Whizzie

Optrex for Infected Eyes works a treat - about £5 for a dropper bottle from any pharmacist and perfectly safe for dogs

Even then there are exceptions to "rules". We always said ourselves that we were not the right home for a pup - we both work, but partly different hours, already had 2 dogs at that time & have a friend who dog walks - however back in 2001 we fostered a pup in need when there were no better offers on the table. 3 or 4 weeks later nobody had come forward to adopt her so we did. We hadn't planned to but she'd fitted in perfectly and nobody could say it wasn't working out. Since then we've fostered more dogs of all ages. I'm sure the fact that we had dogs already made all the difference.

Exactly. I think rescues that refuse such homes point blank are missing out and ultimately because there are more dogs needing homes than good homes available it is the dogs that miss out. The amount of attention invested in a dog/dogs is also not solely measurable by the amount of time someone is at home. It can be quality over quantity.

Me too

So sorry Run free Sheena Michelle. You did your very best for Sheena - none of us can do more than that.

I have half price daffodils in my kitchen - 2 big bunches for 99p each, British grown too Instead of damp dogs it smells of spring

Hyde Heath is not that far from me and one of our volunteers who lives there is in the office today. I've learned a lot more about this awful business which has been ongoing for at least 3 years. I'm told the owner is a very nasty piece of work and has thought nothing of pointing a shot gun at villagers who made comments he didn't like. The RSPCA have been involved for several years but they & the police have been afraid of this bloke. Last year they insisted he provided water and food for his horses which were out in a field without anything A brave villager managed to get in on one occasion and looked at the horses hooves and called in the RSPCA about that too. Nobody had any idea that he had so many horses. It would appear that some of those in better condition were put in the fields that adjoined a public footpath but those in poor condition must have kept out of view somewhere near the centre of the farm complex. In the midst of all this his wife is still buying her Daily Mail in the village shop with no shame at all

Can't believe that was you posting that Mrs B. Did one of those socks jump out of your head & land on the key board? Maybe time for another, especially since you are raising your glass to Sarah & Paul on another thread I am thinking perhaps I need a new voluntary role in 2008. I've enjoyed coordinating homechecks for Wiccaweys but I'm having doubts about the future after spotting a post from our leader talking about setting up an earth worm rescue. Do positive reinforcement techniques work for earth worms? What kind of garden security keeps one safe? Do worms suffer separation anxiety if they burrow too deep and are away from their adopters for too long? Do I even like worms? Oh the dilemma!

Hobie thanks Wiccaweys for saving him and prior to that a lady called Isabel in Ireland who found him tied to a fence on a hot day and left to die. My first sight of Hobie, then Mr Abi, was a saucer-eyed dog almost rigid with fear. He disappeared with Sarah & Paul to be put in an anxiety wrap. They were gone for ages and I really wondered what I was taking on. "He won't want any contact" said Sarah and I was sure she was right - she usually is. However this time Hobie surprised us both - within half an hour of arriving home and meeting the other dogs he was belly up on the kitchen floor enjoying a tummy tickle. He never looked back. My first failed foster in 6 years but no regrets!

Hmm, I had a sneaky feeling about you & crunchy nut Me. I've so enjoyed all the Special K adverts that I'm just off to buy a huge packet, not!!!

Harry is not ugly but the woman you met is obviously very ugly herself, at least on the inside. My Grandad always said that people like that pickle their hearts in their own poison. He lived to 98 and had time to learn a thing or two!

How many are you up to now Ursula?

I work for a hospice at home service. Our nurses are top class and I agree wholeheartedly with the above statement.

£3 please

£2 please

£2

£3

Ooh Elliott, good luck little friend. I've been watching & waiting for good news since we met at the Wiccaweys show. Elliott is just gorgeous.

It always makes me sad to see old dogs stuck in kennels, which makes it all the more wonderful to see lovely pictures like these. Thank you for sharing the happiness that is so obvious on Tricks's face

Of course, making a donation is very much a matter of personal choice. The main point I was trying to make was that it isn't that easy to make an informed decision - it does take time to a) get full possession of the facts b) understand them and here, as everywhere, statistics can be misleading. A lot of people (and I'm not making a personal accusation here ) wouldn't bother to delve & study & will make an assumption or react to hearsay etc. I completely agree that cost ratios need to be in sensible proportion (which of course 60=70% is not) but there could still be significant variation in what is acceptable, depending on the type of charity, the fundraising mix etc. I'll say no more on the subject

I'd second that. They are also a couple of sweet-natured little OAP's bless them. I hope you are all feeling better soon

Just to be completely open here, I'm a fundraiser for a local hospice at home - therefore what most people on here would call "fundraising staff" as opposed to a "professional fundraiser". I am paid only by this one charity, although I also choose to support dog rescues (mostly Wiccaweys) on a voluntary basis with my own time & money. The charity I am employed by is registered and in my view run very efficiently - I checked this out thoroughly before joining! I agree that charities need to be open about their finances but I would just like to point out that it can still be very misleading to look at a cost percentage without a much more in depth understanding of the whole picture. For example because our organisation receives only 14% government funding, the % of funds we have to raise ourselves is much higher than some other hospices who typically receive more like 30%. This means we have to fundraise using many channels & methods in order to maintain our service to terminally ill patients (we don't do face to face fundraising by the way). Community fundraising is important for us as a local charity but will never be as cost effective as receiving large legacies or corporate support . Because we don't have masses of either of the latter our figures will never be the best in the sector but that doesn't mean we are inefficient or spend money without proper care. I'd like to thank ReikiAnge for her rather wider view focusing on the service provided by another charity she supports:- "I don't sit and worry about where the 18% is going but feel glad the organisation exists to use the 82% to help those that really need it" Our 850 patients a year and their families think much the same which is why many of them try raise funds to maintain the service for others. Of course costs are important but the service is surely key and it must be worth thinking about what would happen if the charity didn't exist.

Good luck to you all Snatch looked just great at the show and not ready to give in yet.

I have fostered many dogs over the last 8 years and would never dream of accepting payment. I have always footed bills myself for food etc but am fortunate to have been able to afford that for one extra dog at a time. I've funded microchipping and a few minor expenses voluntarily. Major vet bills have never come my way but had they done so I would probably have requested assistance at that point. My contribution to the rescue world has always been entirely voluntary but my current job is Head of Fundraising for a hospice. In response to this comment:- Can I just say that most professional fundraisers care deeply about the cause they are supporting, are not paid huge salaries and regularly go the extra mile or 10 making a big contribution of their own unpaid time. I gave up a much higher paid job to do something I cared about and found worthwhile. We have to raise £2m per annum to care for 850 patients per year. To imagine you can do this without a few paid staff to take the responsibility, coordinate the workload etc is rather naive. We are assisted by many wonderful volunteers who we support and work alongside with as equals. I'm sure the position is much the same for some of the larger rescues and the fundraising staff make as vital a contribution as other workers. It's always very hurtful when my small team and I receive comments like "Oh, you're not a nurse, ONLY a fundraiser". I've always helped smaller rescues as it happens but there are larger rescues out there with paid staff whose contribution is much needed in the rescue world. What I do support for larger organisations is clear and transparent accounts with the information available to all on the % of costs incurred to income raised.

Oh dear, I am a bad person. I never bought a cake! By the time I got over there at the end there were none on display so I assumed they'd sold out You are obviously too good at tidying up Mrs B!