k9knitters

Here's Monty's favourite sleeping position. I'm sure it does my screen no good..... Cheers, Carrie

I can highly recommend the Hurley bone, which you can get at http://www.zooplus.co.uk/. I've always been pleased with the service and speed of delivery from them. The Hurley bones are not completely indestructable - but it takes my lot a few weeks of gnawing before they make an impact on them. (If you search for 'hurley' in the search box on the Zooplus site, it's the only thing that comes up) Cheers, Carrie

Eileen at FOA got a batch of coats a couple of weeks ago - so suggest we keep Houndsavers on the list. After all, it's not really the weather for snuggly warm coats - and by the time it is, we should have enough to share around. Cheers, Carrie

Great pics, Alison and excellent news about the magazine feature! I'd go for the pics of Neville and Suki/Dusty. Cheers, Carrie Will add them to the list - but we're getting a bit depleted of hound sized coats. However, coats are coming in all the time from our knitters, so when we have a surplus I'll sort a parcel out for you. Now, if any Yorkie or Chihuahua rescues would like any tiny coats - we have loads of them! Cheers, Carrie

Sure, Kazz. Will add them to the list for hound sized coats. Can you PM me a contact address? Cheers, Carrie

Don't worry, Kathy. Himself's sparkly number is packaged separately - and will also be in the post tomorrow. I can't wait to see a photo Cheers, Carrie

Big batches of coats will be headed out to RDR and Oldies tomorrow! Cheers, Carrie

Keep bumping, Jacky! Parcels despatched today to WAW, Teckles (who must have the best dressed dogs in the South West!!) and RGT Leicestershire. RDR and Oldies are next on the list. Cheers, Carrie

Okeydoke, Alison. Will add you to the list for greyhound sized ones. Can you PM me an address to send them to? Cheers, Carrie

During 2008, K9knitters are hoping to donate about 1 in 4 of knitted dog coats that we receive from our fabulous band of knitters. Some of the coats we receive are not quite up to the standards we need to sell on the website.....and others we donate are 'perfects'! If any rescues would like a batch of coats for their residents, please let me know. I will then add you to the list to receive a batch over the coming months. If you have any specific requests for sizes (small/med/large/huge) then I can see what I can do for you. Cheers, Carrie @ K9knitters

If you would like some K9knitters coats to sell on the Oldies stalls over the summer, do let me know where and who to send them to. They're not the easiest thing to sell on a hot summer's day (as I know to my cost!), but there may be some organised people doing some early Crimbo shopping! Just let me know. Cheers, Carrie @ K9knitters

I wouldn't want to go far from where I am today, to be honest. Living in the Peak District, I've got so much fantastic scenery on the doorstep. You're just out of the front door and off. But being close to water would be nice. So, this house would do very nicely if my numbers came up: Linky thing How fab is that?! Cheers, Carrie

Oh, shame. There's a 19" length one on there - you could always take it up a couple of inches? Cheers, Carrie

TRPD do towelling coats - see linky thing Cheers, Carrie

<sigh> Read my original post, Ian. I said that the politics of rescue had influenced my thought process when deciding on our 2008 charity. There was no overt influence by the DP mods on the decision. It's none of their business, and they certainly weren't consulted. I would have been happy for us to support any of the four rescues we had shortlisted, irrespective of where they posted their dogs - be it on the internet or in the local newspeper. It's the dogs that matter after all. Cheers, Carrie [Edited due to missing word syndrome!] Edited by a Host: FAO Ian, before replying to this post again, please be aware that you are detracting from the original point of this thread. If you wish to discuss matters with Carrie further, please take it to PM

Eh? Just to clarify your clarification, K9knitters have never been asked to NOT support anybody. The point I was trying to make was that the politics of DP vs Refuge influenced my decision re who we would support. I'm also not complaining about the decision taken - i.e., to support the 'non-forum-posting' rescue this year. They do fantastic work, and it's fab to know the funds raised by k9knitters are put to very good use there. You imply I should have 'made a stand' on the issue out of principle. Sorry, but the purpose of K9knitters is to raise the most cash possible for needy dogs - and if this means taking the 'middle ground', then so be it. Cheers, Carrie

Exactly right, Rumpole! Most of our supporters probably don't give a stuff which rescue their hard earned donations are going to - provided it goes to help needy dogs. It's the overall total that matters. Cheers, Carrie

"Forced" is probably too strong a word - but it certainly influenced my decision. My shortlist was 2 x rescues who posted on DP; 1 x rescue who posted on Refuge; and 1 x rescue who posted on neither. I went with the 'neither' option in the end as it just seemed easier with less risk of us rocking the boat. Cheers, Carrie

I’m not directly involved in rescue – but do give a lot of my time and cash to various rescue organisations. Most of my spare time is spent running k9knitters, and I regularly donate auction items and quite a lot of hard cash to rescues to help cover their vet/boarding fees etc. The political-ness of the rescue world really does disappoint me. It takes up so much of the energy and enthusiasm out there that could be far better channelled to helping needy hounds. I try and avoid the politics at all costs – but it permeates out in surprising ways. For example, here’s how the politics of rescue affected me. Each year we rotate one of the K9knitters charities who get the cash from the sale of coats from the website. Knowing that some rescues were banned from posting on DP because they chose to post to The Refuge, I found myself in a bizarre thought process when I was choosing the 2008 charity – I was deciding on this year’s charity based on some one else’s rules. E.g., If I chose charity X, then every time someone plugged K9knitters on DP I believed the post would be wiped. Which would look bad on K9knitters and just feed the politics. In the end, I decided to choose a rescue who post their dogs on neither forum. They’ve benefited by £1000 already this year, which is helping them enormously - but it’s a real shame that I felt unable to choose the “Refuge rescue†I was considering. I’d love to think that when we come to choose next year’s k9knitters charity, I could decide based solely on the benefit that the cash will bring to the dogs. And politics simply wouldn’t come into it. Here’s a hypothetical question, which I’d love to be able ask on DP. If Rescue X (who post on DP) decided to advertise in a dog magazine that regularly features an awareness-raising advert from Mill Rescue, would Rescue X be banned from DP? Advertising in the same publication doesn’t mean that Rescue X agree with every written word in that publication? Some DP rescues probably feature/advertise in publications that feature BYB/shock collar adverts – should they be banned from DP too? I'm pleased that this issue is being aired - but it does feel a bit one-sided. We're hearing from rescues that have been forced to make a choice between DP and Refuge - but the debate would be more balanced if we heard from Ray about his rationale and reasons for him wanting people to make that choice. Cheers, Carrie

Gosh, thanks on behalf of all the k9knitters team for your message! I've cross posted it to the k9knitters forum - and will include a mention of it in our next newsletter. People always appreciate thanks for their efforts. We had a great year last year - benefitting the Oldies and Dogs Trust to the tune of almost £4000 (combined). Through 2008, we're supporting Dogs Trust (again) and Ashbourne Animal Welfare.....and we've already hit the £1400 mark so far this year. And we can only do this with the amazing support from our knitters, the lovely people who buy our coats, and people who donate wool. It was a delight to support Oldies last year - and I'm so pleased the cash was put to good use! Cheers, Carrie (on behalf of the k9knitterati)

Oooh, yes please! We make most of the k9knitters coats from donated wool/yarn - so are always on the scrounge for donations!! I'm in the Peak District, but if we can get it as far as (say) Warrington, I could always pop over to pick it up. If it can get even further east (Stockport, Macclesfield, Sheffield) that would be even better. Let me know when it's on a van and we can work out how to get it to me! Many thanks! Cheers, Carrie

Hi Sarah. I'm so pleased the coats have arrived safely after their epic journey.....and that you can make good use of them! On their way to you, they inspired Alison's mum who is know clicking her needles with some k9knitters patterns! (And thanks, too, to Kathy for her regular donations of yarn. Every little helps!) Cheers, Carrie

Glad the parcel turned up OK, Alison. I can't personally take the credit for any of the coats I sent - they were from our merry band of knitters around the country. All I do is coordinate everyone's efforts and knit the special orders!! Cheers, Carrie @ K9knitters

We've had a glut of coats received from our knitters over the past couple of weeks. Do you have another transport run to EGAR planned, Alison? If so, I'll send a batch of coats to you in Wales if that's OK - rather than take out a second mortgage for postage to Ireland. Let me know! Cheers, Carrie

What a fabulous thing to do!! Have you asked DT whether they'll put something in their next edition of WAG (their newsletter to supporters) - either just publicising the walk to increase your sponsorship, or potentially finding you a Motorhome donation. I'm about to do the next edition of the K9knitters newsletter (OK - so circulation is much less than WAG.....but we're almost up to 1000 copies sent out ) - so I shall give you a plug in there if you like! Cheers, Carrie