Border Collie Trust GB

Blog update

2011-05-20T16:13:00.001+01:00

Hello,

For those who have bookmarked the blog - we've now incorporated a new blog in the updated website so please follow the link from the homepage for all future updates

Thank you for your continued interest in our work

Spring cleaning

2011-02-19T19:12:00.002Z

Hello again,

Well Christmas and New Year are a distant memory and the fact that we're gearing up for Crufts tells me we're well into 2011 already.

Whilst we will be at Crufts our stand will be different than previous years. The physical and financial cost of running such a big stand for the four days gets harder each year so Trustees have decided this year to try a smaller stand and concentrate on talking to visitors and supporters and fundraising in a different way. We hope you'll come along and see us and hopefully there'll be more time to talk about the breed we all love.

The increase in online sales was also part of the reason behind this change and in order to keep the website fresh and informative it's currently undergoing a bit of a spring clean. The site is a very big part of our presence and whilst it's doing a sterling job there's always ways to improve.

We've made quite good progress, don't know when it'll be going live and whilst many of the changes will be subtle we hope you'll like the changes

Bye for now

Ben

Snow joke

2010-11-30T18:36:00.002Z

Hello again,

I know I keep saying this but where does the time go!! My last blog was in warm weather and at the moment we're "enjoying" a downfall of snow which can make getting into the centre a bit tricky. Looks like my 4 wheel drive might come in useful very early this year.

We were very lucky on Sunday with our Funday Sunday despite the recent bad weather. Supporters from far and wide made the trip and helped it be one of our most succesful events at this time of year. A real big thank you to you all. The comments so far about our new venue at Uttoxeter Racecourse have been very positive but please let us know how you thought the day went.

Rehoming always goes quieter at this time of year due to the approach of Christmas and as usual we've got a big of a back log building of dogs in other rescues and their own homes needing help. Once rehoming picks up I'm sure we'll be able to help as many as possible.

It may seem a little early but on behalf of everyone at BCT, including of course the collies we help can I thank you all for your support and wish you a Happy Christmas and hope 2011 is a good year for you

Ben

Show weather!!

2010-08-14T21:27:00.003+01:00

It's been a busy few weeks with a number of shows to visit. I'm currently in Northamptonshire at the International Agility Show. The weather has certainly been "mixed" and today we experienced almost every type of weather - except hail and snow!!

The thunderstorms have certainly upset a few dogs and one poor lad who'd been scared by the noise came running into our gazebo - how did he know where to come to? Well he was a collie and we'd got Border Collie Trust emblazoned everywhere. Quite odd though that he ran past a number of other gazebos yet came straight into ours. Glad to say he was re-united with his owners.

This is the last show I'll be attending this summer although there are one or two other smaller ones that colleagues will be visiting and I'm hoping to fit in Discover Dogs in Novemeber at our stall there.

Meanwhile it's business as usual at the centre and a number of lucky dogs have found new homes in the past few weeks.

Bye for now

Ben

Do sort though your photos

2010-07-27T18:54:00.002+01:00

I don't think the Trust has ever held a Calendar photo competition before, certainly I can't remember one in my time connected with the Trust (but I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!!)

Well this year we're holding a competition to find 13 photos to feature in our very own calendar for 2011. The winning photos will be rewarded with a free calendar and 10% discount on any further ones ordered for family and friends.

We've had over 30 entries so far and some excellent photos amongst them. I can see this being a hard job for the judges!!

The Memorial Garden has been finished and once the plaques have been re-installed there'll be some photos appearing on the website.

We're as busy as ever with dogs coming in and out. I enjoyed one of my regular trips up to Gretna Green recently to bring back 3 and on Friday I'm off to Wales for another 6.

Hope the summer weather is suiting you!!

Bye for now

Ben

Clocks will be going back soon!!

2010-06-08T15:37:00.002+01:00

Okay perhaps a bit of an exaggeration as it's a few months yet before we mess with the clocks again but in a couple of weeks the days do start getting shorter don't they?

It doesn't seem five minutes since we were shovelling snow from the drive and although summer did seem to be on its way we do look like being back to the normal BBQ weather.

Since 1st March 145 dogs have been rehomed and judging by the continued increase in visitors to the website and the usual number of phone calls we'll continue to be busy in the rehoming of collies needing our help. Of course at the same time 120+ dogs have come into the centre and like all rescue work it is like being on a treadmill. At the moment we do seem to be having a welcome lull in the number of calls for help but I know that ths will change at any moment - it always does.

Away from rehoming Trustees have been laying plans for an Enhancement area to provide some welcome relief from the kennels, esepcially for dogs that aren't coping well. The idea is to provide different surfaces, object to explore and generally enrich the lives of the dogs in our care. As with many of these ideas we are in the hands of the planning department even though this is on our own property but hopefully they will support us and we can move the idea forward.

We've a number of shows and events to attend over the summer months, unfortunately the weather at a recent agility show in Bakewell didn't look kindly on us and reduced the three days attendance to just one. One of our volunteers had more success at another show the same weekend in the West Midlands and I'm hoping this weekend is fine for our stand at Cartmel.

New items are still appearing in the Collie shop and our best seller from last year, the book - Motorway Walks is still attracting lots of orders but do keep an eye on the website for new collie related goodies.

So it's still business as normal, thanks for popping in - hope to see you again soon :-)

Ben

Spring is certianly here

2010-04-11T21:38:00.002+01:00

A few weeks again since the last entry - and what a difference a few weeks makes!!

The mower has been out twice already and looks like that'll be me booked once a week or so for a while now. Today Sue and I have been starting on fence painting and it's at times like this you wish you had brick walls.

The most important event recently has been the arrival of little Emma. She was found straying and taken to a Vets - bad enough for any dog but especially at no more than 12 weeks. When they checked her over they found she had a heart murmer. Murmers are measured on a scale of 1 to 6 and she's believed to be a 4.

But she's a lovely natured young dog and we're sure she can have a wonderful life somewhere. She'll be seeing our Vets tomorrow but the best news this weekend was that someone had already reserved her so we're all delighted for her.

Elsewhere we're gearing up for the summer shows and events we'll be attending, we have a number of training courses also lined up for the staff locally and I'm off on a First Aid course in a few days time. Did a lot of First Aid in my previous life but always good to update your skills.

Bye for now

Ben

Time flies

2010-02-17T19:49:00.002Z

I can't believe it's been so long since I last did a blog entry!!

After the relative quiet of Christmas, 2010 started as busy as ever. So far this year we've rehomed 64 dogs and admitted 65 so you can see it's been a busy few weeks. Of course the weather has not been at its kindest and we did have a couple of days where staff struggled to get in but nevertheless made it.

We'd arranged a number of admissions that had to cancel because of the snow and yet some brave souls still made their way to us to adopt.

You may have seen on the website that this year we've moving our Christmas Party to a new venue - Uttoxeter Racecourse. There will be much more parking, the room we hiring is much bigger and it's very handy for both the M6 and the M1 so we look forward to seeing you there in Novemeber. More details will be on the website and in our magazine later this year.

Baz one of our centre cats has not been well lately. We know he's at least 10 or 11 years and arthritis has taken its toll on him. Some TLC and new injections from the Vet seem to be helping a lot and we've even had a few offers of a home for him so maybe Baz will have a very happy retirement to look forward to.

We've been off to various parts of the country recently helping collies - Gretna Green, Pembroke and London just to name a few and I'm sure we'll clock up a few more miles before the years out.

Bye for now

Ben

Seasons Greetings

2009-12-23T15:05:00.002Z

Happy Christmas to all our supporters and thank you for your support, good wishes and of course the presents we've received recently for staff and dogs. It's all very much appreciated.

2009 has been another succesful year. Whilst there have no doubt been many collies we've been unable to help, by the end of this month almost 500 collies will have found new homes. This year we do seem to have seen a high number of collies with problems of all levels so to be able to find so many good homes is very rewarding.

Our Christmas Party in November was very busy (again) and raised just short of £2000 so well done to everyone who came along. Trustees realise that we may have now outgrown the Village Hall we've been using for many years and we will be considering this at our next meeting in early January. We have one very exciting idea in mind and subject to the agreement of all Trustees there will be more news on this soon.

2009 has also seen advances in giving staff a greater insight into dog behaviour and reviews of our rehoming and kennel practises have also resulted in changes for the better. This is always on going as we realise that we should always be looking to see how we can improve. Whilst not wishing to change for changes sake we never stop learning.

On a personal level it's been a pleasure speaking to so many of you, whether it be personally, on the phone, by email or on Facebook and Twitter. I know that the work we do helps so many unfortunate collies but also helps change the lives of many people for the better and we look forward to doing more of the same in 2010.

All the staff, Trustees and of course the collies who will share Christmas with us wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Bye for now

Ben

Christmas Party

2009-11-17T18:26:00.003Z

A reminder our annual party is on 29th November at Little Haywood Village Hall from 11am to 3pm. All the usual activities and refreshments, fun dog show (weather permitting) and of course Santa will be calling in to give all the dogs a present.

Tracey has finally finished wrapping all the surprise parcels in the office and doesn't want to see any more wrapping paper for months - when you see how many she's wrapped you'll understand why !!

Still lots of dogs coming in but homing has kept pace this year. No doubt it will slow down now as we approach Christmas. You'll all be delighted to know that following his appearance on The Paul O'Grady Show last month, Bono found a new home and has settled in very well.

Don't forget there's lots of Christmas cards and presents on the website and still plenty of time to order.

If you prefer a more high tech Christmas card then do follow the link to Charity Greetings and when every card, cards or boxed set you buy means a donation comes direct to us if you choose us as your charity.

Bye for now

Ben

Exciting news

2009-10-19T18:32:00.001+01:00

Can't believe it's 3 weeks since the last blog. Twitter and Facebook followers will already be aware but do make sure you tune into Paul O'Grady Show on Channel 4 Thursday 22nd October.

We were approached last week to see if we had any suitable dogs for featuring on the show and Bono, a deaf chap who came to us from another rescue was the lucky one. The show has been recorded today so we're looking forward to seeing him with his celebrity guest handler on Thursday.

Otherwise it's still busy, plenty of dogs finding homes and we're able to help many individual owners as a result as well as the rescues that ask us.

Cbristmas orders have also been coming in thick and fast. With the potential postal strike we would recommend getting your order in sooner rather than later. We will watch the situation and if necessary use alternative postal services to get parcels to our customers.

Finally don't forget our Christmas Party is on 29th November, usual venue (will soon be here!!)

Bye for now

Ben

Colour Coding review

2009-09-28T19:29:00.002+01:00

Regular visitors to the website and the centre will no doubt be well aware of our colour coding system which helps potential new owners identify suitable dogs for their needs, experience and capabilities as well as for use in the kennels by staff and volunteers.

After being in use for 18 months we felt is was time to take a fresh look and as a result we've made some slight changes. The defination of the colours has changed slightly and is in more detail, more importantly we've reduced the colours from four to three as we found it was sometimes difficult to decide between blue and purple and there was some concern that perhaps people were being put off purple dogs before they knew a little more about the reasons for this classification.

Rehoming still continues to keep us busy and of course that means we can call more dogs in that need our help.

Have you noticed the dark nights now drawing in? Soon comes around doesn't it, beofer you know about it we'll be talking about Christmas!! Speaking of which advance warning of our Christmas Party on Sunday 29th November :-)

Bye for now

Ben

Holiday time

2009-09-05T21:31:00.002+01:00

Those of you who follow us elsewhere will know Sir Reilly and his humans are taking their annual holiday during September and arrived at our first weeks base today. A lovely log cabin near Melrose. Next week we move onto the Isle of Skye for a week. Reilly will be posting photos and updates through Facebook and Twitter.

Back at the centre homing has continued to be busy, 7 new guests came in on Friday and there's chance we may have the patter of tiny feet in a few weeks - watch this space!!

Bye for now

Ben

Happy Days

2009-08-05T18:54:00.002+01:00

It's a really busy time at the moment. Plenty of dogs are still finding new homes and as a result we are able to call in lots as well. In addition our new computer software is coming along nicely. It's a steep learning curve for us all but we're enjoying the experience, even if it doesn't always go according to plan.

As part of this we had to improve our internet access so it was available in Reception and I managed to avoid the showers on Saturday to get this sorted giving a good signal throughout the Reception area. Along with other computer improvements, I'm certainly living up to my unofficial title as our IT expert (but believe you me it's very much with a small e!!)

We've now recovered from all the tiling work and hopefully after the building improvements we've made over the last few years we can have a bit of a rest now, although maintenance jobs are always cropping up. I've just come back from replacing a tap washer in the Boarding block !!

Plenty of shows being attended as well. I shall be a Catton Park with the Collie Shop on Sunday for an agility show, and we have a big show in Northamptonshire the following weekend.

And then in September I get to escape for two weeks - lucky aren't I :-)

Bye for now

Ben

Tiling finsihed

2009-07-26T16:57:00.002+01:00

Well the tiling is finished and all the kennels look really wonderful. With their new beds the dogs have real clean and comfortable rooms now.

It won't take long to fill up to our normal capacity now that the work is finished so this week will be busy arranging dogs coming in no doubt.

With 150 following us on Facebook and 139 on Twitter they continue to attract interest in our work and it might just be coincidence but visits to the website and especially the Collie Shop have also increased.

If you will be using the motorways this summer and looking for somewhere other than a service area to take a break and exercise your dog then do take a look at the new book in The Collie Shop - Motorway Walks - short walks for drivers and dogs. It's certainly become a very popular item already.

The BBQ summer they forecast hasn't quite made much of an appearance here at Colton and our new water butts have shown just how much rainwater falls on the house roof and the special needs kennel block !!

Bye for now

Ben

Tiling

2009-07-13T18:54:00.006+01:00

Two wings now completed and dogs enjoying not only the tiled kennel but also new beds.

Sponsor Dog Jess enjoying his new accomodation

Bye for now

Ben

It ain't half hot Mom

2009-07-02T15:53:00.002+01:00

Never happy with the weather are we? Well gives us something to talk about I suppose.

Work on the tiling is well underway and they are now working their way through the second block of kennels. And what a difference, I might move in myself :-)

After a slow start to June homing caught up and 33 dogs found new homes. Unfortunatly after our waiting list was reduced so well only a few weeks ago it has quickly grown back to normal and we've had to close it for a short while to see if we can catch up.

Social networking is a popular phrase and seeing how some other rescues used sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote rescue work, dog ownership and in fact anything that comes to mind got me thinking.

So for the last couple of weeks we've been found on Facebook and Twitter (sounds like a firm of solicitors in a Charles Dickens novel doesn't it?). We already have 68 "friends" on Facebook and 43 "followers" on Twitter so people must be interested !! Facebook has already developed it's first interest in rehoming a collie from us. I'm sure supporters do like to know what's going on and this is just an extension of our quarterly magazine and the website. To find out more follow the links from the website, even if you don't want to get involved with Twitter you can follow the updates on the website homepage.

Finally a new addition to our Collie Shop is entitled Motorway Walks, offering ideas for short walks and facilities close to motorway junctions the book has been published by Driving With Dogs an website featuring the same information. We are grateful to Lezli and David from Driving With Dogs who are supporting us with a donation from every copy sold. The book is available in our Collie Shop for £9.99 (+p&p). For those who do use the motorways and take their dogs with them, the book will be a very useful reference and remember - every purchase from our Collie Shop helps collies in need.

I shall be at Dogs Trust, Roden, Open Day on Sunday and we've a number of other shows lined up as well to visit. Catton Park in July and August and Kelmarsh Hall, Northants for the Kennel Club Agility Show from 14th to 16th August

Bye for now - keep cool

Ben

Sunshine at last

2009-06-24T08:07:00.002+01:00

Looks like summer has finally arrievd at Colton, suppose we better make the most of it though.

Facebook & Twitter are certainly attracting some interest and although we've not quite got as many followers on Twitter as Dogs Trust, it's growing slowly. Links from our website will take you to our pages on both these sites.

Work on tiling in the rescue block began on Monday. The walls are having to be lined first but the job is moving along quickly and already we can see one kennel half tiled - and very nice it looks too. It will make the kennel environment much easier to clean and offer as good a quality of accomodation I think you'll find anywhere (said modestly of course). Funding for this work was provided by a legacy, a donation from The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust and Gift Aid.

Gift Aid is so vital to all charities so please make sure that if you give any donation, no matter how small, you do let us know if you are a tax payer. We do have computer software looking after the Gift Aid but always need to know of any changes, especially if you no longer pay tax and even more importantly if you now pay tax having been a non tax payer for a while.

Homing has been a little bit slower this month, but that's not unusual. There are still plenty of dogs needing our help so everyone homed is a welcome empty kennel to another needy collie.

Bye for now

Ben

Progress marches on

2009-06-17T21:24:00.003+01:00

In 1992 we produced our first newsletter which grew to become Border Collie World, our quarterly magazine. For many years that was the only way to keep in touch with supporters and is still a big part of our public awareness.

Then along came the internet and from our early website we grew into the current format with over 300 hits a day. The came the blog, an email newsletter and now the two big internet crazes have been joined by BCT.

We signed up with Facebook a few weeks ago but only really started to progress with it in the last few days. Already we have 27 "friends" from people in the UK to Norway, Italy and Chile !! You can see us at http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Border-Collie-Trust/1571534722 or follow the link from the website homepage

And you can now find us on Twitter, yes it does seems a strange phenomena but you can't ignore the success it's having, so if you can't beat 'em join 'em!! You can read our "twittering" (is that a proper word now?) at http://twitter.com/bctgb or simply follow the updates on the website homepage.

So we look forward to your company however you decide to follow us.

Bye for now

Ben

Summers back

2009-06-10T18:41:00.002+01:00

Well what a weekend, don't know what the weather was like where you were - but it was certainly wet here!

Two Trustees, Bev & Ken were at an agility show over the weekend and despite the weather were very busy and in fact it was one of our most successful weekends, from a financial point of view ever.

We're getting ready for the tiling which starts in a week and half and looking forward to the improvement this will make.

Homing is still ticking along, it has been quieter than earlier this year but this is quite normal.

Not much else to report at the moment but it's certainly busy in many different ways :-)

Bye for now

Ben

A Generous Gesture

2009-05-28T18:48:00.002+01:00

The Dogs Today blog has a story running at the moment about nominations for smaller registered charities to be considered for a share in a legacy being considered by an animal lover. No doubt there will be many well deserving causes and like all of them £25,000 would make a marvellous difference to the collies in our care.

So if you feel able could you follow the link and nominate us please? If you have a special reason to share in the blog then please don't be shy, thank you for any support you can give.

http://coldwetnose.blogspot.com/2009/05/30-most-deserving-dog-charities-in.html

Bye for now

Ben

Still busy, busy, busy

2009-05-26T18:36:00.002+01:00

Another Bank Holiday over and another 9 lucky collies were off to new homes over the weekend. Homing still remains busy and what has been surprising is the number of mail orders in the last few weeks. It's been a very good month and we are very grateful for this support as always.

We've had some new (or perhaps read more) drainage installed in the paddock to try and help with our ongoing drainage problems and hopefully this will help - it certainly can't do any harm!!

Tiling of the rescue kennels starts next month so we will be running at slightly reduced capacity for a few weeks while the works done but the end result should be well worth it.

Of course the grass is growing faster than I can cut it at the moment - especially with the combination of warmth and rain.

Regular visitors will of course have heard of my own latest addition and I'm delighted to say Reilly continues to impress. I've never had a dog who I feel so comfortable about taking into other peoples houses and even meeting young childen. We went to a friends house on Sunday and her daughter is only two but a bit wary of "big" dogs. By the end of the afternoon they were sharing the sand pit and the best of friends !!

Having missed out on a holiday last year Sue and I were determined to manage one this year, it won't be our normal motorbike touring abroad but we've booked two cottages for one week each in Scotland later this year (if anyone wants a good website with lots of choice in Scotland do ask me) and of course Reilly will be coming along to meet the midges :-)

The new feature on the website showing pictures of recently homed dogs is proving very popular so thank you to all of you who pop in most days to see the lucky ones. Glad it's such a hit.

Bye for now

Ben

Anyone need a lifeboat!!

2009-05-17T16:04:00.002+01:00

Don't you just love summer. The last few days have been "mixed" to say the least and we seem to be in a monsoon moment as I type.

The weather is putting back some extra drainage work we're having done which will hopefully alievate some of the problems we have around the paddock, especially during heavy periods of rain. Unfortunately we'll never cure it completely as we are surrounded by clay but this will certainly help.

Thanks to a generous donation from The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust work will begin next month on tiling the rescue kennels. This will be the culmination of the dreams from over 12 years ago and bring the kennels to a high standard. Careful housekeeping during the last few years and the donation mena we are now in a position to have the work done which is expected to take about 4 weeks. The kennels will continue to operate of course but at a slightly reduced capacity for a while.

Bye for now

Ben

Photos of dogs who've found a new home

2009-05-06T18:38:00.002+01:00

Whilst we don't show photos of dogs looking for new homes (but will send a photo if really needed) we did discuss at a recent Trustees meeting that would look into showing photos of some of the lucky collies who've found a new home.

After some searching of the internet we found a solution to not only the use of photos in-house but also having photos on the website. So instead of having to do a job 3 or 4 times it's now very easy to use photos for different purposes with a minimum of time and effort (thanks Google!!).

You can find a link to the new section on the homepage of the website and also a link via the Dogs for Rehoming page and this will be updated automatically as new dogs find their new homes.

We hope you enjoy a brief look at the lucky ones.

Bye for now

Ben

Some better news for a change

2009-05-05T18:59:00.004+01:00

Thank you to all those who've emailed and even rung the office to offer condolences after losing Taffy - it's much appreciated.

Homing is still going well - we even have quite a few empty kennels at the moment, not that it'll stay like that for long with up to 16 dogs arranged to come in by the end of next week. We're also getting into the "show" season and I'm at Cannock Chase on Saturday (9th) for a Canine Awareness Day.

I also have some good news to share for a change. After our sad personal loss recently I'm delighted to introduce a new addition to the Wilkes household. It's quite a story of fate really. We'd arranged to help a collie in Ireland by bringing him back with us from the recent conference. The arrangements had been made a couple of weeks before we went so I had no way of knowing that on the very day Taff left us I'd meet Reilly (Freddy as he was known then) within a couple of hours of that happening.

There was just some strange spark as I saw him waiting outside the hotel in Dublin and after a couple of days thinking about it Sue and I decided to give him a home with us.

So meet Reilly, as you can see he's a handsome chap and settled into his new home very quickly.

It's always strange having a new dog come into your life but he's certainly doing his bit to help and we can't ask for more can we?

Whilst Taffy would never go out of his way to look for trouble with other dogs he was certainly not one who liked to interact with them - except for Sheba of course so the biggest change is getting used to a dog who just wants to say hello to every dog he meets.

We're hoping the weather stays fine on Friday because it could be his first trip to Formby Sands, a place that's just ideal for dogs.

Can I just remind everyone of the various fundraising links on the website like Buy At and EasyFundraising as they will certainly help with fundraising due the current economic situation.

Bye for now

Ben

End of an era - again

2009-04-23T15:50:00.004+01:00

I'm afraid the bad luck continues. I'm currently in Dublin, having been to the annual conference of the ADCH. Myself, Sue and Lisa the Asst. Manager came over on Tuesday and first thing Wednesday morning came a phone call from Ken, our Chairman, who is staying at the centre in my abscence. Taffy our 14.5 year old collie had suffered a stroke and been rushed to the vets. Little I could do in Dublin but keep in constant contact with Rachel the kennel manager. Unfortunately, at 3.30pm today we made the decision that Taffy was unable to fight off the effects and so I've lost a true friend.

It is indeed the end of an era for me personally, Taffy was my introduction to Border Collie Trust in 1995 and there's no doubt that had fate not bought us together I'd still be retired but not as involved in something that can make so much difference to the lives of so many border collies.

It's only in the last 5 years that I've come to really appreciate how lucky we were with Taffy. I now see all the mistakes I made, that with many other dogs would have led to many problems. Yet despite my poor skills he taught me all that is good about collies. His intelligence was second to none. His trick with video tapes became a party piece he was delighted to perform until DVD took over. His ability to know toys by name never ceased to amaze me and even when he became deaf about 18 months ago he seemed to understand sign language straight away.

So having lost Sheba in November and now Taff, Sue and I are "dog less" for the first time in almost 15 years. It will seem very strange arriving home in the early hours of tomorrow and not see his happy face to welcome us. Of late old age had certainly crept up on him, his back legs were obviously beginning to reduce his mobility but fish oil, fish based food and other natural products had put a little bit of a spring in his step.

I'm grateful for his sake that his parting was fairly quick, I'm sad that I couldn't be there to say goodbye but as we had a telepathic link between us I know he'll have heard me. I don't suppose it'll take long before another collie moves into our home but as all of us who've been owned by a collie know, we can never forget each one who is so special in their own unique way.

I'm sure Sheba will be delighted to meet Taffy again and give her the opportunity to boss him about - but only when it's dark of course.

Despite this the conference was a wonderful event as always and we return with lots of ideas to consider.

If you're having a drink tonight please join me in raising a toast to the collies who have made our lives so special during the short time we're lucky enough to spend with them.

Bye for now

Ben

Easter Chain Saw Massacre

2009-04-12T18:18:00.002+01:00

No I haven't had an enormous easter egg and needed a chain saw to get into it. But it's certainly been a busy day from a "gardening" point of view. While I put the chain saw to good effect in the paddock tyding up some overgrown and fallen branches, Sue was sorting out the memorial garden area. Feeling the effects of using a chain saw for five hours but it's one of those jobs I've been wanting to get done for ages. Haven't quite finished it but ran out of chain saw oil !!

Dogs wise it's been a quiet weekend. Friday was a busy day but it's been mainly dogs coming in over the weekend.

More gardening type work tomorrow then back in the office Tuesday for a rest !!

Bye for now

Ben

Change of luck needed

2009-04-08T19:17:00.003+01:00

We seem to be going through one of those bad runs of luck at the moment. Patch and a young pup were taken from us at the beginning of the month. Then things seemed to brighten up when Shaun found a foster home. Unfortunately some of his behaviour was worrying the foster home and although, as far as we've seen, this behaviour has not progressed to anything serious we obviously couldn't take chances. So he came back to us. There are some positives to take from his time in a home as most of his life was spent in a barn having food thrown in now and again - so he can be forgiven for being a bit off now and again I suppose !!

Yesterday we homed a smashing young chap who had been with us almost two weeks. A few hours later his new owner rang to say he seemed really unwell. He'd been okay when he left and from the description it was obviously not just down to the stress of the move. Fortunately they were only 15 minutes away so having collected Rachel, the kennel manager, we visited and it was obvious he needed to see a vet. An hour or so after getting him to our vet he passed away and a post mortem revealed he'd most likely died from an internal bleed that was of natural causes. Although the worry of some infection going around was lifted it was still an upsetting end for all involved.

The joys of rescue work bring such highs and lows and you have to go with the punches at times but please keep your fingers crossed for some good luck from now on !!

Bye for now

Ben

End of an era

2009-04-01T09:37:00.003+01:00

A sad day today - Patch a long standing sponsor dog has passed away. We received a phone call from his foster home today, he'd been less mobile for some time and over the weekend was even more reluctant to get up and go outside and so following the vets advice he was peacefully released from his pain.

Patch came to us in November 1997 from Wales and although he found a home he was returned and it did seem that Patch was going to be one of those dogs who would just never take to life in a home. He had serious problems with other dogs in the early days and staff who remember him found walking him hard work!! He did though love the kennels and so soon became the "original" BCT Sponsor Dog.

Over the years his temperament mellowed and he really grew to love people and I'm sure those sponsors who used to visit him will remember his cheeky looks.

We never really knew his age, when he came to us it was estimated to be about 5 to 7 years so even at the lower figure he reached a grand age.

In 2006 he went to stay for a weekend with a then member of staff Ann, and never came back. His behaviour towards other dogs seemed to change overnight and he lived the last two and a half years quite happily with two other dogs and six cats - and that's what you call mellowed !!

Our grateful thanks go to Ann for giving him some home comforts in the autumn of his life and for caring for him through his recent ill health. We will of course be writing to all Patch's sponsors in due course.

Rest easy Patch.

Sad news apart it's been a busy week as it's the end of our financial year so I've got all that side to deal with and of course the stock taking. Dogs are still finding homes but we did have more upset when a litter of pups came to us from another rescue recently and two seemed to go downhill within hours of being here. They were rushed to our vet and kept in but unfortunately one passed away two days later, the second seems to have made a full recovery and will be back with us today.

Bye for now

Ben

Pedigree Walk

2009-03-20T19:46:00.002Z

I couldn't have asked for better weather could I? For our leg of The Pedigree Tag Team Walk from Lands End to John O'Groats we had probably the warmest day of the year, but not too hot.

Freya who came with me on the walk really enjoyed herself and certainly made lots of new admirers on the way.

My wife, Sue came as back up (in other words to drive our van from start to finish) and a good day was had by all. Some photos can be found on the website following the link to The Pedigree page.

Bye for now

Ben

Pedigree Adoption Drive - Tag Team Walk

2009-03-17T18:38:00.003Z

If you haven't followed the link on the site to The Pedigree Dog Tag Team 2009 Lands End to John O'Groats walk do take a look

The Trust is doing its bit and I'll be walking on Friday from Hampton Lucy to Ashorne in Warwickshire. One of the dogs from the centre will be with me so lets hope the weather stays good !! I would have taken Taffy but his back legs have been playing him up recently and although it's not very far I think it might be just too much for him.

The Adoption Drive benefits many rescues and indeed we were fortunate to receive a welcome grant from last years Drive which is helping to fund our neutering scheme so we thought it important to at least show our support by taking part in this unique event.

Please do consider making a donation however small as it all helps rescue dogs throughout the UK.

I'll let you know how it went later !!

Bye for now

Ben

Crufts

2009-03-12T13:32:00.002Z

So it's over for another year and after lots of speculation about how successful this years Crufts would be I can only say that from our view point it was a very successful show.

Financially sales were as good as last year and with the bonus of a rescue stand by The Kennel Club area on Sunday we certainly were able to get our message across to lots of visitors. I'm sure we'll hear all about the number of visitors in due course - but a good event for us and thank you to all who supported us.

Homing remains very busy and this is helping us really keep on top of our waiting list at the moment. I've just got back from Wales with three more and we're waiting for several others from their own homes as well.

Bye for now

Ben

Another good news day

2009-03-05T20:17:00.003Z

So first day at Crufts - been quite busy - but that was all overshadowed when we received a call to say that the dog who went missing before Christmas and who I spend hours tracking around the village had been found safe and well.

She was found having been seen hiding in an old vehicle on a farm between Uttoxeter and Stoke, which for those who know the area is quite a jaunt from us. We'll never know where she's been in the ten weeks she's been missing but she looks none the worse for wear and we are of course delighted and relieved that she's back with us. Another good advert for microchipping though !!

Bye for now

Ben

We're ready for Crufts

2009-03-04T19:38:00.002Z

Well it was set-up day today and the stall is ready and waiting for all the friends and supporters we'll (hopefully) see over the next few days.

It's a hectic four days for us and I've managed to work a day off this year for the first time for about six or seven years. Mind you I'm only having a day off so I can keep up to date with the usual office/admin stuff at the centre so that next Monday I don't look at the van to empty, the Crufts sales to work out and four days worth of paperwork to keep me busy !!

Been a busy few days at the centre with 11 admissions on Tuesday and two today.

Just a brief update today, I'm afraid I now need to relax with a glass of wine, a home made mince pie and watch TV - it's all good preparation for Crufts :-)

Bye for now

Ben

A question

2009-02-27T18:31:00.002Z

But before the question - an update on Tia. She'd doing fine and enjoying the scambled egg Sue keeps cooking for her each morning !!

Her owners will be repairing the fence and putting up watch towers and alarms to ensure she can't under any circumstances escape again and hopefully she'll be going back to them on Sunday.

So - the question, well there's two actually.

Some of you may already have been asked in the email newsletter that goes out, if so - return to the Sheep Game again :-)

But if not and you subscribe to Border Collie World would you prefer a printed copy or would you be happy to receive an email copy - or download one?

Secondly - for many years we've not shown photos generally on the website for dogs that are looking for a new home. The reason? We feel that on occasions people may be influenced in a positive, or negative way in respect of a particular dog, simply based on it's looks. Often we find that having discussed with staff a particular dog, a visitor may find it is just the right one for them, despite not initially meeting the looks they would consider. We've always said that if it is vital that a photo is needed we will try to help by emailing one.

But we're always open to comments from our supporters and those interested in our work - so what do you think. Does not having photos make you less likely - or even more likely to come to us? Do our reasons for not showing photos seem reasonable? Your views on these and anything else you feel relevant on this subject would be gratefully receieved so please do email us on info@bordercollietrustgb.org.uk

Bye for now

Ben

A Good News Day

2009-02-25T15:32:00.003Z

Tia is safe and back with us!!

Rachel and Lisa went out today when we learned she had been spotted yesterday afternoon (after I'd left - typical) not that far from home. Armed with our trap, net, dogs and assorted paraphernalia they set off in pursuit. After a couple of hours she was spotted in the same field she had been seen yesterday and with the aid of some cheese and gentle persuasion she eventually surrended to Lisa.

Another happy ending

Ben

Busy, busy, busy

2009-02-24T18:22:00.003Z

Once again, sorry it's been a while but I can't believe where the time goes. One minute it's early February, next it's almost over.

Of course getting ready for the NEC Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show and then quickly followed by Crufts tends to keep us occupied, apart from all the usual stuff. The NEC show went very well and overall we saw a good attendance and quite some interest in our work which is exactly why we go.

At the kennels it's been a roller coaster of emotions recently. Still lots of dogs finding homes and plenty of dogs coming in from our waiting list but with the loss of another dog only shortly after homing it's dealt us a bit of a body blow. Tia was the last of 6 very shy and almost feral dogs we rescued last March and we were delighted when she found a home at the weekend with a couple who'd already rehomed a blind dog from us. We knew it would take a while for Tia to bond in anyway with them so they were fully aware of her issues.Unfortunately within a short time of arriving home she managed to slip past them into the rear garden and apparantly simply threw herself through the fence before disappearing into open countryside.

All the usual avenues have been dealt with and I've been out for a few hours today looking for any signs but without success. It's upsetting but when we look at the nature of some of the dogs we've taken in over the last two or three years and the success we've had with the majority I suppose we have to accept the ones where things like this happen and just try to ensure that we do everything we can to reduce the chances. All we can do know is keep our fingers crossed.

On a happier note there's a few new lines appearing in the collie shop and after the success of our showerproof fleeces over the last few years we hope the soft shell jacket we have on sale at Crufts (and on the website soon) will be as big a hit.

Don't forget if you are at Crufts do come and see us Hall 2 Stand 28

Bye for now

Ben

Another landmark - almost there

2009-02-08T10:34:00.002Z

You might remember I recently mentioned that visits to the website were approaching 500,000. Well it's probably only 3 or 4 days away !!

As of this morning just 1039 visitors are needed to clock up the half million. The website in its current guise was first launched on 10th July 2002 and clocked up 16,000 visits that year, last year it was 102,000.

So I'll be keeping a close watch over the next few days and whilst I can't identify the person who hits the magic number, I'll be able to give you lots of information which you might just recognise as you :-)

The snow has just about left us now but the effect will be a round for a while as everywhere is so water logged. With the possibility of more snow tonight and continued low temperatures it looks like we'll be having the heating on for quite a while yet !!

Bye for now

Ben

Snow joke

2009-02-02T16:12:00.002Z

So - soon be spring then eh? That's why the entire country has ground to halt then?

We had quite a settling of snow overnight but fortunately most staff managed to get to work. The problems came later on, after more snow and especially after the skip emptying wagon had been on our car park and turned all the snow into an ice rink.

So at 12 noon as I glanced out the office window, all I could see where two BT vans and a couriers van doing their own version of Dancing On Ice.

Never one to miss an opportunity to play with my Mitsubishi 4 wheel drive I was out like a shot and three vans and two cars later everyone was on their way!! Don't get to need 4 wheel drive and all its fancy gearboxes very often but it left the drivers impressed with its capability.

Helped another car this afternoon and yes I'm like a big kid playing with his toys - but I don't care :-)

Well what a busy month during January. 61 dogs found new homes which is our best ever month and very welcome in light of the number of dogs we've been asked to help recently and also in light of the current economic situation.

Plans are underway not only for Crufts next month but for our stand at The Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show at the NEC in a couple of weeks.

Right I'm off to polish the tow rope again as I'm sure it hasn't seen its last outing this winter!!

Bye for now

Ben

Happy New Year

2009-01-10T19:10:00.002Z

Yes, happy 2009 to all our visitors and I hope that despite the current gloom - and bad weather - everyone enjoys the year to come.

It's certainly been an eventful few weeks since the last entry. You will no doubt have read Punkys story and I hoped that would be the last of those sort of events for a while, but it wasn't to be.

A few days before Christmas a volunteer at the centre had the misfortune to lose one of our dogs. A shy and nervous dog, she managed to get out of her collar before he realised what was happening. We immediately began searching and for the next few days I got to know Colton as well as if I'd lived here all my life!! Despite a number of sightings we just couldn't get near her. I was out late at night and spotted her most nights.

On Boxing Day afternoon we came as close as ever to catching her when she was corned in a garden but unfortunately a passing car frightened her and she bolted yet again.

Unfortunately after a few days the sightings stopped and despite posters, leaflets and a press appeal we've heard nothing since. It was most upsetting and only the second time in 12 years that we've lost a dog in this way.

Then a week or so ago another dog who had been homed managed to make a bid for freedom in the Telford area - I'm glad to say that after a couple of days he surrended to a passer by and is now safe and well at his new home.

So I hope that as things come in threes - that's our lot for now !!

It's been a very busy few days this week with 21 dogs being admitted, 14 of which are pups about 3 months old. Homing still remains very busy which is vital if we are to be able to call this number of dogs in.

The website is certainly attracting some attention as well and has seen well over 300 visits every day this year so far. Speaking of which, this year will see the website reach a small milestone with its 500,000 visitor and I'm expecting that to happen either in February or March. There's no doubt the website and of course the internet plays a great part in bringing awareness and thats shown in the "viewing" figures - 16,000 in 2002, 70,000 in 2005 and a 102,000 last year. Long may in continue and thank you to all those who keep popping into the site to keep up to date with what's happening.

Well that's me done for now

Bye

Ben

Just a normal day - well okay not quite !!

2008-12-17T19:34:00.004Z

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?

2008-12-12T22:22:00.002Z

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

2008-11-30T19:02:00.003Z

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

2008-11-25T14:52:00.003Z

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

2008-11-12T19:43:00.003Z

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

2008-11-05T08:31:00.012Z

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

2008-11-03T18:54:00.002Z

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 !!

2008-10-21T19:54:00.002+01:00

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

2008-10-11T19:26:00.002+01:00

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

2008-10-04T17:01:00.002+01:00

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

2008-09-27T17:24:00.002+01:00

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

2008-09-23T17:13:00.003+01:00

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

2008-09-18T16:18:00.003+01:00

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

2008-09-11T15:08:00.002+01:00

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

2008-09-10T15:55:00.004+01:00

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

2008-08-30T18:25:00.004+01:00

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

2008-08-28T11:42:00.010+01:00

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