopting Joe’s ‘stepsister’ Annie from Romania.  I can hear some of you thinking  “Romania isn’t the only place in the world with stray dogs.”, and I agree.  If I could save the world, the animals of world would be a place to start.  We can’t save every last one – but we can support those who try to do their bit in their corner.

Listen to the song, watch the dogs, have a cry if you wish – and you then have the choice to share it, turn it off and sigh but move on, or even buy the track and donate if the moment takes you.  No one will think any worse of you or better of you whichever choice you make.  All I’d say is whatever choice you make, please say a personal thank you to those who are putting it out there to help those innocent animals our fellow humans are choosing to abuse and ignore – or worse.

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/lets-go-home-single/id592372535

Such a sad year- is there anything good to focus on?

It’s 27 May 2013 and I’ve had yet another notification from a friend that she has lost another family member to the grim reaper and that her one remaining dog (after having two put down earlier this year) had to be rushed to the vet and seems to have had a stroke affecting his mobility amongst other things.

This set me to thinking, something I do a lot of but get nowhere with…

Is 2013 a particularly horrific year for everyone, just a minority or is it simply because I’m getting to that age… you know, the one where everyone who was old when you were 20 is now ancient and therefore knocking at, if not going through death’s door..

Personally I fear it’s a combination but maybe I’m missing an angle.

Only a few months ago, a young fella I knew from when he was merely 11years old, a snotty schoolkid knocking at the door for one of mine – he commited suicide, only 27 years of age. A month later, a colleague I know well suffered a much deeper heartache for the same reason. It was his son who hung himself, age 26.

These events were 2012 but towards the end of…. which led to the particularly dreadful 2013 start.  My husband’s nan died January, my good friend’s brother died February and she had to have 2 dogs put down due to one having a heart attack and the other having cancer, in March my sister-in-law died, in April another good friend found out that they’d lost their job, then was diagnosed with cancer, 4 work colleagues have been diagnosed with various cancers……and finally May, the one who lost her brother has just also lost her grandpa and her remaining dog has just had a stroke and my cousin in Australia has just had to have a pacemaker fitted and is very poorly- and I only found out she existed 6 months or so ago!…………

Now, one would think it a string of coincidences based on ages etc, include the dogs in that – but no.  If you recall, 1st person only 27 and the 2nd 26.  OK, Nan was 96 but the brother was 54.  The dogs were 6, 8 and the eldest remaining,  but sickly now, is 10.and so on.  No, age isn’t the reason, it can only be factored in as part of…

On a personal note, we as a family suffered massively financially for a decision I made 7 years ago – it catches you in the end.  Nothing illegal or immoral I hasten to add… I just tried to help someone but never thought it through, never considered the what ifs.  Then with 2 funerals in the family in as many months, work pressures, the resident offsprings natural mother causing grief, the resident offsprings sisters adding to that grief, the boiler broke, the electricity bill was massive, a cat got sick, cost a fortune, got well again, I suffered a mini (and they call it silent) heart attack, more on that another day……… life in general seems to be knocking my legs from under me almost daily.

So, such a sad year for many.

We don’t have to go far to read daily other peoples’ struggle with 2013 either … Drummer Lee Rigby being the most prominent in current news.. actions so horrific, barbaric and aimed at dividing a nation.  The family hear the sorry for your losses and many condolences… but behind the doors is this the first this year for them or simply the worst?

Tornadoes, plane crashes, earthquakes, killings, threats of violence, wars, economic struggles and ruin, threats against religion and religious ceremonies. … Life seems to be rocked at every corner of the world more so this year that ever.

But why?

Is it ‘fate’?  Has the world literally ‘gone mad’?

I fear it is mainly coincidence…sad but still coincidence.  Some of the actions- the hacking of a soldier, the hanging of self, these are results of today’s pressure in life and expectations of redemption in one twisted way or another.  Those dying of diseases, sadly just a time where I personally know people who are older and more susceptible. Natural disasters always happen, and perhaps the angry planet is getting a little more ferocious but I’m sure records have shown worse.

No, there’s nothing sinister about 2013 that isn’t just life bludgeoning on in it’s own interminable way, dragging souls, killing those who, for whatever reason can’t keep up.  It’s not the end of the world, or bad just because 13 is ‘unlucky’.  It’s not worse now than it’s ever been. It’s the same as its always been, we… or maybe I should say ‘I’  just notice more.

2013… unlucky for some, Chinese year of the snake – translated to ‘full of obstacles’, some viscious in nature, full of solar flares and economic mismanagement… yeah – a bad year……….isn’t it?