Oh heck, friend Gaynor has just emailed me to ask where is the December Poorpaws update ! Good grief, what day is it ? What time is it ? Where am I ? Who am I ?!
Well I can tell you that, following on from last month’s drivvle letter, I have finished my Christmas shopping, all overseas packages have been sent off and I just have to get down to the cards now. I can’t believe how quickly the time is going, Gaynor is having her Strictly party on Saturday and we will be hosting the Finals Night party the week after. Then my mate Susie arrives and it will all be downhill from there !
Did I mention in the last newsletter the problems I had been applying for a Carte de Sejour ? I had already got one from years ago but never renewed it because we were told we didn’t need them. Anyway I won’t bore you with all that, just to say that Gaynor (see above) has gone one better, well actually one hundred better, and got her French citizenship ! It took a lot of hard studying – which is why I am not capable of going for it, my studying days are long over – and 14 months after her interview, she is now French ! This is good news for me as I have thought of an easy, cheeky way to become a citizen, Gaynor can adopt me !! Both my parents are dead so I suppose that officially makes me an orphan and I can be adopted. Wonder if it matters that I would be much older than my ‘mother’ !
I’ve been putting off the next bit, it’s another RIP I’m afraid. Dear, dear old Fargo who was such a nervous old boy he even barked at Ernst if he went near his park, went downhill faster than a luge on ice, due to a kidney ailment. I couldn’t believe it, what is going on here, so many dogs in such a short space of time. Fargo came to us when he was in danger of being pts because he was just so scared of everyone it was assumed he would never have ‘quality of life’. He lived his life in freedom here and I challenge anyone to say that he didn’t have quality. He was loved, I was allowed to cuddle him – on a good day ! – and he shared his park with two females who loved him.
Rant time ! We are often – very often – asked to help out with dogs who just turn up at people’s houses and we will do all we can to find a solution. This happened recently and we agreed and arranged to take said dog, making an appointment at the vet to get her chipped, vaccinated and sterilised and lining up possible adopters to meet her. A couple of days before the appointment at the vets, the people who had the dog emailed to say they had homed her. Great for the dog, but a pain in the backside for us. Vet appointment, which had been begged for and was slotted in as a favour to me, cancelled and disappointed possible adopters. Not only that, it is not permitted just to give an unchipped dog away, it is the reponsibility of the person with the dog to get the dog chipped first if the dog is not going to a refuge where all the paperwork will be done. The correct thing to do would have been to tell the family that the dog was coming to a refuge and to address them to us. I know people think that dogs may be put down at a refuge but not at ours, never, unless the dog is dangerous or very sick. This applies to Cahors refuge as well and was certainly the case of the aforementioned dog who was a young female. So there !
Have a great Festive Season and before you go buying cute puppies for young grandchildren, remember they pee and poo and need to be entertained……….so do the puppies !
Sue xx