I had intended to start off this month’s update with a mega rant but have decided, in order to stop things getting out of hand, to just get past it, move on and not waste the energy ! Suffice to say that Spider and Molly have a new home and we have kittens who need homes.
Thank you to all who supported the Boncoeur book sale at Beauville last month, I was selling clothes and was very happy to come away with enough money to pay the dogs’ feed bill this month ! This is just as well as there has been another addition to the Poorpaws oldies’ home, Mr. Beagle ! This little old boy has been kept on a short chain under a sort of shack type kennel with a bowl of green water to drink and food thrown in now and then. Hhe was removed by the cruelty inspection ladies from the SPA at Cahors and an email went round looking for someone to take him. As a dog who was supposed to be coming to us now wasn’t, I agreed to have him here. What a love, just skin and bone when he arrived but now looking very fine. We have discovered he is stone deaf which makes finding him in the garden at bedtime quite a challenge !
He did however give me a day of grief and insane panic when he got out last week the day before Ernst and I were leaving for England for my godson’s wedding. I had left home at 8.30 on the Wednesday and didn’t get home until 5.30pm to find the answerphone machine flashing the red light. It was a message left at 10am that day to say that people down the road had two of our dogs !!! I had a quick count up and found that FOUR were in fact missing. Now what is it with men that they cannot pick up the ‘phone when they see there is a message ?! Of course when I got to the house the dogs were long gone. I wasn’t too worried about three of them, they have been with us since god was a boy and know their way around, but Mr. Beagle ? I was frantic. Two of the dogs turned up during the evening but no sign of the others. I left messages with friends and neighbours and everyone was looking out for them. I left the next morning with a very heavy heart and a severe lack of sleep. However, whilst we were waiting to get on the ‘plane, my friend Louise who was looking after the dogs, rang to say that she had found Mr. Beagle obviously making his way home. What a relief !!! The other dog also turned up during the day. How did they get out ? Well someone had obviously done a three point turn in our driveway (just hope it wasn’t me !) and hit the gate, pulling out the wire netting which the dogs had clearly pulled at to make a hole big enough for the escape !
The wedding was great, held in Peckham and Dulwich, very unconventional, bride and groom walked down the aisle together, a poem was read, my brother made a speech, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison played and the formalities kept to a minimum. My beautiful new niece-in-law (?) is the youngest of a family of ten, yes TEN children, a real fun family as witnessed by the Irish country dancing in the evening where we all did our best to show off our fancy footwork !
Another very happy event last month was the departure of Cannelle to live in England ! My ‘old’ friend Jackie had seen her on the website and it was love at first sight. At last this weekend all the necessary paperwork was done and Jackie and son Dominic drove all the way down to collect her. All went well until they got back to the U.K., when they were told that the rabies page of the passport should have been laminated !!!! However, they were allowed in and the photos I have received show a very happy Cannelle with her new pal Dudley. Thanks to Julie for taking care of Cannelle during the weeks before she could leave France.
Apart from Cannelle, Ruby, Inja, Adele and Hugo all went to new homes and the lady who found Dream dog has decided to keep him. There are just a couple of labradors left, these really are handsome pure Lab boys.
We still have lots of dogs to home including Brittany Spaniel pups and a gorgeous Standard poodle.
Tennis time again, oh happy, happy day !!
Sue xx