Labrador Welfare Spring Newsletter 2012

Labrador Welfare
Registered Charity No 1012192
Spring Newsletter 2012
2 Tapton Crescent Road
Sheffield
S10 5DA
E-mail [email protected]
www.labradorwelfare.org
Chairman
Ray Carnall
Secretary
Susan Roberts
Treasurer
June Roberts
Assistant Treasurer
Kath Burridge
Re-homing Coordinator
June Roberts
Committee
Mr R Carnall
Miss J Roberts
Miss S Roberts
Mrs S Wheeler
Trustees
Dr A Book
Mr R Carnall
Mr A Lewis
Mrs R Lewis
Mr P Noble
Miss J Roberts
Miss S Roberts
Newsletter Editor
Su Roberts
Sub Editorial Team
Quincy
Abby
Max
2
Editorial
3
In this Newsletter
2011Adoptions
June’s Jottings
3
4
Re-homing update
7
The way we work
8
Membership
9
AGM
9
50 Club update
9
Welcome to our spring Newsletter. As always in this edition I have
to thank all those who kindly sent us Christmas cards, many of
which included a donation towards our work. Donations at that time
of year are especially welcome as there are very few fundraising
events taking place.
As far as rescues go we are quite a small concern and when
compared with the big national charities it may seem that our input
into rescue is insignificant. However last year’s Kennel Club survey
showed that breed rescues re-homed more dogs in 2010 than
Battersea and Dog Trust put together with an annual total of
approximately 25,000 dogs. So the efforts of breed rescues are not
to be underestimated and we certainly do make a difference to the
breed.
Our AGM was held in November 2011 and the officers and trustees’
reports are included in this edition. We do realise that many of you
live too far away to make attending the AGM an option but we do
hope that the reports help you to feel in touch with what is
happening. Our next AGM will be held in September/October of this
year so if there is anything that you would like the meeting to
discuss or if there are any matters that you would like to raise
please do contact us with information and we will be pleased to
present the item to the meeting on your behalf and give you
feedback.
You will find all your favourites are here as usual. We know that you
like to hear about the dogs that have been rehomed so we have
tried to include a bit about every one of them. Quincy has
completed a test drive of the Kong Wobbler and Max has tried out
the Anti Gorge bowl. We would still like to receive any training topic
that you would like covering.
As always we hope that you will all find something of interest in the
Newsletter. Your views and ideas are always welcome.
We would like to make it clear that the views given in any of the
articles are the authors and not necessarily those of Labrador
Welfare.
2011 Adoptions
Lynn Roberts has kindly done an analysis of the dogs we rehomed
last year which we hope you will find informative
Information on the 82 dogs has been analysed to provide a
breakdown of dogs by: colour, gender and age group. The results
are shown below.
1. Analysis by Colour
4
Foster dog update
Sponsor dogs
9
10
Helpers & Supporters
11
Fundraising
labradorwelfare.org
13
14
Dog Walk
15
The dog’s wet nose
15
Su’s Snips
15
Memory Lane
Quincy’s quips
16
17
Quincy’s Letters
17
Return to sender
20
Officer’s reports
24
Number
Percentage
Black
38
46.3
Chocolate
14
17.1
Fox Red
1
1.2
Female
31
38
Totals
82
100
4-6 years
28
34
7-9 years
17
21
Yellow
29
35.4
Totals
82
100
10 years+
2
2.5
Totals
82
100
2. Analysis by Gender
Number
Percentage
Male
51
62
3. Analysis by Age Group
Number
Percentage
0-3 years
35
42.5
June’s Jottings. ……
2011 was an average year for us as we normally expect to rehomed between 80 and 90
dogs. Everyone worked hard and we managed to get all but 4 dogs out of kennels for
Christmas. I have to admit that getting dogs out of kennels prior to the holiday period has no
sentimental over tones for me as I don’t believe that dogs have any understanding of the
holiday. To be honest it is purely for the financial aspect as any dog that is in kennels on the
th
24 December is still going to be there on the 2nd January. Andy and Becky also like to give
their staff time off during this period so it helps if we have as few dogs as possible with them
over the holidays. It’s not a good time to rehomed dogs anyway as most people do some
family visiting or have family round so not the ideal situation for a new dog. Even if you lead a
very quiet life most of us want to eat and relax more so working with a new dog isn’t top of the
list of things to do. It is also the only time of year that our helpers get ‘time off’ and it also
gives Su and I the break we need to catch up on paperwork and filing so we don’t exactly
sit around doing nothing. This year Su and I promised ourselves that Christmas day would be
Labrador Welfare free – we made it but I think that Su had withdrawal symptoms!
Once again our main problem seems to be the lack of quality homes. Some people see
rehoming organisations as a place to get a ‘trained’ dog (whatever one of those is) and don’t
seem to realise that even a dog that has had some training won’t know the new house rules
and commands – it’s a steep learning curve for both owner and dog in those first couple of
weeks. If only they could see the rewards of working with a dog and ending up with a well
mannered companion that you can take anywhere.
Since the Autumn Newsletter we have rehomed Ella, Cleo, Holly, Harris, Willow, George, Sky,
Poppy, Buster, Bolly, Marley, Percy, Bonnie, Bruce, Bella, Sam, Rooney, Harry, Ozzy, Jake,
Marley, Harry, Bobby, Barney
Ella was an unclaimed stray that was passed to us by Mount Pleasant
kennels in Doncaster. She had recently had a litter of puppies had had a
phantom pregnancy and was estimated to be about 4 years old. She is a
lovely dog but was suffering from a skin condition when she came through
and was losing milk. It did take us a while to get her sorted but she has now
gone to live in the North East where she has settled in very well
Cleo is a two year old yellow bitch who came through to us when her owner had a
change of work circumstances and found she didn’t have enough time for her.
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She certainly needed more training but has settled in to her new home on the east coast
where her new owners are able to spend much more time with her.
Molly is a 3year old black bitch who was handed over to us when her owner had to move into
rented accommodation. There was a couple who had been on our books for some months as
they were specifically looking for a black bitch. The only criteria that they gave was that the
bitch would not have to have mobility problems as they there is a fight of steep steps that
have to be climbed to reach their house. Molly ticked all the boxes as far as they were
concerned and we were happy to let them take her on. She is now very settled and has filled
the hole that was left after the loss of their previous black bitch.
Harris came in with Holly and is a 5 year old yellow dog. We had received an
application form from a lady who was looking to take on a dog for the first time.
She told us that she was looking for a yellow Labrador around 5 years of age and
as they had no previous experience they were looking for a placid dog. This
sounded like a description of Harris so we asked if they would like to view him. To
say that they have been delighted with him is possibly an understatement. He has
fitted in very well, has been the perfect gentleman and a wonderful companion for
the husband who has sadly been quiet ill recently. Harris has kept the family going
through the hard times and the breed has won another devotee.
Willow (going through a bitch patch here for a change) was handed over to us through a
breakup of relationship. As a single mum her owner was finding it difficult to
cope with Willow who is 1 year old. Willow was full of beans whilst in kennels
but has a problems with one of her back legs so we needed to find her a
home where this wouldn’t be an issue. She hasn’t needed to be on any
medication and had been on walks with no problems. Her new owners have
experience of a dog with mobility problems so weren’t fazed by Willow’s
condition and as she is only a young dog there may be the chance that there
has been an improvement.
George is a 1 year old chocolate. His master was working away from home a lot
and this seemed to unsettle George who was becoming harder for the wife to
handle. He settled well in kennels and didn’t take us as long to rehomed as we
had expected and has now gone to live with two other dogs one of which is a
youngster so he certainly has plenty to keep him occupied.
Buster is a 4 year old black dog who came in due to a house move. He is a
nice dog who didn’t seem to have any major problems. A couple showed
specific interest in him and their situation looked to be right for Buster so they
were asked to come along to see what they thought of him. He has now
settled in his new home and is doing well.
Poppy was having to be left for long periods due to work circumstances and this isn’t good for
a young dog. She was a bit timid when she first arrived in kennels but
soon settled in. A family had been on our books for some time but the
right dog hadn’t come along. However we thought that they would be
able to deal with Poppy and give her the secure home she needed. This
has proved to be the case and Poppy has settled in well with the family
cats and chickens.
Sky’s owner had originally been told that she could have a dog in
her ground floor flats and all had gone well for a year. A new neighbour arrived who
decided to complain and you can guess the outcome. Sadly Sky seemed to take some
time to find the right home and it took three attempts before we found the right one for
her. This family haven’t let her down and she has settled well and we certainly don’t
expect to see her back again.
Percy is a Labrador Schnauzer cross who we took on because his
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owner was having to leave him for long periods whilst she looked after her mother who had
become very ill. You can imagine that as a 6 month old designer dog and not a common
cross at that, everyone wanted him. The trouble was all this interest wasn’t any help to us as
they weren’t interested in any of the other dogs – only Percy. He didn’t settle in his first home
as he had been used to using a crate and this family didn’t want to use one. He was soon on
his way to another family who were happy to use a crate and this really helped Percy to settle.
He is now doing fine and is very settled in his new home.
Bolly came to us because the husband had asthma and Bolly’s coat was affecting him. I
should have sensed that all was not as it sounded when he told me
that he had trimmed her coat but that had not helped. When Bolly
arrived it was obvious that she was either a Golden Retriever or a
Labrador X Golden Retriever. However whatever her dual heritage
might be she is a lovely natured girl of around 5 years of age. This
put her in the hardest age bracket to re-homed and sadly it took us
quite a while to find someone to take her on. If there is one thing
that we have learnt in life it is that there is a right home for
(nearly) every dog that we take in – sometimes it just
takes a while to find it. Bolly now lives in West Yorkshire where she settled in very
quickly and is doing really well.
Marley came through our friends at Yorkshire Rose. Typically for dogs with this
name he hadn’t had much training but showed plenty of promise. The lady who has
taken him on runs a dog training group so we knew that she would sort him. She
has told us that it hasn’t taken much effort and she has found that he has a lovely
temperament and is highly delighted with him. Margaret has also offered to give help
with any problems that we experience with any of the dogs handed in to us and we are sure
that we will be taking her up on this offer.
Bonnie wouldn’t normally have gone out to her new home as it was getting very
near Christmas. However I knew the family that she would be going to as they have
had a dog from us before. I really did give this a lot of thought as last year we had
poor old Max who went out before Christmas and ended up being returned. This
time everything went very well. The family had a couple of weeks when they were all
at home and they used this to help Bonnie settle in
Bruce is another dog that came to us via Yorkshire Rose. He actually came through
as a social services case as his owner had problems looking after himself let
alone a dog. The young man had taken Bruce on from someone else who
didn’t want him but was feeding him on table scraps so Bruce was very under
weight. He isn’t a pure Labrador but we aren’t sure what he is crossed with.
Yorkshire Rose described him as a Labrador that has shrunk in the wash and
that about sums him up. He now lives with a family who have previously
fostered Support Dogs and I think that their experiences and insight has
helped them with Bruce. He obviously hadn’t had a lot of training and barked
when he got excited (which was most of the time as he is full of life). He soon
settled in, stopped barking as much and is now able to be let off the lead. His weight
has improved and he looks a picture of health.
Bella is a 3 year old chocolate girl who was really too much for her owner who was not
in the best of health and was under the hospital. John and Barbara picked Bella up for
us as the lady didn’t have transport. It was obvious from what they observed that Bella
was far too bouncy for her owner but she has now settled in well in her new home
where she is learning ‘manners’.
Rooney was another unclaimed stray. We do wish people wouldn’t name
dogs after footballers/football teams etc. As these names don’t always go
down well with the new owner! Rooney is a super lad and now lives on
the east coast where he is doing very well and as he is only 3 years of
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age we hope that his new owners have many years of pleasure ahead of them.
Ozzie was another 3 year old unclaimed stray. We have had quite a few dogs with
varying spellings of this name and it can get confusing! This one is a rather
handsome black lad who had also gone to live in Lincolnshire. He too has settled
well and has fitted in very well with his new family.
Jake was sadly returned to us when the first people who adopted him found that
they couldn’t cope with a dog that pulled on the lead. Sadly he spent a long time in
kennels waiting for the right home. Once people realise that a dog has been
returned to us they assume that there is a problem with the dog and this usually just
isn’t the case. We found a retired gentleman who was looking for a companion for
his own dog and he was happy to sort out pulling on the lead and Jake’s general love of life.
No problems! If only we had found this gentleman earlier.
Marley – another Marley but this time a black dog that was an unclaimed
stray. He was a bit ribby when he came in but he has put some weight on.
This Marley is only 18 months old, so he has plenty of time to fatten up a
bit. He is another one who is doing really well and is proof that not all stray
dogs come through with major problems.
Ozzy is yet another unclaimed stray. This time he is a bit older at 4 years
but never the less a lovely black lad. A couple had given him a try but
found him too strong on the lead. However his new owner has sorted this
problem out and he is very happy to have Ozzy as a companion. There
was an added bonus with this one as the gentleman has offered to do
home visits for us.
Bobby came through to us through a family bereavement which meant that he was being left
on his own a lot. As he was only 9 months old at the time this was not good for him. The
family were devastated at having to hand him into us but were happy to know that he didn’t
spend that long in kennels. He has gone to live with a busy family with children and he has
settled in very well and even helps to push the pram up the hills. Top marks to his first owners
who had obviously done some training with him as he certainly had some
good manners.
Barney A lady who had a dog from us and who keeps in touch asked us
if we could help with this one. Barney is one of those dogs who have had
more homes than years on this earth and at 3 years of age we felt that he
needed someone who was going to stick with him. As you might expect
he was very bouncy when he came in and didn’t seem to know any
commands. However he started to settle down and we eventually found a
gentleman who looking for a companion. He was quite happy to take on
Barney’s baggage and to be honest Barney has settled much better than
we could have ever hoped. We think that this time Barney has found his
rightful home.
Thanks go to Mike Elshaw for photographs of the dogs
Rehoming Update
I am the son of the owners of a dog who used to be with you called Bella. She is a fox red
Labrador and she used to be with you a couple of years ago. I am happy to inform you after a
lot of training and effort that Bella is now doing really well and has been on most of our
holidays now. When we got her she was scared of a lot of things. She also jumped up at a lot
of cars and was scared of cables and manholes. She has now overcome her fears and she is
now one of the best things in my life as she just makes me smile every day. We are out most
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of the day but we get a walker to take her to my Gran’s house for the rest of the day and to
get a really good lunch. But she enjoys the walks and has made a lot of friends although she
doesn’t like dogs that make a big fuss. Bella used to be very stressed and nervous but now
she is one of the best companions I could have. She sleeps most of the day but is very active
when she is awake. She has made a considerable improvement since we first collected her
and I would like to thank you for helping us get her into our home as she is just a brilliant
animal and is one of our family.
The way we work
As there are some new members and there have also been some changes recently we
thought that it would be a good idea to update you on one or two things.
Prior to 2006 we changed the microchip details into the new owner’s name. However we
became concerned by the number of dogs that were coming through where details were way
out of date. When people move house or get a new phone number the last thing they think of
is to change the details on the microchip data base. This is understandable but of course it
does mean that if their dog goes missing there is no way it can be returned to them via the
chip details. We decided that all dogs would be registered in the name of Labrador Welfare
and we would keep our own data base of owners. That way at least the dog would be
returned to us if the owner was untraceable rather than going to another rescue or worse.
Quite a few rehoming organisations also did this but sadly many of these groups have fallen
by the way side due to lack of funds and there are many dogs now that cannot be reunited.
To address this problem the data base companies have introduced new schemes whereby
new owners can add their own details, which we are able to do for a one off payment off £10.
Labrador Welfare will remain on the ‘red rescue button’ so that we are linked as the rescue
organisation for that dog. The new owner can update details as often as they like for that one
off payment. We hope that many of the new owners will take up this offer but of course if they
do not wish to pay the £10 then the dog will just remain in the Charity’s name.
We have been asked why we are against the use of foster homes. Well as you will see from
the foster dog section this is far from true so we are not against fostering per se, in fact we
have fostered many dogs ourselves over the years. We have never been able to find
sufficient foster homes for the dogs we take in. Fostering an unknown dog and allowing it into
your home to live with you, your family and your other pets is a huge responsibility, remember
that we are now taking in more strays than ever and we know nothing about these dogs and
even an apparently healthy dog can bring in infections that can affect other dogs and humans.
So you do need very special people to do this. They would also have to undertake the
assessment of the dog as we do at the kennels. They must also be prepared to accept
prospective owners visiting their home to view the dog and would have to be reliable and
knowledgeable to suss out any one who didn’t seem right for the dog. We would also have to
rely on them to complete the adoption paper work and handle money. They would then have
to get everything back to us in Sheffield. There are also insurance implications for us and we
would be looking to pay a higher premium. So anyone wanting to short term foster would
have to be a risk taker, reliable, flexible, knowledgeable, honest, trustworthy and a good judge
of character.
We have also found that many people offer to foster because their commitments prevent
them from owning a dog full time so that they are only able to offer a fixed term foster home.
The Trustees and Committee feel that this is not in the best interest of the dogs as if we
hadn’t found a home for them by that time, where would the dog go? It would hardly be right
to expect Andy and Becky to then find them a kennel and in any case we may have as many
dogs in kennels as we can allow. Some people even offered to foster over the Christmas
period. We have yet to meet a dog that celebrated Christmas, Hanukah, Ramadan or any
other religious festival; to them it is just another day. They are settled in kennels so what is
the point of upsetting their routine by putting them in a foster home? 2 of the dogs we had in
kennels over Christmas would have missed out on a home had we taken up this offer. It has
also been said that perhaps the foster carer would decide to adopt the dog. Well if they
wanted to adopt a dog why didn’t they do that in the first place and if they did adopt we have
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lost another foster home. We know that kennelling fees are our biggest expenditure but it ticks
all the boxes for us.
Membership
Our sincere thanks go to all of you who have renewed your membership again this year.
Many of you who don’t pay by direct debit also added a donation to your membership fee and
we are very grateful to you for this as it comes at a time of year when fundraising is on hold.
Some people ask – ‘what do I get for my membership?’ and to be honest we have to answer
– ‘not a lot’. It’s more a case of what you can give us rather than what we can give you but
you do have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping the breed that you love and
without your support we simply wouldn’t be able to carry on with our work. Everyone of you is
a star!
AGM
This was a relatively quite affair with the main items on the agenda being the acceptance of
the accounts and the election of officers, Trustees and committee. All were re-elected but
sadly since the AGM Julie Elliott has resigned from the committee.
50 Club update
Dogs in our care at present are:
Mandy Fennel, Ruby Thornton, Mollie Farrar, Alfie Beckingham, Bart Hoyland, Chomsky
Ingham, Tess Marsden. Holly Robinson, Duke Radford- Wheway, Shadow Levers, Dyson
Green, Sam Flintan Sandy Moore, Rex Crofts, Jade Britland, Dexter Musson, Megan Unwin,
Roodie D’Arcy Malone, Sam Bagley, Jet Armstrong, Jimmy Hicks, Sam Edwards, Grit and
Jo, Max Evans
As we have over 70 members now we have decided to make some changes to the club and
from January 2012 there will be two winners each month, a first prize of £50 and second prize
of £25. This means that all 50 club members now have twice as many chances of winning!
Winners since our last Newsletter are: October
Jill Lindsey
November
June Cooper
December
Pauline Ellington and Simon Milner (none winners draw)
January
Mary Weston and Roger and Margaret Windle
February
John Walton and Rita Bentley
March
Claire Brown and Brian Davis
Foster dog update
Here is a little poem that Mandy’s carer has written about her
Mandy is our Labrador dog
Her fur is black as coal
Old and smelly with lumpy belly
But embodies a lovely soul
She wanders round the house all day
to look for crumbs anew
Especially round Geoff's wheelchair
Where she's bound to find a few!
After lunch she goes for a munch on things found in the bin
and only stops when spotted after creating an almighty din.
On her walk, she will bark if cats dare show their faces
then eagerly chomps on revolting things found rotting in obscure places
For a treat, she will eat cats poo found in the yard
but prefers it in the winter, when it's icy cold and hard.
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We would like to introduce you to our new foster dogs and to their carers:
Roodie D’Arcy Malone
Roodie’s owner was having to leave him for long periods of time and he was becoming very
stressed and was self mutilating. Although he wasn’t quite 9 years old at the time we put him
on the foster list due to his medical problems. He now has plenty of company and has settled
down very nicely in his foster home. We are working with his vets to sort out his medical
problems and he looks set for a long and happy life
Sam Bagley
Sam was another dog where his owner was having to leave him for long periods of time. It is
very difficult for people in the present financial climate when their job demands that they work
more hours. Sam is generally fit and healthy and has settled well in his foster home.
Jet Armstrong.
Sadly Jet was another unclaimed stray. She was micorchipped but her owners couldn’t be
traced. Luckily for her she has been able to step into Cassie’s shoes and now has a very
secure and loving foster home.
Jimmy Hicks
Jimmy was yet another unclaimed stray. He wasn’t microchipped so we knew nothing about
him. The vets estimated that he was around 9 years of age and so he has joined the foster
dog scheme. Jimmy was rather over weight when he came in but he was starting to drop the
pounds and his carers have helped him to lose a bit more. He seems to be a very happy laid
back guy and is generally fit and healthy.
Sam Edwards came through to us as a stray. He seemed a nice steady type of dog and
was a good match for a couple who had been waiting for some time for a dog as we needed
to find them something steady as the lady uses a wheelchair
Grit and Jo joined us as their owner is now very ill and unable to look after them. A lady
agreed to take Jo on and as Grit was obviously lost without Jo she has agreed to take them
both on until they can be rehomed together. If you know of anyone who would take these
two on please do contact us.
Max came through to us via Yorkshire Rose. We were told that he wasn’t good with children
and as there was now a baby on the way he needed to be rehomed.
As Christmas was just around the corner the couple agreed to keep
him until nearer the time the baby was due. Of course the baby didn’t
have a calendar and so decided to come early! I just didn’t have space
for him at that time so I discussed with his owners what we could do
and they eventually found a couple who were willing to short term
foster him until I had room for him. Poor Max seemed to always get
passed by and just as we were planning a advertising campagne for
him the people who had fostered him got in touch. They told me that
they had only given him back as they were going away on holiday but
had now found a neighbour who would help out in future. They filled in an application form,
we organised the home visit and the couple were soon on their way down to kennels to collect
him. I was delighted to get a call to tell me that they had arrived back home safely and that
Max had remembered them and made his way straight into the house. We all thought what a
nice dog Max was and so we are delighted that he is now sorted.
Sponsor Dogs
Thanks to Susan Britton for these updates.
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Sandy is ok but he has had his medication increased. Unfortunately he had a twisted bowel in
the summer that was operated on and he is now doing fine
Jack. Sadly Jack’s owner died just before Christmas. Things could have been much worse for
him as he could have ended up coming back into kennels. However a good friend had taken
Jack in whilst his owner was in hospital. Jack had stayed with these people before so was
happy and contented there. The couple asked if they could adopt Jack on a permanent basis
and so a home visit was organised. Jack is doing very well at the moment and isn’t on any
medication. He enjoys his walks in the local parks and loves to play with his new ‘sister’. His
owners are watching his weight and Jack will continue to visit the vets twice a year for a
check up.
Henry has had a change of food and is now on Burgess Super Dog. He now has a lovely
coat!
Mac’s mouth is ok but the vet has said that one tooth may have to come out eventually but he
is fine at the moment
Charlie is generally ok, although he does sometimes have a slight limp after a long walk. He
has had the tummy bug that seems to have been doing the rounds over the last couple of
months.
Max Is fine and isn’t on any medication at present, he is exercising more, is eating well and is
fine.
Oscar He isn’t on any medication at present. His skin is fine and his owners say that he is a
lovely dog.
Marley is another one who doesn’t need medication at the moment. His owners are very
happy with him – he’s lovely. He is eating well but as his owners say – he is a Labrador!
Kia has no health problems and is well behaved. Her owner says that she is his third yellow
Labrador and she is ‘tip top’ and he loves her to bits.
Fudge Is still doing well and is generally a happy dog.
Ozzy has lost some weight. He has recently been to his vets for his booster and everything
seems ok. He is still on steroids which do affect his behaviour but this hasn’t been a problem.
He has got a new kitten for company which he loves.
Tessa is on steroids when her skin problems flair up but her owners are paying for these. She
has been spayed. Her owners describe her as a ‘little cracker’
Willow has also been spayed. Her leg problem seems to be fine at present and she is
behaving well.
Helpers and Supporters
Please note we are desperate for people to help with fundraising! We have been invited
to a number of events this year but won’t be able to attend unless we get more helpers.
In fact our annual dog fun day at the kennels is also looking to be in jeopardy unless
we get more helpers. Please contact us if you are willing to help. We don’t expect a big
commitment from you – perhaps a couple of days a year – and we can provide all the
equipment that you will need.
We were very sorry to hear of two deaths shortly before Christmas.
Although we knew that Rosemary Milnes (owner of Jack) had been ill and had been
hospitalized a few months back we didn’t expect to hear of her death. Rosemary hadn’t
enjoyed good health for some time and as her health deteriorated we did worry about Jack’s
12
exercise. However Jack was her constant companion and she was devoted to him and with
the help of a dog walker and her friends and family Rosemary struggled through. She was a
colourful character and the world is a sadder place with out her. Donations in memory of
Rosemary were kindly passed on to us and the money raised has been put into the account
that supports the sponsor dogs so that Jack can benefit as we know Rosemary would have
wished.
It is with a heavy heart that we have to tell you of the death of Bridget Crosley. We would
like to share our memories of her with you. Bridget had been a supporter of Labrador Welfare
from the start. She was never one for the limelight and preferred to work away in the back
ground so sadly not many of you will have known her. Bridget was generous, not only with her
money, (although she must have given £1,000s over the years), but also of her time and her
knowledge. As a midwife and breeder she could always be counted on to help out if we took
on a bitch in whelp. The puppies were raised and cared for and were always healthy and
happy when the time came for them to go to their new homes. Bridget helped with vet runs
and was also always willing to give a home to an oldie. June always like Bridget to do any
home visits in her locality as they were always carried out quickly and thoroughly, her
comments being honest and helpful and the paperwork always came back promptly. We have
fond memories of Bridget attending the Christmas ‘dos’ at Terry Barker’s house and of her
non alcoholic wine. Bridget never did get her head round negotiating the roads of Sheffield
and one year June offered to take her to the motor way, so that she could find her way home.
June set off in her car with Bridget following behind and all was going well until suddenly
Bridget disappeared. June waited and waited and still Bridget didn’t catch June up so
eventually she went home and later that evening phoned Bridget to check that she was safe.
Bridget had been home for hours! She had seen a sign for the M1 and had followed that.
AGMs usually ended up with a discussion on politics if the chairman didn’t keep a tight hold
on things. There are those who knew Bridget far better than we did but she will always hold a
special space in our hearts.
This seems to be an especially sad Newsletter as we have to tell you of the passing of John
Joel who died very suddenly on the10th February.
We first got to know John and Barbara in 2005. They had just had the dog they adopted from
the RSPCA put to sleep after quite a traumatic time with her. They use the same vets as we
do and Dorothy (one of the receptionist) suggested they contact us for a ‘nice’ dog and so
they fostered Toby for us. It was shortly after this that we advertised for people to do home
visits for us and as John was retired he felt that this was something that he could do and so
he joined the team. Over the years John had become a vital part of our organization, not only
through doing home visits but also by doing vet runs and collecting dogs from the stray
kennels. We only had to phone John to tell him there was a dog in need and he would sort it.
He was also one of those rare people who dogs seemed to accept and even the timid ones
would end up sitting on his knee. As June’s mobility worsened John took over the area that
she would normally have covered. It is often hard to hand over to someone but this was never
the case with John he fitted in so well with the team.
Over the years the committee had ended up consisting of only the officers of Labrador
Welfare and when we decided to increase the number on the committee John was an obvious
choice. He proved to be an excellent committee member and always had something
sensible to say. He could look at a problem objectively and didn’t get as emotionally involved
as perhaps some of us do. His common sense and straight thinking as well as his natural
leadership skills were of such value to us. If June had a problem that she need to talk through
with someone John was always the person she would turn to as you could be sure to get a
sensible answer from him.
When Barbara finally managed to ‘escape’ from work she and John proved a formidable
team. They were particularly valued for the way they handled the collection of dogs for rehoming. This was always carried out with the upmost sympathy without becoming
sentimental. However the stories that John would tell of his escapades when collecting dogs
would have us in fits of laughter and his dry sense of humour was always appreciated. If only
he had managed to get everything written down it could have been a best seller.
13
Good tempered, very agile, adaptable, devoted, intelligent biddable kindly nature, no trace of
aggression, no undue shyness. All these word are to be found in the Labrador breed standard
but they apply just as much to John. Although they weren’t die in the wool Labrador people,
John and Barbara took the breed to their hearts and to us they epitomized the best in
Labrador ownership
John’s other main interest was Rugby Union and he was the immediate past President of
Sheffield Tigers RUC and we are sure that they will feel his loss as much as we do.
We know that your thoughts will be with Barbara and her family at this very difficult time. Rolo
and Mia must also be missing their dad.
There is now a huge John shaped hole in Labrador Welfare which will be impossible to fill as
John was such a unique person. In fact we aren’t even going to try to fill the hole, we like it
and it could easily become a feature and if John ever finds a way to come back to us the
space will be there ready for him to fill.
Dog bless John, take care of all those Labrador Welfare dogs up there and for heaven’s sake
please keep Oscar out of trouble!
Raising Funds
Mission fish
We continue to receive regular small amounts via Mission Fish and we are grateful to those of
you who have thought of us when selling items on E bay. If you use E bay then please
consider donating to us this way.
Postage stamps
We are still saving postage stamps so we hope that you remembered to save the ones off
your Christmas cards. Once again the address to send stamps to is:Stamps for Charity (041LW)
10 Bellamy Avenue
Hartcliffe
Bristol
BS13 0HW
Please ensure that you quote the code 041LW as this will ensure that the money raised from
your stamps goes to us and don’t forget to get your parcel weighed so that the correct
postage is paid.
Easy fundraising
This has proved popular with a number of our supporters and really is a very easy way to
raise money for us if you ever buy anything via the internet. Please visit the site as we think
that you might be surprised at the businesses that participate.
Our Fairy Goth Mother
Hazel and Graham once again did some fundraising at their Halloween event. Hazel tells us
that this is their best fundraising weekend as all the Goths come out for Halloween. This time
she presented us with a cheque for £229.50 which we put towards treatment for Chase.
Incredibly Hazel has raised more than she did at the same event last year.
Bran tub
Mike Carey has been running his bran tub every year for more than we care to remember.
This year Mike was able to send us a cheque for £100! We would like to thank all Mike’s
generous friends but understand that the dogs are quite persuasive!
Cards
We managed to sell nearly all the cards we had printed and got quite a few enquiries from
our web site which was nice as it shows that people do look at things other than the dogs for
rehoming. With the cost of printing being high we don’t make and awful lot of money out of
14
sales but there is the knock on effect that they do help to spread the word and we know that
many of you look forward to purchasing them. We are still looking for suitable photos to
use for this year’s cards so if you took some photos of your pets at Christmas or
photos that would be suitable for Christmas cards please consider sharing them with
us.
Collection Jolley’s and Pets at Home
We did two collections at Pets at Home at Wadsley Bridge and one collection at Jolley’s (all in
Sheffield).We would like to thank everyone who gave time to stand and collect and for
bringing their wonderful dogs with them – they are the real stars of the show. These activities
are good fundraisers as every penny we take goes into the bank.
Forthcoming events
rd
th
We will be at ‘Dogs Unleashed’ at the Bakewell Showground on the 23 and 24 June
th
and ‘Dogs Day Out’ at Clifton Park Rotherham on 30 June. We would be very pleased to
meet you there and would also be glad of any additional help that you can give on the days.
Please let us know if you are able to give a hand even if it is only for an hour. Dogs are
welcome at both events but must be on a lead and under control.
th
We also hope to attend Bark In The Park (Huddersfield on 18 August), Dore Show
(Sheffield) and Ecclesfield Gala (Sheffield), dates for these last two events were not
available at the time of the Newsletter going out so please visit our web site for more
information.
th
20 Anniversary Dog Fun Day
As you know June of this year marks 20 years of Labrador Welfare as a registered charity
and so we have decided to make this year’s fun day a bit more special. The event will be a
th
little later this year – 14 July but we hope that many of you will be able to call in and see us
even if you can’t stop all day. The programme has yet to be finalised but we will have our ever
popular cake stall plus a dog ‘things’ and the Labrador Welfare goods. We hope to have a
small ‘have a go’ agility course and one or two activities for your dogs to get involved with.
th
Everyone will be invited to partake in our 20 Anniversary cake and enjoy a glass of wine with
us. Full details will appear on the web site so please keep checking.
Bedding
We are always in need of bedding at the kennels so if you live near enough to bring items
over to the kennels then please save items for us. We can use bedding, towels, curtains,
duvets and pillows as long as they aren’t filled with feathers, in fact any large pieces of
material.
www.labradorwelfare.org
At long last you can now join Labrador Welfare, our 50 Club or our Sponsor Dog Scheme via
our web site. Our logoed items from the Labalogue are also now on the site. Su tells us that
these were two jobs that she has been going to do for ages but finally got round to it at long
last. We hope to get some photos of the garments we sell so that people can get a better idea
of what we are on about. Logoed items include, T shirts, Polo shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, ski
hats, baseball caps, bandanas for your dog to wear as well as ball point pens and trolley
tokens. If you don’t have access to the internet please contact us for further details.
We have taken the decision not to put dogs on our web site that are under 1 year of age. If
there is a dog under a year old on the site (either a dog or bitch) we are inundated with people
wanting to adopt. Of course there is only one person that is going to be lucky and this
wouldn’t be so bad if the unlucky ones would consider another dog but they won’t so all the
time we have spent going through things with them is wasted and could be better spent. We
have found that by doing this there has been more interest shown in the older dogs and we
have managed to home a number of the ‘tacky’ dogs.
You may also have noticed that we don’t give as much information on the dogs. There are a
number of reasons why we have done this. As you will know most people are put off by even
the slightest problem the dog may have. We have found that if we can get them interested in
15
the dog we can then talk them through the problem and they are more receptive to working to
sort things out. Of course the information that we have is based on what the previous owner
has told us and although most people are very honest with us some don’t always tell the truth
and this can work both ways. We have had many a dog that has been described as a
nightmare (perhaps to justify giving the dog up) and we have found very few problems with
them. Others forget to mention problems as they think that this would deter us from helping.
We find it better to assess the dog in kennels and this, together with the information we have
been given gives us a far better picture of the dog. Finally there is a very real threat of
litigation should we put anything on the web site that proves to be untrue, so we do need to
be very careful.
Dog Walk
Unfortunately June was without her co driver this year as Ray had to have an operation on his
shoulder. June didn’t feel that she was up to making the journey from Sheffield up to Castle
Howard and back again so Su and the gang were missing from the walk. The weather was
much kinder to us though with the rain just starting as the walkers reached the car park. Sadly
we don’t get the number of people attending that we did in the early days but it is still a good
fundraiser for us with £
being raised in sponsorship and donations.
We have noticed over the last few years that the walks around Castle Howard are becoming
less dog friendly as more stiles have been put in place. Of course some of the land is grazing
land so it is understandable that some boundaries need to be in place but lifting a hefty
Labrador over a stile just isn’t on. We are considering moving the walk to a different location
although this will still be in the same area so we will keep you posted!
Katie and Josh organised a walk at Pugneys Park in Wakefield. This wasn’t as well attended
as we would all have like but Max and Quincy did take part to make up for missing Castle
Howard. Abby chose to watch folk sailing on the lake and doing her PR work! When all the
money was in the walk had raised £100 and Katie and Josh had managed to raised £50 from
car booting some items we had given them and Katie had also had a bun sale at the school
she works at.
‘The Dog’s Cold Nose’ – By Arthur Guiterman
When Noah, perceiving ‘twas time to embark
Persuaded the creatures to enter the ark.
The dog, with friendliness truly sublime,
Assisted in herding then two at a time.
He drove in the elephants, zebras and gnus,
Until they were packed like a box full of screws.
The cat in the cupboard, the mouse on the shelf,
The bug in the crack: then he backed in himself.
But such was the lack of available space
He couldn’t tuck all of him into the place:
So after the waters had flooded the plain
And down from the heavens fell blankets of rain,
He stood with his muzzle thrust out through the door
The whole of the 40 days of that terrible pour!
Because of which drenching, zoologists hold,
The nose of a healthy dog always is cold!
Su’s Snips Is your Labrador typical of the breed and eats his meals at the pace of water going down the
plug hole or is he one of the rare genteel eaters? Perhaps you have one of the gobblers – I
know that we have as Max simply shovels his meals into his mouth. His frequent bouts of
indigestion (one such bout starting at 9pm at night and lasting until 3am the following morning
caused us such concern that we even rang the emergency vet who fortunately was able to
give us advice over the phone thus saving us having to take out a mortgage on the house!) I
had seen the anti gorge bowls advertised before but hadn’t really
thought that they would be much good but desperation drove me to
order one on line for said dog. It is rather a fine affair with the
Kennel Club logo on it in green (well he is Irish). It is a conventional
16
bowl but has three raised pieces inside the bowl part which the dog has to eat the food round.
It works on the same principle as the ball or casting chain in the bowl but with the advantage
that the dog can’t remove them. It’s not the cheapest bowl I have every bought but would it
work? I put his first meal down in it and of course he immediately dived in, gobbled the food
down that was above the raised pieces, attempted to eat the food from around them, got fed
up, tipped the bowl upside down and ate the rest of his meal off the floor! However even this
did help to slow him down a bit so we are continuing to use the bowl. It is dishwasher proof
but has very smooth lines so is easy to clean. It is certainly worth a try if you do have a dog
that has this problem.
The Kennel Club have recently produced a film entitled Dogs – A Healthy Future. The film is
presented by Claire Balding who has become the well regarded anchor woman of the TV
coverage of Crufts. The film gives an insight of what is being done to improve the health of
pedigree dogs and is very watchable. There are interviews with Professor Sheila Crispin,
Professor Steve Dean and Caroline Kisko, all of who are very good speakers. It is well worth
viewing but sadly is only available via the internet (either from the Kennel Club web site or via
U tube). The Kennel Club’s web site was always rather difficult to navigate and one found
things more by accident than intent, however the site has recently been updated and is far
easier to navigate and the chances of you being able to find something a second time have
greatly improved. If you haven’t been on for a while it’s certainly worth a visit as there is a lot
of information there.
The dog press and one of the daily newspapers both gave a warning that road salt may now
also contain antifreeze. As you may know anti freeze is poisonous to dogs and cats and can
be fatal within a very short space of time. It has a sweet taste which pets seem unable to
resist. If grit salt has been spread on roads and footpaths you would be well advised to wipe
the paws of your dog on your return from a walk. The salt in road grit can make the pads sore
and of course, as we all know too much salt is not good for either us or our dogs.
The other warning that has been doing the rounds is about the increased use of Xylitol. You
may remember that I have spoken about this sugar substitute before as it causes
hypoglycaemia and liver failure in dogs. It is however quiet harmless to humans and is in fact
safe for diabetics to use (hence the increase in its use). Xylitol is not a new substance and
was originally discovered by Emil Fisher (a German chemist) in 1891. He produced it by
hydrogenating D-xylose which occurs naturally in many edible plants. It hadn’t really been
used to any great extent until the 1970s when large scale production became practical. With
the increase in the number of diabetics and people on low carbohydrate diets it is a safe
sugar for general use. Look out for it in low sugar foods (especially those specifically for
diabetic) and also in some yoghurts (how many of you let your dog lick the pot out!) and is
also increasingly being used in medications, so if you give your dog cough linctus for kennel
cough do check the label carefully.
Memory Lane
Well hello again every one. Come in and sit down while I put the kettle on. Max likes to share
the settee with someone so please keep him company.
I hope that you all enjoyed the holiday period. June bought me a gadget that allows me to
transfer photo negatives and slides onto our computer and I spent a good few hours doing
this over the holiday period. It was good to relive the holidays; in fact I can remember taking
most of the photos. Of course the dogs feature in many of the snaps but as I transferred them
onto the computer I began to notice things. Photos from the 1970s featured Henry, our
Springer Spaniel who I have told you about before. I noticed that he was on many of the
photos taken on visits to castles and stately homes. Dogs were much more welcome in those
days. I have a lovely photo of him at Carnarvon (which would have been shortly after Prince
Charles’ investiture as the Prince of Wales). I bet that you can’t take them in now! The other
thing I noticed was that Henry was very often off the lead! By the 1980’s when we had Benny
(our first Labrador) things had obviously changed. He is pictured more in country
surroundings rather than in country houses and gardens. He is also firmly on the lead!! It did
make me realise how lucky we were with Henry and what an easy dog he was to live with.
When we got to Bruce and Oscar we must have taken so many photos of our favourite
17
holiday spots that we no longer took as many photos so these two feature more in photos
taken in our house or garden.
Digital cameras have certainly made it easier for us to take photos of our pets. As there is no
film to worry about we can snap alway to our heart’s content and can simply delete our
failures. I had hours of pleasure doing this job and it made me appreciate the value of these
photos so please keep taking them as I am sure that you too will enjoy looking back at some
stage.
Well everyone has been very quiet this time round. Perhaps your thoughts are too precious to
share at the moment. Please do bring some with you for next time. Maybe it is a special
memory of the dog you have now or one long since gone. While ever we keep these
memories in our hearts our furry friends never die.
Dog Bless
Quincy’s Quips
Well there hasn’t been much happening this time. We have only had a couple
of days of snow and a week of ice (horrid!). Lots of mud though which we don’t
mind but Su says that we need our legs and paws washing when we get in.
Abby says that as she only has little legs it is hard for her walking in the mud
as it nearly sucks her up!! Our friend Trixie from round the corner was rather
poorly just before Christmas. I didn’t get the full low down on this as we don’t
spend that much time in the garden at this time of year but now things are improving I hope to
catch up with all her gossip and have a good old chin wag through the fence.
Some of you very kindly made donations at Christmas which you asked June and Su to
spend on treats for the dogs in Rainbow Hotel. They have bought lots of treats but thought
that it would be a good idea to buy some activity toys for the dogs as these would (hopefully)
last some time and would keep the inmates amused. So they pondered for hours over the
Canine Chemist catalogue (lovely company that give us discount for being a charity) and
bought some big Kongs and they also purchased a Wobbler Kong for us to test drive. The
idea is that you humes can unscrew it to either put our meal in, so that people like Max who
gobble have to knock it about to get the food out so stopping him from gobbling, or you can
just put a few treats in it. Su filled it up for us to try and Max soon got the idea that you either
pick it up by the top (he has a VERY big mouth) or knock it over so that it
bounces up again. He was so busy doing this that he didn’t realise that
there were kibbles of food coming out so Abby and I were able to follows
him about picking up the treats☺. In his excitement Max rolled the Wobbler
under the settee and then went after it. It would have looked good on a
magic show as the settee levitated (hey that’s a big word) into the air. It then
went under June’s heavy arm chair – same thing happened. The standard lamp nearly went
for a Burton (what is one of those) and I could see by the look on Su’s face that the Wobbler
was about to do a disappearing act! Some people have said that their dogs have got it open
very quickly but Su must have screwed it up tight ‘cos Max didn’t. We have been told that if
we keep it we will have to play with it outside but I get the feeling that we may not see it again
and that it might end up amusing one of the dogs at the Rainbow Hotel!
As you know we meet Sharon, the dog walker, about 3 times a week and we now have two
new friends. Uncle Mark now walks Toby so we do miss seeing him. The two new friends are
only babies right now, both little girls. One of them keeps looking at me as if she thinks I’m
smart or perhaps she thinks I’m good looking. They are both very brave as they aren’t
bothered by Max even if he is having a bad day and running round like a head case.
See ya!
Quincy
Quincy’s letter page
January 2012. Ebony to Quincy
18
Hello Quincy,
I bet your Christmas was just as good as mine cause our humans love us soo much.
Mine bought me a new bed plus treets & from my aunties- more treets & a new tuggy toy.
Some of my treets went down the RSPCA charity shop as heard mum say they make me ill
cause I don’t chew them properly. Whatever can she mean, we eat as fast as we can don’t
we?
We had games at our agility Christmas party & our team came first in one of the relays- going
over jumps & eating a sausage off plate at the end before coming back again. I won a new
ball for that. You can borrow it if I ever come up to Sheffield.
The next game we had to leave the sausage but I didn’t! I even ate the one from the team
next to us & had mum jumping up & down shouting my name. I went a little bit deaf for a few
mins then but was Ok soon after. Ha. Ha.
I have been meeting some different dogs lately as mum has been taking me along The
Strawberry Line which used to be a railway line many years ago for taking the strawberries
from Cheddar to other towns & villages. The last part we have to walk back up the road so it
helps some of the mud come off, not that I care.
I still get worried if dogs want to jump on me or run up to me fast. Mum always tells people
how I became nervous after I had quite a few nasty experiences. Had another big hairy dog
jump on me at agility & my aunty Cathy said I looked terrified which I was.
Today we met a black lab called Woody who was only 18 months old but very quiet which is
unusual eh? Also met for the third time a chocolate lab called Brunel or Bru for short. He’s
only young but very lively so I’m glad was on his lead. Mum keeps telling me I will be alright
once I get used to him. Heard mum say how my coat used to gleam like theirs but not any
more & probably my age !! I’m not 6 till Febury- cant spell it but it’s the one after this month.
Well I had better leave it there as mum wants to order some super market shopping. Not sure
why its not called supper as its mostly food. Says she hates going as she does it every week
for my granny. Not much comes for me as mine comes from other places & a big sack is kept
in the garage. I am allowed to lick it out & play with it when empty which is not as often as I
would like.
Dog bless to you.
From your luving penfriend
Ebony Snowdrop Buttons
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dear Eb.
Christmas for us is always a very quiet time as the phone
isn’t always ringing! Also the dogs our friends Sharon walks
are all at home with their families who are off work so it can
get a bit dull!
We got treats for presents as we don’t need any new beds and
besides we have Su’s. There are certain treats that we aren’t
allowed – those hide chew things. I can’t eat them as my jaws
get tiered and so I sometimes swallow them before I should so
the others don’t pinch them. Max and Abby eat theirs too
quickly so that they can get to pinch mine so that’s why we
don’t get any.
Glad to hear that you won a new ball from the agility
Christmas party. Bruce once won some treats at his dog
training club at Christmas and June won the raffle so it
sounds as though these doggie activities are good to get
involved with. If you come to Sheffield don’t bother bringing
the ball ‘cos I don’t play with them and Abby will nick it and
chew it to bits or Max and Rolo will want to play with it and
they’ll lose it for you.
Yes big dogs can be scary. Max has a problem in that he wants
to say hello so much that he races up to dogs at 90 miles an
hour and has faulty brakes. He usually manages to swerve just
before he bumps in to them but the owners find this a bit
frightening at first – until they get to know him that is. I
just keep out of the way and do my job of cleaning up after
all those dirty owners who don’t pick up after their dogs. Mia
would help me with this but her Mum won’t let her – wonder
why?
Young dogs can be a pain can’t they although we have a new
member of our Wednesday walk. His name if Frankie and he is a
Labradoodle. But I think that he is actually a Donkeypoo as he
doesn’t seem to stop growing. All the ‘Doodles’ we meet are
quite bouncy and like to play but are all very friendly.
Bernie is the worse as she is like a tornado rushing round the
field!
We also go shopping but only once a fortnight – it’s boring. I
know that there are pet shops where dogs are allowed in but
the only time I went in one I didn’t like it as it seemed a
bit scary to me at the time. Still it’s the only time there
ever seems to be anything for us from it.
Max was 7 in February (know how to spell that ‘cos I use the
spell checker. I used to think that was something witches used
but Oscar showed me how to use it – useful eh!) If your coat
isn’t shiny perhaps you should use some of the stuff that is
advertised on TV – well Su and June keep telling us that
‘We’re worth it’ whatever that means.
Love
Quincy
XXXXXX
Hi Quincy
Is everything good at your end? I’ve had a tummy upset recently, but I’m fine now. Seems I’m
(what the vet so daintily puts it) a ‘scavenger’. How would they not know it’s a bug going
round, like the Hums are always told when they get tummy upsets? I understand our noble
breed have a bit of a reputation that way, but really!!!!
It’s my birthday next month. I shall be 5 years old. Crumbs! Hope my treat won’t have to be
shared like Max’s – there I go again, Greed! Greed! Greed!
The weather here is gorgeous for winter with loads of foxes around. Unfortunately I have only
managed one roll! Stunk the car out with it but I was happy.
Well Quincy I am going now ‘cos its time to go out again. Us boys have a busy busy life. So
much to see and do (particularly do!) My woofs to all your pals
XX Sandy Sam XX
Hello Sandy Sam, it’s good to hear from you again/. Quite a
few dogs round our way have had an upset tummy – even I had a
bit of one but the Hums say that it is an occupational hazard
(what’s one of those) of my job as chief cleaning officer on
our field. It wouldn’t be so bad if Mia’s mum would let her
help me but she won’t. So I don’t know how vets can say that
it wasn’t a bug.
You should always share your birthday food ‘cos if you don’t
others won’t share theirs with you. So eat all your own and
only have one feast or share it and get a look in at all your
friend’s food!
The weather has been mild here but our field is still wet and
boggy. Foxes are around a lot at this time of year because of
something called mating. Bruce and Sandy (who used to live
with me) were both very fond of Eau du Reynard but we have
been told to keep away from the ‘stuff’.
Bye for now
Quincy XXXXX
Cor! It was a cold wet walk this morning! I’m in bed now wrapped in my towels
XX Luke (via text message)
Hi Luke
I meet a greyhound called Desmond and he has a duvet he walks
round in – it’s all padded. His mum got it from the greyhound
place. He’s also got a dressing gown to wear inside when he
goes to sleep in his duvet bed. I think he spends a lot of
time there - he’s a lucky guy don’t you think? However I don’t
think his people leave the central heating on for him when
they are out so he probably needs it!
Love Quincy
Hi Quincy
We don’t need coats except maybe if your old and then it would have to be green to match
mum and dad’s waxed jackets huh! Nothing less I say. I have bin taurt soom gud manners
since I bin in Crofton Park area, after all even the Pope went to same park. We r the gentry
breed
Xx Luke
PS dog folk wot we know recon I could now have a title of Lord Luke. I must rite to June – see
wot she thinks XX
Well I have to tell you Luke I’ve got a waxed coat. It’s got
the well used needs waxing look like Su’s. She says that I’m
its 4th owner!!
XX Quincy
Well Quincy, funny u should say that, Eileen read some ad telling Umans where they can
BUY used waxed jackets, cus the more worn the jacket is and looks the wealthier you r!
Quincy you must be rich! Wow!
Xx Luke (hoping to be Lord Luke!) Bosun is Lord Bosun huh! If our mum has her day off from
work HE lies in bed listening to Classic FM!! I mean well do I have to do that? At the moment I
talk real real loud and run round the bedroom, it’s a laugh, Oooo! Maybe I won’t be a lord.
Luv Luke (hee hee)
RETURN TO SENDER
Well that’s another Christmas and New Year over! I always enjoy that time of
year – well I enjoy every time of year actually but all the extra food that is
around at this time of year is really fun. I didn’t help with the kid’s party this
year, you may remember that last year’s event ended up as a right fiasco as it
seemed as though none of the kids liked the presents FC had given them and
they started throwing them about and having tantrums. I helped with the puppy party as this is
always fun and lots of food gets left about for me to tidy up. The Perdamile Production’s
Christmas Mystery Drama is now an annual event and this year’s Midwinter Murder offering
went down very well. As we are the only ones who know what we are supposed to say it
doesn’t really matter if someone fluffs their lines a bit so as long as we get the story line right
everyone is happy.
I never get the blues after the New Year as there is always the Chinese New Year ( Chinese
take away to celebrate and Sandy going about in the dragon costume he had for our St
George’s day play) and Burn’s Night. I like all the food at Burn’s Night as I’m partial to a bit (a
big bit) of haggis but we always have a bloke in a skirt who reads out of a book and it must be
in a foreign language as I can’t understand any of it. Then of course there is St David’s day
and St Patrick’s days. But you’re not Welsh or Irish I hear you say. Well I never let that stop
me from having a bit of a do – ‘live the life – share the experience’ – that’s what I say. We
hope that our St George’s day play goes better this year as you may remember that a thunder
storm struck last year just as Sandy was to do his dragon bit. He ran off in fright and the
whole play went to pot!
Well I’ve been told that I ramble on too much so I better tell you who has joined us
Labrador Welfare dog
Nellie Ridgeway joined us and told me all about the lovely home she had in Sheffield. Her
family told her that when June did the home visit she couldn’t find anywhere to park and had
to walk a long way to their house. Nellie told me that she was in Moscar Kennels when her
owners came to collect her. I remember Moscar Kennels as our friends Ann and John owned
it at that time and Bruce and I used to get taken up for a bath – ugh! She was only a
youngster when she was rehomed so Nellie had a long life with her family but in the end she
had to leave them. She is pleased that they now have a new little dog in their life as they have
so much to offer a four legged pal.
Lolly Thompson came to join us quite suddenly. She says that she was enjoying her walk
with her mum when she collapsed and the next thing she knew she was waiting for me to
come and meet her. She says that it must have been awful for her mum and she was sorry
that it had to happen that way. Lolly had only been in her new home for a couple of years and
was disappointed not to have been able to stay longer. Lolly is a Labradoodle and you may
remember her being adopted.
Winnie Adams didn’t have a problem when she was born but when she wasn’t very old the
vets discovered that she had become deaf. Now I think that can be a big advantage a times
but not when you are being called for your dinner. A change in family circumstances meant
that Winnie was being left for long periods and her owners felt that they couldn’t devote the
time to her that she deserved. She tells me that she went to live in a suburb of Sheffield that
was nearly in the countryside and she enjoyed lots of walks across the field with her new
owner. Her new mum got to know what hand signals Winnie understood and they got on very
well together. Unfortunately Winnie became ill and there wasn’t anything that could be done
for her so her mum decided that she should join us. She would like to thank her mum for
giving her a wonderful home and that she is only sorry that they couldn’t have enjoyed more
time together.
Jake Beaumont tells me that he had 7½ years in his home; he arrived there in June 1998
and was 13½ when he joined us. He was very settled and enjoyed every day he was there.
He tells me that his legs started to play him up a bit and then he had trouble with his larynx.
Sadly at the beginning of February everything seemed to catch up with him and he became
so ill that his lovely owners though that it was time to meet up with the rest of us here. He has
settled in well with us all and has been able to talk to Bruce and Benny as they both had the
same problems with their larynx.
Honey Wilson joined us recently and I knew that I knew her from somewhere. Turns out we
met on some sponsored dog walk or other. She tells me that Labrador Welfare found her a
new home at the beginning of 1998 and she has been very happy and contented in this
home. She reached 14 years of age but felt rather ill at the end and couldn’t stand. She tells
me that she also lost control of her bladder which wasn’t very nice. Her family took her to the
vets but she felt so ill they all decided that she should join us.
st
Murphy Cooper joined us on the 1 March 2012 just in time for our St David’s day
celebrations. He was rehomed on 15 April 2000 so had been in his home nearly 12 years! He
tells me that he was rather a naughty dog when he first arrived in his new home and used to
get into trouble. However his new mum was determined not to give up on him and he is so
glad that she didn’t as he had a wonderful 12 years with them on the farm chasing rabbits! He
knows that his ‘brother’ will be missing him but hopes that he will soon have a new
companion.
Kaylam Humphries has also joined us. He became a Labrador Welfare dog back in 2002
and was always very happy in his new home. His owners had had a dog from Labrador
Welfare before so they knew what to expect and Kaylam tells me that he was made very
welcome. He led a settled happy life but gradually his arthritis got worse and he could not
enjoy long walks any more. Finally the vet said that he had an enlarged prostate and so
everyone agreed that it was time for him to join us. He thanks his owners for all the happy
years they gave him.
th
Danny Jones joined us on 29 February (well he always did like to be different). I do find this
sort of thing a bit annoying as I usually encourage everyone to have an annual ‘Death day’
(bit like a birthday only different) Party to celebrate arriving here as it is such a wonderful
place. With Danny we will only have an excuse for a party every fourth year!!! Danny’s owner
has always helped out where and when she could and when she heard that Danny was being
fetched in as his owner didn’t want him and had kept him chained up outside all the time she
offered to foster him and well, you know how it is...... Danny lived in a small village outside
Sheffield and very rural. Danny had a great love of sheep which got his mum into trouble on a
few occasions. He also had an aversion to thunder. Despite all this he managed to live to the
ripe old age of 15 – tough little guy! He’s settled in very well with us but we do still have to
watch him when we pass sheep ;)
Marshall Cawthra Pratt joined us at the beginning of March. He tells me that he came in to
Labrador Welfare with his ‘brother’ Parker in 2006. They were very lucky as Anthony and
Caroline agreed to take them both on, even though they were both 6 years of age and they
have lived there ever since. Marshy tells me that he started with arthritis but then his back
legs started to get weak although his front end was ok. This wasn’t good as he wanted to do
things but couldn’t. Eventually his vet told Tony that it would be best if Marshall joined us and
so that is what has happened. I know that Parker is doing ok and we will be looking after
Marshall until they are together again.
Holly Fox has just joined us. She tells me that she was 8 years old when she went to her new
home in October 2007. She has been very happy there and couldn’t have wished for a better
home. Su has asked me to include the following from Holly’s dad as she says that many of
you will be able to relate to them.
I’m sorry to inform you that Holly had to be put to sleep on Sunday. Her legs gave way and
she was unable to make them work again. Up to then she was a happy girl. Her walks were
shorter and took a bit longer but she enjoyed them. She was such a loving, faithful and
trusting girl and her loss has left me and my wife devastated. Holly gave us everything and
asked for nothing in return. The only bad thing she has done is to break my heart. Thank you
for giving us these years with her.
Amie Goddard joined us at the end of March. Sadly she had developed a lump on her side
that was very nasty. Now I can empathise with that as you know that I had a tuber at the top
of my front leg. Amie is actually Quincy’s sister and they were millennium babies so will all be
12 at the end of May. I was able to find her mum (Dream) for her and brother Guy (who helps
with Perdamile Productions).
Parker Cawthra Pratt obviously was missing Marshall and he joined us at the beginning of
April (just in time for his Easter egg). He tells me that he was actually poorly before Marshall
but he didn’t want to make a fuss and upset his lovely owners. He tells me that he had a big
tuber on his liver which was very painful for him even when the vet had given him pain killers.
He isn’t in pain anymore and is happy to be with Marshall. However they both miss Caroline,
Anthony and Sam.
Foster dogs
Cassie Armstrong tells me that she had not been too well for some time although she was
never in pain and enjoyed life with her mum. One day she became very ill and mum knew that
it was time for Cassie to come to us where she would be out of pain. Cassie said that her first
family didn’t want her and she was taken in by the dog wardens who asked Labrador Welfare
if they could find her a home. Life with her new mum was wonderful and they really enjoyed
each other’s company. She was really sad when the time came to leave but is pleased to see
that her mum has a new friend. You know we really don’t mind if you take another dog on. We
have shared your love and know that it would be a crime to waste it. We also feel a bit
flattered that you have enjoyed out company so much that you want to share your life with
another dog.
Remus Bartholomew says that things happened rather quickly for him at the end. Mr John
picked him up from his home where he had found the grandchildren a bit much. He
understands that Mr John had difficulty finding his home due to his owner being a bit vague
with the directions and he ended up having to walk down the road to meet Mr John where he
was waiting for him. He tells me that he found a home with a very knowledgeable couple who
have been very good to him. He had some spinal problems when he first arrived but they
didn’t stop him enjoying himself until he suddenly went off his back legs. I have to thank his
carers for being so kind to him and he hopes that they will eventually feel that they can give
the love he had to another dog.
th
Chase Day joined us on the 19 March. I know everyone at Labrador Welfare is pretty cut up
by this as the poor lad hadn’t had a good time of it. After being abandoned by his owners he
found a really good foster home where he tells me he felt very much at home. He loved his
new mum and dad more than he is able to express and they really looked after him. His
medication helped his arthritis and he tells me that he used to manage a lap around the lake
in Pugneys Park (which is more than I understand Abby is willing to do!). He was doing well
until lumps started to appear all over his body. The vets weren’t sure what was going on but
the cost of £500 for investigations seemed a lot of money. He would like to thank Lynn and
Roberts for making a donation from their business to cover these costs; Chase says that this
ensured that his vets were able to give him the right support. Sadly he was found to be
suffering from cancer of his lymph and his carers kept him until they felt the time was right. He
wants them to know that he isn’t in pain anymore and is enjoying a good run around up here.
Member’s/Supporter’s Dogs
Sam Hollebone has joined us and he tells me that his owners have been members of
Labrador Welfare for a long time and so I am happy to include him in my section. He had a
good life and wanted for nothing but like all of us here he was sorry to leave his family behind
but hopes that they understand that he still watches out for them.
Cassie Sheppard was nearly a Labrador Welfare dog. She originally lived in the North East
and when her owner couldn’t keep her he contacted Labrador Welfare. Apparently there were
problems with getting her down to Sheffield but then June remembered that she knew
someone who was looking for a dog like Cassie and that her brother lived in that area. A few
phone calls and the rest as they say is history. Cassie went to live in Derbyshire but moved
down south a few years ago. She tells me that she was so very happy in her home but on
reaching 14½ years of age her legs began to let her down until she was unable to walk at all.
Of course that isn’t a problem now she has joined us but she does still miss her owner.
Jack Riddell arrived a few weeks ago. Someone sent him over to us as he was missing his
brother – Maverick who is a Labrador Welfare dog. Jack is a Collie cross and he tells me that
he wasn’t sure that he was going to enjoy having a Labrador living with him but everything
turned out fine and he got on with Maverick really well. He tells me that he was taken ill one
day with what he thinks was a stroke. His family were able to get him to the vets very quickly
and although everyone tried really hard it was his time to join us where he isn’t in pain any
more. He thinks that his Mum and Dad enjoy having Maverick so much that they will probably
have another Labrador Welfare dog and Jack says that if it is anything like Maverick they
won’t go far wrong
th
Molly Wormald turned up suddenly on the 28 February. Now Molly isn’t a Labrador she is
more of a Corgi Jack Russell cross but I used to know her quite well and have visited her
house from time to time. To be honest she always tried to boss us all about but I never took
much notice. She told me that she had been unwell for a while and although every one tried
to help the time came when she had to leave them all and join us. It’s such a long time since I
saw her I’m sure that she must be 14 years old if she’s a day but she isn’t admitting to it☺
The little poem I’ve found for you this time is written by a gentleman called Jim Willis – here it
is:So this is where we part, my friend
And you will run on, around the bend,
Gone from sight, but not from mind.
New pleasures there you’ll surley find.
I will go on, I’ll find the strength.
Life measures quality, not it’s length.
One long embrace before you leave,
Share one last look, before I grieve.
There are others, that much is true,
But they are they and you aren’t you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,
Will remember well all you’ve taught.
Your place I’ll hold, you will be missed,
The fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest.
Take this with you ... I loved you best.
Chocs away!!!
Your chocolate chum
☺scar
th
Chairman’s Report for the AGM held on Sunday 20 November 2011
Labrador Welfare rehomed 81 dogs in 2010, which is about average for us. We have continued to see a
rise in the number of dogs handed over to us through financial difficulties and through the owner having
to work longer hours.
Sadly we have also seen an increase in the number of unclaimed strays. These poor souls do cost us
money as vaccinations need to be done which means they have to stay an extra two weeks in kennels.
Fortunately the dogs that have come via the stray kennels have been decent dogs although some have
been lacking in basic training. I am pleased to be able to tell you that no dogs have had to be put down
due to bad temperament. We have built up a good working relationship with Dog Wardens, stray
kennels and Yorkshire Rose Rescue. We value the trust that they place in us to find the dogs good
homes.
We have tried to keep the number of dogs in kennels down to a manageable level as this is good
financial practice. However we still had a number of dogs that took a long time to re-home. These have
mainly been dogs in the middle age bracket or any that have the slightest behavioural problem. There
has been a shortage of good homes offered and out of ten applicants only a couple will prove suitable.
However we have had some excellent people contacting us who have been prepared to work with the
dog that they have taken on with compassion and understanding; we really do need more people like
them. I have been pleased to hear that people are still enrolling with dog training clubs and I know from
personal experience what a benefit this can be.
As always I must thank Andy and Becky Lewis for all the hard work they have put in on behalf of
Labrador Welfare. They show such commitment to our work and have been so helpful to us over the
years. I would like to pass on our special thanks to Rachel and Sally (the girls at Rainbow kennels) who
look after the dogs on our behalf and are so helpful to those people who are relinquishing or adopting
dogs. Our thanks, as always, go to Gareth, Steve, Natalie and her friend who continue to exercise and
give feedback on the dogs. Without these people the dogs would lead very dull lives. I would also like to
thank Mike Elshaw for all the hours that he puts in at the kennels and for his help with vet runs. I was
pleased to hear that Gill Parker is now helping Mike.
We continue to receive excellent support from many veterinary groups with in our area, and I would like
to thank those that take care of our foster and sponsor dogs, and those who have supported our dogs
whilst they have been in kennels. We also rely on the information that vets pass on to us concerning the
dogs and we have benefited from their knowledge and expertise. Pet behaviourists and trainers have
also helped people who have adopted dogs from us. Their professional advice has been appreciated
and there have been occasions when this advice has been essential to enable us to make the right
decisions regarding the dogs.
Our committee has met four times this year and all meetings have been well attended. I would like to
thank the committee for their support. I am reluctant to single out people but I must thank John in his
role of Transport Coordinator. Thanks to John’s knowledge and driving experience he picks up quickly
on problems with the Doblo and we have been able to take prompt action that has undoubtedly saved
us a considerable amount of money. I would like to thank John for collecting dogs for us from the strays
kennels, this is often at short notice when a quick response is essential to save the dog’s life. I
understand that John now has a partner to ride shotgun for him and I would like to thank his wife,
Barbara for ensuring that he doesn’t get lost.
Despite a disastrous start when all the gazebos were damaged beyond repair, the Fun Day at Rainbow
kennels was once again a big success. I would like to thank the team for pulling all the stops out to get
the event up and running. We attended Bark In The Park at Huddersfield again this year and I
understand that this event goes from strength to strength. We also attended Dogs Unleashed at the
Bakewell show ground. This event was over two days and I hear that it was well attended. Sally Wheeler
has attended some local events with mixed success. The Green family have also attended a number of
galas and fetes in Sheffield. I would also like to thank Tracey Metcalf for her fundraising efforts on our
behalf. Thankfully we do have some people from outside Sheffield who are willing to do some
fundraising for us and Katie and Josh have offered to help in the Wakefield area. I’m also pleased to be
able to tell you that now they have a caravan home in Bridlington, the Green family intend to attend
events in that area. Our sponsored dog walk at Castle Howard was not as well attended this year. I am
sorry that an operation prevented me from making the journey up to Castle Howard this year and that
this also meant that June was unable to attend. I gather that they enjoyed some better weather this
year. I would like to thank David Blades for leading the walk. A sponsored walk was also held a few
weeks later around the lake at Pugneys park. I believe that sponsor money for this event is still being
collected so it remains to be seen how successful this event was.
We continue be to be associate members of the Association of Dog and Cats Homes. Our Secretary
deals with all communications with the ADCH but I understand that there is an excellent forum on their
web site and that there is a good network system in place.
Every one predicted that this would be a challenging year for charities and this has certainly proved to
be true. However I feel that Labrador Welfare has weathered the storm well and, if anything, is stronger
for it. I would like to thank all those who help the charity, either in financial or practical ways; we couldn’t
function with out you. I am pleased that our membership remains healthy but I would like to see more
people becoming involved and would be pleased to see more young people taking an active role in the
charity.
Ray Carnall
Chairman
Secretary’s Report for the AGM held on Sunday 20th November 2011
The correspondence received since the last AGM as always has consisted of letters from members of
Labrador Welfare and members of the public. I have also sent out letters of thanks on behalf of our
treasurer for donations and to those who have raised money for us.
Email is our preferred method of communication. We have experienced a number of problems with non
delivery of items sent via Royal Mail and I now contact people via email where ever possible. Email is
still proving to be a very effective method of keeping in touch with members and with those who have
offered homes to our dogs. With the increase in postage charges since April this has resulted in
significant savings. We continue to receive photos of dogs in their new homes, some warranting a file of
their own. We have also had updates on a number of dogs that have been re-homed by us in previous
years.
On average we now receive 5 emails per day (excluding spam). Emails are normally answered with in
24 to 48 hours and we receive many comments regarding our prompt response. Requests regarding
adoption are sent a copy of the application form, which they are asked to complete and email back to
us. Forms are still posted out to people who do not have access to the Internet. We have had a number
of enquiries from people living outside our area and these have been directed to the appropriate rescue
group.
Minutes have also been produced for our Committee meetings ( 4 meeting so far this year) and our
Fund Raising Committee, which has met on 3 occasions.
We continue receive notification of new topics from the ADCH which appear on their forum and receive
notification of meeting and courses. This continues to be an excellent way to network with other charities
involved in re-homing animals.
We still receive requests from people wanting to know where they can obtain a puppy and we have
been glad to be able to point them in the right direction. Purchasing a puppy from a reliable breeder
helps to ensure that dogs get the best start in life and are less likely to become a rehoming statistic.
I would like to thank David Hammond of Talda Computers Ltd ensuring our computer is fault free. I
would like to thank him for his advice on the purchase of a new tower and hard drive this year. The fact
that he can offer me a good deal on a computer enables me to continue to finance this myself without
having to ask for payment from Labrador Welfare funds. He still gets me a good deal on cartridges,
which is a great help to me personally as we get through so many printing our own forms and
documents. David continues to give me sound advice for which I am very grateful.
Our web site continues to be well received and many people tell us what an easy site it is to use. I must
thank Peter Hoult for all his efforts, for keeping it up to date for us. Our thanks must also go to Mike
Elshaw who has managed to ensure that we have photos of every dog on the site. I would also like to
thank those people who have put links on their websites for us. Sadly we no longer feature on Facebook
due to problems with updating our status.
We still get positive feedback about the Newsletter and some of our members continue to contribute
articles. A few people have asked me to send their copy electronically and if more people are able to do
this it will save on printing and postage costs. B&B Office (in Sheffield) continues to give us an excellent
discount on the photo copying costs and always give us helpful advice. Hard copies will continue to be
posted out to those who want them.
We continue to produce leaflets covering topics that we receive enquiries about. These offer advice and
information. We still use our 3-fold flier, 50 Club and Sponsor dog leaflets. We continue to produce
advertisements for dogs as needed, and I would like to thank the vets and pet shops that have displayed
these for us and to our members who place these adverts for us. The monthly update of dogs available
for adoption is still sent out to vets with whom we have accounts.
2010/2011 has been another sad year for us with the passing of so many well loved dogs. Letters or
cards have been sent, or a telephone call made, to those people who have informed us of the loss of
their pet. These have included: Labrador Welfare dogs: - Bugsie Wheeler, Ellie Roberts, Bruno Vernon, Shelley Wilson, Duke
Drawbridge, Duke Kelly, Emma Cater, Blade Twigg, Tag Barnes, Dexter Whitman, Millie Hynes, Nellie
Ridgeway, Lolly Thompson and Winnie Adams
Labrador Welfare foster dog: -.Blue Lindsey, Pip Ruston, Bonny Higgins, Lucy Green, Martha Britland,
Boomer D’Arcy Malone, Phoebe Raybould, Ben Townend, Bella Cater.
Members and helper’s dogs: - Timothy Brook, Peggy Sue Brook, Henry Brook, Dana and Gregor
Todd, Stig Lewis, Sorrel Mc Mullen, Hettie Osgodby. Broom Mc Mullen, Barney Baker and Sam
Hollebone
We have also been saddened by the deaths of Alan Taylor Firth (member) Joseph Phillips (member),
Maxine Burgess (who adopted Charlie from us in 2005) and Christine Fennel’s husband (Christine
fosters Mandy for us).
I would like to offer my thanks to my dog walking companions, Sharon, John and Barbara, who are
always willing to share ideas and talk things through with me. I would also like to thank Quincy, Abby
and Max for sub editing the Newsletter for me, giving me moral support, keeping my blood pressure
down and ensuring that I keep active.
I can not end with out thanking all those wonderful Labradors who, through their good looks and
wonderful temperament, give us a reason to carry on thorough our darkest moments
Dog bless.
Susan Roberts
Secretary
Treasurer’s report for the Annual General Meeting on Sunday 20th November 2011
As the Treasurer of Labrador Welfare, I am pleased to present the accounts for the year ending 30th
April 2011, which are based on a record of money received and bills paid by Labrador Welfare. All
items of stationary, computer cartridges and the printing of the newsletter have been covered by the
Secretary and Treasurer as their annual donation to the charity.
The income for the year is as follows: - adoptions £10,695.00, membership £1,090.00, donations from
members and supporters £7,657.80, fundraising £2,437.33. The sponsored dog walk raised £620.00.
The 50 Club raised £4,125.00 and there was a transfer from the reserve account of £2,838.74 through
the Pedigree Adoption Drive Grant.
Expenditure for the year shows veterinary fees £4,887.10; help with the cost of neutering £959.44 and
kennelling fees £21,164.00 As always this may seem a large amount to spend but the use of kennels is
still the most successful way of rehoming. We also benefit from the kennel staff working with the dogs
and the kennel owner’s knowledge of dogs and their handling. Veterinary fees are for vaccinations and
operations for welfare reasons. The 50 Club continues to support the foster dog scheme and at present
we have 20 dogs supported in this way. Carers of foster dogs are asked to cover the cost of booster
vaccinations, wormers, flea treatment, minor procedures and also kennelling costs due to holidays. 50
Club prize payments were made totalling £908.00 however members donating their winnings back into
funds are not included in this figure.
Lottery fees were £20.00. Public liability insurance to cover us for dogs whilst in our care is £178.00 per
year. Public liability for running a stall was sponsored by the Treasurer.
Other costs were £51.02 for maintaining the website, and £35.29 for purchase of rosettes.
A total of £80.00 was paid in refunds for failed adoptions.
Purchase of goods to sell was £663.82, microchips £257.19 and vehicle expenses £305.40
Transfers to the No 2 Account were £3,406.00, bank correction £600.09 and payment for behaviour
therapy £40.00. There was an outstanding cheque for £14.00 carried forward to the next financial year.
The balance at the year-end stands at £4,972.38
The No 2 account received transfers of £3,386.00 from the 50 club, £2,515.25 in donations, £90.00 from
fundraising, £76.23 as a veterinary insurance refund, £1,324.20 through the Sponsor Dog scheme and
£3,249.79 from the Inland Revenue through gift aid.
Expenditure for the year shows payments of £11,529.29 for veterinary fees. Also a purchase of dog
beds at a cost of £50.00 was made through a donation. There was an outstanding cheque for £122.20
carried forward to the next financial year.
The balance at the year end for this account stands at £5,512.30
The Reserve account has a balance of £34,033.98 this is our reserve in case it is needed and is also the
account that grants are paid into. Interest rates are still poor but we haven’t found anything giving better
rates to charities. This account has received credits of £27,731.73 this financial year. The greatest
amount was a bequest contained in the will of one of our life members upon her death of £24,583.33
with a smaller amount to be paid to us at a later date.
All the above accounts are held with the Nat West Bank at Broomhill, Sheffield
The Fred & Audrey Baker Memorial Fund set up in memory of Audrey Baker stands at £1011.76 with
interest to be added at a later date.
This account is still held with the Halifax Bank at Hillsborough, Sheffield as no better charity account is
available at the present time.
Membership of Labrador Welfare stands at 142 and of these 37 are life members.
We are grateful to Sally Wheeler for continuing to coordinate the 50 Club for us. At the time of this report
there were 74 members of the club but we always need more members as we regularly have 20 foster
dogs on our books.
Our Sponsor Dog scheme continues to offer some financial support to adopters who take on dogs under
the fostering age of 9 years who may have medical or behavioural problems. Members pledge a set
amount each month and in return get updates on the dogs on the scheme. At present we have 10 dogs
on the scheme Sandy, Jack, Henry, Toby, Lucky (now Mac), Charlie Bucket, Max, Oscar, Kia and
Fudge. There are 14 sponsor dog members but we do need more to help support the cost of Sandy’s
medication.
Thanks to all those who have helped to raise funds for us and to Midland Counties Labrador Retriever
Club and Northumberland and Durham Labrador Retriever Club for their annual donations to us from
their fundraising activities.
Thanks to Chris Burridge for collating the accounts and Sheila Godbehere for checking them for us free
of charge.
June Roberts
Treasure