Archived Documents 2006

Brief Updates...

We are delighted to say that Bluebell has made an excellent recovery and is now completely back to normal. She is enjoying her walks and eating well. Of course she is a frail old lady but has managed to recover from quite a nasty illness thanks to the care given at Mulacott Veterinary Hospital where she was treated and kept on a drip for several days.

Barnie Rubble is also doing very well at present despite all his health issues and great age. (He is in his 16th year.) He bounces around when his walk is due and realy enjoys his food though I do have to be careful he does not eat anything which might upset his very sensitive digestive system.

Lucas is also very happy and contented here. He sleeps well all night and can only manage ambling strolls along the footpath but he does enjoy this all the same.

Charlie is kept pain-free using various arthritis medications. He loves his walks on the beach each day and still eats as if it were going to disappear any minute.

Ben is a real success story. He is now strong and fit, and has filled out well after arriving here so thin and stressed. He received a new posh collar and lead for his christmas present and also a bowl and two blankets with his name on. (Thanks to Lorna.) He is doing well on his renal support food though does drink gallons which is to be expected for a dog with kidney damage (as with Ben and Lucas).

Dudley had a bad spell before Christmas when he seemed to have given up and did not make much effort to walk around. However he is also now doing brilliantly and goes in and out to the garden on his own - though does need encouragement when the weather is bad. He is full of life and bright eyed and bushy tailed! Dudley is such a character despite all his afflictions. He certainly enjoys his life however limited his mobility may be.

Tweenie is now eating well so long as she is offered something she fancies! She is such a feisty little girl and not at all the delicate little girl folk often think she is. She certainly makes her demands known.

Gloria is showing a few signs of old age now. She still enjoys her runs on the beach but occasionally has been a bit stiff in her back legs and so I have put her on some glucosamine and chondroitin. I wil continue to monitor her closely.

Daisy May is still a nervous girl with strangers but is making steady progress and gaining in confidence as time passes. She manages to overcome her nerves when a walk among the rabbits is on offer. Alison is such a different girl now. She is loving, happy, relaxed and eating two good meals a day. I am very much aware that she does have bladder cancer but, apart from getting up every hour or so during the night, she is a contented girl who is great friends with Daisy May.

Last, but certainly not least, is our sweet dysfunctional Poppy. She is such a darling girl. If only she could overcome her fear of people. She is so lucky that she can bathe in the sea each morning and then plunge into the Crydda which is the stream that runs down the beach from the village. Poppy loves water and does not seem to notice that it is cold. She then rolls down the dunes so when we get home she can shower me with sand and water while I try to dry her. Poppy has been sent a lovely warm indoor coat by the TRPD project. She is quite an old lady now though she would never admit it. She would never keep a coat on outside (as it would disappear down a rabbit hole no doubt) but indoors when she is resting she does tend to feel a bit chilly and appreciates the coat and her cosy blankets.

Update 16 December 2006...

Latest News on Alison and Lucas...
Wednesday the Thirteenth was a good day for these two oldies. They both went up to the veterinary hospital for ultra-sound scans. Alison had a very irregularly thickened bladder lining at the last scan a month ago. Since then she has been on daily Piroxicam and Canine Cystaid. Lucas had urine and blood tests done shortly after his arrival here and they indicated advanced renal disease. He had a scan to find out if there was a tumour in his kidneys. Thankfully there was no sign of a tumour and his urine test was much improved. We will continue with the special renal support diet and hope he will be at Tailends for many months to come. We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation with blood tests every few months. The results of Alison's scan were brilliant! The thickening had substantially reduced giving the bladder a greater capacity for urine storage. Her general demeanour is so much better than it was when she first arrived. She has gained so much confidence, is more relaxed, has made friendships with other dogs here and sleeps so much better at night. I am very optimistic though we are not totally out of the woods as the bladder walls are still thickened more than they would be in a healthy dog. However she is enjoying her life and is making the most of her time at Tailends.

Bluebell...
Bluebell became ill on Wednesday night after giving no concern during the day - eating and going for her walks as usual. On Thursday she seemed to want to sleep and became nauseous. I was concerned that she would become dehydrated, so I took her to the veterinary hospital where she was put on a drip and given anti-emetic and anti-biotic injections. Today (Saturday 16th December) the reports are good and she is now on her feet and going out to relieve herself. I am hoping that she is now recovering from this virus and will soon be able to come home.

Update 11 December 2006...

Lucas...
This dear old chap arrived at Tailends on Sunday 3rd December 2006. He is a large 13 yr old white and black greyhound with various health problems. He has no teeth, limited eyesight and poor hearing but he is a dear old boy who loves his walks and is very happy to be in a loving home after all he has been through in recent weeks. Our dear friend Mark, who helps Northants Greyhound Rescue, kindly drove to Worcester to collect him from the kennels where he was being kept. We were asked to take Lucas by a lady who had been involved in his care since he became homeless. Sadly his elderly owner had become unable to cope with looking after a dog. Lucas had been kept in a flat and was never taken out to relieve himself so the situation was very bad for both dog and owner. Eventually the council became involved and Lucas was put into kennels while the flat was sorted out and his future was decided. Tailends agreed to take Lucas and immediately contacted Mark to see if he could help by bringing him down to us as soon as possible. We were worried as we had been informed that Lucas had slipped on his own urine on the concrete floor of the kennel and sprained his hock just a week previously. He was then put into a crate for his own safety, though it was only big enough for him to stand up and not ideal for him to be contained in for long periods. Lucas was rather unsettled for the first 24 hours but then began to settle down and relax here with his new mum and canine friends. He enjoys his food though he can only eat small amounts at a time. Today (December 5th) I took him to the vet along with a recent urine sample. It was found to contain blood and glucose so it was decided to take some blood for further tests. Hopefully any problems can be resolved with antibiotics or simple treatment. Sadly blood tests showed that Lucas has very advanced kidney failure. I am taking him on Wednesday (13th Dec) for a scan to find out if it just an old age thing or if there is a tumour present. Fingers crossed!!!

Update 6 December 2006...

Tailends Stand at Saunton Sands Hotel...

Jenny Stew did a wonderful job organising and manning a stall for Tailends at the Saunton Sands Hotel on Sunday 26th November. There was a lot of interest and she raised £77.40 to help our dogs. She met a number of people who were interested in our work and the lady on the next stall, who was selling her chutneys and jams, spoke to her about the years when her husband ran Battersea Dogs Home in London. Lots of brochures were given out and sales were enhanced by the lovely gifts donated by Suzie Scott; beautiful greeting cards, Tailends calendars and Christmas cards all hand-made by Judy Zatonski; lovely dolls and other items all made for us by Dolly Frankland; some attractive crossstitch pictures made by Lois Knott and some lovely pure vegetarian soaps all made and beautifully wrapped and presented by Lesley Phillips, who also made some tasty dog biscuits which sold out immediately! Lesley worked so hard to make items for our stall and they were very popular with visitors and guests of the hotel. A massive thank you to everyone who helped in any way. More Christmas goodies will be offered on our stall run by Jenny in Croyde Village Hall on Saturday December 16th so come along if you can. All the money raised will go to benefit the dogs at Tailends. Thank you Jenny and husband Clive for giving up your time to help us.

Lucas Arrives...

This dear old chap arrived at Tailends on Sunday 3rd December 2006. He is a large 13 yr old white and black greyhound with various health problems. He has no teeth, limited eyesight and poor hearing but he is a dear old boy who loves his walks and is very happy to be in a loving home after all he has been through in recent weeks. Our dear friend Mark, who helps Northants Greyhound Rescue, kindly drove to Worcester to collect him from the kennels where he was being kept. We were asked to take Lucas by a lady who had been involved in his care since he became homeless. Sadly his elderly owner had become unable to cope with looking after a dog. Lucas had been kept in a flat and was never taken out to relieve himself so the situation was very bad for both dog and owner. Eventually the council became involved and Lucas was put into kennels while the flat was sorted out and his future was decided. Tailends agreed to take Lucas and immediately contacted Mark to see if he could help by bringing him down to us as soon as possible. We were worried as we had been informed that Lucas had slipped on his own urine on the concrete floor of the kennel and sprained his hock just a week previously. He was then put into a crate for his own safety, though it was only big enough for him to stand up and not ideal for him to be contained in for long periods. Lucas was rather disturbed at first but then quickly began to settle down and relax here with his new mum and canine friends. He enjoys his food, though he can only eat small amounts at a time. Today (December 5th) I took him to the vet along with a recent urine sample. It was found to contain blood and glucose so it was decided to take some blood for further tests. Hopefully any problems can be resolved with antibiotics or simple treatment. I will get the results of these blood tests tomorrow.

Update 1 December 2006...

I would like to give a massive thank you to everyone who helped with the rescue of 14 greyhounds this week. The last of the dogs were taken to their new homes today, December 1st.

I would like to personally thank the following rescues:-

Northants Greyhound Rescue, Fenbank Greyhound Sanctuary, Greenfields Greyhound Rescue (Staffs), Greyhound Rescue West of England, Wood Green Animal Rescue and The Retreat Animal Sanctuary. Very special thanks go to Billy, Caroline, Linda, Sandra and particularly Mandy for making this possible. The wonderful people who gave up their time to transport these dogs, at very short notice, have done a wonderful job this week and without their help we could not have succeeded in this mammoth task. The drivers who have helped are:- Jim Colla (who drove five dogs to Staffordshire and Herefordshire despite huge traffic jams, accidents and holdups), Frank Brown, Nigel Woods and Lorna Reid. All the dogs are now looking forward to a new life with home comforts after long years in a kennel. You have all put yourselves out to help these dogs at a very difficult time of year.

Thank you on behalf of Thomas, Joseph, Bill, George, Harry, Frankie, Spats, Zena, Liz, Fly, Daisy, Poppy, Ginny and Molly.

Today, December 1st 2006, my dear beloved Tarn died. I cannot find words at present to write about the loss of this wonderful friend. I will write a tribute to this very special boy a soon as I can start to cope with this devastating loss. I know everyone who knew him will understand how I feel.

Update 27th November 2006...

Thank you to Paula and Samantha for offering to help with compiling a list of vets in the northeast to receive rehoming lists. Your help will soon be assisting greyhounds and lurchers in these areas to find good homes.

Desperate Greyhounds...
The fourteen dogs, which we have been trying to find places for - have now all been offered accommodation in good rescues/sanctuaries. A big thank you to all those who have helped in any way. We have been offered transport for most of the routes, but if anyone in the Hereford area or Endon, Staffordshire area could assist with the last part of the journeys it would be very useful. You would need to have a van with suitable crates for the dogs to travel in. (2 going to Hereford and 3 going to Endon). The dogs need to be moved before Saturday 2nd December.

Please ring Angela on 01271 890689 if you can help. Thank you.

Update 14th November 2006...

ARFA...
My Little Boy fell asleep forever on Wednesday 8th November at around noon. Arfa came to Tailends on 17th December 2005, having been picked up as a stray and taken to Huddersfield dog pound. He was in a poor condition, being very thin and wobbly on his back legs due to muscle wastage. He had an enlarged prostate gland and a kidney infection. He also had a heart condition. Within a short time he had put on weight and his health problems were stabilised using antibiotics, vetmedin and tardac injections. Arfa was slightly confused but enjoyed his life here at Tailends. He jumped about happily when I put his coat on ready for a walk (usually with Bluebell) and was always such a sweet affectionate little boy. He had recently become more disturbed and I realised that his mental condition had deteriorated and that he no longer recognised those around him. He started to become very frightened especially during the night and cried out as he did not understand where he was and a reassuring cuddle no longer gave him comfort. Reluctantly I rang my vet and she came out to see Arfa. She examined him and it was decided that it would be the kindest thing to let dear Arfa fall asleep quietly at home on his bed. He knew nothing as the needle helped to give him peace from his confusion. He died in my arms surrounded by other dogs who had been his companions here. Life will never be the same again without my little boy. Dear Arfa, I know the angels are looking after you now that you have had to leave our care. I miss you so very much.

Update 28th October 2006...

Hazel...
It is with much sadness that I have to report the tragic death of our dear Hazel who was with us such a short time. She was a sweet loving girl and we loved her very much. I would like to thank everyone who helped Hazel by contributing to her care in any way. We did our very best but in the end our little girl was called away to a better place where she would be free of her diseased body forever. Hazel was a very special girl and there will always be a place in our hearts for her. We so wanted to get her better and watch her having some joy in her retirement but it was not to be.

You can read the story of her short time at Tailends in the Gone but Not Forgotten section of this site.

HAZEL I’m here amongst the sand dunes, It’s where I chose to be, I spoke with my creator, And when she asked of me, “ What place holds fondest memories of love and peace and care?” “ Just close your eyes and think of it, and I shall take you there.” So I closed my eyes and thought of you, And all you meant to me, Of the love that made me try and stay, In that cottage by the sea. And the tears you cried so shamelessly, When you thought that all was lost, Were but a ransom for my spirit, You sadly paid the cost. We’re here amongst the sand dunes, My spirit friends and me, We have found our heaven, It’s where we chose to be, We watch over all your family, We tell them have no fear, For when the time has come to pass, We’ll be waiting here. By Denise Dubarbier

Fund Raising Concert - 14 October 2006

On Saturday 14th October, Music Theatre 2000 presented a musical cabaret concert at Buckingham Community Middle School in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex to raise funds for Tailends. The event was organised by Viv Aylward who teaches at the school and is a friend of Tailends.

The cast of twelve performers sang a range of solo and ensemble numbers ranging from Puccini to songs from the latest West End hit shows Wicked and Spamalot. The Fane Family singers consisting of sisters Melanie, Nicky and Charlotte, mum Wendy and with dad Rod on the guitar wowed the audience with their close harmony singing and own arrangements of Emotion and Bright Eyes.

Wendy and Viv, dressed as nuns, sang How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria and included their own choreography. The audience applauded wildly as they tripped the light fantastic! Special guest Fenton Gray, who has appeared in leading roles in the West End in Cats, Les Miserable, Blood Brothers and The New D’Oyly Carte’s Mikado travelled from London to entertain the audience with a variety of songs. Special thanks to musical director Simon Gray who rehearsed the cast and selected a lot of the musical numbers for the programme.

A big thank you to Melody, Alex, Fay, Mary, Tony, Carol, Melanie, Nicky, Charlotte, Wendy and Rod for giving so much of their time to help raise funds for Tailends. The evening was enjoyed by everyone and a total of £260 was donated to Tailends to help the funds for the wonderful work they tirelessly continue to do. Many thanks Angela

Photo of Viv Aylward in authentic Vatican Garb singing The Vatican Rag. Also Company singing Cole Porter medley.

Update 7th October 2006...

Arfa...
Arfa is sadly declining mentally. He has always been rather confused but the old chap is becoming worse. We do not think he is any actual pain and he was checked over by the vet on Wednesday 4th October and given a Tardac injection. We were also given some tablets to help him sleep as he does seem to be worse at night despite his nightlight. He still goes out for two walks each day and is eating. His physical health is generally good, his heart is stable on the vetmedin tablets which he has twice a day, and he does still recognise me so we will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Alison...
Alison is on a course of treatment for intestinal disease. She has settled in very well and is extremely devoted to me and follows me around. She enjoys her walks though recently has become very tired and turns for home after a short distance. She did start to eat well but again she is now only coping with small amounts. She is on a special low-fat diet but I try to add suitable tasty additions like a little lean chicken to tempt her to eat.

Barnie Rubble...
Barnie Rubble is a very old chap having celebrated his 15th birthday in August. He has all sorts of health problems and is covered in the lumps and wrinkles of old age. However he is still a happy bouncy lad who enjoys life to the full. He has lots of tablets for his heart condition, the laryngeal paralysis, arthritis etc. However they seem to be doing the job at present. He is much happier since we have had the ramps installed so he does not have to negotiate steps at the front door and back gate. He only manages one short walk a day But that seems to be enough to keep him happy.

Ben...
Ben has made great progress since arriving. He was in very poor health but since having surgery to remove a tumour and a course of antibiotics he is doing very well. The hair is growing back on the bald patches and he is becoming more relaxed and adapting to his new environment. He was not socialised with other dogs and has had much to learn about living in a multi-dog household. He is a very active little chap and enjoys long walks to the beach. He is fascinated with everything though does need to calm down and take life a bit slower.

Bluebell...
Bluebell is another elderly lady who is managing very well and enjoying her walks. She has to stay on the extending lead for safety as she only has one eye and gets confused easily. She does still manage to have little runs to the end of the 24ft lead. She eats well and takes her tablets without fuss. Her arthritis is stable. I use glucosamine and chondroitin and also PLT plus the usual vitamins and fish oils. Bluebell is so friendly towards all the other dogs and sleeps happily alongside Daisy May and Hazel.

Charlie...
Charlie had a McTimoney chiropractic session last week to try to help with his spinal problems. He does still enjoy his walks and manages to go to the beach each morning and then back through the dunes. His back does seem to ache worst during the evening and he likes to sleep on the Memory bed in the sun lounge where he can stretch out and there is nobody else around to disturb him.

Daisy May...
Daisy May is still very nervous of people. We have to accept that she may never feel comfortable around strangers. She has made some progress but it is very slow. The least little noise worries her and she feels safest hidden away at the bottom of the bed or in the Magnotherapy crate. Fortunately it is very quiet here and there are few people around when she goes for her walks though I do take her to the fields sometimes where she will encounter other dog walkers - though she finds this very traumatic. She is a very highly strung girl and we will continue to work with her to improve her quality of life.

Dudley...
Dudley made some good improvement in the first weeks after arriving here. However the weather affects his condition and sometimes he finds it very difficult to move around and needs help. He had a chiropractic session last week but sadly it does not seem to have helped him much. He is a real character with a great spirit and will not give in to this disease without a battle. We are doing all we can to help him enjoy his life. He is bowel incontinent but this is normally quite easily coped with although it was a bit difficult when he had a tummy upset recently! Fortunately a course of metranidazole quickly cleared it up. He has lost some weight on the special obesity diet food but it is going to be a slow task as his ability to exercise is very limited.

Gloria...
Gloria is definitely the "Queen Bee" at Tailends. She obviously thinks that she is very special and is much too good to live with a lot of "old fogies". She is highly intelligent and doesn't she know it! Gloria has now forgotten about the bad days in Spain and how she arrived here as a pathetically thin old girl who had not been expected to survive the months in quarantine. She feels the cold dreadfully and has to have her nice warm fleecy coat on at night even if it is not particularly cold. She also insists on being wrapped up in a warm fleece. Gloria loves the sun and finds the sunniest spot in the house - whether it is on my bed or in a corner of the sun lounge. Gloria is very concerned if anyone is ill and hovers around as if she wants to take charge.

Hazel...
Hazel is not making the progress which I had hoped for. She is still very lethargic and although she goes out for a walk each day she is reluctant to go far and is always glad to be back home. She loves her food, which is a positive sign. I feel she may have some sort of brain damage as she is very disorientated and confused. She behaves almost as if she cannot see properly though the vet did check her sight and it appears to be fine. Hazel is a very loving sweet girl and appreciates the comfort which we can give her. I can only hope that given enough time she will improve in health and also gain some confidence. Hopefully then she will be able to enjoy her life to the full.

Poppy...
Poppy is her usual excitable self. She loves her morning runs around the dunes chasing around after the rabbits. The latest craze is to find abandoned tennis balls on the beach and insist on bringing them home. She then loses interest in them so we accumulate bags full of balls and half balls/bits of balls for other dogs to play with. She has to be kept apart from most of the other dogs but can sit in her chair next to the patio doors into the lounge which is almost like being in the same room - but keeps everyone safe. She is fine with Tarn, Gloria and Charlie but could not be trusted with the more senile residents like Arfa or Bluebell.

Tarn...
Tarn has had so many setbacks since coming to Tailends but is currently doing very well. He had a McTimoney chiropractic treatment which he enjoyed and seemed to help for a short time. The highlight of Tarn's day is to meet new people and make a big fuss of them. He is such a warm-hearted chap and really does not deserve to be afflicted with such debilitating spinal problems. However he is so cheerful and makes the most of life. He spends much of his time upside down on the sofa and has to be coaxed off it even for meals which he then eagerly devours.

Tweenie...
Tweenie had one of her frequent visits to the vet last week. She has a persistent problem with blocked anal glands and the solution is not pleasant either for her or our long-suffering vet. There seems to be no remedy so it is just something that has to be done regularly to prevent her from suffering discomfort. She still races around the field (despite her lack of sight) each morning on her walk accompanied by Bluebell and Arfa who move at a much more leisurely pace. Her appetite has now been completely restored after her long refusal to eat properly following the death of her friend Sugarlump. Hopefully she will become good friends with Ben, our latest arrival. He is somewhat larger than her, but still much smaller than the other dogs here at present.

Update 20th September 2006...

Yesterday (19th Sept), Ben was castrated, thereby removing the large testicular tumour. The urine sample I took to the surgery revealed a urinary tract infection which is now being treated with antibiotics. This explains why he was dribbling urine all the time and unable to do large amounts in one go. It must have been very uncomfortable for him. The blood test revealed that he is anaemic - hardly surprising as he is very underweight and has obviously been fed a very poor diet. Ben is very disturbed and finds it very difficult to rest. However he seems to be more relaxed today as he must be feeling much more comfortable after the surgery. He is eating well and tucked into a Nature Diet for his breakfast. Last night he enjoyed a good meal of fresh chicken, vegetables and a little Royal Canin complete. He has found an arm chair which he likes and is making his own special place. I have put a nice soft fleecy duvet on it for him. I believe that all Ben's problems, both health and behaviour are all reversible and caused by the dreadful neglect which he has suffered. How could anyone have left him tied up to a washing line and then rejected him after he got loose and was picked up by the dog warden. This poor little boy deserved better and it is shameful that we humans can treat helpless creatures in this manner.

Ben can now be sponsored by clicking on the Sponsor Details section of the menu bar.

Hazel and Alison can be sponsored by writing to Tailends as they are not on the sponsor sheet yet. We are waiting for photos to be developed and then we will produce a new sheet. Watch this space...

Update 15th September 2006...

Ben...
Ben is a little terrier cross aged 14 years. He has been left in Rochdale Dog Pound as his owner did not want him anymore and kept him tied up in the back garden. He has been suffering from a flea allergy and is a bit incontinent. We understand he is also quite arthritic. Ben is coming to Tailends on Monday September 18th so we will post more news on him next week.

Alison...
Alison is doing well, though we have some concern over her health which we hope will be investigated further by our vet next week. She is an old lady and tires very easily. We make her as cosy as possible. She is such a sweet affectionate girl. She is still a bit incontinent but this is not a problem as Tailends is equipped to cope with such afflictions of old age. We will have some new pictures shortly to put on the site.

Hazel...
Hazel is still a quite poorly lady. She is not suffering and enjoys her meals but is very tired and recovery from her recent acute illness will be slow. We are making her as comfortable as possible and giving her lots of TLC. She is another very sweet affectionate girl and it is a privilege to be able to care for her. There will be some more photos of her on the site soon.

Thank You...

A big thank you to everyone who has sent donations to help with the care of these two dogs. We have been very touched at the kindness shown by some very special people. We do so appreciate this and so would the dogs if they could speak. We are very grateful to everyone, but a very special thank you to Judy Zatonski and Viv Aylward who have worked so hard to keep us "afloat". You are real life savers and true Tailends Angels! A special thank you also to Dave Lee who has created and set up this website completely at his own expense. Without this site we would not be able to keep in touch with our supporters or reach out to those who care about the plight of these dogs. We appreciate every bit of help from a packet of Nature Diet, spare change in a collecting box, replacement duvet covers, unwanted tablets or cash donations. We could not continue to help so many dogs without your wonderful support.

Tailends Tea Party...

On August Bank Holiday Monday friends of Tailends gathered at Sompting, West Sussex in the garden of Viv Aylward at a tea party to raise funds for our doggie friends. Over 50 people attended and all were tempted by sandwiches, warm scones with cream and jam and a selection of home baked cakes. Tea was served by the gallon as everyone settled in to a relaxed afternoon. Thankfully after a wet start to the day the sky cleared by the afternoon and everyone was able to enjoy their tea in the garden. West End singer Jane Stoggles entertained the guests with a song, Joey Clark brought her guitar and engaged the guests in a few singalongs and Viv attempted to entertain on his accordion. Well a bit of comedy was needed at some stage of the proceedings! West End performers Antony Reed and Jennifer Owen kept the guests happy with endless cups of tea and cakes whilst Ben and Oliver Flux did a grand job of selling raffle tickets. The prize of the personal pet poem to be composed by Judy Zatonski was won by Pam Haywood and many guests left with raffle prizes. The raffle was drawn by two year olds Daisy and Edi who had a wonderful afternoon and both went home with a soft toy. Brighton artist Greg Sturges exhibited and sold some of his work giving a percentage to Tailends. The human guests were joined by Viv’s dogs Poppy, Lillie and Ellie and neighbours Ben and Scrappy put in appearance later in the afternoon. A big thank you to everyone who came along to make the event such a success and enabling us to raise £338 towards the Tailends funds.

Viv Aylward during a recent visit to Tailends.

Update 13 August 2006...

It is with great sadness that we have to announce the passing of our dearly beloved Papa, who fell asleep forever on 13th August 2006.

Previous Quick Snippet News...

Barnie and Tarn both underwent major surgical procedures last week. Tarn is recovering very well after the removal of a toe on his front right foot last Thursday. 

The toe has gone off for biopsy and we await the results with fingers crossed! He is such a sweet boy and has only been here for one month so deserves some good luck. 

The wound is clean and he has the stitches out next Thursday (March 9th). The worry is that if the toe was malignant it may have spread. 

An x-ray showed fluid on his lung - which may be a secondary tumour.

He is so bright and cheerful that we are staying optimistic. He even tried to chase a rabbit today - though he is so gentle I doubt he would have harmed it. 

Barnie Rubble had a number of adenomas removed on Wednesday. These are taking a while to heal and are quite sore but he is doing well considering his age and heart condition. Action had to be taken when they started to bleed very badly on Tuesday.

Previous Tailends Updates...

Sugarlump...

Our dear little girl died peacefully at home, in my arms, at around midday on Tuesday 9th May 2006 following a massive heart attack. She loved life and never allowed her failing heart or her great age to interfere with her activities. She came to us as a terrified little girl who literally shook with fear after being badly abused by her former owner who got rid of her at the Stow Horse Fair. She was very bruised both physically and mentally and had recently had pups as she was still lactating. Sugarlump gradually found her voice after a year of silence and slowly changed into a normal Jack Russell who loved running around the footpaths and barking at visitors. Now the house is strangely quiet and the other dogs are quietly grieving for their little friend.

You have seen so many dogs come to Tailends and now you have had to leave us too. I know you are now reunited with your beloved Chockie, Sally and dear Dopey. One day we will hear your bark again and then there will be no more sadness. Farewell until then my sweet little girl. We miss you so much.

Dudley...

Dudley is an elderly dark chocolate brown German Shepherd cross who arrived at Tailends last night after his long journey from Rochdale dog pound where he was due to be put to sleep yesterday at 10am when his statutory 7 days were completed. He is in a poor state and very overweight (38 kilos) with restricted mobility due to paralysis in his hind quarters. He is booked in to see our vet on Monday and is going on a special diet to help reduce his problems. He is very sweet and is now known as Cuddly Dudley. The picture was taken in the dog pound, but we hope to have some happier ones of him on the site soon.

Daisy May...

Daisy May arrived at Tailends on Saturday May 6th 2006. She is a light brindle greyhound bitch aged 11 years. She was brought down to Devon by Mandy of Northants Greyhound Rescue where she had been since arriving from Ireland. Daisy had been kept in a field shelter on a farm with 19 other dogs - including 15 collies, of which we understand 13 had to be put to sleep because of their condition. Daisy was in a filthy state when she arrived at Mandy's kennels and is very traumatised and extremely nervous of humans - though not of dogs. Daisy is settling in well with the other dogs and seems to be happy in her new surroundings. She is responding to me with caution but is becoming bolder all the time. I will put a photo of her on the site and updates on her progress as soon as possible. She is booked into our vet for a check though she seems generally healthy in spite of her past life.

Lopez - (Our Dear Dopey)...

Our wonderful sweet-natured gentle giant died last night (December 30th 2005) after going into a sudden relapse caused by the Leishmaniasis disease which had afflicted him for the last year - although he must have contracted it years ago when he was kennelled at the track in Rome.

We would like to thank our vet Alison Hume from the Mullacott Veterinary Hospital for coming out immediately to help our boy. He had been doing so well and was happy and enjoying life to the full when he suddenly and without warning started to show signs of pain.

He was on treatment for Leishmaniasis and also having Chinese herbs which really seemed to be helping him. It was obvious last night that this was one last battle which he could not win and I had no choice but to say goodbye to my special boy to prevent further suffering. I am absolutely devastated at losing his gentle presence in our little family of old dogs. Life will never be the same without him.

Sweet dreams my darling boy. Moss left us just a few days ahead of you and will be there to show you the way to join all those other dear souls who once lived with us here at Tailends.

With all our love from Mummy and Daddy, your special friends Sugarlump and Poppy, also Tweenie, Bluebell, Barnie Rubble, Bobby, Papa, Gloria, Arfa and Charlie. X X X

Charlie...

Charlie is a fawn and white 10 yr old greyhound chap. He has lived his entire life in a bleak kennel in Scotland. He had an appalling mouth with rotten teeth and infected gums. He only has 3 teeth left now but at least he is more comfortable and can eat well. In fact he adores his food and would eat all day if he could. He has arthritic hips and has signs of nerve damage in his hind legs.

He has been savagely attacked at some stage and is covered in scars. Our vet says these wounds were never treated or stitched and some of them were obviously quite deep so he must have had quite a bad time. He is not aggressive and is fine with other dogs both large and small so was obviously quite badly bullied during his past life.

However he is a lively chap who bounces around in excitement as he is thrilled with living in a home at last and finds it all very thrilling. He is undergoing a little training to ensure he calms down a little and does not pose a problem with our less active frailer dogs.

The passing of Moss...

It is with great sadness that we have to report the death on Sunday of out dear Moss. He had been suffering from nosebleeds for some weeks and despite x-rays, extensive blood tests and an endoscopy no disease could be found. However on Saturday night he started to bleed profusely and became very distressed. The vet found that he had a mass on one side of his head which had become very prominent. This was diagnosed as a bone tumour in the sinuses. It was inoperable and we had no choice but to let our dear boy be allowed to die quickly and peacefully so that he should not suffer anymore. Moss was an honest, faithful, quiet and good-natured dog. A big black sensitive dog, he was never any trouble and loved to meet other dogs for a game on the beach while we were out. We miss him very much. Farewell my sweet lad. Wait for us with all the other souls who have left us. They will look after you until we get there.

Arthur...

Last week we heard about a little old chap who had been in the Huddersfield dog pound on death row. He arrived at Tailends on Saturday. He is a very thin grey (blue) and white lurcher and has had a dental to remove most of his teeth which were in a dreadful state. He is probably about 13 years old at least and has likely had quite a grim time of it. Our vet found that he has an enlarged heart so he is now on medication for this. He has limited sight due to cataracts in both eyes. His muscles are very wasted. He could well have been kept in a kennel or shed without exercise for some time before finding himself in the pound. He is also very confused but we hope he will soon feel at home and enjoy the comforts which have been sadly lacking in his life. We call him Arthur (aka ARFA).

New Arrivals...

On Thursday 24th August two elderly greyhound girls arrived at Tailends. They were both in a poor condition with the usual bad mouths. They were thin and had obviously not received any veterinary care for some time - if ever. I have called them Hazel and Alison.

Alison is a white and blue 13 year old girl who is happy to be here and is settling in well with the other dogs. She went to the vet on 25th August and had a thorough dental to remove all the muck in her mouth. She is not fit enough to be neutered at present, so I asked the vet to give her an injection to ensure she did not come into season.

Hazel is a white and fawn 11 year old girl who arrived in a much worse condition. I could tell immediately that she was ill and probably in pain - which was confirmed when she was examined by my vet. Her mouth is far worse than Alison's and she looked so pathetic it moved me to tears. Her head and body is stained yellow with urine and her face spoke volumes of what a miserable time this girl has endured. She has a number of red bald areas on her body and is very thin. My veterinary surgeon examined her and did some blood tests which showed that she has acute Pancreatitis. The test results were so high that they were off the scale and they had to be repeated with diluted samples which again were at the highest level of the equipment. The symptoms of this disease are inability to eat and acute pain. I cannot begin to imagine what this poor dog has been through. She is now being treated at the veterinary hospital on a drip as she is too ill to have the anaesthetic necessary to deal with her mouth. My vet said she has the worst mouth she has ever seen - and will probably need to have all her teeth removed! The stench from her mouth is indescribable. The veterinary care for these two dogs is going to be very expensive and any donations towards their care will be very much appreciated. I have already paid over £300 for yesterdays treatment and the final amount will be much higher. We do not know if Hazel will survive - we can only pray that she will have enough strength to fight and win her battle against this disease. I cannot wait to have her home and give her all the loving care which she so deserves. I have to face the fact that she may never come home and it is breaking my heart. All we can do now is wait and trust the veterinary hospital to give her the treatment she needs.

We hope that both Hazel and Alison will eventually be on our sponsor list and that photos of both dogs will be on the website as soon as possible. (We are hoping a local supporter with a digital camera will be able to take photos of Alison this weekend.)

Contributions towards the costs of Hazel's care will be very much appreciated. Thank you so much for your support. It is tragic that these dogs have to pay such a high price so that humans can indulge their desire to watch them race and gamble on the outcome. Surely people could enjoy their leisure time without involving defenceless creatures like Hazel and Alison and the thousands like them whose suffering is never heard about.

30th August 2006 - Update...

We are delighted to announce that Hazel recovered sufficiently yesterday to cope with the anaesthetic necessary for her mouth to be cleaned up. She had 26 teeth out and all the muck has been removed from her mouth. She has eaten a little chicken this morning but she is still a very poorly girl. Hopefully she will continue to improve but we cannot be sure what the future holds. We can only do the very best we can to give this girl a reason to live. We need to keep her on a fat-free diet so that the pancreatitis does not flare up again.

The veterinary costs for treating Hazel and Alison has so far amounted to nearly £800. However we will continue to give them the best possible treatment and care. We are very grateful to the kind individuals who have sent donations to help towards their welfare. Hazel has such a sad unhappy face and looks at me with her tired eyes. I know she would be so grateful to those who are helping in any way.