NEWS FROM SAVE OUR SPANIELS

HOPE AND FAMILY

Surrey based dog warden contacted us in the summer of 2024 desperate to find a rescue for a “cocker cross”, she was due to whelp and they had no option for her. She arrived to her Lincolnshire foster home and we never did find the spaniel! BUT, she did need help because 4 days later she whelped 3 very healthy pups. Found as a stray with no chip, this girl had no options. This is a regular occurrence at the moment, hundreds of dogs being dumped daily. The old chestnut, if they are chipped, “oh we sold him/her last year”, so no come back. Luckily for HOPE, we could help and she raised her little family in a home with 4 meals a days, a quiet area, as well as lots of garden time to help mum stay sane! All 4 found fabulous homes.

THRILLED TO REPORT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RESCUES HELPED BY SAVE OUR SPANIELS IN 2023

201 dogs rescued; funds raised, exited from kill stations/UK pounds transported to our Spanish residencia/into UK foster homes, microchipped, vaccinated, neutered, bloods taken, parasite treated, Passport issued, surgeries performed, medications administered, fosterers readied, UK transport booked.  Most of the dogs are emaciated with ear and eye infections, but quite a few have been abused or run over and have broken legs, hips, head injuries so they require a little more TLC to get ready for transport.  We always prioritise the older or sick dogs first.

All your support has made this possible. Hugely thankful for wonderful SOS supporters.

ZEKE, the breton was found by the refuse bins in Spain in a bag lying next to his dead siblings in the summer of 2022. This is a very regular occurrence in Spain, you throw out your pups with the rest of your rubbish. Fortunately, he was one of the lucky ones and found a rescuer. We transported him to our private residencia to be prepared for travel to the UK (microchipped, vaccinated, parasite treated and Passport issued). Today, 1st September he is starting his journey over the UK to his forever home with Joanne and her brittany, Tom and Ozzy, bedlington/cocker having survived against the odds.

His nickname at the residencia was “El Loco”!

The cost for his rescue is £770 (adoption fee for pups is £475), but all your wonderful donations make his rescue a possibility. Bless you.

*** 247 RESCUED IN 2022 ***

Our best year so far! An astounding 247 dogs rescued; funds raised, most exited from kill stations/taken off the streets, transported to our Spanish residencia, microchipped, vaccinated, neutered, bloods taken, wormed\flead, Passport issued, surgeries performed, medications administered, fosterers readied, UK transport booked.  Most of the dogs are emaciated with ear and eye infections, but quite a few have been abused or run over and have broken legs, hips, head injuries so they require a little more TLC to get ready for transport.  We always prioritise the older or sick dogs first.

Then they arrive in the UK to the wonderful loving arms of our volunteer fosterers, where they are house trained, washed, recall tested, fed until the spine and ribs aren’t visible anymore and loved, loved, loved❤.  Advertised on our website and Facebook page, applications sent out, vetted, homechecked and meet and greets organised, adoption contracts typed up, excited families get ready - repeated 247 times!

LUKI

LUKI is a small breton that is one of our miracle dogs. Rescued in 2020, this 3 year boy was found straying on the streets in Spain with a cleft palate. Our knowledge of cleft palates was that puppies don’t survive this deformity due to aspiration on milk or food. How on earth he had lived was quite astounding. All the vets that he met were astonished. He arrived into a foster home in Lincolnshire and had 3 different surgeries at referral vets, none worked. So left with the choice of living his life to the full with his foster family or put to sleep, we opted for the first! He is now in long term foster with his family (SOS will pay for any veterinary care needed in the future), but he is just living each day to the fullest.

As ever, donations (each £1/5/10 adds up!) keep this boy under the care of SOS. Huge thanks.

HEBE & BRUNO

Two young bretons in Spain with life threatening conditions; both needed immediate veterinary care. HEBE was only a pup, but the rope that had been placed around her throat when only weeks old cut through the skin and muscle in her throat and no-one did anything about it. BRUNO was severely emaciated; every rib on his body and hip bones were visible. He was also anaemic when rescued off the streets. 2021 rescues and both in their forever homes in the UK adored and living the life that a loving dog should all be entitled to.

HAP (was HOPPER)

Rescued off the streets in Spain April 2019, we genuinely didn’t think HAP would survive the night, but we wanted him to be able to rest in comfort. He was immediately rushed to the vets for a blood transfusion and over 200 ticks were taken off his body. As you can see, he did survive and flourished. He was adopted that year and spends half his time in the UK and France with his adoptive family, who adore him!

BEAR THE BRETON

Meet BEAR, a breton rescue exited from a kill station in Spain in September 2019. Barely able to walk due to emaciation and severely anaemic. Fast forward 3 months and he arrived into his foster home in Wales and within weeks, it was obvious he was going nowhere! He is a totally different dog and very much loved. Huge thanks Sue for adopting BEAR.

“DOGS TODAY” NOVEMBER ISSUE

Our Patron, Sue Johnston very kindly undertook an interview with Dogs Today Magazine with both her furry family members wearing SOS bandanas and she mentioned her support for our charity.

THANK YOU CAKE FOR AVENUE VETS IN GRANTHAM

Bourne2Bake in Lincolnshire created our spaniel masterpiece and the local newspaper very kindly gave SOS a full page spread to cover the gratitude that we feel for all the support from our wonderful vets.

GREEK RESCUE - CASSIA 4th August

What a rollercoaster - another country now, Greece. We were alerted to an abandoned spaniel back in June that was living in perilous conditions in the mountains, then coming down to a blind bend on a busy road. Looks like she had been dumped as a pup (7/8 months old) and was fending for herself. How on earth she wasn't run over is a miracle.

The amazing ladies at Diasozo Animal Rescue Team of Karditsa in Greece were tracking her, but she was absolutely terrified of people. For 2 months they left her food and water, but there was no way she would come to them. A plea for a live trap was sent out, but she wasn't keen on that either! Perseverance and huge hearts meant that Ermioni and Katerina hit the mother of all luck yesterday! They added a mild sedation to the food they left and managed to lift her to safety, whilst she snoozled!

She's been vet checked and apart from an ear infection nothing too obvious. Bloods are pending. A massive thank you to Ermioni Giannakou and Katerina for their determination and to Andrew Tomes who has kept us in the loop over the very long 6 weeks!

She will be prepared for travel to the UK and into a SOS foster home. Good day today!

RICK - 10 YEARS

One of our long term fosters due to arthritic back and hips, brought into the kill station on CESE (fast track sacrifice) in Spain by his hunter owner back in May 2017. He was just skin and bones, but the sweetest Breton you could hope to meet! He lives a full and very much loved life in Cheshire with his foster family, SOS will be his back up for life now. Your donations make this possible - thank you.

*** HUMPHREY UPDATE ***

Just over 3 years ago, a truly emaciated and "broken" cocker came to our attention in a perrera in Spain (first photo). We cried buckets over this boy. He was just a shell. He came over and was adopted by a lovely couple in Sussex and we received an email from them yesterday giving us an update.

“I thought that you and all your followers (and especially those from Cocker Spaniel Rescue days) might like to hear a brief update as to how the ‘Humph’ is getting on. 3 years now since he arrived and he’s a total joy. The poor boy has had plenty of teeth extracted over that time but that didn’t stop him from winning the ‘most photogenic dog’ competition recently held. I swear that he’s the most ‘balanced’ dog we’ve ever had which given his background is remarkable. Not bad for an old lad!

A couple of photos attached and hopefully many more years to come. Keep up the great work SOS. Dogs like Humphrey depend upon it.

Tom & Hazel”

SOS PICNIC WEEKEND 12-14th JULY 2019