Action Packed and Happy Endings

It’s been an action packed couple of months with dogs and cats coming in every week, so many pets in crisis that we couldn’t turn away. The weather has been awful over christmas and all the fields have turned to mud, so getting food out has been a particular challenge. We are having to put out extra hay and feed for the animals as it has been so cold and the fields are water logged. It’s tough to keep going. What keeps us motivated through the winter months are the happy endings.

With the shorter evenings it’s given us time to catch up with he dreaded paperwork and Talulah the tiger has been lending a helping hand. She’s a giant. Probably descended from norwegian forest blood lines. How on earth did she fit in that tiny box? She came to us as the fiercest cat we have ever encountered. She was destined for death row but we saved her. The months went by and we really thought she was a lost cause. No hope of reform. She’d attack on sight. After many months we figured out what she wanted. Even the worse cases can be saved with love, patience and understanding. She has odd habits and is still temperamental with the emphasis on ‘mental’ at times. She’ll stay with us for life as she could never be re-homed.

We’ve found some lovely homes for lots of cats. Polly found a lovely new home with a companion and is enjoying her new life with her adopted family. Some of the ducks have found new ponds. We are sorry to see them go. It’s always sad to say goodbye to the animals that have been with us for some time. Groucho the ginger kitten went to a new family. He was such a character. The cat that came to us in kitten is due any time now. Fingers crossed for a stress free birth. Thanks to the kind donation of £500 at christmas, we now have heating in the maternity wing, so the nursing mums and young uns are nice and warm. It’s made such a difference. We are hoping to be able to start phase two soon and create extra space and pens but we still have some fund raising to do for materials and such. If you can help in anyway, a small donation would really help.

Our gift shop is open and we have some lovely vintage clothes, books, collectibles, cushions, antiques, jewellery, toys and all sorts of weird and wonderful items to buy in aid of the animals. So pop along and have a look round anytime. We are open every day from 10am till 3.00pm, no appointment necessary. Come and have a cup of tea and pick up a free copy of our Safe at Last magazine at the center. We’d love to see you.

A lot of folks have enquired about the hedgehogs and we are happy to report they are doing great. It’s much to cold for them to go back out into the wild yet, so we are keeping them snug and warm. All the frail babies that were brought in last year have done remarkably well. As soon as spring comes, they will be ready to be released and start their new journeys.