GoldenOldie

This is an excellent idea.

Sian, I only had him for less than 48 hrs. but I found he did respond to a sharp 'leave 'as soon as I spotted a danger zone approaching. My dogs are all very laid back but he was most anxious around the 2 labs. who are both gentle and loving ,and OK with the little deaf collie x and actually wanted to make friends with her. The most difficult times were around food, which included the kitchen even if I wasn't preparing their food or cooking and I had a delivery of tinned dog food waiting in the kitchen to pack away and he defended that! The rest of the time when he was with them in the garden or the living room he was quite calm but I did keep a weather eye open; he preferred to take himself off to a chair or the dog bed in the conservatory on his own. He is an old boy and maybe you just need to wait it out until he goes back to your mum and dad - presumably he's an only dog in their house? Good luck anyway. Sally.

Just a quick update. Taffy, as he is called, was reunited with his family this morning. He had slipped out while Sian's boyfriend was looking after him on Saturday and had walked at least 1-2 miles from Didsbury to Chorlton cum Hardy, across the busy Princes Parkway as well! No wonder he was thirsty and hobbling a bit. He apparently is Sian's childhood pet and she left him with her parents in Kent when she went to uni; she now lives up here in Manchester. Her parents have just moved house, still in Kent, and in the process have asked Sian to look after Taffy for a while, hence the inactive Kent tel. no. and old details on the microchip. I think Taffy will have a new disc by tonight and I also suggested the parents need to update all their details asap as well! He is a dear old boy although my old lab girl was very pleased to see him go. Apparently he was attacked by another dog some time ago and is now anxious around dogs so is quite defensive. Once again, thank you everyone and thankfully a happy ending.

Owner now traced - will reunite this am. Thank you everyone. Sally.

Thank you everyone for your help. Ironically had a migraine so didn't check my e-mails yesterday evening after 10 as I usually do and last checked the forum at 6ish so missed the posts. Anyway, the old fellow has had another good night and is unquestionably Sian's dog - photos match perfectly. I have her number and will ring her about 7:30, I'm sure she must be desperate to see the boy! Just off to give him and my 3 their breakfast. Will post later to update. Sally.

Thank you everyone for your responses. The old boy has gone from strength to strength today and has been much less agitated around my other dogs when food is being prepared! He understands sit, gently and stay and seems steadier on his back legs, probably dehydrated yesterday. Ignores the cats and kissed my little old collie x this morning wagging his tail. She was less enthusiastic as he'd grumbled at her yesterday! He's a neutered male. I'll try to download some photos this evening. Thank you all for your help and I will keep you posted. Sally.

I have posted in the lost and found section and we have notified the police and the emergency dog warden service about this old fellow. He was found yesterday on Rochester Avenue in Chorlton cum Hardy, South Manchester. He was wandering in the road and trying to drink from puddles but does not appear ill or neglected; he was very thirsy and drank frequently for several hours but that settled overnight and his intake is now aeverage. He is at least 12+ with cataracts and is a little wobbly on his back legs, will be off to the vets for an MOT tomorrow. He is a small lab type crossbreed, black with white whiskers and is very friendly and clearly used to living in a house and travelling in a car. The kind person who found him walked him round the local area asking if anyone had seen him before but with no luck. He is wearing a collar with a disc but the phone number on it is no longer active according to BT. Both the phone number and his microchip are from Kent but no reponse from either. He is now safe in foster with me thro' a local sanctuary and tomorrow we'll trawl local vets in the area and also use the Manchester Evening News. If any oldies supporters are in the Manchester area and have any other ideas please post as we're hoping the old boy is just lost and not abandoned.

Found this morning in the Chorlton area of Manchester on a main road. Elderly male lab. x, black with a whiskery face. Seems to be in good condition, house trained, travelled well in the car and is quite settled in the home environment including sleeping on chairs! A little doddery on his back legs but manages stairs.

I'm quite a solitary person and very happy with my own company but am also very sociable, very practical and usually optimistic about life. I think my life is defined by my animals, my family, my home and my work,all of which show the different sides of me then come together to make up the fabric of my life. I retired from full time work in 2006 at the age of 60 and moved from a large house to a tiny terrace in a different county to be nearer to family. I now look after the grandchildren part of the week and some holidays, have a new part time job, have my own much loved dogs and cats and foster for a local sanctuary. I've kept old friends and made new ones and feel very blessed to have started all over again as it were.

It's so rewarding and the dogs are always lovely, even the naughty ones! Enjoy. Sally

Nearly all of my dogs , past and present (all rescues), have been lickers although some you kept away from your face as a lick was sometimes a prelude to a quick nip! I had a very aloof little collie x who hadn't licked in 15 years and in the year before his death when he was beginning to sufferg from dementia he occasionally lick ed my hand or face if I was giving him a cuddle. A long time to wait but very worthwhile!

This woman deserves to be punished for this appalling act of neglect and cruelty and frankly, prison sentence aside, she should have a lifetime ban from keeping animals in my opinion. Depressed or not, she continued to breed from her dogs. Did she seek any veterinary help at any time?However, you have to wonder how this went on for so long without anyone else taking some action or reporting it. not least her partner - did he never see the dogs? How could anyone not recognise their desperate need for food/water/clean pens. Did no one else visit the kennels, postman, delivery vans, prospective owners etc. Or is it part of our sad culture of turning a blind eye.Surely kennels are subject to local authority regulations and checks? Sorry for the rant but I have worked in the field of child protection for nearly 30 years and neglect is still, for me, one of the most depressing and chilling of crimes against any living person or animal as it is a denial of the most fundamental right to have basic needs met for those who are dependent on others.

Just to send all good wishes for this brilliant idea - what organisation! I excitedly sat down on Saturday to start answering the questions when my 15 yr. old lab decided to have one of his minor funny turns - momentarily I was torn - no, not really! Anyway, he's fine now but the moment was lost; I still enjoyed printing them out and doing a family quiz. Good luck to everyone. Sally.

The small tins of terrine or pate for cats are very strong smelling and as a short term appetiser may help. Good luck.

Sounds really good and a fab. way of getting publicity for the Oldies. I could have a bash at Food and Drink or Film and TV! I'm available anytime tomorrow evening.

I think the one you mean may have been called the White Horses or something similar. My boyfriend (later husband) bought it for me in 1964 having sold his Dansette record player to pay for it. He bought it in BOOTS the chemist which at that time sold all sorts of things!I kept it until I moved in 2007; not sure if it's in the attic but will have a look. I know it's another thread but has anyone else got memories of the 60s - what a fabulous time to be a teenager!

An unexpected thank you gives you a warm glow. Seeing your grandchildren cuddling up with dogs like their mum did as a child. Walking dogs early on a frosty, sunny winter morning and coming home to tea, toast and marmalade!

My 2 labs are permanently ready to eat and one is on steroid treatment so it's difficult to tell! However, my other dog , a 13 yr. old collie x, has become much hungrier with the onset of the colder weather and polishes off her food and will beg off my plate as well, which she doesn't normally do. My cats are also eating more.

What a horrible experience for you and your dogs. People are so ignorant and stupid to allow dogs free rein to attack other dogs and then make silly comments about it. I have 2 elderly labs and the bitch can sometimes be off with strange dogs when we're out so I only let her off lead in areas where I can see all round me and put her lead on if needed; it is so frustrating when idiots with dogs off lead take no notice if I ask them to keep their dogs away and let them run up and harrass her. I hope you and your dogs are now recovering.

Hello Anne, Sorry didn't reply sooner but work been a bit hectic and had some extra grandma duties as well! I live in New Mills and currently go to the Tuesday am class, however, sometimes if I get extra work on a Tuesday I go to whichever class is most convenient - I try not to miss being weighed as the ritual humiliation is a motivating factor for me! A sponsored slim sounds an excellent idea - awaiting news! Sally

I'm ashamed to say that I am 4 st. overweight and have returned to Weightwatchers and have really started to think about when and why I eat. You have had a horrible year and 3 years ago I was in a similar position, unable to sell my house which meant I couldn't move down to Derbyshire to be near the grandchildren when I retired. I had also lost my mother who lived with me and had Alzeimers for the last 6 years of her life. I'm now here in Derbyshire, look after the grandchildren 2 days weekly, have a new part time job and a falling down terrace which is a work in progress. I'm now ready to tackle me in preparation for 2 new knees! Things can change, good luck with the diet - for me it's about planning ahead. I also cheat occasionally with pointed WW foods which are now much nicer than when I did it several years ago! Thankfully my dogs are old and like to amble as I couldn't keep up with a young speedfreak! Soup is an absolute blessing for hungry moments - hot or cold.

Lovely news, lovely pics and a lucky little man! Well done.

It was very sad and we still have photos of the dear old girl who could have gone on happily for years. One of my current permanent oldies is nearly 13 and is profoundly deaf; she was left alone in her owners bungalow for 6 months after she had to go into residential care, with neighbours and friends 'popping in' to see to her. The family, who own animals themselves, said they couldn't have her because they couldn't let her off the lead because of her deafness and, to be fair, they made a lot of attempts to rehome her.! She is very fit and agile in spite of a heart murmur and I walk her on a training lead. I think some people mean well and are not necessarily uncaring, unlike the owners of poor old Daisy though. And yes, once the oldies have gone with whatever excuse is made, how often does a new pup move in.

Over 25 years ago my daughter and I rescued a very elderly labrador from the river Tawd and notified all the local vets/police stations/rescues etc within 24 hours. She was very ill, suffering from hypothermia and leptospirosis and had clearly had an operation recently as the hair had not grown back on the operation site. We nursed her back to health and my wonderful vet treated her for nothing. She made an excellent recovery on a special diet and settled down with our other dogs and had no other problems other than a bit of arthritis in her back legs and sometimes needed help to negotiate steps into the garden or an early morning wee call to prevent a puddle! The weeks went by and then I got a phone call from a local vet. Daisy, as we called her, was a patient of his and he had somehow missed my original flyers. She belonged to a local family and had had pyometra, hence the op. He kept saying 'these are their details but it is entirely up to you whether you contact them or not'; I wished afterwards I had read more into it but I didn't. I rang the owners and they seemed overjoyed, assuring me they had tried all avenues to find her - like yeah! She had apparently escaped thro' an open gate The family came to the house, kids, grandma, the lot in a very expensive estate car and seemed very pleased to see her and she them. Dad said she looked better than she had for ages and they all went off with a box load of her special food. He asked if she needed to go out early in the morning and I said yes but it was no problem and we offered to keep her if they found it difficult with a young family to meet her needs. Our last sight of her was sitting happily in the back of the car with the children and though very sad felt at least she was going home. I found out 2 weeks later that the day after they collected her she was taken into the vet and put down because they couldn't cope with her . I have remained ultra cautious and very cynical since.

Yet again the Oldies Club has stepped in and given a chance of life to a dog in need. Poor Lucky never stood a chance though did he, burt at least knew love and care in his last hours and had a peaceful pain free end. I do understand that kennels have certain legal constraints as to what they can do for the animals in their care without permission from owners, but these owners already appeared to have handed him over or is that wrong? Where do compassion and accountability come into it when a dog so clearly in need of treatment and care clearly didn't get it! There is such a fear of litigation nowadays that common sense and compassion are fast disappearing. I would back the Oldies all the way if further investigation into the kennels which 'cared' for Lucky is carried out. Was he signed over to Oldies by the owners or the kennels - if the latter the accountabilty seems clear.