Dollyamber

Thanks for the heads up - I think we have found a trio locally (cannot believe how many piggies are up for rehoming). Thanks again Brian

Our lovely old Guinea Pig died yesterday - I would like to have another (or more) - Would like to rescue if possible - Thought about 2 or even 3 - Are you still looking for homes for anyone??

My feeling is that a home is a home is a home. It matters not whether it is a rich or poor home or a big or small one (within reason). Where it is, as far as Country goes, is not even a consideration. If it offers the right environment for the dog it is good enough to provide a home. There are good rescues that try to do their best for oldies, others work wonders for, so called, hard to home breeds, others try to achieve a balance. The point is that they are all doing their best for the dogs. Serious considerations have to be made to avoid the heart ruling the head. Unless the rescue is able to survive the future of the dogs is uncertain. I speak as a person currenty owned by an Old English Sheepdog (from Ireland), an Italian Spinone (from Cornwall) and who has just had to rehome (not bounced please) a young English Springer Spaniel x Border Collie (from Ireland) due to human health problems in the home. If I ever went to a rescue looking for a dog again I would know what would fit in with my home. There is not a chance that I would be swayed by a dog purely because it came from one area or another. If I wanted a young fluffy dog (unlikely) that is what I would continue to look for. I would not go home with an old dog or anything else purely because there were no fluffy dogs to choose from. If all the wonderful people that do such a good job finding homes for the whole range of dogs from all the areas they come from carry on doing just that I hope the end result will not be massive increases in PTS rates anywhere. If it does there may well be decisions to be made. I sincerely hope that decisions that are made will not result in rescues feeling unable to help some dogs just because they come from the wrong part of the World or are too pretty to be saved.

Hi - Did you bring Jaffa Cakes for those of us who enjoy them??

Rent em out to people looking for a cheap holiday - With the recession camping is experiencing somewhat of an upsurge in take up. I could get a family into some of my cast offs

I work in maintenance - I carry screwdrivers for my work, sometimes in my pocket. I go home from work with a screwdriver in my pocket as I finish late and do not go back to the workshop before setting off home or I miss the bus - There is a concert on at the stadium on the bus route home. I am searched along with other passangers, the screwdriver is found - I have no legitimate reason to have it with me - The policeperson that searches me has been drafted in to cover the concert and does not know me - The explanation for carrying the screwdriver is not accepted, they think I am out to get someone - I get jailed for 5 years with no chance of parole for carrying this "weapon" - That is the justice we want?

I manage properties - If I did that to a property in my charge I would expect that my staff and I would be looking for another job upon discovery of that little lot. Take advice and whatever action is recommended. I would say that your carpet will take some relaying and may even be beyond redemption - a claim for damage to that and other items might well be warranted. Leaving floor boards up is dangerous even with residents who are 100% fit! Have to say that I am surprised that the contractors accepted the work given that no-one was present and items of value were left accessible and possibly not adequately protected from damage. There is absolutley nothing to prove that items have gone missing during the works Good luck

Sylvester Spinone gets mistaken for a swing bin On a more serious note I have also been asked if he is a Lurcher or a Brown and grey Schnauzer

Firstly, thank you for your concerns - As you would imagine I did try to post positive reports during the attempted slaughter of MR - Of course I was censored out of existence and, like many others, banned from Dogpages. I think the big problem is that people being people, working for the good of the dogs, spreading themselves thinly whilst trying to do their best, can and often do make mistakes. Can everyone involved in dog rescue honestly say that they could not have placed a dog in an even better home than the one that just happened to be available when it was needed? Can we all say that we have not, despite our best efforts, had too many dogs for the space available? Have we never had to start from the ground and work upwards with our rescue efforts? Have we never missed a problem we should have spotted? Did our professional advisers give advice that was then contradicted after subsequent detailed investigation? The answer is probably yes to at least one of the above questions. 99 times out of a hundred our failings would not have caused any animal or anyone any problems because the dogs cannot tell their new owners what the problems actually are. It is when judgemental humans get involved that the problems start. Unfortunately, when a human gets the bit between its teeth the killer instinct kicks in. It is survival of the fittest, kill or be killed, only the strong survive. Any tactic that can disable or maim the adversary is acceptable. The only objective is to totally eliminate what some see to be the enemy. Hitler did it with the Jews, the Ku Klux Klan did it with black people, Ken Livingstone did it with the Routemaster, DP have reportedly done it with some rescues. By all means be shocked by the tactics used against me personally - Then think about this - I was actually just one enthusiastic person who, having found out about the problems faced by those working in rescues, wanted to help as far as I could. I did this by helping the rescue that gave my lovely Sylvester Spinone a pal after he suffered at the loss of his soul mate Red. I could have picked any rescue to help out at - I was involved in more than one (including some of the big ones) - All have lost as a result of my experiences as I do precious little nowadays. If you help out at a rescue this could easily have been you if your particular rescue did not fit in with the rules as laid out by the self appointed doggy police (DP). If you post from a works computer (with or without local management permission) from a .gov .gsi .sch .ac type e-mail address your body will have an internet poilcy that disallows communications with bodies that association with could cause their reputation to come into disrepute. Now I do not go snooping (unlike some others) but I have noticed that many people who have contacted me use these type of e-mail accounts (even a DP moderator) . Get this - If the rescue you happen to work with is the next target for the doggy poice you could be put through the same as I was - To be sat across the table from your trade union representative at 50 years of age facing your first ever disciplinary action is not nice. To have to explain to your wife that it is just possible that you will lose your job and your home for doing little more than your level best to help out with dog rescue is difficult believe me. Some of you might say that I was naive, some may disbelieve my story - If I ever get the chance to stand in the dock and testify against the person that has wreaked such havoc on the lives of people doing little more than their level best to help the dogs you will hear me make the same statements I have made here. I am now looking forward to visiting dog rescue open days during the Summer. It is about the only way I can help out without having that ever so slight fear that I might one day have to go through all this again. Love to all of you for what you do for the dogs - Special hugs to Maggi and all at the Mill - I will get up there again soon - After all they cannot kill me for helping you - OR CAN THEY?

At the time I was working about 40-50 hours unpaid overtime per week. I was spending more time at work than at home. During breaks I would keep up with the World (and things I should have been doing for home) from work. It was very easy for Mr Barnes to spot my work sector from the e-mail address I was using. Anyone would have thought that a non vindictive person would merely respond to the questions raised - That said we are not talking of a non vindictive person are we? My employer, in accepting that I was working zillions of hours unpaid felt that there was the potential for them to become implicated if any of the allegations against the rescue were to be proven. No innocent until proven gulity, just guilty until proven guiltier or in my case until I told them to shove their job and relocated. I trust that Mr Barnes will gain some satisfaction from the fact that my old employer now pays two people to do the work that once cost him one persons salary to cover. For my part I gain some satisfaction from the fact that I now work an hour for an hours pay - If I work 61 minutes I claim for 61 minutes. Home is home and work is work. It was a hard lesson and it has knocked my faith in humanity = Then again this is not humanity is it?

Hi all. I came her on 7th May 2007 seeking refuge here after being thrown off Dogspages for speaking out and supporting Mill Rescue after one of Ray Barnes's happy snappers started the latest witchhunt in a long chain of DP sponsored ethnic cleansing attrocities. My introductory post here attracted 3344 viewings. I had to change my identity such was the level of hatred created against Maggi and the Mill by DP. I have shared Maggis tears and offered a shoulder to cry on when times got too hard (too many times). This message is aimed at giving your members some idea as to just how dangerous Ray Barnes and his cronies really are, because of his actions I almost lost my job and my home, everything, for no other reason than the fact that I dared to speak out as the voice of reason amongst the hoardes who were baying for blood - read on if you will. I joined DBP in late 2006 after we lost our most wonderful dog Red. Since he died we needed to find a pal for Sylvester Spinone who was going downhill fast after losing his pal. Whilst looking for a friend for Sly I joined in with "silly" activities on DP such as word association. I chatted happily with moderators, especially those with big hairy dogs and I made contact with various rescues. I spotted a huge hairy dog called Eddie at Mill Rescue and travelled up with Sylvester and my desperately old Goldie, Diamond, to meet him. We took Eddie out and spent a lot of time looking around but things were not to be and we came home without a new pal. We then travelled up to the Mill again and came home with a lovely Sprollie called Amber. Amber lived in a barn with her sisters and has been fine in every way. We followed Amber with Willow. Willow is an Old English Sheepdog who had two sisters at the Mill at the time of the troubles. Despite being in need of a haircut at the time of us rehoming her Willow has been the picture of health and good temperament since coming here. I helped to promote Maggi's Open Day in 2007 and designed a tee shirt specially to publicise the event. I used my sponsor members status on DBP (£25.00 donation (where did that go)) to tell others of the event. I saw the happy snapper arrive at the Open Day and lived the nightmare that followed. In writing to Ray Barnes after the Open Day I asked him to explain why he seemed hell bent on destroying a rescue that he himself had proclaimed to be something he was proud to have been associated with. An article on DP in 2006 proclaimed that " Dogpages has been responsible for helping to rehome thousands of unwanted dogs and has helped several young new rescues, such as Mill Rescue, to become successful". I also asked why he felt that he believed that he had the right to demand information from Maggi without any legal powers to do so. I received no response except to note that my posts on DP were now on premod. A second communication, after I was subsequently banned from DP, led to me asking him to explain what had happened to my £25.00 "donation" which was accepted in return for my golden paws. I also asked for details of his web hosting company, who I believed would be interested to learn that he was selling access to areas of his site on the pretext of the charges being a donation, which presumably was not recorded and probably could not subsequently be traced. After taking legal advice on comments made against me I then asked Mr Barnes for an address where papers could be served. Mr Barnes's response was to write to my employer, who was also my landlord at the time. My employer chose to take disciplinary action against me as a result of Mr Barnes's letter. I came very close to losing my tied house and my job. Having since moved jobs to work with an employer who believes me over blatant liars I have reassessed my situation with regard to a variety of activities. It would be true to say that I have reduced my activities in the field of rescue after seeing how a body, that shouts from the rooftops that it has the dogs best interests at heart, then sees dogs destroyed because it closed the only lifeline open for their salvation without allowing an open investigation to be carried out first. By the time any official bodies inspected AND FOUND NO REASON FOR CONCERN it was too late for many dogs. It would appear that the same could happen again anytime to any rescue who has association with DP. Mr Barnes is not as elusive as he would like us to believe - His phone code 020 **** suggests that he lives in or close to New Malden, Surrey. His letter seemed to indicate that he knew at least something of my old employers business less than 15 miles away. Like others I believe that what comes around goes around - I just hope that when Mr Ray Barnes gets his very own Karma it brings the same sort of pain and upset that he brought to others through his actions only 12 short months ago. To alienate any rescue because it choses to use a forum that allows a party, who has yet to be proven to have committed any crime, is totally wrong. Anyone can see this surely?

Trained

That is sort of what I was thinking (I think)

Thanks Safneo - I was thinking about the other crate for the OES leaving the other two as they have always been together. Never thought of the possibility of Sylvester having a go at Amber Sprollie as they really love each other and he has NEVER shown signs of aggression towards her. My thought process was that as Willow is NOT caged Sylvester may be getting uppitty because he was! I have'nt got room for a third crate (mine are 48" x 36") - I might have to give this one some more thought methinks.

Thanks for the reply Rudi - No - No treats or toys to guard - I tend to leave cage door open and the dogs just wander in and out. We only cage them when we go to bed or out. Stability is pretty much the same - I work all day whilst wife is in and out (80% in). Thinking about things the pack dynamic changed drastically beofre Christmas when I had my Oldie Goldie PTS. He has 15 plus and had been here since Sylvester was a baby. The others are rescues - Sprollie was 4 months when she came here whilst OES was about 6. OES is definitely top dog. I tried something new last night - We went for walk at about 10pm then last out in the yard at about 11.30pm. I brought Sylvester and Amber Sprollie in first and caged them - THEN I brought Willow in - Tranquility - TOTAL Tranquility!!! I will try again tonight - Heres hoping. In the meantime we have just bought tons of treats and chewies as distractions both in and out of the house (all 3 pull like trains on the lead). I have also bought Willow a posh new bed for lying in outside the cage (only one at present. I am also thinking about bringing other cage into house so that neither dog has different sleeping arrangements. As before any advice welcome.

Update Out of interest while visitors were here I asked Sylvester (Spinone) to go into his cage - All hell breaks loose as expected - As cage door is still open he then decides to come out again with all guns blazing - It is only because I grabbed him before they actually got hold of each other that we did not end up with injuries - This is obviously escalating!

OK People - Long time no see! This is an honest description of ALL facts - I seek sensible advice. I have recently moved house with my tribe - One Old English Sheepdog - 7 years old female (typical herder, little nippy), One Springer Spaniel x Border Collie - 12months old female (hyper, never gets enough exercise but loves life) and One Italian Spinone 3 year old male (always a litttle grumbly but normally very very placid). We have moved from a house where all 3 spent loads of time running in and out of the house with all 3 sleeping together in the hallway (Spinone and Sprollie in cage and OES outside it). The few destructive issues when we turned our backs were solved by simply leaving nothing around. New house has garden that is relatively unexplored - lots of shrubs etc. This means that apart from the small yard to the rear there is little scope for them to run around blowing off steam. The layout also means traipsing dogs through whole house to outside areas. To help with this I have introduced a long walk routine every evening well before bedtime. Bedtime and times when we are not immediately around involves the Italian Spinione and the Sprollie being housed in a huge cage as before. This has worked well until just lately (we have been here since Xmas Eve). Recently, the minute the Spinone is put into the cage with the Sprollie all hell breaks loose with him hurling himself at the cage trying to rip the OES to bits through the bars. The OES retaliates similarly - It is quite scary until you consider that if we open the cage door during the snarling the three of them wander around looking where all the noise is coming from! If we walk out of the house the noise ceases. Whilst the Sprollie joins in barking she does not get involved in the real action. We cannot let the cage inmates out when we are not here or at night as they are so destructive and new house layout requires me to use dog room as my office where loads of (chewed prior to cage introduction here) IT equipment is located. I have tried bringing the three in and giving them a treat as they enter the cage, when they actually arrive in cage and also during barking and snarling incidents - None of them distract them enough to prevent recurrence. This is getting me down - In the many many many years I have been kept by dogs this has never been experienced before. Any advice O wise ones?

I have this wonderful vision of all the dogs at the bridge that have died as a result of cruelty in any of its its forms sitting in a semi circle looking on as this so called asspit of an "artist" is unceremoniously hoisted alive into the air and then impaled upon something VERY long and VERY sharp. Whilst the barsteward writhes and suffers in the terrible agonies that accompany his last moments on Earth they join together in the vain hope that he and some of the others that have tortured and maimed defenceless dogs in the name of sport, art or enjoyment can reflect upon their actions and feel some sort of remorse. Whilst this is only a vision I hope that whatever his ultimate end may be befits his life and all that he has supposedly achieved. Rotting in hell is too good for this watt - Those who live by etc. etc. etc.

3000 views - Thats a lot that is - Have a choccie cookie on me

If you ban fireworks you will send them onto the underground market. THEN you will encounter problems as carefullly controlled specialist pyrotechnic devices find their way into the hands of the bloke next door who REALLY wants to impress his neighbours with his private display! Drugs sales are banned yet the market stills exists, it thrives even. There are few things in life that do not have the potential to cause distress. Trains, Motor Bikes and Aeroplanes scare animals. Packs of feral children roaming the streets have the potential to cause distress and indeed often do - People have died at their hands. If they make the breeding of humans illegal as a control measure and end up sending that one underground dog help us all

Kiddies boxes (garden fireworks) are the squibs the older ones amongst us will recall from days of old. They strugggle to do anything other than make a phut phut sound with effects that lift little more than a few feet from the ground. These let off from one side of a foootball field are often viewed with interest or even ignored at distance(they would struggle to scare anything). A gradual moving forward of the fireworks over a period allows a bigger effect to be used at the greater distance without fear. Again this can be moved forward. Next stage is bigger etc. It is simple to revert to smaller and further if fear is detected. at any stage. Kiddies boxes cost just a few pounds and used sparingly can last a week or so. Bigger effects are more expensive but "display" packs can offer fair value. I do of course understand the trauma that can be caused by fireworks used unscrupulously. I do however feel that many problems can be controlled by careful introduction to what is after all just another life experience.

Another one of my wifes liver and bacon casseroles fell off the oven tray whilst dishing up the tea!

How refreshing to see a debate about fireworks that does not involve removing parts of the people who let them off. I regularly help out with organised displays and hate the comments that come from some people who cannot grasp the fact that it is possible to deal with a high percentage of firework related anxieties in exactly the same way that other problems are dealt with i.e. via association, familiarisation and socialisation. I have worked with a few people by introducing dogs to small fireworks at great distance and then working closer and closer and bigger and bigger until the effect is similar to that of a well trained gundog - complete acceptance, enjoyment even. I like the suggestions on this thread - There are some good coping strategies as well as those hinted at above. I would love to see the running around barkers that are not dogs, sounds like fun. I will be quite active in the New Malden, Kingston, Richmond area this November. I was thinking that a thread where pre warning of firework events could be posted might be useful. If local events were posted here it would be possible for dog owners to work out the times and days that they needed to take precautions if they were really necessary. I have four dogs - One is OK with fireworks - Two are barking chasers (if I let em) and one is just fascinated, watching every one go up, off and down again in awe. I only had one dog who showed fear - She was happiest in a brightly lit room with the curtains closed and music playing quite loudly. If it was really bad at home I would drive her round in the van - She loved that!

Welcome to the Refuge White with two sugars please - Go heavy with the biccies

I wonder how this thread would develop if there were two dead PCSO's to report in addition to the dead child? Not putting themselves in danger was probably the first part of training that they would have received prior to going out and about. Too many people from the emergency services died prior to them coming under the same Health and Safety laws that every other employee comes under in this Country. The fact that the emergency services are no longer immune from prosecution in case of negligence can only improve safety standards for a group of people that some seem to feel have a duty to put themselves into dangerous situations without consideration for the safety of themselves and others. I am sure that if the PCSO's were able to assist without placing themselves in danger they would have done. The fact that other persons chose to place themselves at risk without coming to harm is fortunate. It could easily have been so very different. The real issue has already been identified. How can it be right that two children were unsupervised so close to deep water?