Alison

How frightening - I'm so sorry but fingers crossed, Teckno will be restored to good health again very soon

Hear hear! For a long time I've known and worked closely alongside some of the people affected and until this thread, I hadn't a clue. I can honestly say that not one of them has ever uttered a bad word about DP to me. Looking at some of the evidence-backed stuff, I find that incredibly dignified. I'm saddened that some people are upset to the point where they're questioning their input in terms of volunteering. Easy for me to say as I've not been insulted in any way, but please rise above it and keep on keeping on The animals need you and appreciate what you do for them. Daft politics/egos or whatever are not their fault.

Sorry I'm late too Happy Anniversary, hope you have a lovely week of celebrations

Me too (well I was on Sunday). Worried to bits about Will and the buzzard. Any news on Owen's sentencing yet? Not caught up since the weekend.

I've decided to make a direct donation rather than contributing to the auction this time. Hope that's OK

In light of the controversy I've decided to make a direct donation rather than contributing to the auction this time. Hope that's OK

I'm doing that homecheck - if things aren't right there, could I have first refusal please? Too, too gorgeous for words

I'm a beekeeper - got into it 20 odd years ago because my husband at the time had read something about a tablespoon of local honey a day keeping the doctor at bay. I've got a couple of hives and sell every jar I produce to local hayfever sufferers who swear by it (including my ex.). I think it's something to do with a homeopathic theory. Despite the foregoing, I'm a Beconase gal. Honey somehow just seems such a wimpy remedy by comparison.

Belated birthday greetings for yesterday and premature congratulations on your Gotcha Anniversary tomorrow! Alison & Sol xx

Many Happy Returns, Emma! Hope you're having a lovely day with lots of nice things. Alison xx & Sol xx

What a great place! I hope you'll be very happy there

A name change to Jack! This thread can now be closed. Many thanks to all who wished this boy well and helped him on his way

You don't, believe me!

I've only just seen this thread and ironically, I worry about Sol not peeing enough He eats only Burgess Supadog Sensitive (free feeds, food available 24 hours per day with no set meal times) and seems to drink plenty. It goes without saying that fresh water is always available to him. He has Burgess because a) he suffers from colitis type digestive problems if he has anything else and b) it's what he chooses. Between Clazuk and his previous owner, they found out that he prefers it without anything like tinned dog food added. I think my concern is a hangover from the experience of managing my Weimaraner's transitional cell carcinoma which I did very effectively for 2 years or so. I got a bit obssessive about colourless clear wee and there being copious amounts of it! I was advised by the vet that this was what I should be looking to achieve. Melvin Weimaraner was fed on Eukanuba throughout his life. Sol can go for 18 hours and more without needing a pee - no cruelty was involved in discovering this fact btw., as I'm sure you'd know. These have been occasions when I've been ill and where the back door is open giving him free access to the garden. He simply prefers staying in bed unless a walk is on offer. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I've always done is let the dog out to relieve him/herself but Sol won't shift until he knows I'm 100% ready to take him for his walk. He actually pulls the bedclothes over himself and hides his face to make it plain that he doesn't want to go out into the garden. If I'm having a "dressed up" day at work with full makeup and everything, I might not leave the house until 2 hours after I've woken up. I've been accustomed from early childhood to think: "dog has woken, first thing he/she'll need to do is empty tanks". It seems so logical. Even once we've left the house, Sol will often walk for up to 10 minutes before he finds what he deems to be the right spot. I'd have thought he'd be busting but even then he'll just pee a modest amount followed by more modest amounts as he finds further suitable spots. His urine is quite a dark yellow but not smelly (please don't ask me how I know this!) Sol's stools, like Dukes, are dry and firm. I'd been thinking that perhaps it is the Supadog Sensitive meaning less moisture is being absorbed into the system. Maybe the Regular food has this effect to a more powerful degree if it's helping with Duke's urgency issues? I hope the effect is a lasting one, Mommy Bear I've asked the vet when Sol has been for routine visits - in fact I've seen several vets in the practice and none are concerned at all. Do you think I ought to insist on tests or something or am I whittling about nothing?

Just quangos, health and safety madness and Harriet Harman today.

Rainbow dogs if that's OK: Melvin - bold Frisby - neurotic

Funny that this thread has been resurrected - I'd intended to venture here this very day and post the details of my latest ordeal. I was subjected to the (happily) long forgotten nightmare of TEA COSIES today. Ffs Doyleys were also involved I hate the fact that this really is the correct spelling as it's so painfully close to Mrs Doyle. Do you see how tea torment conspires against me on every level? No, of course you don't. To be brutally frank, I've sensed little sympathy for my plight in this thread so far and suspect that my "friends" here are not taking my problem seriously On the upside though, my Dad - definitely on the tea "sh*t list" although not at the top as Abby is currently in that spot - did have some comeuppance today at the hands of an Avon Lady. Not specifically tea-related but I felt that at least some justice had been served.

Sol - Perfect

Space there now dudey one!

My PM box here is empty for once so if you let me have your e-mail address I can send you the whole book either in Word or PDF format. I received it from the publishers last month or the one before that - can't remember. Some of the pics look mega scrummy. Not got round to trying any of the recipes out yet though! Edited to say that if anyone wants Jamie's latest book on pre-release or whatever it's called, PM me your e-mail addy and I'll send it

Too late to edit, but if you want the recipes and pics as they appear in the book, PM me your e-mail address

Have the whole book on PDF for free if anyone wants it.

Thanks Fee I only mentioned the toilet/shoelaces things as they were cited in the case of this particular lad's level of disability - or should I say "differently abledness? I genuinely am bewildered these days. I want to use the right terms but in most cases simply don't know what they are because they seem to change by the minute I know that there are youngsters with Down's Syndrome who have achieved the Duke Of Edinburgh Gold Award amongst other great attainments. Their level of ability is patently different to that of the poor boy who unwittingly found himself at the centre of this ludicrous débâcle I've reflected on what I said previously. I freely confess to being offended by some things that people say, yet am paradoxically irritated that I have to choose my own words carefully for fear of offending others (hence my remark about my own hypocrisy). In my ideal world, all of us would be a little thicker skinned in terms of things said [to us] and a little more sensitive about how we word things ourselves. At the moment the balance seems out of kilter and everything is too extreme. We're offended too easily and should only take umbrage at remarks that are genuinely malicious and intended to cause hurt or distress. Had the whoever they are powers that be who subjected the aforementoned boy to the ordeal that he was forced to undergo lived by this tenet, he'd never have found himself in court or even being questioned. Am I the only one here whose ancient Gran thinks nothing of going into the wool shop and ordering a certain shade of brown yarn by its old fashioned name? Is she remotely aware that this is no longer a PC thing to say? Is she deliberately setting out to disparage a whole section of a particular ethnic community? Of course not. That to me is the difference between being too old to be PC and yet not in any way setting out to be deliberately offensive. Just for the record I would like to state publicly that I still despise John Prescott as a "soi disant" politician and it has nothing to do with his bulimia

I rather preferred it when the links weren't working! I just don't get the tattoo thing full stop but hey, it's a free world - allegedly. One of my Dad's pet soapbox ranty grumbles: "I remember the days when you had to pay sixpence at the fair to see a tattooed lady........." (you can guess the rest) may have coloured my view I say each to his/her own. I still don't get it though.

Well from no interest for the past 2 years to prospective new owners queuing up! Dumbo has not only just begun to go through the adoption process but has a waiting list of not just one but TWO families! Although “my†people are a little disappointed to have missed out on Dumbo, they’re delighted that he’s found a home after waiting for so long. They’re going to telephone and see if Ethel might be suitable to live in harmony with cats.