My love of animals has always been with me but the love has grown as i have become older. I can't tolerate any kind of cruelty and have my own bee hospital where I rescue any half dead bees and wasps with a bit of jam on a tissue , it never fails and many a bee has gone on to a better life because of it.
I used to live on a farm and would be constantly finding the lambs and sheep entangled in fencing. My long suffering partner at the time would always have to go and rescue them no matter the hour or the weather. I became a vegetarian 6 years ago after I read a book about an animal communicator who as a child would tell stories of the farm animals she grew up with and how they were feeling. I haven't touched meat since.
The reason I started my business is because I spilt up with my ex partner Andrew . He stayed at the farm for a while with our two dogs Tilly and Finlay and I stayed with family and friends. I missed my dogs terribly and started looking after various friends pets. It gave me shelter and it helped them and me as I was once again with my furry friends. Andrew and I ran our own business so when that folded I needed to earn a living and decided to do something which I love best so that's what I did.
It's a wonderful way to earn a living for me. I love the outdoors and being in nature and to be able to be of service to my animal friends is so satisfying. There is nothing worse than having to go to work and worry about your pets being stuck in all day with no human or other animal contact.
I do seem to have a way with animals and one day I hope to own a donkey sanctuary so that these beautiful creatures can rest and chew grass all day long.
I live in a flat right now with my own small garden but when I once again have a large garden I plan to keep rescue chickens and pet boarding. The same as I do now but it will be from my own home if the owners so choose.
HERE IS A LIST OF THE ANIMALS THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO BE IN MY LIFE SO FAR....
MUSCLES THE BOXER
I have grown up with dogs and cats. My first dog was a Boxer who we called Muscles because he was the runt of the litter. He was quite a character and because it was the 1970's he was able to roam around where he pleased. You would be on your way out and he would just turn up and no matter how much you would try and tell him to go home he just wouldn't obey. He once stole a neighbour's chicken that was on their kitchen table ready for Sunday lunch. He developed cancer when I was 15 but I wouldn't let him be put to sleep so my poor mum had a neighbour take him to the vets while I was in school. I remember the day when I came home and asked where he was, I was so upset but I know it was cruel keeping him as he was I just never got to say goodbye.
MITZI THE CAT
We also had a grey and white cat called Mitzy at the same time as Muscles. My mum decided to get her as she was afraid of cats. She thought Mitzy would cure her and she did. She was a beautiful cat but she kept bringing in dead birds and once brought in a half dead neighbour's budgie. That didn't go down too well. I remember shutting my mum in the kitchen with the budgie and the cat as I had a bird phobia and still do. Mitzi went missing one day and never came back.
I used to live on a farm and would be constantly finding the lambs and sheep entangled in fencing. My long suffering partner at the time would always have to go and rescue them no matter the hour or the weather. I became a vegetarian 6 years ago after I read a book about an animal communicator who as a child would tell stories of the farm animals she grew up with and how they were feeling. I haven't touched meat since.
The reason I started my business is because I spilt up with my ex partner Andrew . He stayed at the farm for a while with our two dogs Tilly and Finlay and I stayed with family and friends. I missed my dogs terribly and started looking after various friends pets. It gave me shelter and it helped them and me as I was once again with my furry friends. Andrew and I ran our own business so when that folded I needed to earn a living and decided to do something which I love best so that's what I did.
It's a wonderful way to earn a living for me. I love the outdoors and being in nature and to be able to be of service to my animal friends is so satisfying. There is nothing worse than having to go to work and worry about your pets being stuck in all day with no human or other animal contact.
I do seem to have a way with animals and one day I hope to own a donkey sanctuary so that these beautiful creatures can rest and chew grass all day long.
I live in a flat right now with my own small garden but when I once again have a large garden I plan to keep rescue chickens and pet boarding. The same as I do now but it will be from my own home if the owners so choose.
HERE IS A LIST OF THE ANIMALS THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO BE IN MY LIFE SO FAR....
MUSCLES THE BOXER
I have grown up with dogs and cats. My first dog was a Boxer who we called Muscles because he was the runt of the litter. He was quite a character and because it was the 1970's he was able to roam around where he pleased. You would be on your way out and he would just turn up and no matter how much you would try and tell him to go home he just wouldn't obey. He once stole a neighbour's chicken that was on their kitchen table ready for Sunday lunch. He developed cancer when I was 15 but I wouldn't let him be put to sleep so my poor mum had a neighbour take him to the vets while I was in school. I remember the day when I came home and asked where he was, I was so upset but I know it was cruel keeping him as he was I just never got to say goodbye.
MITZI THE CAT
We also had a grey and white cat called Mitzy at the same time as Muscles. My mum decided to get her as she was afraid of cats. She thought Mitzy would cure her and she did. She was a beautiful cat but she kept bringing in dead birds and once brought in a half dead neighbour's budgie. That didn't go down too well. I remember shutting my mum in the kitchen with the budgie and the cat as I had a bird phobia and still do. Mitzi went missing one day and never came back.
WHISKERS THE CAT
By the time my next pet came along I was married with a small son Daniel. We got him a cat when he was about 3 years old. We asked Daniel what he wanted to call her and he decided on the name Whiskers, not very original but hey it was his choice.
Whiskers came from a farm, she was ginger and white and she was such a character, not as haughty as most cats. She had 2 litters in her lifetime and Daniel cried each time a kitten was given away.
Whiskers was run over and her pelvis was damaged but she came through and lived until she was 15 where she developed cancer in the nose. It was treated for a while but the vet couldn't do no more and so I had to take her to be put to sleep. If anyone has experienced this you will know the heartbreak it causes (I feel so sad as I write).
OSCAR THE DOG
When we had Whiskers we decided to get a dog for Daniel. The first one we had was a sheepdog puppy we called Oscar. He was beautiful but he wasn't with us long when he caught distemper even though he had had his needles and we didn't let him out other dogs would come over to the fence to say hello and there was nothing we could do. I couldn't cope with taking him to the vets and so my ex hubby Phil did the deed.
TESS THE DOG
When Daniel was about 8 we got him another dog. This time it was from the rescue centre. Phil and I went along to have a look (something i couldn't do now as I would fret about them all). All the dogs were noisy except for one who was sitting very quietly and timidly in her enclosure.
She was a cross Alsatian/Cocker spaniel. She had Alsatian colours and height with Cocker Spaniel ears and coat. Daniel didn't know he was having her and I still have the home video I made as he came into the room on his Birthday not knowing what he was having.
Tess didn't really take to men except Phil and you never knew if she would play or fight with another dog but she was in our family for a long time . She went everywhere with us and although Whiskers ruled the roost she and Tess were best friends and would often lie together in front of the fire.
Tess had to be put to sleep when she was 17 as her legs became unstable and she kept falling down. Phil and I had split up by then but we took her together and cried together. It was a long time before I stopped waiting for her to bark when the postman came.
TILLY THE MINIATURE WIRE HAIRED DACHSHUND
In 2006 a little while after Mutley had left us Mary decided she would like another dog. In the past she had had 2 minature wire haired Dachshunds (so difficult to spell) and so asked Andrew and I to look out for any websites advertising the breed.
We found a lovely lady in Mold who breeds Daschsies and after ringing her we went along to see the six gorgeous tiny puppies. We watched them all at play and after a while Mary chose the one she wanted, whom she thought the quietest. She couldn't decide on the name Poppy or Tilly and asked me. I thought she looked like a Tilly so that's what we named her. We couldn't take her home straight away so in the meantime Mary prepared for Tilly's arrival with toys and bedding.
The great day arrived and we Tilly to her new home. She settled in and I toilet trained her. She was a feisty thing and we had to put a pile of books at the bottom of the stairs to stop her climbing.
Mary used a walking stick and one night she got out of bed and fell on the floor. Luckily Andrew and I were staying there and we heard Mary calling. When we went into her room Tilly was jumping all over Mary's stomach, enjoying herself immensely!
When we went over to see Mary one weekend Tilly had chewed through the phone wires. We knew she was bored and as time went on Mary became ill and asked us to take Tilly home with us for weekends. Tilly was such a joy but being small she could crawl through the tiniest hole, we really had to keep an eye on her.
By February 2007 we were told Mary hadn't got long to live. Mary wasn't aware of this but she did ask that if anything happened to her would we take Tilly. There was no question about it and in March Mary died and went to join all her dogs and cats that had left before.
Tilly is now 6 years old and has brought us so much happiness. We moved to a farm in Llangollen and she loved digging in the rabbit holes and one day after a walk we couldn't find her. We we searched everywhere and Andrew eventually found her stuck down a hole.
She can run so fast on such short legs.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
ALONG COMES FINLAY
Tilly was our only dog for some time and one day I decided that she needed a playmate and I thought it would be a good idea to take in a dog from a rescue centre. I wanted another female, one who got on with other dogs, who travelled well and who didn't moult . It was harder than I thought. I went through dozens of websites looking at such sad stories of badly treated animals, it made me weep and I wanted to bring them all home. Then one day Andrew went to a farm to fix someone's computer. He came home with a tale about a dog called Finlay who had been brought to the farm because the guy there bred Lakeland terriers but because Finlay was only part Lakeland (the other part being Jack Russell) the breeder didn't want him but Finlay's owner left him there and drove off! I said I didn't want a boy but was persuaded to 'just have a look'as the poor mite looked so lost. So off we went and there was 'poor' Fin sitting quietly and looking so lost that my heart melted. We took him for a walk and he and Tilly seemed fine so we decided there and then to take him home.
Fin didn't settle very well and we were up with him the first night as he howled in the kitchen. It went from bad to worse as we then realised that Tilly was on heat as she had begun to come into season every 3 months. Boy what a time we had. Finlay had suddenly lost his shyness and tried every which way he could to mount Tilly. We had to keep him on his lead at all times as we had read that taking him to be spayed so early on wouldn't be good for him but by the end of 2 days we had had enough and made the decision to take him to the vet.
Fin has certainly challenged us. He couldn't travel without vomiting after being 5 minutes in the car when we first had him. he is much better now and is only sick once on a journey. When we lived on the farm he would go crazy if a car came down the drive and he found out that if he sat in the bedroom window he could watch cars going along the main track and then bounce up and down on the landing as they passed the top road , this became his favourite game. He moults like crazy and dislikes other dogs..
A few weeks after we had him we took him for a walk in nearby woods and let him off. He loved this but after the 3rd time we took him he became cocky and refused to come back . We spent hours calling him and it became dark. I was crying knowing we would have to go home without him and when we arrived at the farm he was sitting on the doorstep. A few weeks later not learning by our mistake we did the same thing, as we thought there would be no way Fin would want to go through that again. We were wrong, off he scarpered again and home we went, but this time he wasn't on the doorstep. We called him from the house and I thought I would never see him again. But then we heard our nearest neighbour who lived by the wood shout us that he had him. Back he came sitting in the front seat of our neighbours car. We were overjoyed and mad at the same time.
Fin is now part of our family. He loves digging in rabbit holes and would love to spend all day in the forest but he just can't be let loose on his own. He is a real character who loves people coming to visit. he jumps on people's laps regardless if they want him there or not. He teases Tilly by stealing her ball and she barks at him to no avail. He moults everywhere but loves being brushed. Andrew and I have now moved back into the town so Fin is getting used to traffic and noise and other dogs.
Fin didn't settle very well and we were up with him the first night as he howled in the kitchen. It went from bad to worse as we then realised that Tilly was on heat as she had begun to come into season every 3 months. Boy what a time we had. Finlay had suddenly lost his shyness and tried every which way he could to mount Tilly. We had to keep him on his lead at all times as we had read that taking him to be spayed so early on wouldn't be good for him but by the end of 2 days we had had enough and made the decision to take him to the vet.
Fin has certainly challenged us. He couldn't travel without vomiting after being 5 minutes in the car when we first had him. he is much better now and is only sick once on a journey. When we lived on the farm he would go crazy if a car came down the drive and he found out that if he sat in the bedroom window he could watch cars going along the main track and then bounce up and down on the landing as they passed the top road , this became his favourite game. He moults like crazy and dislikes other dogs..
A few weeks after we had him we took him for a walk in nearby woods and let him off. He loved this but after the 3rd time we took him he became cocky and refused to come back . We spent hours calling him and it became dark. I was crying knowing we would have to go home without him and when we arrived at the farm he was sitting on the doorstep. A few weeks later not learning by our mistake we did the same thing, as we thought there would be no way Fin would want to go through that again. We were wrong, off he scarpered again and home we went, but this time he wasn't on the doorstep. We called him from the house and I thought I would never see him again. But then we heard our nearest neighbour who lived by the wood shout us that he had him. Back he came sitting in the front seat of our neighbours car. We were overjoyed and mad at the same time.
Fin is now part of our family. He loves digging in rabbit holes and would love to spend all day in the forest but he just can't be let loose on his own. He is a real character who loves people coming to visit. he jumps on people's laps regardless if they want him there or not. He teases Tilly by stealing her ball and she barks at him to no avail. He moults everywhere but loves being brushed. Andrew and I have now moved back into the town so Fin is getting used to traffic and noise and other dogs.