Why You should share a rescue dog on Facebook.
This is what I have just written as a Facebook post, to try to help rescues out in Cyprus.
Why you should share a dog on Facebook.
The story I’m about to tell isn’t unusual for Cyprus. People who help at shelters, and foster carers will tell you how it is almost routine. This is our Tia Maria’s story. 
Imagine about 22 dogs crammed into an old cow shed in the Limassol area. The shed has a tin roof which leaks and which makes it hot in Summer and cold in Winter. Every drop of Winter rain would drum deafeningly loud and make puddles on the uneven concrete floor. There was little in the way of food. The most aggressive dogs always got there first whilst the more nervous ones went hungry. Faeces were piled up by the shed attracting flies. As everyone knows, flies and ticks spread disease. In Cyprus this means the lethal diseases of Leishmania and Ehrlicia are spread when an infected dog is fed on and the tick or sandfly lands on a healthy animal. Yes there are collars which can prevent this for as little as £12, but a dog’s life isn’t worth that to many in Cyprus. There wasn’t even any bedding on the concrete floor for the thin dogs to pad their bones against the cold concrete.
2 animal lovers came across this sight and saw inside and were shocked, even for Cyprus, at how thin and uncared for these dogs were. They went away shocked but couldnt get the place out of their minds and so reported the place to the proper authorities. They went back the following week to see if there was anything they could do or had changed . 10 of the dogs had disappeared. No one knows where they went. Who in Cyprus would buy a painfully thin hound when there are lots of new puppies with less health issues who may be better at hunting? It is likely that they were killed and died unloved, unnamed and forgotten.
A tiny hound looked up at one of the animal lovers with puss dripping eyes, begging not to be left. Without thinking of the consequences, the animal lover bent down over the barrier and pulled her out.
The 2 ran full pelt to a car and headed straight to the vets. She was in an awful state and had Ehrlicia as well as being so emaciated that she was close to death. The vet understood the urgency of letting the animal lover run up a big bill. Vets in Cyprus have to be understanding, as they see so many life or death cases. The tiny hound had several baths before just the stench of the cattle shed was out of her coat. She only weighed 5kg, less than half of her proper weight. She slept for 4 days straight, finally feeling safe.
Underneath all the bites scars scabs and illness they could see she had the most amazing eyes so she was given the pretty name of Tia Maria and started the long road back to health.
A family from the UK visited the foster mother of a dog they had previously adopted and met her. They were looking for a little friend for their dog to play with. Tia Maria was told she would be perfect as she loved to play and had a mischevious character . A pet passport was arranged. Many people helped in Cyprus and Tia Maria was brought to the UK.
She now has her own PACK and her own FAMILY.
OURS
This is just an everyday tale from Cyprus. Tia Maria is an ordinary little hound. The rescues are full of them thanks to hunters over-breeding with little sense of responsibility. The pounds are full of stray dogs but only for 15 days if they are lucky. Then they are put to sleep by whatever method the local municipality has arranged. Animal lovers which are 90% Cypriot are running themselves ragged trying to raise funds for the ones in their care while still managing to take care of them. Foster homes are at bursting point. Every day there is a new cruelty case which needs funding. Every day more dogs are abandoned. Every day people who care about animals are struggling to cope.
Thanks to the internet and places like Facebook, there is a link to people like you. All you are asked to do is to share the details of a dog.
Just a click to share.
It’s the difference between life and death for a dog. For every foster dog, or shelter dog adopted, a place is freed up from a death pound. Maybe one of your friends or one of their friends will have a connection to the dogs photo and fall in love like we did with Lyla our first Cyprus rescue.
We were lucky enough to meet Tia before we adopted her but trust the Cyprus foster mums – they look after the dogs for at least 6 weeks and will tell you all about them
Just a click to share.
Your click may save a life
Posted in Uncategorized by House Elf with 1 comment.
Makings, Lyla progress and a Plea
Sorry it has been busy here, but here’s what has been happening. A little pouch was made for a friend’s birthday. The lining reminded me of Victorian end papers in books.
Zodiac fabric on the front and a twisted cord to the zip.
Another friend had a birthday. I tried a new to me technique with stained glass following a you tube video.
This was very much an apprentice piece! I will stick to lead I think. I am a lot neater!
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Lyla is settling in well. I can’t believe it has only been a week and a half!
She enjoys walking with the others.
There had to be one facing the wrong way- Bungle!
She was a bit in awe of the greyhounds when she arrived but she is coming on nicely now. She will join Bungle on the sofa and is more at ease with Squeak. When I am studying she just snuggles against me quietly. When nothing is happening in the house she sleeps, but when something is happening she is all waggy tailed and wanting to join in.
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Sorry tilt head left for the final stitcheries for Quilting Mouse by Nikki Tervo. They wont rotate for some silly teckie reason.
“Piecing by Machine”
“Reel Vase” -ah that’s where those needles went! I was beginning to wonder if they dissolved after a time.
“Lampshade”
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Now for a plea.
I am asking for Blogland’s help to try to find forever homes by sharing these photos, descriptions and videos of 2 dogs. They were with Lyla when she was hiding in the tyre after being dumped in Cyprus. They are both friendly, submissive and sweet tempered. They are still out there living rough at the mercy of people who see them as pests to be poisoned. In Cyprus it is normal for people not to even slow down when they see a dog in the road. Lyla was initially very fearful of traffic. The volunteer can get them passport ready for a plane trip to their forever home.
The first is a one year old Beagle cross called Ace, who is only a few cm taller than Lyla. He is mainly black and white but there are some brown colours to his face.
A volunteer is feeding both of them but as they are sweet tempered, she has to keep the more dominant big dogs from stealing their food while they eat. This is what she says about Ace:
Oh my……Ace is also living on this wasteland with Lyla (the beagle girl in the tires).
He is too loving not to have a home. He is not aggressive, not dominant, very sweet, and just too fantastic to ignore. I have to rehome this boy no matter what because whoever adopts him will thank me forever I’m sure.
Don’t take my word for it, you can watch his video !
The 2nd dog is a one year old pointer called Poppy. She has a pet passport already so if a forever home is offered she is almost ready to fly. She is spayed and had all vaccinations apart from the rabies one I think. Like Ace she is gentle, submissive and loving. You can see her character clearly in the video.
The volunteer says:
Who loves Pointers? Well Poppy is still living out there in this weather!
Only a year old, spayed, vaccinated, and blood tested, Poppy is looking for a forever home. She is too sweet not to be a family pet. I am doing whatever i can for her out there but there is only so much I can protect her from when she is living so exposed. Please share, Poppy’s home is somewhere out there.
The volunteer runs this facebook page if anyone wants to contact her directly.
So I am asking everyone who is reading this if they can cut and paste this part of my blog post and put Ace and Poppy’s photos on their blogs and ask everyone who reads their blogs to do the same. Both of them may just be a blog post away from finding their forever homes.
Blogland is such a caring place where I have been at home for a number of years, so I hope we can come together and get these 2 lovely dogs into safe homes away from people who would hurt them. Every day the volunteer worries about what she may find when she goes to feed the pack of dumped dogs. These 2 are desperate for love and have done nothing wrong, it is just a cultural attitude which has placed them in this position.
Please help them. Please share their photos and descriptions on your own blog and ask your readers to do the same.
Thank you.
Posted in Crafts, Uncategorized by House Elf with 6 comments.