Albador (one-eyed spaniel at Carcassonne) is still alive

[Framboise]

Thats what I like - a really happy ending to such a sad story!!

Thankyou!!

[Panda]

Another tear jerker from animal rescue gals!  What a lovely story with a lovely owner and dog to boot.  Well done to all

[Rowan]

The Carcassonne SPA has an Albi lookalike if anyone is interested. This one has both eyes, but is 12 years old so it will take a very special person to take him on. Abandoned by the daughter after her mother died. The dog is very used to cuddles and is not happy in a kennel. Would be wonderful to make him happy too......

If anyone can offer a home, please let me know. As ever, I am happy to coordinate.

Thanks!

[louie lafage]

albi followers might be interested in this link...due to time constraints and technical glitches BJC couldn't upload this  got a couple more short clips that will go up idc -

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaMwVH3DJGQ

 

 

[Rowan]

Just in case anyone was considering the dog in my previous post, it is too late.

Honestly, people who abandon their dogs make me sick, and especially when they are old dogs who have no chance of being rehomed. Don't they realise the SPAs are full. Selfish uncaring swine!

[Russethouse]

 You know Rowan you're really not doing your cause much good by labelling and judging people who give up dogs, this way.......

No one likes it, but please at least try to understand that sometimes humans are fallible or silly and make make mistakes - or plain can't cope.

[Christine Animal]

It is no good coming here all the time Rowan making other people feel guilty because they haven't answered your call.  Take care of the problem yourself as I do.  You can't expect others to do it for you.  If there is an old dog I feel strongly about, or any other, then I go and get it.  You can only count on yourself.  At least you will have saved it's life and have time to find a solution for it afterwards.

I agree with Russethouse, these kind of posts do not help the cause, nor the reputation of rescuers.

We are not here to pass judgement, but to try to help the poor dogs who are the victims.  You will never change the people.

Maybe that is a little strong, but I am up to my neck in it right now.  This year has been exceptionally bad, but crying and complaining will not get us anywhere.

Not long ago when you sent me a pm I suggested you put some of the dogs on AngloInfo, many are rehomed like that.  Have you done so?

 

[Chrissie]

Oh Rowan, so many of your posts move me to tears.  You do a marvellous job, against such difficult odds.  I'm sure you wrote today's post with despair in your heart. 

You will never save every dog.  That's the sad state of today's world.

But you must remember that every dog you save, or every post that spurs on an unknown someone somewhere to save a dog, is a positive weight in the balance.

Be strong, and keep up the good work.

Chrissie (81)

[Merlin]

I must speak out here at the risk of being 'told off' again myself and have only just started to come back to the forum.  Rowan has managed to do some incredible work over the past months for a lot of dogs - and I know you all realise this probably, though you can't know it all.  This work she does often comes at great personal cost to her emmotionally and quite recently she lost a dog that was very very dear to her and whom she had finally managed to find a home for only hours away from his death!  She was shattered.  She continues to battle with her feelings and gives her all for the dogs at Carcassonne.  Yes she gets frustrated and angry and if she lets rip on here I for one understand and can associate with her urge to give vent ........ and have done it's true.  I don't think it gives rescue people a bad name on here, especially if you are a follower of regular forum contributors and I guess we all kind of feel we 'know' eachother enough to 'explode' now and then and express our anger among friends, as if we were sharing a cup of coffee together!  Am I wrong?  Some of us are more 'tested' by what we see and find it harder to contain our disgust at our fellow man than others - it's not so much judging as despair and rage at what goes on.  Rowan has never ever been rude to anyone on here, no more would she be and her dearest, greatest wish would be to be able to just grab a dog she knew was in imminent danger and sort something out later.......... but she can't - it's not an option available to her.  Therefore, you can understand her frustration when she sees a desperate dog and has to frantically search for someone to help it through her, which is what she does........ but of course it's not always within the time frame available and she knows she is constantly working against the tide.  For this she has my admiration because she goes back again and again and brings what comfort she can to these poor souls, day after day, whether it be to walk them, groom them or just cuddle them and bring them to the attention of the staff if there is something that can be done to help a particular sick one.  She is very much respected at the Spa and they understand her grief and her courage and love her for it!  Rowan would never tell you any of this, but I will.  There are many many lovely kind people on here who do amazing rescue work - that's the reason I am back despite saying I wouldn't be.  It's a great forum and we all need to stick together for the animals - I nearly gave this site up and I sure as blazes don't want Rowan to....

[Rowan]

Thanks for that, Merlin, and I apologise if I let off steam in my post ref the spaniel. But I do get upset when people abandon old dogs like this. What do they expect to happen? I think most of the time they can't bear saying goodbye themselves, so let us do it.

Ref posting adverts for more dogs on AI, I know I should find time for this. But I do have a job and my time is limited and I would rather spend what free time I have at the SPA looking after the dogs and helping potential adopters to make the right choice, for which I have to know the dogs. If someone could give me and extra 4 or 5 hours in my day, that would be great.

So apologies if I offended anyone. No offence intended. And I know I cannot save them all. Doesn't mean it doesn't break my heart every time we lose one.

And I have explained elsewhere why I don't have the freedom to just bring more dogs home. I have the wrong husband for that.

I am back to my sleepless night and so have considered stopping going to the SPA. Things are getting worse rather than better, and the residence time is ever shorter before the hammer falls due to lack of space. We need more adopters, simple as that. Or we need to get people to sterilise their dogs. We have a beautiful one year old bitch who is sterilised and that put a potential owner off her yesterday.

Sometimes I despair!

Rowan

[BJC]

We would love to take this opportunity to say thank you on behalf of all of you out there doing the best for the dogs. It is desparately tough. We would also like to thank all the very kind people that have been following Albi's progress. We can not believe all the "hits" this link has had. So thank you to all of you it has meant a great deal to us. I think it is now time for us to stop updating on this link. But please feel free to email . Thank you once again for all your kind support

[Rowan]

It suddenly occurs to me that my comment about how uncaring people are may have been interpreted as being about you lot. I really meant it against the former owners. Although perhaps I shouldn't judge them.

Hard not to, sometimes, though.

Rowan

[WJT]

Rowan, I sadly don't give my time and my days to the SPA in our area. I have to say I don't think I would have the strength to do so even if I could. I only visited and it broke my heart seeing all the poor dogs wasting away waiting for a family to notice them. I cannot even bare to think of what goes on behind the scenes. At Bergerac they had the one big area with the no hoper's and a lovely pregnant dog because they can't be bothered separating them.[:(]

I know if I were you (which I could only ever aspire to be) and was giving my time regularly to the SPA, I would be ranting and raving every day (probably worse and probably would be banned from the forum!) particularly about the evil cruel people that abandon their dogs and worse. By the way, I am sure there are very rare occasions where there is some sort of family tragedy and there is no other option but this would be a very small percentage. Those in that situation I am sure would understand the disgust at the former.

Well done you for making a difference to those poor souls you touch at the Carcassonne SPA. Even those that have a bad outcome at least they have been touched by a gentle caring human at some stage in their life because of you.

[Amanda 61]

Please let me agree with all that WJT has said. Well done to ALL you guys out there who do soooo much.

What I feel about people who abandon their dogs could not be printed here!!!!

[WJT]

Amanda61, what I think couldn't be printed either but if I experienced first hand regularly I am sure I would be saying it! I should have said all as well. Merlin, Jouals, Sue at Poorpaws and of course Christine that I have always called an angel for the so many poor dogs she has helped that I have even seen her help here on the forum over the many years.

But dear Rowan please know if you want to rant you have at least my 100% support!

 

 

[Rowan]

Thanks WJT and Amanda. I am sure there are people who have genuine reasons for abandoning their pet, but I agree, not all of them, by any means.

Like everyone else who helps out by either working at the SPAs or (far better) by adopting dogs, I will carry on. And I will try to stop getting annoyed.Or at least showing it quite as much.

Rowan

[Christine Animal]

We have to stick together for the animals' sake.  Remarks can fly under stress and, as I already said, on the Rescue site we don't always agree and can get uptight in an urgent situation, let fly, then it all blows over as we are all working for the same goal.

Don't foget that many of these pets, especially the older ones, end up in this situation because their owner has died or gone into a home.  There are other difficult situations and they are not all just coldly thrown off, even if many are.

As for your problem Rowan, believe me I have the same.  This morning I flew out saying "I'm just going to pick up two little ones to save them from the same pound as Morgan, won't be long!   [:D]   He didn't have time to answer.  But when he saw them.      [kiss]   [8-|]  

If I hadn't gone, they would have been put down this week.  It couldn't even wait until next weekend as so many more have come in.  Another shelter took two more and we work together (and argue!) doing what we can.   [:)]

 

[Rowan]

Thanks for that Christine. I agree completely.

I am thinking of direct action too. The worst that can happen is divorce, and as long as I get the house, I can REALLY get going!

[Christine Animal]

[:D]   [:P]  That's it!

 

BJC, please don't think Albi has been forgotten in all this.  He never will be.  It's stories like that and people like you that keep us going.

 

[Russethouse]

 Rowan, If you don't have time to put dogs on AI can you find a volunteer to help ? You send the pics and a brief description and they load them on to the site......

[Rowan]

That would be great...Do you know anyone who may be able to help me? I don't have anyone here, I feel incredibly isolated most of the time.

I already ask so much of Merlin (she has even taken dogs from here).

Can anyone help me? I could easily send photos and descriptions.....

THANK YOU!

[Russethouse]

 You could ask for a volunteer here, in fact you may be better to ask for several people and get them to do a month at a time......its not rocket science and with winter approaching people often spend more time on there PCs anyway, and of course they could be anywhere.....

I'm sorry I can't help at present - I already produce two 24 page Journals for a 'not for profit' as well as being the President of the organisation until the end of the year.

[Merlin]

Hey silly - of course I'll help!  Send me the details and I'll post them around for you, you know I will.  You can't put photos on AngloInfo but you can tell them you've got some and also put links to photobucket I think so it can be done.  There is also another forum on Survive France that has a nice chap how is setting up a spot on his own website for the Midi-Pyrenees that has an animal adoption section and figures quite high up the list on Google........ so I'm going to investigate as he's keen to get me stick as many dogs on there as I want.  I already put the two Rotties. 

[Christine Animal]

Yes, on AI you can put the link to the photos, the one starting with http.  On AI you will need the dog's identity number if he has one.  If not you can put the siret number of the refuge.

 

[Russethouse]

Just a thought: you might like to start a blog (google and wordpress have easy ones with templates etc) and link to it.......