Mrs Mop

I am so sorry you have lost Cassie, So many dogs going to the Bridge at the moment.

I think you may be even madder than I am Cher She is adorable, so cute but you are welcome to the puppy problems, Dolly is over them.

Dolly had a good night, she slept in a crate in my bedroom, the only time she made a noise was when I got up to clear Ellie's breathing hole. She is now completely with my other dogs, theirs and her choice, and is getting on well with them. They keep having a mad 5 minutes then sleeping, they are all asleep now. Some pictures I took this morning, the first she is on the back of the Sofa I bought for Merlin

My new addition, Dolly Mixture, she is supposed to be a year old and is only tiny, looks like a Spaniel/Dachshund, she jumped the baby gate to get to my dogs and jumped into the sink to get a drink of water, she was so thirsty I had to ration the water for a while. This is her pound picture and the one I fell in love with. Taken since I got home, sorry they are not very good.

I suspect it is more a case of the police won't go into Croxteth.

I am sending Sir H Reiki to help him pass over, it does help and I always give Reiki as my dogs are going. Run free Sir H, you will be well looked after at the Rainbow Bridge.

I am so sorry you have lost Lucy, run free little girl, you will be well looked after there and have Merlin for company.

I have just checked to make sure I am up todate with Nazz, he is going to a rescue on Thursday. With the way things were with Merlin, I had got a bit behind, sorry.

9th September 2000 to 3rd May 2010 Merlin was born and raced in Northern Ireland then abandoned and was found in a pound with very little time left. It was thanks to a wonderful lady who saw him in the pound and got him out that I had the pleasure of 6.5 years loving him. Greyhound Action Scotland, along with 3 other Greyhounds, brought him across from Northern Ireland and rehomed him to me. He was in a terrible state when he arrived and also had a small cut on his tail. Two days later the end of his tail blew off with infection and the vet had to take 6 inches off it. Merlin was so full of infection that it took 2 double courses of antibiotics then a double course of the 2 stongest antibiotics that my vet had to clear the infection from him, he then grew 2ins. Merlin was such a gentle dog, no matter where he went everyone loved him, when taken into hospital to visit my husband it would take me at least an hour to get to him because everyone wanted to stroke and talk to Merlin and he adored all the attention. He was especially good with the really sick and old people and was tall enough to reach across the trollies for them. He became well known at the vets, first he managed to get a box of Chocolates off a shelf 7ft off the ground, ate the lot, cardboard box, Christmas wrapping paper and wrappers. When the vets opened him up, many of the chocolates were still in the wrappers. Next he managed to open a cupboard door that I thought I had made Merlin proof, he took out a bottle of salmon oil, managed to get the screw top off and ate about 40 capsuls, I let the vets deal with it. Merlin wasn’t very bright unless food was involved then he was very crafty, he became very obedient especially his recall, that was as near 100% as a dog can get. He had his problems when he first came, resource and food guarding were really bad but thanks to his love of food was easily sorted. He refused to leave my side when I let him off the lead, he stuck to me like glue but on an extending lead, he would investigate. In March 2007 he was diagnosed with a disc problem in his spine, my vets operated, it is an animal hospital and there are quite a lot of consultants there as well as 2 orthopaedic ones, the disc has slipped and calcified, the vet had to use a small hammer and chisel to get it away from the spinal cord, it was in danger of cutting through it. Merlin made a quick recovery free of pain. In March 2009 he was diagnosed with the early stages of kidney failure which my vets managed to keep like this until he became ill on 1st May. He also developed another problem which my vets couldn’t find, it was discovered after an MRI scan that he kept trapping a nerve in his spine so sometimes was in pain. When I got up on 1st May, Merlin was ill, I took him to the vets but he gradually deteriated. He was admitted to the hospital and had wonderful care, nothing was too much trouble for them. I was asked what was his favourite foods, they went and bought fish as he adores that. On 3rd May at 5.15pm I had a phone call from the vet, Merlin was deteriating and starting to suffer, so off I went to be with him so he could join his sister Gracie and brother Joe who he was really attached to. Merlin passed away at 6.15pm. Thank you Lisa and everyone at Gap for Merlin. Merlin when he arrived from Northern Ireland, 2 days before he came to me. 6 months later playing with his sister Gracie. He loved to sleep like this in the caravan, he put the pillow there himself. One of my favourite pictures.

I phoned the vet at 3.45 and there was no change, at 5.15 the vet phoned, he has deteriated, after a discussion the decision was made to let him go so I drove to the vets to be with him. In the short time since I saw him this morning he had deteriated. I was taken round to the kennel he was in and gave him Reiki as he passed over. Run free at the Bridge darling, you are now back with Joe, Gracie and your dad who will all look after you.

The vet phoned just after 9am, she is very worried about Merlin, his protein levels are low, they can give this by infusion but it may not do any good. He is on a drip to keep him hydrated but if they put too much in it will take the protein much lower, it is a very fine balance. He is still not eating so I have been there to try and get him to eat, he love sardines, mackeral, tuna etc but wouldn't eat any of this either, I have left them there for him. He even refused Reiki which isn't good. Shona the vet came to talk to me to discuss how much they can do, they like me thing he isn't going to pull through but as he is comfortable and not in pain, they are giving him another 24 hours. He did perk up a little after I got there but not a lot. I think he has given up and wants to join Joe and Gracie, if that is what he wants, then I will let him.

Bonnie and Tilly travel in a crate in the boot, Merlin and Ellie on the back seat with harnesses attached to the seat belts. When I had 6 dogs, Joe was on the back seat and Gracie on the front seat, both with harnesses attached to the seatbelts.

I phoned the vet when I got up a 7am, there is no change, it took 2 of them to give him a small walk so he could toilet, they have a towel round his middle in case he falls. He is still refusing to eat, this is unheard of with Merlin, he even refused roast chicken. I just need to wait for the vet to phone after the ward rounds this morning, hopefully they don't have many animals in so they will be over quicker.

The vet phoned, it isn't looking good, his creatin levels are up even though he has been on a drip for so long, he is sitting up watching what is going on which is a good sign. They are trying to chase up some blood tests that haven't come back, Adam the consultant phoned in this morning and has been told about Merlin, he may have a kidney infection which only these blood tests will show but they have been pumping him with antibiots since he went in yesterday. Rachel the vet who phoned isn't very hopefully but did say that a lot can happen in the next 24 hours and asked if she could have this to see if there is an improvement. Of course I said yes, I don't want him suffering but he has to have a chance if there is one and he isn't suffering at the moment, if he does start to suffer they will contact me.

Merlin has had a comfortable night, it was the male nurse on and he is so caring with the animals. Merlin can't go through the night, I usually get up to let him out betwee 4 and 5am, the nurse took him out then as well. His temperature is now withing the normal range, he hasn't eaten yet but that doesn't surprise me. A vet will phone me after the ward rounds have been done and give me a full update on what they have done and planning to do. Thank you so much for your healing thoughts for Merlin and support for me. Having lost Gracie last September and Joe 8 weeks ago, not sure I can take another.

My darling boy Merlin is in the vets in renel failure, they are fighting to save him, please can he have lots of healing thoughts.

We didn't get to know until late afternoon, Andrea is phoning as many rescues as she can to see if anyone can take him.

Unfortunately Brandy has been returned to the pound, the people kept him a week then said he doesn't get on with other dogs but they pound haven't had this problem. Brandy can go as soon as there is a place for him. He is an old man who just wants a place to call home.

Poor Henry, nobody wants him so he is still in the pound Homeless Hounds will neuter Henry if a rescue can take him.

Nazz is an 13 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, he was picked up by the Dog Warden, he isn’t in very good condition and may be a bit deaf. He is micro chipped but his owners moved in 2005, vets have been checked to see if he is registered with any of them but none know him. Naz was in the van with another dog when he was picked up and showed no aggression, he hasn’t showed any in the pound either. Nazz is at the age where he needs to be in front of a goof fire on a comfy rug instead of being in the pound. Please can any rescue help Nazz, his seven days are up next Monday but this pound will keep the dogs if there is room so not in immediate danger of being pts.

My bedroom furniture was teak, it was bought in 1967 and was looking tired so I painted it white, it was the best think I did, it is no longer drab and dreary. Is it possible for you to paint the pine? It will give you more scope for decorating.

When Homeless Hounds was started we only expected to find places for the odd dog or 2, this year it has been a lot more than that, to date we have found places for 46 dogs, these are the breeds. ABD = 2 ABD X = 1 Border Collie = 4 Boxer = 2 BreEd X = 1 Collie X = 3 Cross breed = 11 Great Dane X = 2 GSD = 1 GSD/Lab = 1 GSD/Rottie = 1 GSD X = 1 JRT = 1 JRT X = 2 Labrador = 3 Labrador/Staffy = 1 Lurcher = 1 Mastiff X = 2 Patterdale X = 2 Rottie = 4 Scottie = 1 Staffy = 11 Staffy X = 9 Yorkie = 1 Total 46 dogs safe We started out with nothing, we still have nothing but these dogs all are alive and able to live decent lives thanks to the wonderful rescues that have taken them for us. Thank you Rescues and everyone else who has helped get these dogs to safety including the transporters and fosterers.

I have just attacked the press for encouraging idiots to have dogs that are aggressive by the way they are reporting them. Accused them of putting money before children. The press could do a lot to help promote having a well trained dog instead they are promoting to the idiots to have aggressive dogs by the way they are reporting these incidents.

Talking about pulling, a friend in the USA adopted a young adult GSD, he is on the big side and she is only small. Over the year she has had him he has pulled her over several times and caused several injuries with the pulling. Trainers have told her to use a prong or e collar but she refuses. Seeing someone on another board use a Dog Games harness she got one for him. Success, the pulling improved tremdously, and she can hold her dog.

Run free Sian, to your foster family who gave you everything you needed as well as lots of love.