Author: Sue

Phew, thank goodness for that, January is over.  Why does January feel so  l o n g and miserable ?  Possibly because of the absolutely horrid weather we are having, probably because of the bills coming in and for us here at Poorpaws because we had two very sad RIP’s.  One was our lovely little Tammy.  I found ginger Tammy wandering around in the middle of the main Montcuq/Cahors road a couple of years ago.  Nearly blind, nearly deaf, this little mite was surely lost.  However, after a poster campaign and all the usual searches, no-one came to claim her.  Had she been chucked out after a death or was it because that her favourite place was stuck to your legs even when you were walking around, very dangerous if she belonged to an elderly person ? It may even be that the foul example of a human being who  was responsible for the ten shotgun pellets in her thought that she had died.  Who knows, anyway she became my little darling and shadow.  She survived a major stomach operation thanks to the lovely Dr. Cros at Prayssac a year ago but a couple of weeks ago cancer got the better of her and she was sent peacefully to sleep.

Then I heard that Zac a beautiful Border Colley adopted from us some seven years ago was being beaten by leishmaniose.  This is such a cruel disease which dogs get from mosquitos.  If vaccinated before they get it they are safe but once they have it there is no hope and the end is heartbreaking.  Sleep happy Zac,  Christopher and Diane thank you for the happy memories.

So, lets get on to happier news.  Hmm, have to think !  Many adoptions, mostly of dogs who never made it to the website !  One very happy one was Barney a scruffy looking love who was rescued from a travellers’ camp.  When he got to us  he had a wire so tight round his neck that the vet had to operate to remove it.  But does Barney hold any grudges ?  Nope, he is just one lovely happy fellow.  Mr. and Mrs. White drove four hours to choose a dog.  In ten seconds they came, they saw and Barney conquered !!  I am not kidding you, a very long drive, they walked in, spied Barney and said that’s the one !  We offered to show others but no, their minds were made up and you can see Barney on the Happy Endings page.  Then there was Tilly a lovely little lady, not unlike my Tammy.  Tilly came with a broken tail but that didn’t put Mr. and Mrs Oaks off, Tilly was snapped up (oops, ouch, perhaps not the best word !) let’s say that she was given the thumbs up immediately and went off happily with Ossi.  We won’t mention that Ossi obviously would have preferred one of the little boys !!  Mustn’t forget Izzie, another one who had a long journey home but worth every kilometre !  You can see Izzie on the Happy Endings page too.

Another little pup has gone down to  the Cote d’Azur.  Ernst and I went down for a party to celebrate the 25 years of the Ship and Castle pub in Monte Carlo where I used to work and where I met Ernst. (Hmmm. !)  So little Hektor came too and his new owners are over the moon with him.

I have been asked to put on the website some very needy dogs who are coming over from India.  That is one country I would never want to visit, I just wouldn’t be able to cope with the poor animals there but I am more than happy to try to help from afar.  So, being unable to put the dogs ‘en bloc’ on our website, can I direct you to Doglinks website where you can see them and hopefully help.

I’m typing this quite early (for me) in order to get our news out there, but it  is very possible that I have forgotten something I wanted to tell you, so when you have a minute, pop back to see if I have added something !!

Also, if anyone sees the sun, tell him we are missing him !

Love,

Sue x

PS Added later.  Something wonderful happened after I had written the above, Gali went off to a new home which I know is gong to be great !  He deserves if after all he has been through.  You are on your way to happiness Gali AND to three new girlfriends !!  There is a photo of Gali ready to leave up at the top.  Sorry, I’m totally incapable of getting it in the right place !!

 

Feeling slightly jaded as I write this, don’t know if it is an ‘age thing’ but I don’t seem to be able to cope with lots of socialising and all that goes with it, as well as I used to.  I love it that’s for sure but it seems to take longer to recover !!

Sadly we didn’t make it into the house for Christmas but we were able to host a Christmas Day drinks apero in there after I had Christmas decorated the kitchen and got the tree etc., up.  Sod’s law, Ernst went down with a ghastly cold just inches from the finishing line and wasn’t able to work for a while.  Strange, I had the same cold the week before but was able to carry on so long as I had plenty of early nights.  Hmm, man-flu obviously.  However, the great, really great, brilliant thing that has happened as a result of the man-flu ……..Ernst hasn’t smoked for over two weeks !!  This is someone who smoked at least a packet of cigarellos a day.  He had such coughing fits that I was sure I would have to take him to A and E so bad was the choking and I think that may have frightened him – it sure did me !!  Anyway, I’m not saying he has given up, don’t want to tempt fate, I’m just keeping my fingers crossed. 

He surpassed himself with my Christmas present.  Having told me on Christmas Eve that he hadn’t bought me a present ( I quite understand, he hadn’t had much time …………. only 364 xxxxx days since last Christmas !) he obviously dashed into Cahors and on Christmas Day I found a parfumerie bag with a Chanel packet in.  As my friend Lesley is a Chanel 5 girl, I assumed someone had left it for her.  But no, Ernst said it was for me.  I expressed surprise as I have never worn Chanel but Ernst insisted I had, then admitted that the salesgirl had told him.  It turns out he had gone to the shop and asked what was the last thing I had bought.  Yes, Chanel 5 body lotion….. BUT  FOR  LESLEY’S  BIRTHDAY !!!!  He now has on a little piece of paper in his wallet the names of my two favourite scents !

There was plenty of good dog news. Ixe the malamut/German Shepherd went off to a new home and the latest news is that although he requires a lot of education, things are going well.  Now called Iffi and this because before he went off to his new family there were  apparently lots of “If he” conversations !

Then there was the story of Harry and Sally, two very elderly Westies who were not living in very good conditions.  Suffice to say that they are now living in a cosy loving home and have even had a trip to the hairdresser.

Igloo goes off this week, his new owners are driving down from Normandy !!

Then I had my own personal “phew” moment.  A couple of weeks ago, to help Danielle out, we took in a desperately sad Pointer who had been ‘removed’ from her bastard owner who used her as a punch/kick ball.  She was so timid and frightened poor thing.  She came out on walks with us, on a lead, then as she gained confidence and realised a hand coming towards her meant a stroke and love rather than a clout, I let her off the lead.  She was so happy it brought tears to my eyes.  She would run around with Tega but always kept me in her sights.  On Boxing Day I let her off and she ran like a rocket off into the distance.  I didn’t worry as she was with another dog and they always come back at some time.  However that evening she hadn’t returned and nor had she the next morning although all the others had returned long ago.  By now I was beside myself.  I rang all the local hunt Présidents and all promised to keep an eye out. (nb. Although I hate hunting, I keep in with the hunters as they have helped me find dogs on several occasions.)  That afternoon one of the hunters called to say he had seen her in the next village the night before and had just seen her in between St. Pantaleon and Sauzet, but had not been able to catch her.  We shot up and drove around for an hour up and down all the lanes but to no avail.  The hunter was even there looking too and pointed out exactly where he had seen her.  We went home disappointed, then got another call from the hunter all excited, he had just seen her again at Cambayrac.  This was worrying as she was getting further away from us.  So, off we dashed again with torches and whistles – and sore throats from calling !  No success, so we returned again.  BUT, on the way home I left my jacket together with food and water, at one of the places she had been seen. (A tip from a hunter long ago.)  At about 10pm I returned and there she was on my jacket !!!!  Spooked by the car headlights she ran off but I walked around with the torch calling gently to her and I soon saw two little frightened eyes looking up at me through a bush.  She was curled up, tail right through her legs up to her nose, trembling, clearly waiting to be beaten.  I held her and cuddled her and managed to get her into the car.  She’s back to happy and confident now and will make someone a lovely, lovely companion.  Look out for her on the website.

Finally I have to thank all of you who sent the dogs such generous donations for Christmas.  I can hardly believe how so many of you remember us at such a busy time.  I would love to name you all but would be so scared of missing someone, but I will mention Oscar who was adopted from us many years ago and always sends us some of his pocket money.  Thanks to all of you I am going to buy some ‘squashy’ beds for our little oldies in the sales and some of the inmates will get a much need ‘shampoo and set’.  Thank, you, thank you, thank you !

Have a wonderful New Year, love your dogs and if you have room for another, well, you know where to come !!

Lots and lots of love and thanks to you,

Sue – and The Poorpaws Gang who are mostly unhomeable due to age or bad temper ( a bit like me !) Scoopy, Piglet, Kiki, Tammy, Tiny the Terrible Poodle (who gave me a nasty bite just before Christmas when I was bathing him !), Doucka, Rik, Ermine (the Pointer), Tega, Robbie, Ziggy, Lizzie, Lulu, Charly, Fargo and Caline. Plus the cats !

xxxxxxxxx

 

November was an up and down month for Poorpaws.  You will probably have read our special item on Sky the fabulous Rottie and we had our own RIP here.  Remember Jilly, ‘haven’t stopped barking yet’ ?  Well after a few months of calm and comfort Jilly turned into Jilly ‘haven’t stopped coughing yet’.  Two weeks of medication showed no improvement so she had an Xray.  This showed that Jilly’s heart had enlarged, more tumours had appeared and, the worst of all, she had cancer on the tracchea and in the lungs.  So, at her age there was no hope and I had to make the PTS decision.  This obviously broke my heart but I couldn’t let her suffer.  Happy Birthday me, but in another way, because of the date she will never be forgotten and thank goodness (and Lieke and Lesley) Jilly knew love and comfort before she died.

Another sad loss was Cheddar who had been on the website for a while.  Poor Cheddar was asleep in front of his house when two strangers somehow startled him and he bit them.  Sadly the people insisted that he too be PTS.  Now I’m not sure that anyone can insist on this without various tests being done, but in the chaos obviously things happened too quickly.  So, please, please, please, if you don’t know the dog, let sleeping dogs lie !!

Then there was the story of Bambi !  Get a cup of coffee for this one !!  Bambi was on the way back to the UK from Spain with her owners.  At Calais port the car door was opened just at the same time as an articulated lorry put on, or let off, his airbrakes.  The noise spooked Bambi and she was off.  Her owners spent hours driving round looking for her and finally had to take the last ferry home whilst their lift returned to Spain.  I got a plea for help and got in touch with the port dog pound, Bambi hadn’t been taken there.  Then the next day, great excitment I had a call from the pound to say someone had taken her in !!  Brilliant, then disaster, her passport had been left in the car which had returned to Spain !!  The passport was posted back to the UK but took time.  One person at the pound told me that if the passport was sent there they would arrange for the necessary flea treatment to be done so that her owners could do a return day trip to collect Bambi.  So the passport was posted to the pound and then someone else there told me they wouldn’t get the treatment done and the owners would have to go over themselves, thereby obliging them to stay three days in Calais.  So this is what happened and Bambi is finally reunited with her family.  Did I mention that the owners were also in the process of moving house ??!!

So, be warned and be prepared ! ALWAYS,  ALWAYS,  ALWAYS attach your dogs in your car.  Even if they are the most docile and obediant, the unexpected can happen.  I attach a lead to a loop in the back of the car (I think the loop secures the warning triangle cover) and attach the lead also to the dog.  I also put another lead attached to the dog so that you can release one knowing you are hanging on to the other.

Adoptions were good this month, Oscar, Faulk (now Very Happy Frankie), Italy and Roxanne went to good homes and Gary took up the lovely home that Caline refused.  Silly her and Lucky Gary !!

My good news is that we are frighteningly close to moving into our house !!  I have even ordered a new cooker – just as well I need somewhere to put my jumpers.

Thank you to all of you who through various Christmas Fairs are helping dogs in need and HUGE thank you to Hope Association for yet again sharing.

Have a lovely Christmas and a great New Year !

Sue x

 

Ernst and I are very lucky in that we have wonderful friends and neighbours, Pat and Tony.  Pat and Tony in turn have a lovely daughter, Kelly, who lives in the UK.  About five years ago Kelly, her partner Phil and daughter Morgan, adopted Sky a year old Rottweiler.  This caused concern amongst family and friends as Rotties don’t have a very good press in England – well anywhere for that matter.  Everyone was proved wrong.  Sky was the most beautiful, gentle, obediant dog.  A gorgeous creature the size of a small bear with the character of a lamb.

Sky was truly a magical dog who touched many hearts.  Phil works with people with disabilities and Sky was so gentle with them.  Even those fearful of dogs, especially large ones, were drawn to her and were unafraid.  She proved that it is not dogs who are bad it is owners who make them so. 

A few days ago Sky was discovered to have a cancer that had gone through the bone of one of her legs and into her lung.  She was in great pain and no-one could bear to see her suffer.  So this wonderful animal was put to sleep on the 15th November leaving broken hearts lying all around.  Sky was loved, adored and admired by anyone who came into contact with her (well apart from the squirrels !) and is missed dreadfully.  Run now without pain Sky sweetie, there must have been a huge welcoming party there in doggy heaven to welcome you, our loss is their gain and you will never be forgotten.

 

OUR  BEST  BARN  BOOK  SALE  EVER !!!!

It was great, the weather was great and you were wonderful !!  Thank you sooo much to all who came along to support us and to those who couldn’t, hopefully next time ?  We have never had so many people which was really super as we had serious competition on that day !  You donated wonderful books  (albeit as with the clothes sale there are obviously those who don’t get the ‘in good condition and saleable’ concept !) which added to our good reputation so much so that we had requests to visit the day before from some who were unable to come on the day.  The cakes were just as yummy as ever, our Quercy Cake Queens pulled out all the stops and by 2pm there wasn’t a single cake crumb left (even all my ginger cake went !) so huge apologies to those who came later, we have already put the wheels in motion to ensure more goodies for next time.  Of course there are special thank yous, firstly to Lesley who yet again put her lovely barn and garden at our disposal,  to the gang who gave up their Wednesday afternoon to help sort hundreds of books (I won’t name them all for fear of forgetting someone and losing them for the next event !) to Tony who was indispensable taking and sorting the many books brought along on the day, and to our saviour Gary who, after we have cherry picked the left overs, takes the rest.  We raised a fabulous 1,500 euros half of which will be shared between Poorpaws, Twilight Retirement Home for Dogs, the Rescue Refuge at Castlenau Montratier and the other half will go to cancer research.  Thank you, thank you, thank you !!

Lots of adoptions in October, Iriane, now Kelli, the little black lab type pup ,now called Indy, see her on the Happy Endings page, Geronimo, Igor and lastly Caline who went to a wonderful home a week ago …………………….and came back yesterday !!  Silly girl Caline, a perfect, perfect home for her and what did she do ?  Went into a depression !  All her life Caline has been with lots of other dogs, first in a hunting pack where she was asked to leave as she is gun shy, then here at Poorpaws where she proved herself a gorgeous affectionate young lady.  Her prospective owners loved her and did everything to make her happy, but no, she turned into a nervous mess and spent most of her time hiding under the bed.  So I took her back yesterday and when we got home she leapt out of the car and bounced up the driveway dashing left and right to say hallo to everyone.  Then today she had an epilectic fit.  So, we now know she needs a home with another dog, more if possible and with someone who is not going to worry about the fits.

Djerk has also been adopted apparently.  I just love it when people beg for help to find a new home for a dog, then don’t have the common decency to let you know when the dog is sorted.  I had an enquiry for Djerk so happily rang the guy only to be told he had homed the dog “way back in the Summer”.  Thanks a bunch, my description of the owner on the website was obviously spot on !

A couple of days ago I was told about a poor dog tied up out in the countryside nowhere near any houses.  Lesley and I went to have a look and indeed there is a lovely dog tied to a tree with a ramshackle kennel beside him with no company except for three horses in the field.  The chain he is on, which is way below regulation length, was so tangled round the tree that the poor thing couldn’t even get to his kennel or his bowl of rotten green water.  The owner has been traced and when I spoke to her to see if she would like to rehome the dog she replied “oh no, I really love him”.  Words fail me, well actually they don’t but I cannot print them.  So at least we now know about the poor animal we can do everything possible to make his life a bit more bearable – he already looked so happy when we stuffed his kennel full of the bale of straw we had taken along.

Can’t believe it is already nearly two months since I left work – when did I ever have the time to go there ?!  Ernst and I had a wonderful week on the Il de Ré as usual, then his cousin came to stay, which meant that we had to move back into the bedroom in the mobile home.  We had a lovely time with her here and I saw more of Cahors in five days than I have in twelve years !  Now my friend Sue is coming over to help me celebrate my “when I’m 64” birthday and we have a very busy few days lined up.  I’ll probably need to lie down until Christmas after that.  Christmas !  Yikes !  If you need to top up on cards I have some for sale, in aid of the dogs, at the English Library in Montaigu de Quercy and on rain-free Saturdays I will be selling at the market there.  It was funny yesterday as people kept coming up to me saying “got any Christmas cards ?” and I’d get out the boxful behind my stand.  I felt as if I was selling illegal substances !

Enjoy the rest of this wonderful Indian summer and get reading so you can bring the books back for the next sale.  Oh, by the way if anyone bought a book about Brigitte Bardot, can they let me buy it back when they have read it ?  I promised a friend I’d put it by for her ….. and promptly forgot !

Love,

Sue x

 

Hmm, 1st October – Happy Birthday brother Phil !

Well it’s over !  My horrid Summer job has finally come to an end and I am free !  Well actually I’ve been free since the 15th September and have had a great fun week on the Cote d’Azur with friends Sue, Jan and ‘Ouisa (Louise).  We had nothing but really hot sunshine which was a good excuse to do very little except laze around the pool, read, and play cards.  Isn’t it lovely that when you are on holiday it always seems to be aperitif time ?!  The week got off to a giggly start when I bought a new mobile ‘phone, plugged it in to charge up whilst we played cards, then was surprised three hours later to find it wasn’t working.  I started off on one, casting curses  at the thieving supermarket ‘without a mother’ where I had bought it.  Then one of the girls asked mildly if I had put the battery in it.  Battery ? What battery ?  Surely it wasn’t for me to put the battery in, it should already be in there !!  Apparently not but never mind, luckily they were all there to get it up and running for me.  I learned how to text but it takes me for ever just to send a very short text and anyone nearby has their ears assaulted by expletives and deletives ! 

Whilst I was down there I went to visit Holly, one of the loves of my life, in her new home, along with her ‘brothers’ Hector and Houston who also came from Poorpaws.  I was happy (and a little sad) to find that Holly only had eyes for her new owners and couldn’t have cared less if I was there or not.  You will see in the photo that I have to hold her collar to keep her near me but she is staring adoringly at Olivia.  There’s faithfulness for you !!  Seriously, she, and Hector and Houston just could not have fallen into better hands. 

You will see from the adoptions page and the missing photos that September was a great month and very many dogs went off to lovely new homes.  A couple of new ones and there will be more, including a Boxer for you Boxer fans.

I think several of you know that I sell greetings cards at the market at Montaigu Market (and at the English Library there).  I buy them in bulk from the UK and am able to sell them at just 1 euro each.  Well I just wanted to mention here a lovely lady called Hayley who I ordered a number of cards from.  When Hayley learned what I wanted them for, she threw in several packs free and made a HUGE reduction on postage.  Thank you Hayley, you are obviously a lovely person and you can be sure I will order from you again.

Someone has pointed out to me that I should mention the website chiensperdu.org.  If you find or have lost a dog, take a look at this site as many dogs have been reunited with their owners as a result.

VERY  IMPORTANT !!  In the last newsletter I mentioned that our Autumn Book Sale would be on the 19th October.  However, due to the fact that our Quercy Cake Godess will be in the UK then, we have changed the date to the 26th.  So we do hope you will be able to come along, usual place, Lesley’s Barn at Beliben, Sauzet, usual time 10 am to 3pm, usual price, 1 euro per book, 1 euro per dvd and usual yummy cakes, tea and coffee.  We are collecting books now, so get in touch 0565245303 if you want us to collect.  It is better for us to have them the week before so that we have a couple of days to sort but obviously you are welcome to bring them along on the day.

Ernst and I are off to our beloved Ile de Ré on the 5th for a week. I know, I know, but he deserves a holiday too .  From the look of the weather forecast  I shouldn’t have been so mean when buying my last pair of walking boots and should have forked out a bit (well, actually a LOT) more for the waterproof ones !!

See you at the Book Sale !

Love,

Sue x 

 

 

It has been a long hot month !  Hours at work have been very long and tempers very short !!  Boy was I ever wrong about the new owners at the Auberge !  He is ok but she is ………….. well, ‘she who must be obeyed’ and woe betide you if you don’t !  After shedding tears of anger on the way home on several occasions having been totally unfairly ‘got at’ I decided just to go with the flow and gave myself a strict talking to.  Only six weeks to go (now two !) and I am out of there FOR  GOOD.  Apparently I am “slow” (I am twenty years older than the others !), “lethargic” and if I didn’t want to work I shouldn’t have asked for work !!  This after I made a backhand comment after being told that I had to work on my night off, therefore couldn’t go to my friend’s 60th birthday party, because the girl who does work on that night was going to a wedding !!  However, what goes round comes around and there was a wonderful moment a week or so ago when one of the clients took the the owner for my mother !!!!  She is six years younger than me.  I didn’t dare laugh, she heard but I thought it prudent to pretend I hadn’t !!

On a much happier note our clothes stall at the Montcuq Vide Grenier, was, as ever, a huge success and a huge thank you to all of you who parted with really great clothes for us to sell.  As for those who didn’t quite understand “clean and saleable”, well, we have saved you a trip to the tip, which is perhaps what you wanted !  We made 540 euros which is about 80 down on last year explained by the fact that it rained in the afternoon so we had to close down earlier.  Ernst only had to take five bags to Emmaus on Monday compared to 13 last year.  Thanks as ever to Danielle and Lesley for giving up your Sunday to work so hard whilst I stood around and chatted !!

The next sale is on 12th September at La Sirene restaurant at Montaigu de Quercy, (close to the Post office) on Thursday 12th September.  This time we are selling new and nearly new designer and nearly designer clothes at bargain prices.  Armani and YSL are only a couple of the labels on sale so come along from 11 am to 2pm, have coffee and cake, or even better lunch and make a girls’ day of it.

Those of you who have been following Poorpaws news for a few years may remember Scoop.  Scoop was one of the first dogs Poorpaws took from the Carcassonne SPA.  He had been there for a long time and had just given up on being adopted.  Going from jumping happily when people walked by to just laying down and not showing any interest, seeming to understand that he wouldn’t be chosen.  (Oh no, I’m crying again !)  Well after being at Poorpaws for a while enjoying being in a much smaller refuge, Scoop was chosen by Mr. Vanucci (see them on the Happy Endings page) had a name change to Teddy  and has just celebrated his seventh birthday in style with cake and champagne !

A story to encourage you, if you need encouraging, to get your dog chipped (and I always recommend putting your telephone number on your dog’s collar).  A friend of mine recently lost her little dog who had run off with the neighbour’s dog.  This had happened before and she always came back, however my friend had recently moved.  I contacted the refuge in Cahors and a few days later received by email a photo of my friend’s dog asking if it was her’s.  Then the fun started !  The dog wasn’t actually at the refuge but was with some holiday makers who had found her.  I got the number and eventually made contact.  Yes they had found the dog but “another lady” had taken her.  It turned out the neighbour’s dog was chipped so contact was made rapidly.  When the neighbour went to collect her dog she saw my friend’s and said that as they couldn’t find the owner, she would take her too !!  So, for the last few days, my friend’s dog had been living just 300 metres down the road !  She was quickly recuperated – much to the chagrin of the neighbour’s children – and the following day I took her to get her chipped.  Even more of a coioncidence, the receptionist at ‘my’ vets recognised the little dog as the holiday makers had taken her there to check for the chip in the first place !!  So, if you don’t want your dog living down the road, get him/her chipped !!

Not a huge number of adoptions this month, August is always slow, so the Adoptions page is quite long.  something for everyone I believe though.

We’ll be having our Autumn Book Sale in October – probably the 19th – so get sorting !  Out with the Summer poolside reads and in with the Autumn fireside warmers !

I’m off on 18th September  with mates Sue, Louise and Jan, down, as usual to the Cote d’Azur for a week of cards, reading, general lazing and perhaps a glass or two.  Ernst will be holding the fort here happy to be free to Suduko all day !!

love,

Sue x