Fellow Doglovers - I need your help :-)

[Vallhala]

I hope that it's okay to post this and apologise if not.

On October 10th I will be taking part in an 8 mile walk in order to in aid of the dog rescue I help out at - Poplar Farm Rescue Kennels (PFK), which is in East Cambs.

PFK is a 100% no kill rescue run and funded entirely by its owner, Dave, and his partner, Rachel, with help from nutters volunteers like me. Unlike some other rescues, "no kill" means just that. No dog is put to sleep at PFK, regardless of age, expense, temperament or time needed, unless he is genuinely beyond all help and is suffering. Dave and Rachel both work a minimum 18 hour day, 365 days a year to ensure that this promise is kept.

PFK takes in the dogs which the large/national rescues won't take or have threatened to put to sleep. As well as offering rescue to and finding new homes for dogs, PFK provides sanctuary for several epileptic dogs for whom homes are hard to find and would otherwise have been PTS and also for a couple of dogs whose temperaments are not suited to family life, together with some oldies and poorly souls in need of expert tlc. Some of PFKs dogs were rescued from pounds across the UK and Ireland, saved in mercy runs before they were put to sleep, others come from family homes, perhaps owing to divorce or bereavement or simply because they are no longer wanted. :(
Whilst we work to assess, rehabilitate where necessary, restore to health, train and generally care for the on average 70 plus dogs in PFKs care we continue to seek good homes for those we can too.

I'm hoping that by taking part in the walk on 10th October, from PFK to Chatteris and back, I can help to contribute to some of the rescue's running costs before winter's big heating bills are really upon them.

It costs on average £20 per week just to mediicate one of PFKs epileptic dogs. I know how special these dogs are - not only do I work with them at PFK whenever I can, I'm foster mum to their big fluffy long haired white German Shepherd, who is epileptic (and pictured on my profile).

I know how special PFK are too, so if anyone would consider sponsoring me I'd be very grateful. I can email over sponsorship forms etc if required and more details on PFK and the walk are of course on the website.

Thank you.

Well done, you.

Have you set up a JustGiving page, Val?

I'll happy sponser you, but thanks to my boss being awol I have not been this week yet (I should have been on Saturday) and so have already raided my bank account this week.

Can I sponser you next Tues or will that be too late?

Oh bless, thank you, it will never be too late. :)

A Just Giving page eh Bella? What's one of them, then?

:o

Really easy way to collect sponsorship, Val. You can link it to your fb page or website too.

here

I did a walk recently and used a JustGiving page to collect money.

Ah! I'm with you now, much the same as Bemycharity, which I used to raise funds for CLIC Sargant. Problem is, like a lot of smaller independent rescues, PFK is not a registered charity - there just isn't the time to do the admin plus it would cause practical/paperwork problems in many areas, as, for example, Dave drives the van he transports dogs in for personal use too, be that collecting something, dropping a visitor home or whatever. Because it's not a registered charity it isn't eligible to use Just Giving.

Pah! How annoying!

Unashamed bump!

Vallhala are those lovely dogs of yours going too?

Can you pm me a form etc and gladly sponsor you.

On a different note I have been asked to help a rescue that is 100% no kill but I was devastated to find that some of the dogs have been in kennels for years and years. Is this normal? I am hopefully working with some of the long stay cases to try to get them at least out to foster homes but this one staffy (so called aggression issues) had been in kennels for 8 years. I had him out with my dogs today and he is just terrified no aggression at all.

Let your dh know you are testing the staffy for home suitability. Just don't mention how long the home trial test needs to last!

Vallhala would it be okay for me to donate straight to pfk via paypal? I can add a note to say it's sponsor money for your walk.
Actually I just read your post again and saw more details are on their website. I'll have a look tomorrow.

Wot kid said; posting to remind myself.

Thanks to Valhalla, I helped rehome an older dog recently. Thanks to Valhalla, I did a midnight run to the vet with my dog, and she's OK.

Happy to donate in Val's name.

(OMG, that sounds like she's dead!)

Thanks, Val, for all that you do.

Great idea Kid- he was home late last nght and hasn't seemed to notice yet!

Val must be off training I reckon for that big walk on Saturday

Thank you all so much.

Sorry for the delayed response. Every time I went to reply something else came up and I ended up chasing my tail.

Minimu - how's the Staffie? Has your husband noticed yet?! :o

Just one of my dogs is coming with me, the lovely Fish. A fellow volunteer and walker is collecting me - there will be me, DD2, volunteer and husband, her GSD, his JRT and Fish as well as all manner of stuff we have to take down to the rescue so no room for the other 2 boys. DD1, the lazy moo, is claiming a need to do coursework! :o

Kid, thank you, Paypal direct to PFK will be just super.

OLKN, I'm not dead yet... lets see what the effect of 8 miles has on me though! :o

I will pm you Minimu with a sponsor form (may have to ask you to email me so I can send it) or otherwise anyone can go onto PFKs forum where the details of the walk are in "All Events" under "Anyone Up For A Walk" and the Paypal link, if anyone would like to use it, is at the top of the home page, in small print right under the Poplar Farm Rescue Kennels banner.

THANK YOU!

Val x

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

8.4 miles of walk completed in beautiful sunshine (thank goodness!), in the company of my Fish, a Labrador, 2 Jack Russells, a Greyhound who came to the rescue as a human and dog aggressive dog and another GSD.

I shall sleep well tonight! :o