Just a normal day - well okay not quite !!

Meet Punky, a shy and nervous collie who came to us a few weeks ago from another rescue. At first he was very withdrawn but soon got to know staff and it was obvious he was a very affectionate and loving chap.

Last Saturday Punky found a new home with a couple from Essex - wonderful. Unfortunately it didn't all go according to plan. No doubt yet another change in his routine and a stressful 200 mile journey to his new home upset the poor lad and as they arrived home and just the slightest of opportunities presented itself, he was off like the wind.

His new home is on an island with one road on and off so he was fairly well contained but it has vast open spaces and also quite a built up area he had to hide in. His new owners spent hours trying to find him and locals rallied around passing sightings, trying to help find him and doing everything they could.

I was in contact every day offering advice and even using Google Maps to work out his likely hiding places from the sightings - sure enough he was tracked to a caravan site (closed for the winter, near to the island coast). Despite finding the caravan he was using as shelter and everyones best efforts, Punky was just too afraid to come close enough to anyone and would run off at the slighest movement.

So it was decided that Rachel our Kennel Manager and myself would go and see if we could help. We left Rugeley at 5am on Wednesday and drove the 200 miles in just over 3 hours (not bad for the time of day). After a quick "plan of attack" meeting with Punkys owner we set off for the Caravan Site and within minutes spotted him but he ran off. We hoped he would respond to Rachel who had spent quite a bit of time with him but he had also been in the office and knew me as well.

For almost 2 hours he disappeared - obviously sussing out what was happening - then suddenly appeared again. Rachel remained by the caravan he had been sleeping under and I waited a short distance away. Suddenly Punky appeared near me, no doubt circling around Rachel to work out how he could get back to his den. Experience has taught us the best way to work is to crouch down, avoid eye contact and talk softly to the dog - and guess what - it worked. He crept towards me and I'm sure suddenly thought "I know you" as his tail was wagging and he looked so relieved. Once safely on a lead he was reunited with his new mom - who was, as you can imagine - very, very pleased to see him.

After a lot of thank yous (and a few tears) we left Punky fast asleep in his new bed in his new home and drove 200 miles back home. A long day? Yes. A tiring day? Yes. A worthwhile day? Without doubt one of the days that will remain with me for years and will certainly brighten up many a day when I need cheering up.

To see how many people have tried to help find Punky, all of whom had never met Punkys owners before, to see the look on his owners face when she realised he was safe and to see Punky curled up in his new bed, safe and well - Priceless, absolutely priceless. I don't need any Christmas presents this year - I don't think that could be beaten.

I think we've got our own little Christmas Story now - don't you?

Bye for now

Ben

Have you done all your Christmas shopping yet?

Yes it won't be long now will it? Like most recent years Christmas seems to creep up on me and before you know it - it's all over.

We've been kept busy recently with lots of mail orders and although it looks like the comparison to last year will show this year has seen a bit of a reduction in the value of sales we still have attracted lots of support from throughout the UK - and even a couple of orders further afield. Thank you for all your support in the present economic gloom - it is vital.

We've still lots of collies needing our help and we're doing our best to help as many as we can but of course rehoming will go quiet for a couple of weeks probably. Apart from Christmas Day and Boxing Day we will continue to be open for rehoming throughout the holiday period. We strongly believe that we have to be available to help not only the dogs but also people who are looking for a new companion. As long as they are not having a busy and hectic holiday period with lots of people visiting we see that for many people it's not much different to a long weekend.

It's important to consider the dogs welfare but we've always found that the vast majoirty of people who rehome during this period have already considered this and are well aware of the pitfalls of rehoming if you've a busy social life over Christmas.

I'm looking forward to Christmas Day - the staff working that day will be eating with Sue and myself and we've got a couple of other guests as well. Then in the afternoon the tradition - as always - will be handing out presents to the dogs staying with us and generally having a good time.

I shall try to fit in another blog entry before the big day - but just in case - hope you have a happy and peaceful holiday and that 2009 is kind to you. Everyone connected with Border Collie Trust and especially the 470 plus dogs who have found new homes this year thank you so much for your interest, emails, cards, letters and invaluable donations and support.

Bye for now

Ben

Well done and thank you

Well what a day - our annual Christmas Party is over for another year. The weather forecast was poor and the news is full of economic gloom.

But did our friends and supporters let us down? Of course not.

The weather, whilst cold was bright and dry and once again the hall was packed. We hope you enjoyed the day, the bacon butties, the jacket spuds and of course the dog show.

With all the different fund raising options going on and the Collie Shop sales we've raised just over £1700 on the day - fantastic !

Thank you to everyone who came, give yourselves a big pat on the back.

Ben

Don't give pants Christmas Presents this year

Fed up of trying to guess what to buy friends, relatives and work mates for Christmas?

Why not get together with them and instead of wasting all that time, effort - and money donate to your favourite charity instead. And if that just happens to be us well so much the better please follow the link below and feel free to use the "widget" you'll find on the website.

Don't give pants presents this Christmas

You can use this widget in many online sites such as Blogger, Facebook, My Space and many others so feel free to use the grab button and spread the word !!

It's our big Christmas Party tomorrow (Sunday) and hopefully the weather will stay dry - doesn't look like it will be very warm but fingers crossed it'll stay dry.

Remember my computer problems at home recently? - Well after 3 brand new computers in 6 weeks I've given up, had my money back and gone back to the 5 year old steam driven one - but at least it works !! Once I've got over the frustration of days spent installing software and downloads over and over again I might look again.

We've managed to reopen our waiting list I'm glad to say. It's been quite a good month rehoming with about 45 dogs finding homes which for this time of year and in the current economic climate it very good.

Jill one of our Senior Kennel Assistants has left us this week to join the RSPCA, giving her the opportunity to work with varied animals not just dogs. We wish Jill all the very best and thank her for the hard work and care she's given to our rescued collies in the last (almost) 4 years.

We're currently interviewing applicants for the post and I have to say we've not only had a good number of applicants but it's going to be difficult to select as there are a number of worthy contenders.

Bye for now

Ben

New beginnings

Can I just thank everyone who has taken the trouble to telephone, write and email with words of thanks and comfort after our loss of Buddy last week and of course for all the kind words I've received personally after losing Sheba.

I know that many people in rescue feel it is sometimes them against the world and whilst we are fortunate that we have good band of people at the centre who help each other it is comforting to know that so many people are not only interested in what's happening here at Colton but are as affected by our news - good and bad.

So some good news this week I thought. Well remember the collie I mentioned who came to us heavily pregnant? Well on Sunday she gave birth to 6 lovely pups, unfortunately another one had to be put to sleep as it was born with a cleft palate and unable to suckle. Mom and pups are doing well. Please don't bombard us with calls looking to reserve one of the pups as they won't be available for rehoming for several weeks and until we are satisfied they are indeed healthy and fit.

Jess is enjoying his new status as our new Sponsor Dog and just to clarify - yes he is a he (many people seem to have thought he was a she) and I'm sure he'll have lots of stories and adventures to share with his new friends.

Finally a reminder that our annual Christmas Party will be on 30th November at Colwich and Little Haywood Village Hall between 11am and 3pm. All the usual fun will be available.

Bye for now

Ben

Sheba 1998 - 2008

It really is one of those weeks. Only two days after losing our Sponsor Dog, Buddy, I had to face the same decision again with my own Sheba. Regular visitors to the blog will remember she had a stroke a few months ago. She made some recovery and apart from some lack of co-ordination at slow speeds and a troublesome appetite she remained her own unique self.


This morning I received the usual early morning call which we've come to expect, asking to go out. On coming downstairs though it was apparent this wasn't the usual call at all and it was painfully obvious that Sue and I had to take the decision.


Sheba came to the Trust in 1999 having been rescued from a very isolated farm in Wales. No one knew her history but she was the most scared dog I think I've ever seen but had no aggression at all. Sue and I fell for her straight away and she came home with us a couple of weeks after arriving. At the time we didn't live at the centre and it took three months before she felt confident in moving around the house - let alone the garden.


Over the years her confidence has improved and although she remained wary of new experiences and loved a set routine it was good to see her happily running around a field or the seaside (she loved our trips to Barmouth on Boxing Day). Her behaviour in this way taught me so much about collies like this. Taffy our other collie certainly helped her confidence and her little ways in rounding him up - but usually only when it was night time - will always bring a smile to my face.


It still has to be business as usual and I'm sure Sheba would have expected nothing else in order to help more of the collies who are so in need of the Trust.



Bye Sheba, Ben & Sue

Sad News and new arrivals

Today is one of those sad days when you don't really want to share the news but know that lots of friends will want to know.

Buddy, a sponsor dog for a number of years, has passed away. During the last few days he become noticably frail and reluctant not only to go out for a walk but also to eat. So over the weekend he's been spoilt with some special chicken and today we had to make the decision that all pet owners dread.

Buddy came to us many years ago and found a home with a caring older couple. His dislike of other dogs was never a problem for them and despite his little tantrums they gave him a loving home. After losing his wife, Buddys owner continued to care for him until his own ill health meant he had to move to sheltered accommodation where he could not take Buddy.

As always with any of our dogs, we quickly arranged for Buddy to come back to us. His age even back in 2002 and his little ways made it difficult to find a new home and as he quickly settled into kennel life his future always seemed to rest with us. I spoke to Buddys owner shortly before he passed away in 2003 and at least he knew that Buddy would always be safe with us. His contribution to the Trust will always be remembered as in his will Buddys owner left a generous donation which helped make the Puppy and Special Needs Block a reality in 2005.

In the last 6 years Buddy has been a firm favourite with all the staff and even mellowed towards other dogs over time. He asked for very little and enjoyed the many treats and visits he received from all his supporters. All our dogs are special to us but the Sponsor Dogs are of course extra special and we will certainly all miss Buddy.

If Buddy did have any "doggy friends" in the kennels his best friend was certainly Jess, who has been with us for 3 years and I know Buddy would be delighted that Jess will be the latest Sponsor Dog.

We will be writing to all Buddys supporters but if you are one of his sponsors please accept our
sincere thanks for allowing us to care for Buddy on your behalf and we hope you will continue to support us, do let us know if you would like to move your sponsorship to Jess or any of the other sponsor dogs.

To happier news - the patter of tiny feet is definitely in the air at the moment. With two young litters to care for we now have another pregnant collie with us who was left tied to the owners ex-husbands car at the weekend (bad enough? But made worse by the fact she chewed through her lead and it wasn't for some time that the man realised and then had to find her at this time of year.) No I'm not going to share with you our thoughts on this one !!

Lots of more dogs needing our help on the horizon at the moment, I've got two trips out this week and we've lots arranged to come in during the next few weeks.

Yep in rescue - life goes on, sleep well Buddy.

Bye for now

Ben

I'm back !!

I know, you're all wondering where I've been aren't you?

The NEC show kept us busy for a week and even though I wasn't there every day it was certainly a busy week in the office. Sue and I had a day off on Friday so took our two to Formby sands for an enjoyable run along the beach.

Then on Monday morning it was off to Sussex for a meeting of The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes and I got back about 30 minutes ago!! So you see I haven't been sitting around doing nothing have I :-)

As usual on Monday morning everything was trying to conspire to keep us at the centre. A kennel door in the boarding kennels decided to fall off, we had some family problems to sort out with a dog we'd taken in over the weekend and then to cap it all a very nervous bitch we'd taken in quite recently was suspected as being in pup with probably a week or so to go - wrong - first thing Monday morning one of the pups made his entrance. By lunchtime nothing else had happened so we left Milly in the capable hands of the staff and she later gave birth to a second and final pup. Mom and pups are doing well I'm delighted to say.

The NEC Show was a successful week, we spread "the word" to many new people, met lots of collie owners and signed up some new supporters to our Sponsor A Dog Scheme and Support Scheme which are vital to our work and of course particularly under pressure in these times of economic hardship for so many people, so thank you to all who came to the stand and bought goods, donated money and joined our schemes.

Bye for now

Ben

Headache

The computer change did certainly not go according to plan. I've set up all the computers in our office at the centre with very few problems - my own - what a nightmare. All I will say is I gave up after 5 days and am now on my second new computer in a week. Different make and model though. So far so good, he said with fingers crossed.

Homing has gone quieter after the mad rush of August and September and with another miserable day weather wise it's not really surprising.

Next week sees us at the NEC for The Caravan and Motorhome show so if you are going along do call in to see us in Hall 6 stand 52.

Right I'm off to move 8 years worth of photos from my backup hard drive to the computer - again !!

Bye for now

Ben

Back to normal

I knew it wouldn't take long, no sooner have we reduced our waiting list, for dogs needing to come in, to its lowest for years than the calls start pouring in. It's been quiet today from the homing point of view - no doubt the cold wind has put people off!! We've a couple of young dogs coming in over the next few days. I'm off to Wales on Monday to collect a couple of dogs and one from Telford from an old gentleman, suffering from bad health and he can't cope with the young collie he acquired recently. I do understand that people who have had dogs all the lives really do need the companionship and it must come as something of a blow when they realise they can't manage a young lively dog anymore. Of course there's always the oldies - but its not always easy convincing them that's the best option.

I've just added another 6 different Christmas cards to our website so we now have the best choice we've had for a long time. Our own exclusive cards are selling well but its always good to have plenty of choice. Hopefully visitors to our stand at The Caravan & Motorhome Show, which starts on the 14th October will be stocking up on Christmas cards!! Oh - by the way - we still have some complimentary tickets available if anyone would like some. Just send us an email to reserve up to 4 tickets and send us a SAE asap.

The weather forecast for tomorrow looks pretty bleak so it looks like a perfect day to set up my new computer at home. The old one is 5 years old now and has taken to switching itself off just when I'm in the middle of................................ yep just like that :-). So I've now got the pleasure of setting the new one up - now where did I put all those discs !!

Bye for now

Ben

Sunny Saturday

What a wonderful day - nearly like summer !!

All the grass cut today and a new sponsored bench installed, tomorrow it's a Trustees meeting and before you know it it'll be Monday again.

We're still getting lots of enquiries and new homes for dogs which is good as we've a 4 coming in on Monday from another rescue and we're also off to help another rescue who are inundated with collies at the moment. Apparantly they have 24 so we'll be coming back with at least 8 and try to help them again when we can.

I'm delighted to see a number of people have signed up to our Weather Lottery recently and a couple of you have managed a win - only £2 - but well done. It's the regular income from fundraising schemes like these that really do help and as they grow over time can only help even more. Thank you to everyone who uses any of the ideas from the website - even if it's only Click Now where you earn money for us every time you make a search on then internet, to the online purchases through Buy At and Easy Fundraising that earn commission for us. Every penny does help.

It'll soon be The Caravan & Motorhome Show at the NEC, those of you who have signed up for the email newsletter will have no doubt got your request for free tickets to us by now - we still have some left so if anyone would like up to 4 free tickets for the show which runs from 14th to 19th October do email us first to reserve some tickets and then pop a SAE in the post. We were lucky enough to get a lot of tickets but do get your request in early.

Bye for now

Ben

Days Out

Despite "summer" coming to an end there are still plenty of days out to consider

Burns Pet Nutrition are organising "It's a Dogs Day Out!” the first dog event they have organized and it is being run in conjunction with CaniX UK at Pembrey Country Park on Sunday 26th October. The aim is to have a day of fun and activities for all dogs and their owners and at the same time raise money for local animal charities. The emphasis is definitely on responsible ownership and healthy activity for owners and their pets. Visiting dogs will have a chance to try agility and flyball as well as enter the Dog Olympics or the fun dog show which is being judged by Robert Alleyne of “Dog Borstal". For the owners there are displays to watch and charity stands to shop at.

If anyone wants to have-a-go at cani-cross there will be both 2.5km and 5km races but entries do have to be made at least a week in advance on www.canix.co.uk .

The venue itself is a dog paradise – miles of golden beaches and thousands of acres of forest - all off the public highway and full of interesting things to sniff and chase! Within the Country Park there is an excellent café, a ski slope and toboggan run, crazy golf and a putting green and a riding centre. There is very basic camping available on site (toilets and cold water taps only) but they would appreciate it if anyone who wanted to camp would let them know in advance so they can allocate space as appropriate.

Entry to the Country Park is £2.00 per vehicle and is payable at the gate (which will be open from 8am until dark). For more information contact: rowan@burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk.

From the 14th to 19th October we will be at The Caravan & Motorhome Show at the NEC, promoting the work of The Trust and no doubt meeting many owners of ex-guests. Subscribers to our email newsletter will be aware of a special surprise offer so if you haven't received your email newsletter yet do check your inbox or let us know.

Bye for now
Ben

Some good news

After all the doom and gloom we hear on the news lately I thought I'd bring some good news for a change.

After a very busy August we expected September to slow down on the rehoming front - but no - it's carried on and already this month over 30 dogs have found new homes. I don't begin to try to find a reason and I'm sure things will slow down at some point. Of course the knock on effect of finding homes for dogs means you can then help even more dogs and we've reached a point that I certainly have never seen in 6 years of dealing with phone calls and emails looking for help, a very small waiting list indeed.

Waiting lists are forced upon rescues due to the amount of calls we receive but we all know many people need help now, not in a weeks time let alone up to 6 months time. It makes a lovely change to be able to offer that help so much quicker to owners as well as other rescues when they call us. We've taken in 5 today from another rescue who were finding homing the collies they had difficult and at the same time finding it hard to keep the collies from becoming really stressed in their kennels. Another 3 are due tomorrow. How long will this last - who knows but for now we're happy.

Our new dog tags are very popular with visitors and don't forget you can order them online as well.

The Autumn issue of Border Collie World is being put together at the moment and we hope to have it printed and published by mid to late October.

I'm taking a day off tomorrow and treating my two to a run on Formby Sands so no rain and no traffic on the M6 please !!

Bye for now

Ben

Paws In The Park - win FREE tickets

This weekend the UK's most fun outdoor dog event, Paws in the Park is taking place.If you'd like to get FREE access and experience all the fun of top class canine competitions, trade stalls, fun dog and owner events & more...simply visit

http://m1e.net/c\?17922615-8GY4ErTtqy9h6%403608979-mYjcBC6iJvM2o

Enter the competition and keep your fingers and paws crossed!

Good luck

Swimwear optional

Will it ever end? We've had occasions where our paddock has been so wet that we've had to stop using it for dog walking but usually only for a day - with all the rain we've had recently we haven't used the paddock for 4 days, and counting.

The latest email newsletter is on its way to subscribers and we're currently working on the next issue of Border Collie World. With Christmas approaching like a high speed train we're busy ordering cards, calendars etc etc

Our new dog tag machine is receiving interest from visitors and we've just taken delivery of some more different styles so now have 29 types on offer. And our online visitors don't have to miss out - you can order them online or of course by phone. Do take a look in the collie shop for more information. Having seen identical tags for sale in a well known pet chain store I think you'll find ours are priced very reasonably.

After a very busy August with lots of dogs finding new homes we could expect a bit of a slow down but it still seems to be carrying on. Visitors continue to arrive and yesterday (Tuesday) 4 dogs found new homes and another 2 were reserved. I'm sure the quiet time will arrive - but for now we're happy for the collies finding new homes.

Bye for now

Ben

It ain't half hot Mom

Hasn't it been clammy today? I've spend the afternoon driving the mower around the grounds cutting the grass - again and it's been quite muggy and sticky. Now the fact I'm having a BBQ tomorrow has no bearing on the fact they are forecasting thunder storms does it !!

One of a pair of young dogs that came to us recently, very undersocialised found a new home today. We seem to have had a lot of these type this year and in fact another arrived on Friday. Some come round quite quickly - others like Tia who has been with us since March take a lot longer but it's great to see them grow in confidence and ultimately find a new home.

Regular visitors to the website may have noticed the new link to the Weather Lottery. They have just revamped not only their products but also the website so if you've been trying to visit recently and worried why you couldn't get through - now you know. Good to see that another couple of supporters where winners recently - who is going to be the first £10,000 or even £100,000 winner from Border Collie Trust. It could be you??

The new gadget on the website is attracting some interest and lets everyone see where all our visitors to the site come from. I've always been able to find out this information but you can now share it. Every week there's a new vistor from somehwere different and I see we've had someone "pop in" today from The Faroe Isles - if that was you - welcome, we hope you enjoyed our website.

Bye for now - please keep your fingers crossed for my BBQ tomorrow :-)

Ben

Welcome to our new look Blog

I've been hoping to upgrade the blog to something with a little more flexibility and less advertising. The blog has always been popular but the new style allows much more, for example you can subscribe to the blog and be updated when a new entry is made.

I've been having a busy IT today not only with the new blog but you may also find a new gadget on the homepage of our website (scroll down and all will be revealed). A clever Collie iPod type thingy!! For those of you who still enjoy playing the Sheep game on our website I am also working on another gadget from the supplier of the Collie iPod type thingy - a cube that provides many different features, one of which can be a Space Invader game - so all of you who remember the classic and original game that started us all off with computer games will no doubt have great fun. You'll also see a screen to the left on this blog showing where visitors to the website live - can you spot your town?

It's a busy day tomorrow with 10 new guests arriving which will keep everyone busy over the weekend assessing and getting to know them. A recent new arrival, Rocky, came to us at the weekend and was quickly reserved. The assessement we continued though showed that he wasn't as good on his back legs as he should be for such a young dog and investigations by our Vet have revealed very bad hip dysplasia. Fortuntely his new home is still waiting and we will be arranging for him to be admitted to our Vet once he's had chance to settle and have one hip dealt with. It will then be a case of allowing him to recover and monitor his other hip.

Well that's all for now - hope you like the new look blog - do let us have your views.

Bye for now

Ben