YOUR LOVE AND GENEROSITY LEADS TO HAPPY ENDINGS
RICK rip
8 year old breton brought to the kill station in Valencia on fast track sacrifice (owner requires him to be put to sleep within 7 days), who was just skin and bones boy. We fell in love with him immediately and exited him. He arrived into his UK foster home in June 2017 and we ascertained after various xrays and vet visits that he had a degenerative spine condition which would need to be managed with anti-inflammatories for the rest of his days. He also tested positive for leish (a parasite that is spread by sandfly in the Mediterranean), which was less of a problem, because it can’t be cured, but easily managed for the rest of his days. He stayed in his first SOS foster home for nearly a year, but showed no signs of slowing up! So we found a fabulous family in Cheshire to take over and whilst he remains as a long term foster under the wing of SOS, he has a family who adore him. The first two photos show his life in the kill station, albeit it could have been the last week of his life and the last two photos just show sheer joy. We are very grateful for our foster families, they are total stars.
SNOOP, CHESTER (rip) & watson
SNOOP was a 5 year old blue roan Cocker Spaniel who had been abandoned by his family and left to starve to death. His body was alive with fleas that had caused 75% hair loss from his body and he was acutely anaemic. He weighed just 6 kg when rescued (the average weight of a medium-sized cocker spaniel is 12 kg). Extensive rehabilitation in foster in Spain and the UK led to him settling into his current loving home in Lincolnshire, where he is an adored member of the family.
This wonderful family then went onto long term foster, CHESTER, another elderly blue roan cocker, who found wandering down a busy highway in Spain. With two cataracts, he was virtually blind. How he wasn’t run over is a complete mystery. He had surgery in Spain to assist his eyesight. SNOOP and CHESTER are dearly loved and have been with the Pembertons for 3 and 2 years respectively.
BUT that wasn’t enough for the Pembertons! They then went onto to adopt WATSON, a totally to die for springer/breton, a baby at a year old and as cute as button.
MAE
July 2018 MAE was found in this appalling state on a road in Spain. She had such a spirit for an emaciated, mange ridden, sick dog so we started the process to get her better. Nothing was taken for granted, we knew she could slip away from us at any time, but the ladies in Spain were ever vigilant, for which we are eternally grateful. Each video the shelter in Spain sent us brought a smile to our lips and we knew she wanted to live. She was fed 4 small meals of chicken and rice for weeks and her body started to respond. 6 months later and MAE was fit enough to be spayed and final bloods taken to check she was fit for travel to the UK in 2019. So exciting for her and us!
Dottie (rip) and her Pup Dash
DOTTIE, an older Breton, was relinquished by her hunter owner on a fast track sacrifice notice in Valencia. Her face crushed us and we knew we had to help her! An older lady, we didn’t spay her whilst preparing her for her UK transport. Days before her transport left Spain, we were sent photos of DOTTIE nursing 2 pups ! One of the pups passed away the next day, but DOTTIE, at the tender age of 12, raised DASH! 2 years on and DOTTIE is in a long-term foster home in Lincolnshire and living the life! We receive lots of fun videos of her antics (check out our Facebook page), usually with her carrying her comfort blanket upstairs to bed! Sadly Louise, her foster mum lost DOTTIE December 2020 at the ripe old age of 16 years, but she had 4 years of total love and comfort.
We believe DASH’s father was a podenco. He is a little bonkers, but truly loved in his forever home, again in Lincolnshire. Believe it or not, but Claire and Neil have come back to SOS for another rescue in the form of WAFFLES the Breton! They have caught the Breton bug.
ALFIE (rip)
ALFIE (who was known as COSMO in Bosnia) broke our hearts. Living in a municipal perrera in Bosnia where the temperatures drop to –20 degrees overnight in open kennels. A smattering of straw on the floor and the odd plastic bed. ALFIE, an older dog with sight issues and few teeth, barely surviving. Constant fights amongst intact males, females being harassed and fought over created a treacherous existence for this poor chap.
He struck lucky, hugely lucky with his Mum and Dad. I remember the meet and greet day vividly, Karen was quite shocked, she thought she was coming to meet a cocker! 90 mins later he left and was adored already.
He has had various issues with eye infections and it was decided that he needed an eye removing to make life more comfortable for him. He had that operation a year after adoption and Karen and Ian have jumped through hoops to make it happen. The absolute stars of SOS are the adopters!
ANNIE
ANNIE was spotted in one of our regular perreras in the south of Spain and exited by a fellow British rescuer who lives in the area. Within a very short space of time, Stacey realised ANNIE was extremely ill. Her vigilance and the speed of seeking veterinary care quite simply saved her life. ANNIE was diagnosed with distemper. An infected dog has discharge from eyes and nose and sometimes respiratory problems, which were symptoms that ANNIE was exhibiting. She was rushed into an oxygen tent at the vets for 3 days. The third day she turned a corner and the first photo above is Day 3, she was alert and taking some food - we all celebrated! Without immediate treatment only 20% of dogs survive distemper, she was a very lucky girl. She arrived into foster in Lincolnshire with Rob and met her new mum, Gemma who was grieving for the loss of her cocker and needed to fill a very empty space in her heart. ANNIE had a lot of growing and confidence to gain, so the two of them grew together on all their travels across Europe. You can follow ANNIE and Gemma on their blog
CANI
9 year old Breton kept chained up in a yard for his entire life. Used as a hunting dog, but as he had slowed up this year, “owner” wanted to get rid. Fortunately, happy to relinquish to SOS and not the kill station. Spent a couple of months with a fabulous fosterer in Sussex and then found his forever home in Northampton. Now a truly adored member of the family, just as it should have been 9 years ago.
PIXIE
This gorgeous, trusting young breton was living in the middle of nowhere in Spain struggling with dehydration and starvation. Just the sweetest little girl, who came into a UK foster home to be adored, fed and enjoy some puppy antics. She then went on to be adopted having Eddy, the cocker spaniel to show her the way and have fun with. The perfect SOS rescue story. We have now repeated that 1,272 times (July 2023) now and we will keep going!
