Sylvia's Diary

Look at this , it’s so inspirational. We all need to support the amazing work Katy is doing with humans and horses!!! She deserves a medal

As a cold winter's predicted I was wonderdering if we could be donated wool would any knitters knit some fingerless gloves and matching hats?  Some plain and others very colourful.  To decorate them these get some old denim and cut with pinking sissors into a small square and set tear drop bead on these.  The stitch these on to each glove and the hat.  The tear bead would be a reference to our name - Many Tears and these can be bought really cheaply on Ebay.
If you would like to help with this please let me know at swvanatta@gmail.com.   We could use the money raised from these to help fund some of the very expensive operations many of our ex-breeding dogs need.
https://www.allfreeknitting.com/Knit-Fingerless-Gloves/Short-Fingerless-Gloves
With your help we can achieve so much more so please help if you can by knitting, collecting wool or helping us sell these products.
Thank you
Sylvia

When I tell you we are working flat out to keep Many Tears afloat I am not exaggerating. We are busier than ever.  So please if you can help by sending a donation it would help so much as we are in need of more staff and funds to do this. Plus so much more as winter comes.
https://www.manytearsrescue.org/donate.php

Or you could donate time.
If you can give time and will not need constant supervision, are fit and willing and will do whatever needed please email me at swvanatta@gmail.com  with a firm commitment of time you can spare. We are especially short of staff on Thursday Friday Saturday and Sun this week. We need to book in dogs that have arrived and look after them, take pictures and assess them.

If you are a vet reading this we are desperate for a vet and nurse to come and spay/neuter so if you can help please email me at swvanatta@gmail.com

Without more help we will sink at these very busy times.
I write this from my heart, exhausted and worried.
Please help our dogs have a future
Please help,
Sylvia

Do you love dogs?  Do you and your partner want a life change?

We have a Live- In  job for a couple here at the Centre in Carmarthenshire.

One person would need to work five days a week with the dogs, the other person  to be more flexible, offering to help with general maintenance, driving, kennel hand work, and perhaps office assistance. One MUST have a relatively clean driving license.
Both must be happy energetic people who don’t enjoy moaning, but are happy to get stuck in and work hard.

Accommodation is for non-smokers only and two small dogs, or one large well behaved dog can come too. We are not on any bus or public transport route so you will need a vehicle.

This is a hands on passionate rescue unlike any in the country, the work is fast, varied, intense and unique.

You won’t get rich with huge wages, but you will get rich with fulfilment and knowledge. Our work is rewarding and we work with 100% passion.

If interested send me two essays - one from you and one from your partner telling me why this would be good for you, me and the dogs here in our care. swvanatta@gmail.com

If you are from abroad, you need to be able to get a work permit and commit to a year or more. You will also need to be prepared to come for an interview at your own expense please.

Any applicants will need to be happy to  try out this position for three days voluntarily, so you can get a genuine feel for the position and of course we can learn more about you.

Our dogs here deserve the best, so if you can give them the best then apply ...but I need a couple who have been together long term and can communicate and work well as a team.

It is probably a ridiculous ask, but does anyone know of a Littmann 3200 Electronic 12 Track Stethoscope for sale second hand? Our surgery is quite noisy as our oxygen machines sound a little like traction engines, this makes it hard for the vet to hear the dogs hearts easily. Our wonderful vet bought herself one of these super stethoscopes. Sadly she and the stethoscope are off to Borneo to spay stray cats - which is great for those cats of course, so we need to get our own, but they are over £300

So if anyone knows of a second hand one for sale for a reasonable price please contact me. Thank you Sylvia

I love spending time with my dogs whenever I can. I know you do the same and I want to thank you for loving them. Every dog deserves a loving home with good times together and I would like to share with you some of our walk together yesterday...

Midnight continues to make very slow progress.  She is the hardest dog I've ever had and I am hoping there is a special someone out there who really understands her troubles but are prepared to take her on and help her.

Please don’t let the rain put you off coming to our show. We have worked SO hard to make this event fun for everyone, in order to help the funds we lost from the raffle. Please support this. If you however feel you don’t want to or can’t come please consider making a donation. We have been and are very full with dogs, and many require costly operations.

 Thank you,
Sylvia.

Please would any one do a few of these posters and send so I can put them up. I so want our dog show to be a success. If you can help by printing some and sending to our office please email at support@manytearsrescue.org
Thank you x

I am so completely overwhelmed by Katy, our Equine Manager and one of her students, Lyn's gesture for Many Tears. Please keep an eye on her blog but I have copied her words and Lyns story below. Please read it and please support them :

10 years ago Lyn lost the vision in one of his eyes yet he remained positive and focused. Sadly two years ago during an attempt at corrective surgery, he was left completely and permanently blind in both eyes. This devastated his life, leaving him isolated and dependent on others. His confidence evaporated and depression started to take a hold. In early June Lyn started attending Many Tears for equine therapy and the results have been life changing already. I would like to share a letter with you that Lyn dictated to his visual impairment officer.  

Dear Many Tears 

I originally attended Many Tears to support me with equine therapy due to my low

mood and depression from losing my vision, i lost my vision in March 2016 where a

procedure to correct my sight was unsuccessful, at this point I lost complete sight

and cannot see anything.

I have always been an animal lover, and due to my sight loss, I feel comfortable with

being in the presence of animals, my rehabilitation officer for visual improvement

thought I would be a prime candidate to receive equine therapy due to my low mood.

I was referred to Many Tears and met the Staff with kindness and support to improve

my well being.

I have met a couple of horses and dogs whilst attending my weekly sessions, it has

been a wonderful experience, it has opened my heart up again to love animals, just

because I cannot see the world, I can still feel and love and give the unwanted

animals the love and protection they deserve. This has been a huge positive

resource to myself and others, who attend, I am now calmer and more open to

converse with others.

This service, equine therapy, it has not just benefitted me, but would also give other

disabled people the chance to love, to feel wanted and cared for, like I have

received.

This has been a wonderful experience for me, the Staff, especially Katie, the equine

worker has helped me develop skills and a relationship with ponies, which I have

never had before. My confidence has grown and I don’t have so many low moods

from my attendance at Many Tears, I look forward to my weekly sessions so much

that I cannot sleep the night before due to excitement.

This service is so worthwhile, it would be devastating if Many Tears could not carry

on with all their brilliant work. Please support this service because to be honest, I am

not sure where I would be without it.

Mr Lyn Thomas

Lyn has a personality that will leap out and make you laugh and yet a calmness that makes all of our animals feel relaxed and at ease. Lyn has always been an animal lover but has never really interacted with horses before. In just a few weeks he has formed a close bond with Rooney and had learnt how to catch, groom, pick out feet and bath him. He uses ‘feel’ to groom and fuss the horses and has already picked up the skills of how to safely feel for mud all over the horses body and brush them clean.

Lyn feels so strongly about Many Tears that he has decided that he wants to raise some funds to try and secure the future of the equine program. In September Lyn is going to lead Rooney on a 5 mile trek! It's a challenging walk and I will be there to support him too. So far we have raised £308!! Our goal is to smash £1000 but could we go further? Please help us to make this happen. Every penny raised will make such a difference to the centre but also will remind Lyn of how he is still so capable of bringing real good to the world.

On Friday Lyn came to the centre today for a couple of hours for us to meet a journalist from ‘Llanelli online’. Lyn jokes that his life was thrown into darkness 2 years ago when he became completely blind but in truth he suffered a lot. His isolation and depression meant it was very hard to talk to others and yet during that afternoon he drew together every ounce of courage and spent 1 1/2 hours being filmed, having photos taken, demonstrating his skills and being interviewed. I can’t begin to imagine how he found the courage to do this but he did!! He spoke with such joy and enthusiasm. He spoke bravely about his mental health and I was and am very proud!

We are so grateful for the sponsorships that have come in so far... Please help, please support 

Keep an eye on facebook for extra photos!

https://www.gofundme.com/legendary-lyn-leads-the-way&rcid=r01-153364279785-89e5dd7ad3784c4f&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_w

Yet again I am asking for the help of ALL true dog lovers. The Channel Tunnel powers to be decided that they would no longer accept more than 10 dogs per van or 20 by special agreement and vans like mine carry 50 plus.
I only go abroad a few times a year to rescue dogs but dogs coming from Romania etc. are coming in regularly to rescues here. These poor dogs are in DESPERATE need of help but the rescues cannot afford to pay for two or three vans to come that usually one would be enough to carry all.  Not cramped but not a third empty either.
The rule makes no sense as if affordable three vans would need to be inspected not one. It just puts a huge strain on the rescues who fund the trips and MANY more dogs dying. So first of all if you  can find me the best address to write to or email to get attention and I will write and pass this on so all can follow suit with letters or emails. Please email me this at swvanatta@gmail.com.
Secondly even if the rescues paid a little extra for customs time it would be worth it, so suggest please suggest this in your letters.
I am not asking for help for me, but for the thousands of dogs that will suffer because of this rule. If you care please help. With enough public feeling maybe we can make a difference but thousands of letters or emails will be needed.
Thank you
Sylvia

Thank you to everyone who helped me at the Ardingly Show Ground and to the Agility Club for allowing us to have a stand. We raised £5,209.25p. The conditions were extremely hard to work with - over 34º to set up in and then strong wind.  Eventually we had to do a fire sale as one tent was nearly wrecked. Weleft a day early and today is torrential rain and winds. Thank you to everyone who helped.
Sylvia x

Thank you to everyone who helped me at the Ardingly Show Ground and to the Agility Club for allowing us to have a stand. We raised £5,209.25p. The conditions were extremely hard to work with - over 34º to set up in and then strong wind.  Eventually we had to do a fire sale as one tent was nearly wrecked. Weleft a day early and today is torrential rain and winds. Thank you to everyone who helped.
Sylvia x

You can tell it’s going to be a bad day when you are greeted by one of your trainers being thrashed around your face by your little dog in a morning greeting. Your bra is missing and only found when you realise Boo another of your dogs is tangled in it and now wearing it. The other trainer Is nowhere to be seen. You put the dogs in the office only to return to find Midnight's counter cruise knocked the armed tap on pushing the spout against the wall not in the sink and it’s full on. The room is flooded and the dog is still laughing at you.
After a hard day you call the dogs to bed and try to squeeze in the small space left for you, only to find the same little trainer carrier darling found the aloe smooth dry skin cream and chewed on it a little, but enough for cream to seep out through the tooth punctured holes and as you are wondering what the lump is under your back when edging down the bed find it there!. Yes yesterday was a bad day!!

It is with great sadness I need to tell all who worked so hard to rescue Olly the boxer that sadly he lost his fight to live when he completely collapsed and was unable to recover despite being given days of being carried to help him. A huge thanks to Christabel for talking him on and giving him cuddles and love till the very end. For those responsible for passing him on without care and against our policies, and those who left him tied and alone, I won’t repeat what I wish you.
Sylvia

I’m very disappointed and shocked to say that we have discovered the Blue Cross has rehomed one of our dogs.  Despite us doing our best to ensure her safe return to Many Tears the Blue Cross has from the start steadfastly refused to consider this.  To say everyone at Many Tears is shocked by their attitude and behaviour is an understatement.   Nearly all rescues work together in cases like these and notify each other if a dog is surrendered to them.  In most cases the dog is returned to the rescue who originally took it in but occasionally there may be an instance where it is agreed the other rescue can take over the care and rehoming of the dog.  However, this is usually when the rescue have the same homing ethos in things like a No Kill Policy and carrying our Home Checks.  It is our understanding that the Blue Cross do not share Many Tears ethos and policies on either of these things.

Despite several email and telephone conversations the Blue Cross have refused to return our dog to us.  They stated that as the dog was not in their care they could not return her to us but that their rehoming team had found her a home!  They agreed they would carry out a home check but refused for this to be done by one of our own home checkers or follow our home check guidelines.  Of course, this may be a wonderful home and we hope it is but we have absolutely no information about where she is or who the adopters are.  This truly upsets me as she came to us from overseas and I promised the rescue there that Many Tears would find her a home and be her back up should anything go wrong with the adoption as is the case with any dogs we take in. The Blue Cross offers lifelong back-up to anyone rehoming a pet through them but they do not have a no kill policy.  I do wonder if this was one of their dogs if they would feel the same way we do right now or if they are happy for one of the dogs they have rescued to be passed on without consulting them.  We are committed to our dogs whilst they are in our care and once they have been rehomed.

The purpose of this post is to warn other rescues of the Blue Cross' attitude towards another rescue and also to stress to our adopters that Many Tears will always take a dog back or are happy to discuss other options and that is why out Adoption Agreements states that any adopter agrees to do this.  We are not big enough to take on a rescue like the Blue Cross so all we can do is alert others to their behaviour.  If you agree with the way Many Tears works in regard to taking dogs back please take a minute to email info@bluecross.org.uk and mark it for the attention of the Director of Rehoming Services and express your disappointment and concerns of their actions.
Sylvia

Stop worrying, for I have enough worry for all of you so you can relax. WE have 77 dogs on our big van travelling in ones, twos or if under 5 kilos some in 3s. They are all saved from a kill shelter. Our amazing staff and supporter have driven to Portugal arranged the trip and collected them.
In Portugal our amazing rescuer had all the chips, inoculation, passports etc done and arranged holding places whilst awaiting the legal time to travel. The whole plan was put together by our manager, with loads of worry attached. Everything was double triple quadruple checked.
Five hours away from the Euro Tunnel the authorities decided to change their policies and told us though all paid with receipts they had decided to change their policy, and we could not go through with that many, in fact only 20.
Our office manager our yard manager and driver all called and managed to sweet talk the authorities, but not before we bit all our nails of paced about three miles back and forth, and all felt physically sick. Owain who works so hard in the office all day immediately offered to drive to France to pick up some, and the support from the staff has been amazing. So now we sit cross fingered awaiting 12 to see if they all got through. Prayers needed PLEASE. 

Do you know this dog?
He was found in Birmingham tied up to a skate park. 
We homed this dog over 5 years ago to an address in Tamworth Warwickshire on long street but we cannot contact his owner.
If you know this dog and the people who owned him, we would like to make contact   We always take our own dogs back.
We collected Olly from the pound and are so sad for him.   He can barley stand.  We don’t know if he had had a stroke or what. 
Please help us find out why he was left tied up and deserted.

The very best thing to lift your hear early in the morning!!

   
The Romanian darlings are on board and travelling. We are delighted and proud to help them. They will be here soon for you all To come and love, help and even adopt.

I am in need of an inventive, artistic person to make some bill boards of dogs and their cases and why people should support many tears. The posters on this board need to be laminated so that they are weather proof. I need to do really well at the two shows this year as sadly I am not sure how well the raffle will do. Please if you can help, or simply make one poster that’s got info and cases or just sad dogs that need homes, and I will do what I can to put together. Thank you, I am bogged down with work and need a hand.

We are very proud when dogs from Many Tears win prizes. Although we know all won your hearts, here are a trio of agility winners.










 

Today has been a difficult one.  One of the office staff went into the back office and lent over to stroke my dogs and because Midnight didn't know them and lives in constant fear she bit them.  I cannot risk this happening again to either outside or office staff and neither can I bear the thought that it could one day end in her death. She has come so far but still has a really long way to go so I am hoping there is someone out there with an old caravan they would be able to donate to us which the staff could use as a tea room.  I do not want anything special and once it's here it will literally just sit outside and be somewhere the staff can make a cup of tea and eat their lunch.  If you can help I'd be so gratefu so please email me at swvanatta@gmail.com

We are very lucky to have some very brave ladies sky diving for sponsorship for our dogs. I would love everyone who reads this to please sponsor these ladies a little.
I am worried as always about funds and our annual raffle may well be a flop this year the new data protection laws have prevented us sending tickets out unless you ask us to - and not many are. So please sponsor these brave ladies, or ask for raffle tickets to sell, or become a member of Many Tears.
The new newsletter is almost ready to send and has really good new undisclosed news which you will only see if you subscribe.  You could even do all 3 of the above and help us save lives!

Sponsor our Sky Diving Ladies
https://www.gofundme.com/many-tears-skydive

Find out how to Buy Raffle Tickets
http://www.manytearsrescue.org/page_.php?i=56

Become a Member of Many Tears
http://www.manytearsrescue.org/membership.php

If you work at a travel agents or have any connection with a company who could help me with a holiday we could offer as the top prize for one of our fund raisers, please email me at swvanatta@gmail.com I would be so grateful for your help.

Thank you
Sylvia x

Midnight has a new best friend!

Midnight has wonderful big innocent eyes, but don’t be fooled. In minutes here is a little of the damage she has done BLESS!!!! However I love her and in my dreams she runs free in the forest alongside my dogs. I wish this was not a dream. I will be patient..
I thought you’d like to know , no one stepped forwards having won the lottery, so I just could not commit to the sad situation I was trying to help. I did not say what it was as politics and rescue are not easy to live with, but now I will.
There were dogs already saved from pounds and a rescue in a different country were taking them. Suddenly after committing they backed out, leaving the rescuer with many dogs. However yesterday evening we were able to pick up our van that Bill and I have spent so long budgeting and planning for.  We like to have two on the road and our small van can no longer do long trips without worry. So we are now planning ourselves, along with supporters, to do these long haul trips saving the rescue many thousands of pounds. I know we cannot save them all, BUT we can try.

Well here’s the crazy blog. Maybe the stupidest blog I have ever done, but here goes.
Just maybe you’re a pop star, a lottery winner, a famous actor or a not so famous but very rich person. Just maybe your special best friend is a canine and he or she is lovingly and loyally staring up at you. Just Incase you are one of these you would have the faith needed to trust all of us here to do everything we can for the dogs of this world and we need £10 grand to help save some dogs!!!!!. Well there it is. If you can help call me I can keep a secret if your famous and need that,  I just want to help a situation I can make a difference for.

Now a more realist ask. We have two disabled dogs here who need a home, a fosterer who loves to blog and get their names out there, or a forever home. Either way they have escaped death…. (only just) been mended… (best a vet could). have had the strength and courage to recover, and now need the chance of a taste of true love. No adoption fee expected, though donation to help another would be great. If you will spread this about on your facebook MAYBE someone will step forward, or two different someones with a doggy companion for either. Their names are Brasov, and Chitibie.

With so many logging on our site I thought we had a lot of support. But I was so sad to see that very few are members of Many Tears, with the membership of £20 for a family you get a good newsletter pamphlet  and small gift in June and an emailed newsletter in December. These letters have news and info that is exclusive - so never up to that point have  been disclosed to anyone but the members.
This membership helps us to continue. This membership is important to me to see that we are all working alongside me to try to move towards a world …. A perfect world, where all dogs would have a home.

PLEASE JOIN NOW. Please show your support.

 Thank you  Sylvia x

I have had a week of worrying about funds. I have turned sheds upside down and Bill and I with the help of a friend have listed many items on Ebay as funds are tight.
Yesterday Bill paid a bill online and saw someone had just withdrawn two sums amounting to over £3000 from the Many Tears bank account. He called the bank to be told someone in Aberdeen had cashed two cheques and withdrew Many Tears money. They seemed very unaware how upsetting this was and said we would need to sort this out on Tuesday when the branch is open and we could check it out in person.
The cheque numbers do not relate to any we use or have ever had and no cheques have been lost or stolen, so we think this must be a counterfeit cheque book that all Easter weekend someone could be using.
Bill asked for a hold or notice be placed on the account so no one else could walk into a branch and cash a cheque on our account  but was told that could not be done and that the only thing we could do was to go to a branch in person on Tuesday to have them investigate this.
I am worried sad and pissed with the bank's lack of help!!!!  We will fight to get this money back into the Many Tears account but does it make you think, how safe is your money in a bank especially when you ring them to report a fraud and they say they can’t do anything?????

This week I have had over 30 e mails telling me how terrible I am saving Romanian infectious dogs and now the same again about Portuguese dogs. They say I have got on the band waggon talking dogs free and selling them on. I thought I would air my side of this but to those who wrote I simply thanked them for their interest as I have been ill for now a month and literally ran out of steam for arm chair key board warriors.
Bill and I have worked in  shelters full of despair. We know the reality more than most of caring deeply and literally being cornered into murdering those canines you love. Believe me your will to go on diminishes very quickly. We also know how important money is.
I run Many Tears my way, it is not a big corporate institute and we do not have big wages and plush offices. We really run hand to mouth, BUT…  the dogs I take in from abroad are from really good reputable contacts. I pay for double inoculations, passports, rabies jabs, Leishman tests and heart worm snap tests. I pay for transport. I do my best to be fair to the rescues and to try to give the rescuers hope. I want to live in a world where all dog’s lives are treated equally, and every dog counts and although my actions won’t change the world, it’s a start.
So yes I do rescue dogs from abroad, SO WHAT? If I was called to help dogs suffering here I would help those too. Yes we are fussy with our homes, the dogs once here are our family and I, and every member of staff and every fosterer have a say where the dogs are homed, so sorry if your turned down for a dog, it does not reflect on your home and love, just that we feel it’s not a suitable match.

I found an article written about the Romanian dogs, so please read, then tell me the Romanians should look after their own dogs cause clearly on the whole they don’t, so then what?????

Sorry to sound frustrated, but whether from here there or everywhere a dog is a dog!!!!!
Sylvia

This is an extract from The Mailonline.  We cannot put all the pictures on for copyright reasons but you can read the full story HERE

EXCLUSIVE - Legs hacked off, shot through the head with a nail and so badly beaten their eyes pop out: The dogs who go through hell on the streets of Romania
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Thousands of horrifically abused dogs rescued in Romania by UK charity Paws2Rescue volunteers have found dogs in truly horrifying conditions
One was beaten until his eyes popped out, another was shot in head by nail
Another dog had his legs hacked off and was left for dead before rescue 
Puppy was 'buried alive' in a freezer alongside other dead puppies
Sacks or boxes of unwanted puppies are hung to the fence of the shelters
Official dog-catchers are allegedly paid £44 per animal that they slaughter
By David Williams For Mailonline Published: 14:22, 7 June 2016

Thousands of dreadfully abused, tortured, injured and diseased dogs – many close to death – have been subjected to 'a life of hell' on the streets of Romania before being rescued by volunteers. In one case, all four legs of a dog had been partially and deliberately hacked off with an axe by a teenage boy.
Another young dog suffered a blood clot after official dog catchers fired a four-inch nail between his eyes.
This weekend a puppy was also discovered 'buried alive' in a deep freezer beside the bodies of other puppies.
Skeletal, blinded, and bleeding, the dogs are left to die or deliberately slaughtered according to the UK-registered Paws2Rescue charity, which says tortured or starving dogs are discovered every day. Even the dog shelters, where people assume the dogs should be kept safe, are little more than 'death factories', as dogs rounded up on the streets have just two weeks from capture until they are collected by slaughterers and then killed.

This tiny puppy was rescued from a public shelters in Odai suffering from a horrific skin complaint and left to languish without treatment.

Other volunteers working with British registered charity Paws2Rescue describe finding dogs killed with poison, kept with dead canines and one even tied to a train line so the legs were severed.
They highlight a disturbing catalogue of cases on their files, including:

• A dog so badly beaten its eyes had literally popped out when rescue workers found it in a pool of its own blood.
• A young dog tied to a tram line so that it two back legs were severed by the speeding tram.
• A chain tied so tightly around a puppy's throat that it left a gaping, bleeding wound.
• A dog that had its jaw hacked open with an axe so that it was hanging by the skin when rescued.
• A dog catcher pole and wire embedded so tightly in a dog it broke its teeth trying to escape.
• Dogs inhumanely poisoned at official shelters.
• Dead dogs kept in with living animals.

'It is so shocking, nothing can quite prepare you for what we have seen,' said Alison Standbridge, a 46-year-old mother-of-two, who helped found the charity. 'We have seen quite appalling, harrowing cases of dogs that have been beaten and bloodied, slashed with weapons, stoned, driven down by cars and left to die and, sometimes, few people in Romania's towns and cities seem to care.
'Some of the dogs we find are no more than a bag of bones, their ribs pressing through what remains of their coats – it is pitiful…so cruel.'
The risk and insurance executive from Sutton, Surrey, who travels monthly to Romania, continued: 'Our aims are to rescue dogs from the streets, public shelters where they can be officially killed after 14 days and from shocking conditions while increasing the awareness of what is happening in Romania, a fellow member of the EU.'
Sacks or boxes of unwanted puppies are regularly hung to the fence of the shelters they operate with local partners in the Romanian capital Bucharest while others have been chained to the gates or just thrown over them into the compound.

More than 1,150 dogs have been rescued, treated and found new homes with families in Britain, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Canada and the United States with one becoming a prize winner and another put forward for Crufts, the world's largest dog show. Celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, actress Samantha Womack, Downton Abbey star Peter Egan and Saffron from Republica have all provided support with fund raising. All have been shocked by the extent of abuse of dogs in Romania where corruption and local politics contribute to the problems, according to the charity, whose volunteers have faced physical threats.

The EU allows each member country to set their own laws in management of strays. Romania’s current policy – dubbed ‘catch and kill’ – is based around the capture and euthanasia of stray dogs after 14 working days following incarceration. Officials say that the equivalent of millions of pounds have been spent on dealing with the problem of strays but critics claim it is inhumane, feeds corruption, conditions in the shelters are often ‘horrific’ and that dogs can die a ‘painful’ death.


‘Romania's dog shelters are nothing but death camps of the worst kind with no consideration given to the fact that dogs are “sentient beings” who feel pain, fear and distress,’ one organisation that reported on the treatment of dogs said. Perhaps the most shocking example of that abuse has been the case of a dog now called Corbu, found in March lying on grass in agony.  A 16-year-old boy is said to have attacked him with an axe, cutting off all four legs at different points. Some of the dogs we find are no more than a bag of bones, their ribs pressing through what remains of their coats – it is pitiful…so cruel. 'One was hanging off,' Alison said, 'He had been there for 24 hours by the time our rescuers arrived and took him to the vet. Locals had fed him with bread. 'He is now recovering with four uneven stumps healing well. He is a very gentle and loving male, around five years old. 'We hope that he may be adopted but we are making plans for his future life and he has been measured for a cart that will raise him off the floor and give him a chance of a normal life. Despite believing they know who was responsible, there has been no police investigation and the teenager continues to walk the streets.

Amazingly, some of those rescued that have lost legs are able to live comfortably with families who have adopted them, including Mandi, the dog whose back legs were severed in June 2015 when tied to a tram track. She now lives happily in the UK.

Rescue teams hope that a new home can be found too for Braxton, the young dog who is recovering from surgery and appears to have no lasting physical damage after a nail was fired between his eyes in the town of Moinesti.  Dog-catchers working for the local authority had shot him with a tranquiliser – between the eyes. One of the charity's rescue team found him in a public shelter – there are dozens across Romania but many are said to have appalling conditions – and drove him five hours to the vet in Bucharest. A MRI scan revealed a blood clot in his head, and he was booked in for surgery. However, the next day he had difficulty walking and appeared dizzy. He underwent an emergency operation that saw a four-inch nail removed.

To read the full story and see the pictures CLICK HERE

Many Tears is really excited to announce the launch of it's own YouTube channel and our first video follows behind the scenes footage of Sylvia (the founder of Many Tears) as she goes on a road trip to Ireland to rescue dogs! We really hope you enjoy this and if you want to make sure you get notified of any new videos that we add to our channel please click the subscribe button and then the bell in the top right hand corner.

We are expecting over 60 dogs from Portugal around the 23rd of this month. The lady who has coordinated this is very ill and on a kidney machine. Below is a what Olinda has written to help her dogs reach us and I know both she and us are desperate for this rescue to be a success. If you want to help by either sending things before the 21st March for us to get to her for her dogs in Portugal or by sending us a donation to help with the huge cost of this organising this rescue please do.

There are dogs not only in the UK but all over the world needing our help.  We have just taken in our second lot of Romanian dogs and there are more to come.  The expenses of doing this is incredibly high but each day I am told about dogs living in terrible situations and so feel I have to help if and when I can. 

Chitzibie and Brasov have lived in a back yard in Bucharest their whole lives with nothing bar dinner to look forward too.   They are both disabled as you can see in their video and no one wanted to help them but then their luck changed and a wonderful lady saved them.  They have had a lot of medical treatment but there is nothing more that can be done for them other than finding them a loving forever home but no one has offered them this. I think Many Tears supporters would want us to help and if you are one of them please send a donation even if it's just a £1, to show your support. Thousands of people follow us on Facebook and Twitter and read our site daily and I hope they want to help those dogs that have been forgotten, not wanted and without hope.

Chitzibie is a male beagle cross. He's around 9 years old and when he was first picked up was paralysed.  He had x-rays which didn't reveal anything so neurological treatment was started and plans for an MRI scan if he didn't respond. However he responded very well and started walking, so it's assumed he was probably hit in the head and had a haematoma. He has made a great recovery and now just walks a little funny.

Brasov is a male bichon type. He was born with coxofemoral luxation on both sides, congenital hip and knee dysplasia, tarsal subluxation and cuadraceps muscle spasm in his right leg. He had femoral head resection surgery on both sides, ligament plasty in his left leg and the tarsal subluxation was fixed in the right leg.  Unsurprisingly he walks funny but is in no pain or discomfort.

The expenses of saving dogs from Portugal and Romanian is incredibly high and once all the dogs have arrived we are looking at in excess of £5,000.  So if you want Many Tears to continue to help the dogs that have witnessed terrible, things, lived in appalling conditions and in the case of Chitzibie and Brasov been forgotten and ignored please do make a donation.  No matter how small of large it will be very gratefully received and will absolutely change a dogs live for the better.

Thank you
Sylvia

Are you watching Crufts?? Elaine Bisyock won the Novice Cup jumping round with her Many Tears dog Vimes, fostered by our lovely Wendy Botto. Vimes and Elaine will be competing again in the medium height agility at 2pm today ..... please cheer for them!!
We have lots of fantastic dogs who have gone on to be very successful at their chosen sports so if you think you can be the next superstar at agility, obedience, cani x etc please consider a rescue dog to be by your side.

These are some of our dogs in transit from Romania. We are all so looking forward to meeting them, we hope you are too.

Saffy wants to say thank you as with the kind donations sent, her sponsor money has been met. Any extra I will put towards the next coming but need £2,000 before I can do this.
THANK YOU AGAIN Sylvia

Our second lot of Romanian dogs are preparing to come. The first group of this year came yesterday. I literally hardly slept. They are a really sad bunch, some mistrustful, others given up. I personally spent 4 ½ hours bathing just 4 of these dogs who were in a sorry state. Then a staff member helped me with one more. We are not half way to bathing these, but the ones we have done are clearly feeling much better. Two had thousands of fleas, others had more like 100s. And there I was thinking the fleas would not be alive in this very cold weather. My heart goes out to these poor dogs. They are really worth visiting and sitting with.
We agreed with another lady who helps Romanian dogs to take 10 others. This lady sends us info and pictures and tells us all we need to know, however today she asked if we still wanted to take one of the dogs as it failed its heart worm snap test. At this point we feel the dogs are part of our family, and can’t bear to leave them so…… After reading all she had to write I can see that homing Saffy would be hard as she will for a year or so and need medication. So I just wondered... Is there someone out there willing to sponsor her?
It would cost around £500 for medication wormers and snap tests.  Perhaps your office would get together, or maybe you will have a lottery win? Whatever let’s not leave this sweetie because she is as she is so unfortunate. The following is what was written about her to us. 

Ref Saffy - she had her snap test tonight and has tested positive for dirofilaria/heartworm. I have no idea what you know about this or not, so I'll put what I think is the relevant info here and then please let me know what you think.
Heartworm is not infectious/contagious and really has no chance here to be passed to another dog. The requirements for heartworm to be transferred is an environment rarely if ever we have here and certainly is totally impossible right now in given the weather!
Heartworm is passed on through mosquitoes BUT in order for it to work, the environmental temperatures must be up in the 70s for at least 14 days for larvae inside the mosquito to become infective larvae, that is an absolute condition which is why it doesn't happen here. A positive snap test shows the presence of a fertile female residing in the heart.
There are as many protocols of treatment as articles on the subject you could find. The protocol we've landed on is a combination of doxyciline antibiotics for the first 21 days followed by a single dose of ivermectin monthly. The doxyciline attacks a substance/parasite called wohlbachia which resides in the female and gives her fertility. The ivermectin zaps the blood stream of any possibility of hosting babies (microfilaria) produced by her. There is no treatment which actually kills the fertile females (aside from a fast kill method/immiticide) which is radical, expensive and potentially dangerous for the dog as worms leave the heart en masse and can clog the valves as they exit. So the general thinking is the combination treatment of the doxy and the ivermectin (which can be simply replaced by monthly milbemax after the first month).
The idea really is that the monthly wormer disables the environment in which any babies could possibly proliferate (it takes them 6 months to become adults and migrate to the heart anyway, so no chance while the blood is constantly being zapped by monthly worm treatment) while the doxy attacks fertility and has a weakening effect on the adult fertile female.
The lifespan of an adult worm is a moot point, the longest period being suggested by the American H/W Society who reckon 2-3yrs so the idea is that by the end of that, although you've not been able to do anything to definitively kill the adult fertile females (though some may die anyway from being weakened and attacked by the doxy) - by the end of 2-3yrs they'll have died a natural death anyway.
Sorry for the long explanations, you may well know all this having been in the States anyway!
Some rescues accept dogs with a positive heartworm test and some don't. It obviously means finding adopters willing to give the monthly wormer for sure and retest every few months (with further positive tests, it's recommended every few months to do another 21 days doxy). That's it, but obviously can present another barrier to adoption so entirely your call.

So here is the darlings picture.

Would you help please?? Our funds are critical with two heart operations in the pipe line for desperate dogs and one liver shunt op for a pup who cannot survive without it  and cataracts ops for blind dogs we are looking well over £15,000 in specialist bills already and we are doing our very best to try and fundraise. Please please help us if you can and thank you to those that support us.

 Though I don't feel like I am making much progress, this short video made through my windows - (with lots of  dog gob stains and nose art!) shows why she just loves the evenings and coming in with the others.
 Summary for Midnight : still wild, but happier every day.

I am delighted to say after a blood transfusion from my own dog Truly Scrumptious (usually called Truly Unruly but she has regained her real name having been a true star and donating her blood) Josie has done a huge turn around and is looking very happy. However this could be short lived so we are still praying. Thank you all for caring.
Midnight is still having little lessons being stroked with the end of a litter picker upper. The first day after doing this I stroked her with my hand for the first time. Then the second day we went a step back and I could not do that. It's all about reading her body language and ending on the tiniest try on her behalf and that takes time and concentration.
The  video shows just how scared she still is.  The closer I get to stroke her the more worried she is.
It’s heart breaking  but sadly I am having to push her out of her comfort zone a little every day.   The positive side is she is interacting a little more with me every day.
It’s a little soul destroying but we will keep working together. Me because I want to, her because one day she will too.

Living with Midnight is anything but easy. I start work at around 5.30 but with her here I start at 5. Every morning apart from not being in the least house trained she manages to get something and wreck it. She also now does not want to return to her kennel in the morning but cannot cope with the places my own dogs go and cannot stay in the house alone.
The positive side is she LOVES coming in, and LOVES treat time.  She watches me, wags, and takes treats every time now. I am so hoping someone out there would be committed and take her on but I doubt it. I will keep on trying to help her.

It has been two days of hell
Here is a taste of pain sadness bitterness and worry .
It started Wednesday morning with a staff member off and me having so much work, no time to do it plus and an extra duty to cover. So I vet nurse assisted, did my work and watched a poor little dog fight for her life. No vet could see what was her problem was despite so many tests. We did ultra sounds and X-rays and  blood tests. They only told us so much, but not the answer as to why our girl was feeling so poorly.  By 12am that night she took her last breath. She never knew the happiness of a home of her own, she had no chance to run on the beach, to  lie beside a log fire,or be the apple of her humans eye. That was why I felt so bitter.

 The pain was meeting Feathers, a dear Yorkie, who has a leg too painful to
stand on, a back bone protruding and hardly any fur. She is seeing a specialist today for a further £600 of X-rays, as the first set have not helped to decide how to help her. I feel deep pain for this sad lady.






The sorrow was meeting a bulldog, so badly bred she cannot hardly walk, yet SO grateful for love. I am ashamed to be part of the human race. 
 

Another pup came in needing heart investigation fast, or shee could literally drop dead. There is a chance that we can fix this for her and give her a full life but it comes at a financial cost.

The worry funding all of this, the plans made in my head to move forwards, now just feel like silly dreams.

Midnight is progressing, it's so so slow that only someone who really knows her would see a difference, but never the less there is a change. This video shows her playing a little. She now takes treats and today wagged when I went to get her.
For someone with a very secure home, very little expectations another dog or two and all the time in the world she could eventually make you very proud. My home with so many canines is really too busy, but it's better than in a kennel night and day. She is not house trained and as yet but I really have given her very little direction, I just want her to be relaxed around me. A loud word or a direst stare are all terrifying for her. I won't give up on her, but hope someone out there could and would want to take her on for her happy ever after home. I truly think it will be years till you really see a more normal dog, and perhaps never a completely normal dog, but it WILL be worth it whatever.

Well before the staff came today but after Bill and I had fed and pilled dogs, we shot out with our dogs to the miles of sands not so far from here.

We had so much on our minds but we did not use our time doing anything but enjoying ourselves and our dog's joys as they galloped in the wind. The tiny ran with the blind, the ones with medical conditions and the old all ran and it was amazing!!!!

  This evening Midnight watched Bill for some time, then when he groomed his dogs and sat chatting to them she investigated a tiny bit further. When I said good night to her I put one of my dogs in a crate and with only her and the crated dog I played a game.
I need to explain why it was important to crate one of my dogs.  The other dogs interfere but without any dogs she goes to pieces so one of mine was crated in the room with us to help her. Although she had no bond with any of my dogs she gets her confidence from them being around, after all dogs are pack animals.
Anyway back to the game which is take a treat whist I get into ridiculous positions. Tonight she got quite good at this and the game ended with me bending over and offering treats between wide spread legs (her approaching from behind me) as she still cannot take treats if I look at her. Slowly I moved my hand so the treat offered meant she had to come right under me, at least half her body length. We ended on that success and I placed a big pigs ear in her basket, and of course the crated dog got one too.
Now in bed I am still smiling, such tiny steps, but I feel like I am flying!

Tiny tiny steps
Tonight I lay in my pink pyjamas trying to tempt Midnight to take a treat and eventually she did!!!!  So maybe tonight I can get some sleep with one success under my belt.
Sylvia
 

Sometimes I blog so you the supporters or interested parties can see the reality of dog rescue, but sometimes like now I blog to try in some small way to relieve the pain I feel.
To me one of the very worst things is when we get an ex-breeding dog in that we cannot save. A dog who has never known any of the pleasures my own dogs know, has never even walked or rolled in the grass, let alone curled up by a fire.
As I write my own dogs are sprawled on my bed, the youngest is plating with a chihuahua who is off to foster tomorrow but who rode back from Southern Ireland with me in my van and shared the front seat with my own two dogs and I just could not put him in kennels.
Today a westie came in with a huge belly, it was so large we knew something was wrong. My own vet was away and other vets we know were busy, so the poor girl was rushed to Emerald Vets where a very special vet helps us all he can. Of course out of hours emergency’s are dear, but so was my westie.
Very sadly after scans and X-ray she had to be opened up. She had a burst leaking pyometra which was leaking pus into her insides and a tumour so large to remove or even see all of it the vet would have had to break her pelvis. She was slowly dying. I had no choice bar let the vet put her to sleep.
This makes me sad, no not just sad - furious, as she knew nothing I could have offered her. It feels so unjust and unfair. Sadly writing that has not made me feel better but it has given you more of an insight into rescue.
On another note Midnight, a truly wild Romanian dog who ended up with us as another rescue could make no progress, has come to live with me from 5pm to 5am. It’s the best I can do, as I am working in the day and she is so wild and unsocialised that she cannot cope in the offices with my dogs. We have had all kinds of dog experts try to help us, some criticise us, some even come to see her but sadly 8 weeks on and nothing helped. She was living her life like a zoo animal caged, miserable and terrified.
Yesterday in sheer desperation I coerced her from the play yard down the corridor into my own dog yard and with the help of my dogs into my home. I then ignored her. She followed the others from room to room and eventually curled in a basket. Tonight super sad, sobbing a bit whist my nose was running like a tap (I have a bad cold) I produced the nighty night treats for the family (the family of dogs) and Stan the huge Russian Black Terrier sat dutifully, as did the others and I handed out the treats - and there was Midnight in the line. I looked the other way and put my hand towards her and she snatched the treat. I did not say a word and after the others had all had their first round we did it all over again. It’s a minute step but at least it was something.
Tomorrow is another day. Please God make it a better one.
Sylvia

What a week - staff illness has caused others to have to work extra hard. Dogs literally pouring in has also added to the work load. The trip we took picking up dogs earlier in the week had the driver take many extra hours as he came to snow and sleet and my trip to Ireland also was an adventure I would have rather done without.
Firstly the flooding in Ireland was extensive. In Ireland they are very good at putting a diversion sign at the beginning of a problem. So you turn and drive in the direction the arrow says, for miles and miles and miles and miles, all the time the sat navs voice is saying turn around when possible. Eventually I turned around went back and thought just maybe in the big van I could sneak safely through it. Once there I could see I definitely could not. I then had to back 2 miles up a narrow lane as I could not turn.
Once aboard the ferry the captain warned us of a bad trip. I wanted to see the dogs and help them, but to be honest it was so rough I doubt I would have been able to walk down the stairs without having an accident and it was not aloud.. Then once there the captain could not dock, and when finally in the right position the rope was thrown out and got caught, they could not free this, so the captain had to move off again break the rope and start all over again!  I got down to my dogs, and all looked fine, none had suffered sea sickness and all non spill water bowls had not spilt.
Once home we all unloaded and I felt especially grateful I we were home safe. Now is the bigger job of trying to home all these dogs to good forever homes. Whilst driving I tried to make plans for the rescues future and thought I had comer to some decisions but now I am so tired and feeling ill I cannot see I have the strength to carry them all out. Hopefully I will get over this bug and be stronger soon.

My goodness this has been a tough week. Huge sums of money pledged for life saving operations for dogs like Logan, worries that have deepened my frown lines to Gordon Ramsey tram lines over my brow,  tears enough to make the levels of the salt sea significantly rise (well actually that’s a real exaggeration)!
Dogs have come into the centre whose likelihood of getting a home is very very small. Dogs have come in so sad. People have been forced to give up dogs they love and Many Tears future hangs in the balance. I feel we are in the situation like what comes first, the chicken or the egg. I am not sure what to do and I so need guidance. Like the quiz show where you can phone a friend, I think I will need too.
Thank you everyone for your support, for all the lives you helped us save and will help us save, without you all I would be lost and so would many many lives.
Sylvia x

It’s the NEW YEAR!!!!!! Some will wake with a sore head, and veg the day away. Some like you and I may be busy planning a great productive new year.

Last year we sprinted and limped through. Just like a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Huge batches of dogs arrived and then all had to be processed in, vet checked, neutering/spaying, assessing. Loads of very tough going. Staff gave up nights and worked all through booking dogs in and smiled the next day. Nowhere does anyone have staff like mine. Crazy amazing people I am so proud to work with.

Our horse program helped many. Some learning about horses, some learning about themselves and their strengths and self-worth. Katie the horses carer and teacher is an amazing lady, one if you have the privilege to work with (and you all can) you will NEVER forget.

We homed many dogs but sadly lost one where she jumped our 6 foot fencing. We still are looking for her. We are trying to persuade Bill to buy us an infra-red search light (over £1,500) but hoping a second hand one may come up and be cheaper. That’s the thing about Many Tears, we don’t give up.

We got caught up somehow with a kill pound in Romania and a rescue that tries to get some out if they have space and the representatives over here. This has caused many sleepless nights and a lot of pain and soul searching on my behalf. We have already committed to helping van load of Portuguese dogs this year and now we seem to be helping a lot of Romanian dogs too. I have to make sure there is always space for local desperate dogs, the ex-breeding dogs, the Irish ex breeder’s and strays and so many others. The Romanian dogs undoubtedly go through the worst and see man as what they can be in the worst light ever. It's hard convincing them that this is not the norm and we here love and respect them. They are so damaged but in a different way than others and hard to home.

In the next few weeks another bunch are coming. The reps this side are smart, they read people well and are passionate about saving lives. They send pictures and tell me when I ask what will happen if I don’t take the dogs that they will die. They show me and the deeds done and I am left with the worry how to make it work. They are an amazing group and they get results but I must stay strong this year to cope, so there’s my first New Year’s Resolution.


Here is the picture of Trust as they dragged her from her capture wagon. She was one of the lucky ones believe it or not, as some did not even make it that far…. And she saw it all. Then she went to the pound facilities.

Next was ”THANK YOU“ I named her because she looked so grateful at the chance of life. How could I say no?

	Next is Peter Pan, I called him this a I guessed he wished he had never grown up, never left the comfort of love from his mum, never watched her head being caved in as he sat frozen beside her. As he showed no aggression he was captured with ease and his frozen fear saved his short life. He is nothing amazing to look at, just another yellow street dogs with demons dancing in his dreams. Peter, has a future because of you all.
Now Tremor, “Tremor” (who I don’t know the sex of) though I do know is just a youngster. How this dog survived is a miracle. Very scared and unable to look at you this dog has suffered distemper and this terrible disease rarely lived through has left this baby with the shakes. Of course straight away I hear some of you thinking, why save a dog like that? I say why not? Are not ALL lives precious? Of course you and I are not the same people. I will digress a minute. When vet nursing the other day an ex breeder came in. Her dark ears looking like snow had fallen on them, they were covered in white specks. On future inspection this was a sea of lice crawling biting draining this girl. Her gums were pale, anemia had settled in. She came as was not breeding well, amazing to think one tiny louse with its friends could achieve that. Anyway as a learning device after spraying her with front line one louse was selected and put on a microscope. He or she was very clear and staff came in and out to see and learn. I watched the louse for over ½ an hour slowly dying. He or she eventually lay on its back waving its poor dying legs in the air saying goodbye to this world. At this point you are either think me crazy or doubled in laughter trying to imagine me crying for a louse. But here’s the thing, if we don’t care about a louse, do we care about a bee, a mouse, a hedgehog, a badger, a fox, a dog, a horse, a human…? So back to Tremor, yes this dear dog to has a chance because of you all. Back to the Romanian babies. This one is”lost”, the worst scenario in rescues, a black short coat dog. They are not only often not noticed, but nearly always just walked by. Lost is called this as someone actually went to claim him, then let him out and he ran off. He was caught again and as the catcher was so pissed off he apparently received a few blows for his efforts. What can I say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! .`
	The next is Tamar, I called her this as the picture (which is all I have) shows someone trying to get her to come near with a treat - which is a lump of bread!! I was thinking they were trying to tame her. There is also one other, who has waited at the rescue a very long time. The British ladies saved the funds for her passport and asked if she can come too - I said yes (no further details yet).
So there they are, and just as I decided to take no more till these and the original one get homed I receive more pictures of more in the pound misery. Don’t worry you can look, I said yes, and IF they survive the pound and the pounds diseases cruelty ect they will come next month.
	Quiver A terrified juvenile. Nearly drowned but instead dragged on a pole into a van to take his chances with the others caught terrified and bleeding that day
	Romany Let down so badly when a women said she wanted to adopt but then chose another having left the dog waiting for her return.
	Mellow and Motto Only just able to stand. Skeletal and with no fight for life left (these may not survive). See the food put down as pound shut, no employees no visitor’s, completely shut over Christmas)
	Curly Sue Found living under a derelict car. Dragged out screaming on a pole and swung into the dog catchers van
	"If Only” Spirit broken when approached staff of the pound was kicked in the teeth. Now just sits with only dreams of demons to keep company.
	Mai Having had food thrown through the bars by kind person to try to help her survive she gobbled all up was sick and gobbled that up too. Desperate times for desperate dogs.
	Why Called this because my hearts full of despair. WHY do they have to go through this?
	“Uggy” Said to be the ugliest thinnest no hoper in the pound that day. I figured Ugg boots are supposed to represent warmth and comfort (although fake ones with fake fur are all I would contemplate wearing) so I called this poor old dog Uggy., Caught with ease as he had collapsed after many days of rain and penned in a yard with no food or shelter. He may not survive, but if he does we can show him love, warmth comfort and a full belly every day…. The rest will be up to you all

.Well that was yesterday. So what did I do the rest of the last year. Well walked a bit, cried a bit more and tried to help a friend write a book to raise funds for Many Tears. This has been painful and funny and very tiring. After a long days work for both her and I we will do a phone conference call (in fact many) her taking notes and me reminiscing, sometimes painful opening still healing wounds sometimes funny. This is my hopes for the coming years, I hope to get this book finished and for it to fund some of the very expensive things Many Tears takes on each year.

My dream… Here goes, That everyone was kind thoughtful and not greedy and thoughtless.

Happy New Year, I wish you peace of mind good health and a loving heart.
Sylvia xit's the

We have dogs here who are by donation and yet still overlooked.  They are by donation either because they are old or have physical disabilities or they are a breed like our beagles who although make wonderful family pets struggle to find homes.  To find our dogs by donation please go to the Dogs Looking for Homes page in the search box tick the Special Homes Needed box and all the dogs will appear below the search box or to find our beagles who are all by donation select Beagle in the Breed box and again all the beagles will appear under the search box.  Please give one of these dogs a chance to find a home.

Whilst you are getting ready for Christmas, I am trying to avoid heartbreak. I am trying to be strong for everyone but inside I am crying.

Last night I got the pictures of the last 5 Romanian dogs coming They speak for themselves. The night before 16 pictures of mainly collies going to die in pounds before Christmas. The night before that a huge list of ex-breeders needed to be saved.

I cannot sleep, I am worried sick about how to fit all these new dogs in?  How to ask the staff to do so much more than they are already?  How to fund this and how to keep going mentally?

The  lady in Portugal we help is VERY ill, she is desperate for us to still go, I have to fund this too.

 We are a small rescue, run with love (but not well funded).   If anyone can help; such as our registered fosterers taking one extra dog, volunteers coming and grooming, volunteers coming and socializing and walking dogs. Fundraisers carol singing, anything…. PLEASE HELP.

If you know someone in the media, extra publicity will really help too. NONE of these dogs I was told about will die under my watch, but I need your help to help them!!!!

On a brighter note at least 2 of our dogs are Superstars this morning. One a Pointer rescued from breeders won a major Agility class at Olympia last night! Another smaller Portuguese dog won another major Agility  class.   Another runs today in a competition. It makes me very proud of you all for without your help all your special, shining, talented dogs would have been dead!!!!!

 Have a wonderful Christmas, and peaceful New Year.
Sylvia

Emails like this keep us all going.  We have amazing fosterers who all do so much to help our dogs.  Thank you every one of you.  x

We have driven to Ireland this week. Traveled many miles from Southern to Northern Ireland, picked up dogs doomed to die at pounds, unwanted breeding dogs, travellers dogs and dogs that just no one wanted.
We had the ferry cancel on us at the last minute whilst with a van full of dogs and in Northern Ireland so instead we caught the ferry to Scotland and drove over night home. We (Chelsea and I) are exhausted. This morning I went to pick up ex-breeding dogs and on arrival home went straight to meet the 28 Romanian dogs and this is what this blogs about.
I see sadness every day.  I worry myself sick how to fund, how to cope, how to carry on………..but these dogs are something else. They are just broken.  Over ¾ of them are just pitiful. Their eyes show nothing, there coats are covered in matted flee dirt, and some are pencil thin. I am NOT criticising the rescue who I know they are doing all they can possibly afford but now it’s up to all of us to help them further.
I really don’t know how to express the sadness the staff and I feel and I cannot tell you how sad many of these dogs are. There are a few waggy tails but hardly any. So if your local please come and sit with them. If you want to bring treats - chicken only please as they will not be used rich food. If you want to bring your camera and take pictures and blog about them, please do. Or if you want us to save more just like these please buy a Christmas Passport Card for £60 and that will save another life.
We cannot go on without you all thank you to everyone who donated to help us save these souls you can see some of them below.  Please if you can offer homes or foster homes for them get in touch. PLEASE HELP THEM.

It’s a huge week for Many Tears next week - enormous costs and a huge effort. The pictures here are of mostly our dogs awaiting their time in Romania to come to us. The weather's wet and cold in Romania, the rescue holding them is poorly financed and the dogs have to cope.
We, with your help, have financed 28 to be transported here and they are all passported, inoculated and wormed. Most have seen terrible things, many have seen their friends or pack beaten to death, poled and clubbed and other atrocities. Not only do I have all this on my mind, but last night they sent pictures of others in the kill centre ready to die.  I have no more funds, three never left my mind all day but you can’t just rescue three, you can’t leave the others. As it is I have to leave all and I am broken.
The dogs I picked up yesterday have around £4000 vets bills on 5 dogs, the majority of this will be on a charming cocker who needs his broken heart mending. The whole thing is overwhelming.
I promised to help Portugal again too and the poor lady out there is banking on our help as she is VERY unwell and desperately wants us to come.
It all sounds doom and gloom, Bill's away and he’s my anchor.  The one that cheers me and helps me. My dogs are wonderful but the weight of the worlds is on my shoulders so I will try to give myself a good shake and snap out of my self-pity before the next blog.
Stay warm. Sylvia. x

Today I am attempting to write my blog on my phone so this could be disastrous as often the spell checker does not like the words I use so decides to totally change them!  This results in my children having received a message from me thinking I have finally lost all my marbles. However I will try to check this blog in hopes you will read and pass on to your friends either via face book or some other media that I still have not come to grips with!
I thought you may be interested in what happened last week, and thus understand a little bit more about us.  Us being me, the rescue and the staff and volunteers around us. So hear goes".............

Last Monday after weeks of planning, liaising with vets fosterers and breeders in Southern Ireland I traveled out alone to pick up the dogs needing our help. I travel nowadays alone as we simply don’t have the funds to pay another member of staff to come and I don’t cost the rescue anything.  Paperwork is done and kennel space secured, the van is decked out, taking a good three hours and I leave this time tearfully as one of my dogs who usually comes was very ill and could not come. Anyway after a few tears I pulled myself together and Boo, Franks (2 of my other dogs) and I set off.

We arrived in Ireland early evening and pick up the first dogs then drive up country to a friends where the dogs are unloaded and sleep in warm clean kennels for the night. Next morning by 5am I am up walking some but most just feeding, after an hour all are loaded and I am off again across Ireland picking dogs up. In Southern Ireland the dogs are all passported and have to have a special certificate to travel, this has all been arranged prepaid three weeks earlier and has to be correct.

Two days before this trip I get a migraine (Bill calls this my Ireland migraine) it’s just a huge responsibility and worry. Eventually having stopped to check dog's water and walked any that will or want to, I get to Northern Ireland and pick up others, no passport for these and I really never know what’s coming. This journey was a little more eventful. I get near the ferry and there’s a big crash about 15 vehicles ahead. I did not want to leave the dogs so I gave all my bandages to the guy in front to run up to the crash victims incase they need it.

It was dark when I got to the port, I always park away from everyone in a side unlit road, switch on my inside lights, feed, walk, top up waters and clean out if needs be. That day I got in and out of the van 20 times or so getting one thing or another, then stepping down somehow messed up and put my foot down a hole, the pain was extreme, pressure cooker noises in my ears and swet dripping down.  I just knew I must not cry or loose focus, as this time I had a little bichon in my arms  (spell checker changed that to little bishop in my arms, wish it had been!).

I drove to the customs they check paperwork and the van and I guess I was looking like death...  they offered tea and were so nice, but I knew I was in trouble. The 1/2 mile drive was so painful I got to the ferry, drove on board, and said good night to the dogs... and have to leave them. I prayed I had a down stairs cabin, but God was busy listening to important stuff I got to the cabin feeling sick, stuck a cold shower on my distaughted ankle, and lay on the bunk. All my bandages gone I wrapped the swelling in a cut up sock.

Next morning the ankle foot and leg where swollen. On arrival at the dock it’s usually a dash to the van, instead I hobbled while everyone passed. I checked the dogs gritted my teeth and drove the 4 hours home.  I drove in to all the amazing staff and volunteers waiting. They let me sit and one by one each dog is taken of the van in loving caring arms and settled in their new home till a person steps forward to foster or adopt.

Me, well Bill whisks me of to hospital, but not before I know all are safe and I check that the vet feels I really do need to go to hospital. So while I am gone I leave these amazing people to make sure these new dogs are ok. It’s a huge undertaking. In the next few days the vet has to see the dogs, listen to hearts inoculate, and the staff have to photograph. assess, bath, give makeovers, put on the web site and keep sane. All I can do is hobble about and look pathetic.   The foots not even broken and the fuss I make is terrible, but it’s so bloody sore!   It’s the weekend of the Christmas Fayre, I need to pull my weight but I am so sad, sore and low I find it hard not to cry all the time.

One dog came in so mean and bitter, trying to bite, furious with us! The vet puts the dog under anaesthetic so we can shave him, the staff think he’s in pain not nasty, but he is so matted even when under we see nothing much. He has pulled matts that have matted so tightly they hurt around his legs, he has ripped bits away skinning himself as he did it. As his tail in shave a 2 inch mat falls of in the groomers hand. Shit it’s not a mat, it’s the end of his tail!!  He’s been biting it and it’s gangrenous. He was someone's pet, castrated already, yet in a pound to die. The next morning he was still in the surgery as he took time to come around, I let him out, I was not greeted with snarls and teeth, instead this little hero grabs a toy and brings it to me. Yup he really was hurting so bad he was now a changed dog. Sadly he still needs part of his tail off as the exposed tail bone rotting and black is poking out of his tail.

Saturday morning I'm up so early it’s almost night I am hobbling around trying to get my chores done so I can do one section to help the over worked staff.  I knew it would be busy at the centre and we would all have to be on top of our game at this point Bill my amazing best human friend and my husband is running around after me trying to ease my load. The staff are amazing, keeping up with the dogs care and the visitors and not letting their own private lives and worries get in the way. These amazing staff could not be paid their worth, not even by the richest person alive. There is commitment, love and devotion to the rescue.  It breaks me as I see so many of them struggle with the cost of day to day living and just can’t help them more at this time.

The Fayre is an amazing success, the organisers make it look uncomplicated and easy, yet months of planning and hard work has happened to achieve this. The Christmas Party was fun too and though I could not dance I watched and enjoyed people being happy. Sunday fosterers picked up dogs, no foster run needed as those at the party did the job. Monday I was on my feet too long. Foot and leg blackish and pain extreme I lie on my bed writing thank you letters and taking calls. One westie is needing the chance to see, so we get a referra to the specialists and now £2000 needed to help her as she has come from a breeder, she’s never lived in a house, she’s scared and confused and to adapt she needs her sight, so no question, money has to be found.

Another call, a little cav that came in spayed and was in foster is very ill. It’s nowhere near so I authorise it going to a vet. The news back is it’s on a drip, they suspect it has a tumour that’s burst, it's needing an urgent life saving opp. If the X-ray shows it’s spread there is only one kind thing to do. We all pray. The X-rays ok, she’s operated on. Please God see her through tonight and let her be saved... that’s another £500 plus. Next another outside vet bill for near on £300.

Already the next trip to Ireland’s planned. Our new van that for once I cleverly (though I say it myself) budgeted for is about to arrive.  Thank goodness as the little ones fuel injectors have now gone. On top of all this Bill who keeps me sane is going back to the USA next week for a few weeks to see sick relatives.

So there you are, just a week yet so much happens, so many worries, so much sadness and so much joy. If you believe in this place please help us. If everyone sold something on Ebay, even if for just £1 and donated it to us in one day if they read this and did this we could have raised £7000. 

Pending now is trip to a rescue in Portugal who we try to help once a year but it costs the rescue £7000,  the Romanian Rescue where so many people have donated to help us to save the dogs  and of course the Irish trips. It all seems an impossible dream to help all but where there’s a will there’s away. The pictures of my foot and leg below is just so you know I am not a complete wimp!

With so many demands and so much going on I often come in at night so burnt out I can hardly tell you my name but the other day I got in to find this amazing bunch of flowers! Bill told me a kind supporter gave them to me, but he could not remember who. I just want to say THANK YOU in the hope that person is reading this.
I also wanted to get you all ready to meet another 10 dogs from Cyprus due to arrive tomorrow night. We will be so excited to meet these guys. The rescue who saved them is really struggling, as they lost their premises and cannot find more, so these guys were desperate. So a huge thank you for all who help us continue. 
This picture is ofm Linda who is 8 years old and another dog who now has the chance of a future because of your support.  She will be arriving in 3 weeks with some of the other dogs from Romania. Bless her and bless you all too.
Sylvia x

This is our first dog waiting in the pound the day I was told of him. Then today he is out with a future ahead, all because of all those who cared so deeply. More pictures to come.
THANK YOU AGAIN...

I want to thank everyone who had helped raise the money to bring the Romanian dogs over. They would come passported but not inoculated for parvo etc. This to me seems wrong, so I have decided to ensure they get all their correct inoculations before travelling, though this is not a requirement to enter the country.
The rabies jab and passport are £46 per dog, the inoculations are at least £30 per dog, that brings it to £76 per dog, then once here we will spay neuter and do all that’s needed. The cost on top of the transport will then be £2128 plus worming.. Any funds raised above the £3000 for transport will go towards the passports and inoculations and worming. We will try to get pictures to keep all informed with what is going on.

I have very little time to help these dogs but their faces haunt me so if you can help I would be very grateful as I can't pick who to save knowing the others will die.  You can read more on the GoFundMe page which we have set up to try and save them all
http://www.gofundme.com/romaniandogs

We are a unique rescue, self-funded with very positive views on the value of life.   We go as far as needed  to save a dog, in miles, time and our emotional investment.   We want to continue with this but as we become better known we see more and more special needs dogs that need our help.
The vet bill for our little westie Hope (who is back in the vets again as I type) is well over £2000.  We need your help, so if you feel like we do, please help us.
Soon there will be Christmas cards and calendars on sale or maybe you could arrange a collection or a non-uniform day if you’re at school, carol sing, a boot fare  just something to help us pay the bills. 
Come and join us at our Christmas Fayre on 18th November at Tumble Hall SA14 6EL where you can buy some amazing things and help raise money.
Please help us help those dogs that need the extra mile.  PLEASE!!!!!
If you want to donate for Hope there is a GoFundMePage which has been set up specifically for her
https://www.gofundme.com/hopes-broken-heart
Thank you
Sylvia

Last night I was still in vets working at 8pm even though my day starts at 5 all because of this last pup of a litter of 7 preferred mum's tum rather than to come into this complicated world. The second pictures is of vet Suzanne Nolan who (along with her vet nurse Rachel) so kindly volunteered to help us when our own vet was away and who fell in love with the pup after she performed a c-section to help it into the world.

Today I had to let my pup go.  After 11 days of struggling to live he no linger had the strength to continue and I did not have the strength to let go.  All my prayers and efforts were with no reward.  I so wanted the chance to see him grow.
His almost identical litter mate is strong and well as are the rest of his litter - yet he struggled day after day, hour after hour to live and I put my heart into saving him.
Yesterday we X-rayed him as he seemed to have a problem eating and although we could see a problem we could not see what or how to help him.
Life is tough here.  
Death is tougher

These two little darlings Bruce and Barney.  They came in together from a home and we would love them to go to a new home together.  They sat and watched my tears and seemed to feel my pain.  Hopefully someone will choose this sweet pair so they can stay together.  They are special babies.

Here are pics of my poorly pup after 9 days of every 2 hours feeding, me crying and so many prayers....He's still holding on but still not picking up as we would like him to.
Please everyone say a prayer each for him
He needs more help than a vet or I can give. Please keep him in your thoughts.

This week is one I would rather forget.  It started with a very rough trip back from Ireland. I could not sleep on the boat as it was too rough and I worried about the poor dogs. On going down to them, I found the rocking motion had sent them all to sleep and on checking them I was greeted with bleary accusing eyes for waking them. I drove home, unloaded the dogs and started to check them through. This takes many hours of our time and the vets. 
Whilst I was away a litter of pups a farmer found were going to be drowned.  We of course grabbed them before it was too late. They are 3½ weeks old. The farmer had not known his bitch whelped behind hay bales, so when they came out he decided to get rid of them. So having hardly 3 hours sleep in 3 days from that point the Friday before last to now I have only had around 3 hours a night. The problem being one pup was tiny and I have really really struggled to save him. Twice other people have said put him to sleep, he can’t make it and he is too far gone now. Twice I was too weak, too involved, too stubborn to let go and inbetween very dark times there were glimpses of hope. 
Then last night when I was so tired I literally wanted to die a dear little mixed up pom, who we had given to us about to whelp and who did whelp, lost a pup and became frantic with the other, carrying it around roughly she would not settle. I tried to get it away and eventually did before she killed it but sadly it was damaged and I lost it in the night.
My other pup who I have battled with a week and a day can stand today and drank from a bowl, instead of me syringing water. He is a miracle in the making - PLEASE GOD!!!
Whilst this has all been going on a dear westie called Hope  went for life saving surgery.  The cost so far nearly £3,000 and Wish the pug pup has been loved and cared for by a rota of staff.  Whist we desperately try to save at least one eye and him (he has megaesophagus as well as other problems.
Bill my husband has been ill (as have most of the staff and myself) but hasstuck by me even on the darkest hours.  Hugging me he let my tears flow down his chest last night as he rocked me trying to console me - he has been my rock. Videos of poor scared Oscar from his foster mum have been my light and my love of dogs has kept me going. This week there have been so many tears!!!

We are desperate for vet cover over this period.  If you can help us even if it's just for a day, a weekend or an evening we would be so grateful.  Please email me at swvanatta@gmail.com 
Thank you
Sylvia

Our fosterers are amazing.  Today a fosterer sent this to us, so as we could all feel a little happier,…. and we do!
Without these amazing people what hope would these dogs have of a happy future?  Very little I suspect. We could not take so many in as we would be having to spend months helping the ones here and even then we could only do half a job. I think it’s an amazing way to honour the wonderful domestic dog, by helping the dogs who truly need a teacher love and comfort and time to learn and heal.
Sylvia

Hi All
Following on from my call this morning, I thought I would send a pic and a little update, particularly for Chelsea his kennel mum.
Oscar was very traumatised by his move here and spent most of his time hiding in his crate. He had such a terrified look in his eyes that I felt I should just leave him to suss it out here before trying to 'do' anything with him.
Sunday night (first night) he slept in his crate downstairs, with Joey, foster Cocker, for company. Joey was adopted yesterday, so this left Oscar on his own last night. I didn't want to leave him alone, but everyone else sleeps upstairs in bed, so off we went. About 2.30 I heard Oscar moving about, and whimpering. I came straight down, put a slip lead on him and asked him to come up with the rest of us. He panicked and pooed himself. I cleared up the poo and then picked up the slip lead again. He responds to the lead, by lurching forward, having a hissy fit, waiting and then lurching forward again. We got to the bottom of the stairs and I'm thinking, just how on earth am I going to get him up them?? Amazingly, he just got on with it and came up the stairs really quite well.
He dashed into his prepared bedroom crate and slept quietly the rest of the night. Come this morning, he did his usual lurching about on his lead, then came down the stairs quietly and well. He then went outside into the garden, and I watched him with real joy in my heart, as he took himself around the garden, peeing on this and that, tail right up, actually looking happy 😊
He is back in his comfy crate again now, head on pillow, but I am so thrilled with him. I might try to take him to my field today, we'll see, but I'm certain the sooner he can find the happiness of his inner dog, the more readily he will gain confidence. Sorry to witter on, but I hope Chelsea is reassured to read this, and of course, any insights, observations, or suggestions will be very welcome.
Cheers Vicky xx

This week has been so tough!!!!! The staff work so hard and really want to help our dogs, however they are constantly being pulled away to help in other directions. On an average day at least two groups of volunteers come to walk dogs, socialize or just be around them.  These are lovely people, but most need a fair bit of organizing and direction.
We had to try to come to a sensible decision of how to cope and I made the ultimate decision that unless a new staff member could be employed we would have to stop offering these groups and Duke of Edinburgh children, and many many others the chance to come up and volunteer. I was sure that this is all we could do, as there seems no grants or help to fund another staff member, and with the best will in the world we are just finding helping all and actually educating and helping volunteers understand dogs too much to manage.
However yesterday I met a carer with her person and when I told her the news she came to me and told me how 3 times a week her student came to us and he lived for this. Then today another person told me how important coming was in this child’s life. Then two girls needing work experience turned up too. Foolishly I thought I would win the lottery this week, cos all I want to do is to be able to help the dogs and those who need us, but this was not to be.
Over 30 different local groups come to Many Tears on a regular basis.  None are in the position to help financially, most are from charities themselves. Over 100 Duke of Edinburgh  and work experience children came to Many Tears last year, and over 100 people attended the horse courses we hold. This is a huge amount of people to let down. I don’t know what the answer is but somehow I need to make this work for all without taking away from the dogs here.
We already have tried relying on volunteers to help and in the past this has not worked as volunteers do not always come when they say and this one aspect is an 11-3 job. I write all this in hopes that you the people may know of a grant we could apply for even though we are not a registered charity or if you could come up with an idea that could work, where all would be happy appreciated and fulfilled (dogs and humans).  If so please email me at swvanatta@gmail.com
Thanks for reading my ranting, it’s just so hard and so sad not getting things right.
Sylvia

Today we have drawn the 2017 raffle. As you can see by the photos, Sydney who is 5 yrs old and is Sylvias Granddaughter chose the wiining tickets, closing her eyes of course!
All winners have either already been notified or we are in the process of contacting them and a full list of winners will be posted on the website tomorrow
Thank you so much for everyones support with the raffle - to all who bought tickets and to all those who generously donated fantastic prizes to help support Mny Tears.... we are so grateful to you.

BT have jumped through hoops and got OpenReach to install a new line this morning and once that was connected they have renumbered it back to our lost number so now we have got back to having our two original phone lines working again. They are now working on how to go forward with adding the additional lines we requested, but at least for now we are back to where we started before all the problems and issues with the new phone system installation.
Thank you to everyone who has made contact with BT on our behalf. They are not finished yet and we will give an further update when everything is finally sorted, but at least for now we are able to take calls again.
Bill

For quite a while now BT has been trying to sell us a new phone system as they claimed the last one was outdated and was no longer being supported. I had resisted a new phone system because of all the problems we have had with them in the past and feared that making any changes would open another can of worms.

However, after ordering additional outgoing phone lines for the rescue and being told that they would not add them to our existing phone system they recommended their new system to accommodate the additional lines I looked at the new phone system option again.  After careful consideration I turned them down and asked to just have 2 new separate lines added to the property.   I was told how much more expensive it would be to have these separate lines and how much better things would be if we just went with their new system. Again I resisted, but finally they talked me into it and now I HAVE OPENED THAT CAN OF WORMS I WAS TRYING TO AVOID!!!!!

On 20th |July the new phone system was installed  and my life has been full of frustration since then.  Now here we are a month later and we only have ONE working line today. I have complained to the sales people, the order management people, and even the faults team. People have been complaining for weeks now that when they ring they don’t even get a busy signal.  To them it sounds like the phone is ringing with no answer so they think we are closed or just don’t care enough to answer our phones.

Today I have had to send office staff home yet again and Sylvia has come to me crying as someone who couldn’t get through to us finally gave up and had the dog put to sleep they wanted us to take in.  I am beyond caring about whether it is an issue with OpenReach or with BT anymore (each blame the other) I just want our all phone lines to work again. Anyone out there who can help PLEASE do so. If you know any people with BT that sort out my can of worms please ask them to! if you don’t know anyone with BT but want to help us get this resolved please complain to Gavin Patterson the CEO of BT at gavin.e.patterson@bt.com.  Perhaps if enough people do he  will get this mess sorted. Our account is VP16944670.
Thank you
Bill

We try to make the inmates happy comfortable and content !!!!!

THANK YOU to everyone who makes this possible

I was alerted to 25 dogs in great danger and above are some of the pictures I got . These dog's owner was elderly and tried to finance a rescue to save the dog but died before this happened. No one wanted to pay for 25 passports transport etc on dogs that they knew nothing about so we arranged their passports and are bringing them to Many Tears at GREAT expense. If you want to help with these bills I would be SO SO grateful if you could donate towards their passports by clicking the button or sending a cheque to Many Tears Aminal Rescue, Cwmlogin House, Cefneithin, Llanelli,Carmarthenshire SA14 7HB and put PASSPORTS on the back. My granddaughter Syds has come to stay and this is her please to help our dogs find homes.

The total donated for the Walk of Dreams was £61,611.50 (less GoFundMe and PayPal charges). This is an amazing achievement and a wonderful start towards the securing the future of Many Tears, although there is obviously still a long way to go.

I am so grateful to everyone who has helped to make this dream start to come true. If anyone wants to fund raise for this purpose, donate towards it and needs any further information please contact me at swvanatta@gmail.com

On hearing the plight of beagles Syds my 5 year old granddaughter came up with the idea of making a poster to hand out and here she is a happy little helper with Tidy a below is her telling you how beagles always wag their tails!

Such a very sad day here yesterday. Gainer out lovely beagle girl who we fought so hard to save was put to sleep.  We had tried everything but she was very anemic and even with all the drugs, blood transfusions and special meds we could not get her to reproduce the blood cells she needs to live. She was slowly dying from an auto immune disease and so we had to very reluctantly stop her from suffering.  We are all so very very sad especially Chelsea who worked so closely with Gainer and thank everyone who donated, prayed and sent kind wishes to Gainer.

In an attempt to make the kennels at Many Tears as comfy happy and stress-free as possible I have decided to buy planting containers, or recycle what I can find, and plant as much lavenders as  possible, as this is a calming plant, and we use it regularly when transporting dogs. So I wondered if anyone may like to send a plant or two perhaps in memory of a dog they once shared their lives with? If so please don’t hesitate.
Thank you
Sylvia.

Running Many Tears has MANY challenges and sadly the biggest is money. Not contented to sit back and moan I run stalls twice a year at agility completions. These are huge shows with many people and the clubs let me have the pitches free. Although I have to staff with me that is never enough. I am looking for firm commitments from dog lovers to help at the stall for ½ or a whole day.
The days start at around 8:00am and end at 5.30pm and  the sates are 28th July-31st July the location the South of England Show Ground in Ardingly, Haywards Heath.  If you can help please email me at  swvanatta@gmail.com PLEASE NOTE YOU CANNOT BRING YOUR OWN DOGS AND PARKING IS IN A CAR PARK AWAY FROM THE STALLS).

If you cannot come to help could you support by sending something for the tombola, either dog orientated or a bottle. We also sell new things there. You could meet the foster van or post anything. We need this to be a success, so PLEASE help. This 4 day show has the potential to bring in many thousands and save many lives.
THANK YOU Sylvia.

We are delighted to announce the arrival of our new vet Siriol  who has been helping us with our dogs whenever we have needed her for sometime now.  Following Tom's departure we were thrilled to have her join the team permanently.












SIRI

What a lovely weekend. Although is was very hot so many helpers of all ages came to help us.  They walked the dog and when it got too hot to do this sat, socialized and groomed them. Thank you to all of you who answered our plea for help.  I am so grateful.









 

I have just got back from picking up dogs in Ireland. It's been a tough few days  but once home I de-stress with the inmates. It got me thinking, maybe some of you may want a taste of what a working life in a rescue is like.
Holidays are great, but can be SO boring. So if you are fit and able and want to get stuck in please email me at swvanatta@gmail.com. We can provide a cabin which has a kitchen, bathroom, one double bed and a settee but also room for camp beds if you needed free of charge but in return you can volunteer to work with our dogs.  
As much as families are welcome we are so busy this offer is usually only for older families unless by very special arrangements, I hope we have interested you - we could sure do with extra help.

SHE DID IT !!!!!

Sylvia completed her walk yesterday.  What an achievement.

So sorry to those who tried to go to the campsite the night before to see her.  She was offered a place to stay at the last minute and “lycra man”   thought it would be more comfortable than the tent so she spend the night there instead (yes maybe  I should have told you this, but I was on a killer winning streak  playing Peppa Pigs Holiday and just didn’t have time )       Even though she started out very early   she had  loads of people show up to walk with her which was wonderful.  They were then able to stop and take a well needed  break for tea  and snacks  at the Trapp Village Hall   (thank you so much for letting them do this)  and when she finally made it back to the rescue centre, she arrived to huge cheers and even the band playing.  After being welcomed back by everyone  Sylvia was then helped into the cabin where she had a warm footbath waiting.  After  redressing her feet and having a bite to eat provided by the cabin coffee day crew , she went out and listened  to the band and greeted and visited  more  of the supporters who had come to see her back.   The welcome home event was a huge success with the cabin coffee day crew raising £970.00 and the raffle and stalls raising another £825.00 and £73.00.    

Sylvia was pleased to be back and amazed with the reception she received but she was quite  exhausted  and in a lot of pain so  she had a bath and then I tucked her into bed(yes- and all the dogs too!)

Then when I finished some more computer work, I went upstairs  and tossed a few dogs off the bed and crawled in  next to her.  I was really excited to be with her again and grabbed my iPad to show her  some of what I had been up to while she had been  off strolling around for the last couple of weeks.  I logged onto  my game centre account and opened up “Tom and Jerrys Backyard Chase” and showed her that I had gotten  the best daily high score last Tuesday. Then I opened up “Scooby-Doo Castle Hassle” and showed her that I was the current leader on the age 3 to  6  level.  After showing her all my game centre apps and scores she  did tell  me how proud she was, but somehow  it seemed   to me that she was a bit disappointed  that I never reached the top level in Candy Crush…   

This morning we got up and I was quite excited as there was no foster run  which  meant I could watch  the  live stream of  the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Team Battles.  But then she said she was in a lot of pain and thought perhaps she needed to go see a doctor about her leg.  Did any of you watch the live stream battles, I need to know who won !!!

They gave her some crutches and something better than the ibprophen she has been living on for the last two weeks  and said "get off your feet" ( of course- even I could have told her that) Oh and tomorrow I’m going to miss  the Spongebob  Squarepants  live tutorial  on how to play  Sponge Master. Why you might ask?...  she has to go get an MRI scan.     
See, she finished her epic walk and  now  is back...  but I am still the one suffering  from it.

I went to see Sylvia late yesterday afternoon  as she was nearing her finish spot for the day.  I was so looking forward to seeing her and was trying to think of clever things to blog about while driving up to see her.  I found Carmen parked off to the side of the road waiting for Sylvia to pass.  So I pulled in next to her and waited.     Then we saw her off in the distance.  When she approached us she was limping along  and I could see she was in pain.     I wanted to just load her in the truck and take her home right then and there. Instead I watched her first load the dogs into the van as  It was just starting to rain and she didn’t want them to get cold and wet , then I watched her take one of her boots off and remove her sock so she could clean up and bandage where another blister had just burst.  I offered her a drink  which she declined and asked her if she wanted to sit a rest for a bit, she said she couldn’t and that she had to keep going.  I then  watched her take off again. It  wasn’t what I had expected for some reason, it was all a bit sad, but the saddest part was seeing how when she stops and then starts moving again she can hardly get going. I  watched her walk off in the wind and the  rain and all thoughts of joking around with her blog left.

I had planned on really going crazy with my blogging for her last day – maybe making some cheeky remarks about how  close she was to finishing, but how that was nothing compared to my reaching level  3185 in Candy Crush, and maybe how she had finished another day , but her day was  walking in the beautiful countryside while I was stuck behind the keyboard again.  I even had thoughts of mentioning how it must be the visions of Lycra that kept her going and teasing everyone with the possibility of lycra  clad Bill meeting her at the finish.  But watching her walk off  in such pain with  nothing but a determined look on her face wiped those cute little blogging ideas away.  I then went and filled up the truck with diesel  and  was  going to rush back to the rescue  but   instead I  went to where Carmen was  watching and  waiting for her at the next spot and parked the truck. Then when Sylvia approached me for the second time, I  just took her hand and walked the last half mile with her.   When she reached her finish spot for the day, I  simply told her I loved her and that I was proud of her.

Later today when she returns home  I plan on doing the same

She has now finished 11 days.  Yesterday was a really rough one.  I thought that being back on the canal  paths would be easier walking but with her sore feet she actually found the canal pathway harder to walk on than the roads.  She found the  uneven and rough finish of that walking surface  almost unbearable.  She rewrapped her feet and even tried trading her walking boots for some crocs but nothing seemed to help.   Her feet were so sore and swollen and the boots rubbing so much  that  she was just hobbling along at a snail’s pace,  so in the end she actually cut  out  the sections of her boots that were rubbing so she could continue.     

Again,  she had some more people show up to walk with her  throughout the day and that always helps  keep her morale up when she is feeling  low and in so much pain.  And a wonderful podiatrist who heard about her feet went all the way  to  Brecon see her last night to try to help.  

  Sylvia wants to say Thank you so much  for all the support and good wishes It really makes a difference.  2 more days of walking left, she is going to do it no matter what it takes

Tomorrow is her final day.

She will be getting an early start as she wants to get back to the rescue in plenty of time for the cabin coffee shop event taking place between 11 and 3,    so will be leaving at 0600  from outside the red kite feeding centre , Llanddeusant, llangadog SA199YG, then heading towards Many Tears.  She will taking a short break at the trap community hall, SA196TR around 0900  and hopefully  will be back at the rescue around 1300 .

Full details of her walk plan for the  day are on the web site HERE

That’s Day 10 done. Wow,  I can’t believe she only has 3 left.   Yesterday was a really hard one, her feet already blistered, sore and bleeding , were soaked all day  again,  due to walking in the rain. Some of the lanes were more like the canal walks ( but actually walking in the water rather than next to it this time) 

Poor Carmen had a breakdown with the support van and road works caused a diversion (my little Google maps guy  failed to warn us about this) caused her to add even more miles onto the already long  Day. Still she soldiered on.    She had some wonderful supporters get lost with her while trying to follow the diversion and this helped keep her morale up during this set bac k- Thank you guys!!!!!!!!

Carmen got the van fixed and managed to catch up with them (along with a little help from navigator Frankly (one of  the 5 dogs accompanying Sylvia').
Finally Sylvia made it to the end and was able to stop and wring out her wet socks and call it a day at last .  Yeah !




Today is a long one following the canal and playing “I spy another bridge with my little eye!!!”  Go Sylvia Go!!

Tomorrow is another long day of road walking.  She will be starting off at 08:00  just outside Brecon  at the Cefn Brynich Bridge  along the canal (where the  B4558 crosses over the canal, just nest to where the B4558 crosses under the A40,  A40, Brecon, LD3 7SL) she will follow the canal to the end in Brecon, then head out along  the roads to her ending point at the red kite feeding centre, Llanddeusant, Llangadog SA199YG
Break spot  will be at small road junction just down from a  large farm  Dan y Graig, Brecon LD3 8PU).   it is sign posted Sennybridge 3 miles, Crai  2 miles , Trecastle 1.8 miles  arriving  aprox 12:00

Wow Sylvia has completed 9 days of her epic walk.  Yesterday she  even crossed over the bridge so  today she  will  now be  walking in Wales.

It  was a very hard day for her,  first she had to say goodbye to her friend Kate who has been walking with her for the past 4 days, then as she had left the Avon and Kennet canal behind her it was  a day of  road walking.  This means she  has traded the  slow canal boats leisurely drifting along for cars and lorries speeding by and often getting impatient and blaring horns at her and the dogs. Also  it rained  much of the day so she got soaked through .
 

 
To top it off her blister has burst and she is having severe problems with her feet having walked in the rain all day ,  and now  she  is really starting to  just be exhausted. But still  even with all those things dragging her down, the thing that helps boost her  along is all the support she is getting.   Loads of people met up with her  at Page Park and then at Rowe Vets  and a few  even walked  parts of the day with her which really helped her morale. 






 

One person who came to meet her was 4 year old Noah. He is a big supporter of the rescue and has raised nearly £500 for the Walk of Dreams. He even showed up in his own “Walk of Dreams”  T-shirt to meet Sylvia.  Then he escorted her along for a couple of miles.

As tired as she is, with  very sore legs and now with her painful feet,  she is more determined  than ever to carry on because of support such as this.  All the people who have met her along the way, those who have walked with her, and also people like the wonderful Carmen who has  given up her time to drive the support van,  keep her going - Thank you All  !!!!    

Today is going to be one of her hardest days,  All road walking and much of this she will not even be able to take the dogs on as there are no pavements or verges for them to walk along.  I am not  happy with  Sylvia walking on some of these roads, but there is no other way to get to the Brecon and Monmouthshire canal and keep the  schedule she has set for herself.  I am worried about her safety today, and I am especially worried about her feet .  If you  live anywhere along her route and  are able to  try to meet up with her  please do, she can really use the support today.    
For tomorrows walk, she plans on starting at 0800 from the bridge where the  Old Abergavenny Rd crosses the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal , Abergavenny  near NP7 9HD, she will then have a  very long day of canal walking heading towards Brecon,  her break spot will be  at  the bridge where cwm crawnon road  crosses the canal,   Cwm Crawnon Rd, Crickhowell NP8 1LP   arriving approx. 1230-1300.  Her full walk plan is on the web site HERE

Hi everyone,
Sorry if this blog is not following my  usual format but I have been having strange computer problems lately. Not really sure what is happening.  I know the NHS just went through some cyber-attack problems  and I am wondering if  fallout from that  has affected my system.   Is anyone else having problems or is it just me? 

For some reason it won’t let me  do too much today, I have tried doing my usual research on Sylvia’s walk route for the next  few days and it keeps freezing up on me.   When I try to open my normal web sites it keeps telling me I don’t have access and that my privileges have been revoked- what is that all about?  The only thing it will seem to let me do for some reason is  post some pictures  from the walk  that I had somehow accidently missed.   I would like to share them with you today and can only apologise for not showing them before.  I can only blame it on all my computer issues.  I will try to get our computer tech in to see if the problems can be sorted , then hopefully I can get back to business as usual. 
        
Now for tomorrow Day10 Wednesday 17^th of May.

Sylvia will be starting out at 08:00am  from the Tesco Express, Chepstow, The Old Farm Shopping Centre, 2 Denbigh Drive, Chepstow NP16 5TY and generally heading towards USK and the Brecon  Monmouthshire Canal.  This will involve mostly road walking and some will not be suitable for the dogs (probably not even for poor Sylvia but she insists on carrying on).  Her break spot is just off to the side of a small lane called Llanynant Road in gateway of some farm field.  It is very close to  Clearvewe  eco-luxury bed and breakfast , Wilson Barn, nr Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1LT   I am hoping she will arrive there around 1145 to 1200 and that Carmen in her support van can even find her.

Full details of her walk plan are on the website HERE

This blog has been taken away  from Bill, my real name is not important you can call me #whistleblower

I have been following this blog business for a while now and I need to tell you all that  Bill is nothing but a liar. 

By day, I am a systems  software engineer and security specialist, some might call me a “super hacker”.  By night,  I make a little on the side selling cheat codes and walkthrough guides for most online games.  I first came across Bill  when he logged onto my Candy Crush for dummies webpage.  He tried to down load a cheat hack I was offering with an expired credit card so I installed a key logger onto his system then took control of his computer just for fun.  Mostly he spent  hour after hour trying to learn how to become a gamer.  When he wasn’t  actually playing games, he was trying to learn how to cheat his way to the top of various  leader boards.  I soon got bored because he is  such a loser, but then then came across his little blog  of lies !!!!!!  Now the truth needs to be told.

		The other day when he was moaning about how hard he was working on poor Sylvia’s walk plan, this is what I captured from his webcam.
Then  when he was moaning about always being hungry and thirsty, I saw  this

See what I mean, he is lying to you all!!   I just now checked  to make sure he was not trying to pull another fast one today and found him in some disgusting lyrca outfit doing things I can’t even talk about.    In fact I am so upset with what I saw I am going to  remove my malware and let him have his computer back again. I can’t take a chance on ever seeing something like that again and frankly   I don’t know if I will ever get that image out of my mind!

But please hear me everyone before I go.  This Sylvia person really seems OK, I’m not sure what this Bill guy has on her (it must be something big or she certainly would have left him by now) but her heart is in the right place with this walk.  She really cares and she deserves all the support you are giving her  so keep it up.  She really is amazing after all she has now finished 7 days.

 

Here are some pictures that that liar Bill guy never shared, look at poor Sylvia  and those dogs trying to sleep in that  tiny little  tent, and crammed into her support van trying to show a brave face when she must be shattered.

Then here  is that poor Kate girl whose been walking with her for a while so exhausted  she can’t even eat her lunch  and of course the dogs suffering through a rain shower

What was he doing  while they were  going through all this you might ask?    Trying to cheat his way through  level 2 in Doom while telling you how hard this walk has been on him - shame on you Bill!!!
The only part of his blog I am allowing before I leave is this:
For tomorrow Day 9   May 16^th   she will be starting out at 08:00 from   the Jolly Sailor pub, Mead Ln, Saltford, Bristol BS31 3ER and heading  towards Chepstow.She will be taking a short break around 10:30 at Page Park, 21 Park Road, Bristol BS16 5LB and then another short break around 13:30 at  Rowe Veterinary Group,  Bradley House, Ferndene, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 9DT.  Details of her full walk plan are on the web site HERE 

Well she has finished Day 6 now. - almost half way done. Unfortunately exhaustion is really starting to set in. Legs are cramping and in pain. Both body and clothes are starting to smell. Constantly going from being hungry to being thirsty, then having to always stop and use the loo is quite maddening. Arms and shoulders are even getting sore and now having to soldier on with a massive headache. Then to top everything off having to smile and be nice to people when you just want to crawl into bed and make it all stop. I told her this whole walk thing was going to be hard. She just wouldn’t listen. And now with another week of walking left I still don’t think she really appreciates the full impact it is having on me.Oh you thought I was talking about her again?

Come on don’t worry about her, she is fine. It’s me that is going to have to somehow find the inner strength to carry on with her walk. Yeah she has a blister, big deal! I think I am developing a skin rash where this lyrca keeps rubbing across my nipples. While I am sitting here starting to really suffer, she off having fun and partying with her friend Kate along the canal …

 

For tomorrow Day 8 , Monday 15 May
Sylvia is starting at 08:00am from The Barge Inn, Seend Cleeve, Melksham SN12 6QB. She will be heading west along the canal towards Bath. Her lunch spot is Ferry Lane, Bath BA2 7BQ. where the ferry lane bridge crosses the canal, just west of that bridge is a gateway and an area where a few cars can pull off the lane and park. She should arrive there between 12:00 and 12:30. The full details of her walk plan are now updated on the website HERE

That's day 5 done now. I need to tell you all that Sylvia and I had our first big fight about this walk last night. She has been sending me pictures each day, which is very nice  of her, but  I saw something the other day that slightly raised my suspicions.  Then, last night she sent more pictures and I knew I wasn't just being paranoid. All my fears were justified!!!

Here is the first one from the other day
   

Then here  are 2 from last night 

Seems normal enough right?    BUT YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW HER  !!!!!!!!!!

Let me set the stage for you:  In our house there are  currently 15 dogs.

This is what I come up to each night at bed time

Now do you get it?  There is no more room on my bed for additional dogs!
That little dog is not hers, and that black dog is not either!  I then knew she was  really just walking across the country  like the Pied Piper, collecting more dogs to bring home.  Boy did I let her have it.  She tried to claim the little dog was  just Willow, an ex -Many Tears dog that came to visit her on the walk, and the black dog belongs to her good friend Kate who was going to be walking with her for the next few days , but I know better..................
.....Please everyone,  keep an eye out for her, just tell her you are supporting the walk, but let me know how many dogs she has with her.   If I find out she is trying to bring more back than she left with, I  might be able to reroute her towards Scotland.

For tomorrow Sunday May 14th, Day 7
She will be starting off at 08:00 from the Royal Oak Country Inn and Pub, Forest Road, Wooton Rivers, Marlborough  SN8 4NQ and following the canal West towards the Barge Inn, Seend Cleeve, Melksham SN12 6QB.
She should be stopping for lunch at the The Bridge Inn, Horton Road, Devizes, Wiltshire  SN10 2JS   hopefully around 12:00 to 12:30.

The full details of her walk plans for the day are on the website

Ok so she finished  Day 4 - big deal!  She is out enjoying  beautiful walks along the river with some dogs -  who wouldn’t want to do that?  All I hear is wonderful Sylvia this and wonderful Sylvia that. How great she is and what a fantastic thing she is doing trying to secure the future of the rescue. Sylvia and her epic walk. Blah blah!!
What about the man behind  the key board?  The one  who is planning her route.  The one  sitting here  with his lycra shorts sticking to the chair.  Why is no one saying how fantastic Bill is ? I could have sent her the wrong way when she  left Marlow Bridge today but I didn’t.  I could have told her that no one would let her stay with them so she would have had to rough camp on the river’s edge every night, but I didn’t.  I could even say I’m too busy watching Jeremy Kyle to do this blog but I didn’t.  So  I ask, why no  wonderful Bill this? or wonderful Bill that? She even had someone mention her walk in The Times newspaper yesterday, but hey- no mention of Bill at all.

Joking aside - yes it is  a big deal as she is walking 280 miles and yes I agree she is great - but the pictures speak for themselves. She and the dogs, get to walk by fancy sights, be outdoors, meet up with loads of people picnic in the country

And this is my walk experience

Need I say more………………..

For tomorrow Day 6, Sat 13 May she will be starting out from St Nicolas Church, W Mills, Newbury, RG14 5HG at 08:00am and walking west along the canal path towards Wootton Rivers.

Her lunch spot will be at a lock along Oak Hill Road (it is just down the road  west of Stepping Stones Nursery and Preschool, North Wessex Downs, Upper Oakhill Froxfield, Marlborough SN8 3JT.  Her estimated arrival time is 11:30. 

Her full walk plan can be found on the web site  at http://www.manytearsrescue.org/seepreview.php?id=89

Day 3 is now done and dusted and now we are on Day 4.   Boy am I shattered!  I must admit this walk is really wearing me down, I thought I was better prepared than I am.  The protein bars are not even helping now and the energy drinks are not doing any good, I just don’t know what to do anymore.  Hell I even snapped at Sylvia when she just rang to tell me she thought I might have sent her over the wrong foot bridge just now.  Let me tell you It’s not just the physical toll this walk is taking out on my body, but the mental strain is almost unbearable.    

Yesterday I completely lost it .  First of all,   I was sorting through her walk plan and I got a paper cut! Then, I was google mapping Day 6 to check  the calculated distances and times to her lunch break spot and some jam from my donut got all over the keyboard!!

Next, while I was waiting for Sylvia to ring me to let me know she had arrived safely,  I was playing a bit of  candy crush and just as I was about to reach a new personal best she called and messed up my game!

Finally, to cap it off,  late last night I was  updating her route for Day 8 on the computer when the phone rang, I answered the call and came back to find the dogs had eaten my pizza!!

Another 10 days of this walk   and I might have a total  meltdown!

Oh and Sylvia wasn’t even sympathetic when I tried to tell her about my troubles,  all she wanted to do was drone on about some big  fancy house she  went by in Windsor (or maybe it was a castle - I cant remember)  and how the dogs enjoy taking dips in the river   blah blah blah

For tomorrow day 5  May 12^th she will be starting off at 08:00 at Waterloo Meadows, near the Katesgrove Childrens Centre, Elgar Road (off Berkeley Ave), reading, RG2 0BN.  Then heading west along the canal walk towards Newbury.  Her break spot is The Rowbarge Pub, Station Road, Woolhampton RG75SH and she should get there around 11:30ish.  Her exact route details can be found on the web site at http://www.manytearsrescue.org/seepreview.php?id=89

Despite my best Google mapping, somehow I got Sylvia lost yesterday.  After a frantic phone call when she came back up to the same roundabout she had left an hour earlier. I put on my lycra outfit and did some amazing back seat driving  from my keyboard and she finally made it to her destination (just a bit more tired and later than I had planned- so sorry darling!!!! ).
Needless to say she had a few choice  words for me and after some late night phone calls to some locals, I have revised some of her walk plan for today. For some strange reason the locals don’t seem to trust me anymore after seeing where I was making Sylvia go, so now some are walking with her from the start this morning and others are taking over guiding her after her lunch break.  The revised walk plan is being posted for today (her lunch spot is still the same) on this page http://www.manytearsrescue.org/seepreview.php?id=89

Now for tomorrow -  Day 4
Sylvia will be starting at 08:00am  at All Saints Church High Street, Marlow SL7 2AA next to Marlow Bridge and heading west again along the river path towards Waterloo Meadows in Reading.

Her lunch spot will be  Mill Lane Car Park, 2 Mill Lane, Henley-on-Thames RG9 4HD and she should be there around 11:00am.  If you plan on trying to meet up with her there, please let me know so I can tell her to look out for you.

Yay she made it through her first day - GREAT  JOB SYLVIA!!!!!!!!
A huge thank you to those who showed up to see her off, that really helped boost her morale.  She is OK and the dogs are as well, in fact she said the dogs had a really great time.

I will still keep people updated with her daily plan but she has asked me to not schedule lengthy times for her lunch stops.  Unless people have  specifically asked to meet up with  her, she may want  to just have a  quick comfort break and walk on rather than have to sit around waiting just in case someone might show up.
For tomorrows schedule (Day 3, May10th) she will be starting out  at 08:00am from the entrance  of the Runnymeade Pleasure Ground Car Park, Windsor Road, Egham TW200AE.
Heading west still along the river towards Marlow Bridge, just after she passes under  the M4  she may stop for a lunch break.   There is a bridal path that leads down  to the river from the lane that passes by the Amerden Caravan Park on Old Marsh Lane, Taplow, Maidenhead SL60DZ-  If you wish to meet up with her there, please let me know and I can pass it on to her so that she can look out for you.  You can mail me at swvanatta@gmail.com or Call my mobile  07508135888.   If you do go and can send me any pictures for my blogs that would be great. The exact details of her plan for tomorrow are HERE.

As I am writing this Sylvia is about to  set  off on her  epic walk.  I just rang her to see how she was doing and  she sounded pretty nervous so  I gave her my best “over the phone pep talk”, told her I loved her and  wished her good luck.  Now I have the wonderful task of worrying about her and trying to support her from afar for the next 13 days.

This last week has been a very emotional  one.  On April 30^th Sylvia felt something give in her leg.  Immediately I wanted to take her to Emergency to get it checked out but she refused saying they would probably tell her to cancel her upcoming walk.  She  put ice on it, wrapped and elevated it and cancelled her training walk for the day.   She then spent the next few days  mostly resting it while taking ibuprofen and going from ice packs, to massage, to compression wraps.  I can honestly say there was loads of  worry about her leg  and even some tears shed, but she told me to stop my crying and to keep google mapping her route!  She then had  some acupuncture done on it  and made a physio  friend show her how to tape it up.

 

I don’t know about you but I kind of like that tape look.... I hope she doesn’t use it all up on this walk - it actually goes well with my lyrca outfit (by the way she found out and one of the staff grabbed it out of the bin for her)!

Back to work……..

For tomorrows  schedule (Tuesday May 9^th) she will be starting off at 8:00am the Forest School Meeting Point  Riverside Drive, Richmond TW10 7RP.  Then walking down to the river  near the Environment Agency/Teddington Lock and  going west again  heading towards Runnymede Pleasure Grounds.  Her break point will be The Anglers of Walton where they have kindly said she and the dogs can stop.

The Anglers Of Walton, Manor Road, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 2PF
PLEASE COME A MEET HER HERE IF YOU CAN

Again I am unable to give exact time, but hope she will be arriving there between 11:30 and 12:30. Her detailed walk description will  again be posted on the walk page of the site.

Hi it's Bill here,
I have just hijacked Sylvia’s diary so for the next couple of weeks you will have to listen to me drone on about- well, whatever I want because  she’s not here!

Today is a very mixed day for me...
It’s a  very sad one because I have just watched Sylvia and her dogs  leave with the foster run as  she is  now making her way to London  to start her walk tomorrow morning,  This means I’m going to have to  cope on my own and try to hold this place together till she gets back.  I miss her already!

But It’s also a happy one as I can now officially toss that lycra outfit in the bin and the fact that 32 dogs went off to foster homes today  is awesome!  Hey I can even watch old John Wayne movies and spend a bit of time  working my call of duty skills on  the old Xbox without annoying Sylvia!

Did I mention she left today for London.  I still  can’t believe what she is going to do.  Walking from London to Wales - it’s just crazy!   All that  training for the past few months and it all kicks off tomorrow morning.  Did you know that a few weeks ago she even started doing “special London training”?  When she went from 2 dogs to 5 dogs some people were worried that it might be too busy in London and all the different sounds and sights might scare the dogs, not to mention loads of people everywhere. 

So what did Sylvia do? She took the dogs down crowded  high streets, walked along busy roads,  crossed bridges, did loads of stairs, and crossed countless intersections.  I must say I was quite impressed with her “London training” , the dogs behaved  perfectly.       
Now it is time to put that special city training to the real test tomorrow morning.  For all you Londoners wanting to see this for yourselves, she will be starting just outside the ITV studios on the South bank of the Thames at 08:00.  She first will be going west past the London eye then generally heading towards Wales following the Thames path where possible. 
Some people have said they wanted to be there to see her off and a few even  want walk a bit with her.  Others have asked where they can meet up with her along the way to show support.   As I don’t know how fast she will be able to make it through London it is hard to give an exact time table for people to meet up with her.   I have used google maps to pick her daily route.  For each day I will let everyone know the start point  and time and then I have picked a  midway point for her to stop so she and the dogs can have a  rest break.  I will identify the mid-point and a rough time.  Sorry I can’t be more exact than that.   This will appear on her diary and the Walk Page.
I will also post her daily detailed instruction sheet up on the web site  for those wanting to follow her exact  route.  If you notice any major flaws in my google mapping please let me know so I don’t send Sylvia astray.  

The start point  for Monday 8 May is just outside the ITV studios on the South bank of the River Thames SE1 9LT at 08:00.

Rest point for Monday 8 May is
THE WHITE HART BARNES PUB
The Terrace, Riverside, Barnes, London SW13 0NR

I am guessing  she will arrive there between 1130 and 1230, they have outside tables and welcome dogs please come and meet her there if you can.

If  you do see Sylvia tomorrow,  please tell her I miss her and go ahead and mention the John Wayne movies and the Xbox games, it might lessen the blow when she learns that I have binned my Lycra outfit!

A THOUSAND MILES

	X	I’d walk a thousand miles for you, Then walk a thousand more. I’d die a thousand deaths for you, And bring you to my door. I’d fight a thousand fights To help you find a loving home, And walk again forever If I knew you were alone. And so I’ll keep on walking, Until my feet are red. Until my shoes are bleeding For the living and the dead. I’ll walk until the sun is cold And winter fills the skies I’ll walk a thousand miles And keep on walking to save lives

The poles never came for my tent. No big deal one would think. Given that a tent is a scientific structure akin to a bridge in the sense that its sparse support and yet perfect finish is due to a mechanical engineering situation based upon the least amount of structure to support the largest load.,  you would think that plus or minus a couple of poles would be no big tragedy. However, gravity proved me wrong and the two missing poles collapsed my tent into a Newtonian nightmare that can only be compared to sleeping inside a dried out subterranean jellyfish.

So I reverted to the pop up tent. An eighth of the price but so much fun. For those of you who have never witnessed anything in the fast food world of pop up – it’s a massive time saver. However, given that gravity seems to be the theme of the day, I was this time excited by the Newtonian principal of what goes up must come down. It seems though, that pop up tents bypass all Newtonian mechanics. In other words, it pops up just fine, but the pop down involves a very different Law of Motion: Bill rolling around (lycra-clad) using his surface area to body weight ratio to inadvertently crush the pop up aspect of the tent, in the hope of pop down.

Now all was is happening in my living room giving me the reminder: who needs TV when watching ‘Yoga Bill’s Not So Excellent Adventure’. The next step was to test this tent outside. I picked a beautiful evening. The fading sun washed red across the passing clouds of the dusky Welsh sky. It reminded me of the Tucson skies I had come to love so much many years ago. As dusk turned to dark faster than I had hoped, I could barely see two steps ahead. I fumbled my way with excited dogs, my trusty pop-up, a dodgy torch and an ex-military sleeping bag that seemed big enough to hold an entire army.

As I struggled along for half a mile to the side of my favourite stream, I found a beautiful mossy flat bank perfect for pitching a tent. As the tent popped up, the dogs popped back, almost pulling me into the murky shadows of the briefly lit stream. Luckily, I held my dignity and managed to keep from slipping this time. With my ribs still broken and my shoulder still sore I was not thrilled at the prospect of another fall. I took my shoes off, for the sake of all involved and me and the five dogs snuggled inside the cosy space. I unrolled the sleeping bag to discover I was not wrong. It was huge. My mind wandered “if only half the army were in it, then maybe it might actually be warm!” I stopped the fantasy there and lay there in the dark for 10 minutes, until I realised that camping alone essentially consists of being scared, miserable and very uncomfortable. A far cry from my days of Girl Guide adventures!

The dogs however lay stretched out and seemingly content – mainly I think because they had the lion’s share of the tent and I was left to fend for my own corner. And so, ten minutes in I decided to get up and head back home to my warm and cosy bed, and Bill’s warm and furry back to keep the chill out. Having a foreboding feeling about the ensuing pop-down situation, I left the tent for the morning. When I went to collect it at dawn the next day, it was caught on a branch, dangling precariously over the stream. As I slithered down the bank to retrieve I made a note to self: “This walk is probably the most damn fool-hardy thing I have ever done in my life!” I wandered back, muddy and slightly damp with a half-popped down tent flopping around on my back, and I cursed myself for not opting to just be a house wife. I’m sure Bill would have been thrilled!

Talking of Bill, people have been asking about my specific route so they can try to meet up with me to show support or perhaps even walk a bit with me if I am going to be near where they live, so this week I have asked Bill to skip the lycra workouts ( I was in desperate need of a visual break from this daily sight anyways) and instead to do some google map magic and put out detailed maps and specifics of the walk on the website for all to see. Now for those who don’t know, Bill is an American. Normally this isn’t a problem, but when I looked at his first efforts regarding the walk, I was horrified to see that not only did the Americans take London Bridge and shove it in Arizona, but they also stole half out town names. The result being that half my walk was taking place in the US! Bill had me starting in London, Kentucky, somewhere near a fried chicken shop (I’m a vegan) then moving on through Teddington Drive in Charlotte North Carolina, and moving on through Bonemill drive near Hartford Connecticut. I can barely manage twenty miles a day, let alone three states! As a treat, he also thought it might be nice for me to finish the walk at Brecon knitting mill, which turns out to be nowhere near the Beacons, but somewhere north of Talladega Alabama! Needless to say, I began to seriously wonder what the hell I was in for with him in charge of my walk.

After a few choice words, and making him switch over to Google UK , I think I may have finally got through to him. I have asked Yvonne to put his final walk details on the web site for all to see. He has found post codes for the start and end points each day and printed out little Google maps and directions for me to follow. Please everyone have a look, if you live anywhere near my route, make sure he has not messed me about too badly with his Google maps adventure. Bloody hell, I just found one of his crumpled-up notes, he even had me passing by an M4 in Lancaster California. Also for those following my blogs, please have a look and let me know of any good places along the route for pee breaks and for dropping off poo bags!!!!!! I am starting to worry!!!

Warning! The following blog contains topics not usually suitable for polite dinner conversation…however, since the last formal dinner that I was invited to was approximately twenty-seven years ago, I’m happy to raise the subject: Toilets! So, here’s the scoop (bad joke)

One of my most gruelling training circuits is approximately 10 miles, across hilly terrain, jumping over rocks and streams, often in the pouring rain, and never meeting a soul – except the damn worms that increase my training time from three hours to what feels more like a week.  This relativistic time dilation propels my brain into an overdrive of worried thinking.  I worry about the first part of my walk – the London roads and the speed of my worm-rescue abilities in traffic. I worry about walking with 15 giant poo bags. What if there are no bins. I will just be the crazy lady, with a team of dogs and a swarm of flies following her, looking slightly perplexed and knocking on doors of strangers asking to use their bin.

I then start to worry about water.  Carrying enough each day for five dogs and me. That’s a lot of water. And then I worry about actually having to drink it. The reason being that I have been blessed with a miniature bladder. I blame my mini-bladder on my dad.  When I was very young, perhaps 3 or 4, I climbed into bed with him when he was having a lie-in. My Mum brought him a cup of tea, which I grabbed and took a big gulp. I am not sure what I was expecting, but I can remember being horrified by the foul-tasting tan muck that haunted my mouth for the rest of the day. I remember feeling so sick that I left his bed in a dramatic performance worthy of an Oscar, and have NEVER drunk tea again.

So, for my whole life, when everyone at work took their 50 tea breaks a day, I never did.  Hence the microscopic bladder.  Because of this long-standing issue, I often get severe dehydration, resulting in a desperate glugging of a few cups of water, only to result in a waterfall of pee that just won’t stop.  When I’m training, slash rescuing worms on the lanes, I often find myself busting with nowhere to duck out and relieve myself. This results in me humming, often with worm in hand, and doing a little 80’s hip jiggle to take my mind off it.  The jiggle is possibly not something that should be expressed in public, but my rendition of ‘Let it Go’ is, I have to say, more than spectacular.  The choice of words however, accompanied by the welsh streams shushing in the background is not necessarily conducive to a helpful distraction.

So, I talked to a friend about my phobia.  “What if I am in London walking,” I blurted out, “five dogs in one hand, fifteen bags of dog poo in the other, desperate for a pee, no loos, no dog poo bins and a back pack weighed down with bottles of undrunk water” I continued to escalate my already hysterical state and screamed, “THEN WHAT!!!!!” My friend calmly Poured me a small Malibu with a drip of diet coke, fearful of once more initiating a liquid-based freakout, and said, “just tell everyone you’re pregnant. Pregnant women are allowed to pee in the street!!” I pulled the Malibu bottle towards me, and she left.  Walk of Dreams!  And all I can dream about is a toilet.  Maybe I could put this on my sponsor form.  Please sponsor me and offer me your toilet!!

Well it has given all a laugh thinking about this, but it’s a real worry to me.

The next problem is the tent. It’s a two-man affair, which is a concern because a) I’m a woman, and b) I have five dogs! Having decided against the cheap and leaky pop up tent, I ordered this one that came with a book called ‘Tent erection for Dummies’. Well, given that tent erection has never been on my to-do list, I found myself to be in the Dummy category quite quickly.  Having spent hours trying to get the damn thing up, I asked for help only to find some poles were missing! I may have a child’s bladder but at least I’m not stupid!

Then I start thinking (again!)  What if all the dogs get in first (which they will) and settle on the sleeping mat (which they will) and I won’t have the heart to kick them off (which I won’t). How will I walk the next day? Why am I taking so many? How do I choose who to leave? I feel like Meryl Streep in Sofie’s Choice – the cheap version! This is all just so complicated. I pray it will be worth it in the end. Now awaiting new poles to arrive so I can experiment. More next blog……………….

I was always told that if you eat well and exercise regularly you will live a long and happy life. Well, I’m vegan and presently walking about ten miles a day so I should feel good and yet today I felt like hell in a hand basket! Translation of hell in a hand basket: a small portable carrying device, large enough to hold the whole of hell, denoting rapid and utter ruination. My conclusion then to this misnomer about vigorous walks is that regular exercise is DEFINITELY NOT good for you!!  My reason for such an unprecedented outburst has to do with worms.  Not the sort that my dogs get, but the common earth worm - Lumbricus terrestris  - a noble creature with not much road sense.  Let me explain…

A typical training day for me goes like this:  Get up in the dark, do my chores and then set out for my 10-mile adventure, mostly in the wind and rain because for some reason I decided to build a dog rescue in Wales, rather than a sun kissed beach somewhere off the Amalfi coast!  Hey ho – anyway, each morning I set out like a super hero (sans the tight onesie) to push my body to be better.  However, today as the dogs were helpfully twisting their leads around me, storming the lanes like miniature snow ploughs, I came across a solitary worm. Now this worm had taken it into his/her head (do worms have heads?) to cross the road.  But unlike the chicken, s/he had clearly given up half way and was in danger of being squished by a passing tractor. Given that worms are androgynous, I will now reference this creature as ‘it’.

Being a vegan, and so having a love for all living creatures, I launched into my Van Atta rescue Team mode, and proceeded to try and joggle the worm to wake it up enough so it could move.  Being unsure about worm resuscitation in general, I just tapped it on the head (it’s in the middle for those of you that wanted to know previously) and it squirmed just enough for me to pick it up and gently throw it into the soft grassy verge.

Now karma is a funny thing, because as I thought about how I hope to come back as a worm in my next life, due to a constant longing for a little peace and quiet sometimes, Frankley my ever helpful puppy, took it upon himself to launch in to the air and retrieve my new found worm friend from the grassy verge.  The resultant jolt on the tangled lead pulled my shoulder so hard that I fully expected to see my arm lying next to the worm on the grassy verge.  As the pain shot through my shoulder, I yelled a few worm-based obscenities to the sky and continued my way, determined to allow the next road-bound worm to bethe master of its own fate. Of course, two worms in, I found myself back tracking and beginning the procedure all over again. 

Many worms were saved on this rainy day, and I’m sure many more will be saved in the future.  But this got me thinking – how am I going to manage to walk 280 miles in May if I’m ducking and diving between cars as my guilt-ridden head can’t get out of worm duty.  I thought of the headlines in the paper

“Rescue woman walking to secure the future of a rescue that no one cared about is killed scraping worms off the road” May be I should rig it, maybe some people would start to care about the future of Many Tears …..maybe not. Well, if nothing else, every worm saved along the way will have been worth the effort!

Although my first day of training started coincidently forty days and forty nights before the event, the Biblical reference has now got out of hand!
In the begining I had two dogs, then two became three and before I could say ‘Bill, please stop wearing lycra’, I had five dogs dancing around me wanting to train (for the record Bill was not dancing).  Forget the tiny pop up tent I bought, I should have built an Arc!
Today as I walk, and try to ignore my painful injuries, I find myself thinking. I’m thinking about all the little lives that have been saved by Many Tears. My thinking turns into more of a dream – all the improvements that I wish I could make to this amazing place to help even more animals, and save even more little lives. I then wake up from my dream and realise that all this takes a huge amount of money. And so, I keep walking, hoping that my dreams will become reality with every step I take. As my body begins to tire from this long trainingsession, I turn my mind to the all the things I need to bring on the walk. And as I add up all the gear I begin to worry about all that weight. So I start to strip it down in my mind – and that brings meto my next thought… underwear. Who needs it! Well, at my age it’s a luxury I can’t go without, so then I had this amazing thought…edible underwear. And then I followed the practicality of this thought through to the breakfast moment. Not good.  But that led me to thinking about disposable underwear – now that’s genius!That very night I went on to Ebay. I found one six pack of knickers – one size fits all! They showed up the next day. It turned out one size did fit all, all at once. I thought about using them as a disposable tent, or a makeshift sleeping bag – they were MASSIVE! Here’s a classy photo of Tidy modelling them for you!
So having disposed of the disposable knickers (no I didn’t eat them, but Tidy thought about it) I was then foolish enough to buy disposable socks. This time one size fits all turned out to mean, one size fits all if you are a small child with unusually tiny feet. So I gave up on the disposable thing altogether. Bill was still interested in the edible underwear – so I got edible socks. They remain uneaten! That night I dreamt I was walking in Africa. No socks, just a loin cloth (thank god) a back pack, some sandals, and the dogs. The strange thing is, the next morning I woke up and noticed that the bruise on my shoulder had developed into a map of Africa. This got me thinking – maybe dreams do come true. I hope so…


 

Earlier this week Bill sprung out of bed like an Easter bunny, put on his 1970’s sweat pants that have become less ‘relaxed’ fit and more ‘snug n sexy’ fit and ushered me and the dogs out into the cold. I was really happy to have the support, and excited to go for a long and more difficult hike across muddy fields that lead to a big and rocky stream.
As the dogs charged for the water, happy to have a well-earned drink, me in the middle and Bill bringing up the rear, I took my first step across the stream onto a fairly stable rock. I was a little tense as the water rushed past me but I thought ‘I can do this’ and took another large step. This time the stone was slippery, my foot slipped from under me and I came crashing down on the rocky bed of the stream.  Bill was right behind me, and dragged me quickly to my feet, trying to get me out of the freezing water.
The dogs danced around me thinking this was a great game of slip and slide! But as I stood there catching my breath and feeling the pain shoot through my ribs, the dogs suddenly became quiet. We had a good mile to go and as I attempted to walk, Tidy my biggest dog, Light and Boo became very concerned. Bill was a bit concerned too but also slightly distracted by the uncomfortably tight sweat pants that were clinging rather enthusiastically to his manly bits! Although my instinct was to make light of this and keep going, the pain in my ribs and shoulder was so bad that I was pretty sure I had broken my collar bone. All I could think of was my walk in May.
That night, as I hobbled into bed I was very concerned for the dogs. They were so exhausted by my tragic fall, and so worried about the massive pain I was in, that they all decided they needed an extra-large portion of the bed to relax on.  I found a tiny corner to curl up in and lay awake all night!!
The next morning, I went to the hospital.  I waited four hours to find out that I had damaged the ligament and soft tissue in my shoulder, and two of my ribs were broken.
I have not been able to train but this walk is for the dogs and because of that I will find a way to get back into training very soon.  

In exactly forty days (and forty nights) I begin my epic 200 mile walk from the ITV studios in London to Many Tears Animal Rescue. Sounds Biblical I know, except for the fact that I’m definitely not fasting, and I won’t be taking a donkey (and even if I did I certainly wouldn’t sit on the poor thing!) So instead it’s just me, a pop up tent (which it turns out is not very easy to ‘pop down’) and a handful of naughty dogs.

At sixty years old I’m finding my body is beginning to creak as I get up in the dark every morning for my grueling and very early training session.  First, I do my chores and drink three cups of water, then I wake my dogs and my husband. The dogs are eager to get going, but my husband not so much!  He calmly but very clearly explains to me that anything unnecessarily aerobic is a superfluous calorific burn situation.  He goes on to explain that if he wanted to get fit he would invest in a yoga class. I left for my training session with the brief but still-haunting image of him in lycra.

Although mind-over-matter has never been an issue for me, mind-over-knees is beginning to present a problem!  I tell myself during my long training walks to put my best foot forward, but I don’t seem to have a best knee to support this thought.  This has resulted in me moaning to random people with more frequency than I had realised.  In fact, it was not until a little visitor, whose parents adopted a dog from us, sent me this letter.

This letter made me realise that if I am going to be able to complete this massive undertaking, maybe it’s time I take care of my ‘nees’ a little better.  Although I rarely pamper myself, that night I took a long bath and noticed that both knees really are quite swollen.

So, I had an idea! On tomorrows walk I will put the dogs ‘Streemz’ collars on above the knees, and of course the Harry Potter plaster! These collars have magnets in them, and so providing I make it out of our automatic locking magnetic doors, I will report on the affects.

I thought I would blog once a week on the pains of getting fit, just in case it may inspire you to fill a page with sponsors. I hope you will enjoy them.  Of course, if I don’t blog next week you can assume that my knees are still attached to our magnetic doors!

Well as the title suggests  sprits are low in the Vanatta household. I was ill last week and Bill has it now too. The dogs that I have picked up this week are so sweet but so expensive (huge heart life saving ops needed, eyes needing specialists and others with problems too. We are talking literally THOUSANDS of pounds to try to save a few lives.

I am walking miles every day trying to get fit, whilst coughing, spluttering. reaching any worrying. It’s not pleasant.  However it appears others who either don’t chose to learn the facts or are just plain mean have put their hearts and souls into slagging Bill and I off. Some of the same people call me and are as nice as can be on the phone or when they meet me but sadly have been way to gutless  to talk to our faces.

I had wondered why there seemed not much support for the walk, and then found out about something one dear kind sweet hearted dog lover repeated saying “we do not want to raise funds for Sylvia and Bill's retirement fund. Others have gone onto Companies House, which is where our accounts are for all to view on line, saying how we personally benefit by taking Many Tears money for ourselves!

So for those charming lovely uninformed keyboard warriors and anyone interested Bill and I own the property of Many Tears.  When Bill bought this he said I could use half for my rescue work and he used the other half for a boarding kennels. He was extremely successful and his kennels are always booked.

As the years went on I had to ask to rent some of his kennels for Many Tears dogs,. The rates were and are amazing less than half what he charges clients and he never charges us extra per dog in the kennel. If I had not done this either dogs would die or I would need to rent someone else’s kennels, and that would have cost the rescue a lot more. These people have looked at the financial  statement and not had any idea what its meant, how its broken down and where the money is used. Why not ask instead of what’s happened. I AM SO DISAPPOINTED. 

I was worried for the future of Many Tears as I am getting older and don’t know what the future holds, so whilst I could I thought I would put any extra energy I could into doing something meaningful and trying to secure Many Tears future. Sadly a few charming people don’t see it like that. In fact they have put effort into influencing others to not support the walk.

To those I will say a prayer.

Dear God please open the eyes of those who say mean things about us. Please help them see how cruel and unkind they have been and please help me to stay strong enough to ignore them.

Believe me the day to day running of MT is a struggle.  Yes if it had its own premises it would help and be wonderful but without someone willing to look for the future that won’t be. So instead I will be grateful for running day by day, as my spirits are too low now to do more.

Thank you to the believers.
Sylvia 

Just a really short blog, the person I would most like to walk with is Ricky Gervais, could you all write to him and ask him to help PLEASE. If you believe in our work here, the love life and happiness we bring, don’t leave it to others, just try to help me. His support would be amazing.  I need help on this walk to make it work and I am hoping you all are it. X
http://www.manytearsrescue.org/page_.php?i=89

Do I have too much time to think?? Well last night it felt like that. I was thinking of how it must have felt as this huge slice of wood pierced and lodged long ways through the roof of Filly's mouth. I thought about the weeks that followed, her body trying to fight of the infection, how it must have felt and her trying to claw it out and her giving up.
I thought about what could have been,  the infection could have traced up to her brain and then I  I thought about moving to this scary place, being spayed (which is how this was discovered).  It had been there a LONG time.
I thought about then being moved to a specialist, how the specialist worried as this was an injury she had never repaired before as so extreme. I thought about feeding and giving her her water through a tube, how scary and sad that she also has to be on her own asshe loves dogs and does not understand people.
She has 2 long weeks of a feeding tube only, and then we pray things will be better. I thought about Filly so much and felt such despair. ...

Many Tears has grown and grown. With all the support and hard work from the staff and supporters we now have a rescue that is able to save a phenomenal amount of lives! However this comes at a considerable cost!!

This week we have taken in two pups that have presented with liver shunt type symptoms (pictured) and two pups that have Grade 5 heart murmurs.  Many Tears will NOT put these pups to sleep because of economics, instead somehow the funds will be found for the specialists to test these pups and try to mend them and this will without doubt run into thousands of pounds.

With the extra dogs passing through our doors there are clearly many extra expenses, as rarely does the adoption fee cover the expense we have endured getting them to that point.  This fact and the fact I am getting older has driven Bill and I to realise forward measures must be taken to secure Many Tears future. 

The first thing I did was to announce a major sponsored walk that I was going to do in the hope that supporters would try to get sponsors for me. I had decided the money raised from this would go into a specific fund for Many Tears to buy their own property (whether the one its currently on or another).   However sadly there has been a lack of interest in this so far. This won’t mean I give up on it, just that I will work harder for this, for I want to know Many Tears will carry on long after I am not around.

The second thing Bill and I have done is book a professional kennel valuer to value this property. That will give a guideline to how much money needs to be raised for this or a similar property to be purchased. (This valuation will exclude assets already owned by Many Tears such as porta cabins, storage buildings, or kennels and stables that Many Tears supporters have funded).

Please note - None of this is being done because I am planning on leaving any time soon but rather so the rescue can carry on after I am unable to or in case something happens to me.  Whether Many Tears owns this or another local property I would still plan to work for Many Tears as I do now.

The third step Bill and I are taking is we are going to apply to become a registered charity.  This is still very complicated as we both own and live on the property and also have a boarding business on the property.  As this is such a big decision and with the complexities involved, we are taking professional and legal advice to help with this application.   I am desperate that the ethics of Many Tears are not changed. However this will enable the rescue to apply for grants and give access to collect money at large shops etc.  and these are funds we have missed out on in the past.

Yet again we will hold a major raffle this year and the monies raised from this will go towards the Gift of Sight and Broken Hearts funds and other specialists vet bills we have to find each year.  We are hoping for raffle prizes for these, so please contact the centre if you can help but please remember prizes need to be able to be sent/taken anywhere in the country.

I have attached the route I will be taking on my walk, a letter of explanation and a sponsor form. I really hope you will all try to help and perhaps give me some feedback as this will encourage me to keep trying to get fit as well as run the centre (a job that already takes 14 hours a day on average of my time 7 days a week).

Thank you for sharing our care, for reading this and for supporting us.
Best wishes
Sylvia

Today was a very very sad day.  Really more than one person can take. Suffering of animals and my fellow man is too hard to watch. I work so hard trying to eliminate this, but it seems I cannot, I feel I am sinking in quick sand.
To add to the sorrow of a day, a little old insignificant cat lost her home today. She had lost her first home when the kids arrived and moved into a quiet home with a senior lady some years back. That lady died some days ago but has only just been found. The little old cat  has been left an orphan. She is hiding as I type. My heart bleeds for her.
I cannot do this job without support. I cannot bare the suffering of man or beast, Please if you have energy to type, type something that will help - not something that just breaks people, for then the chain of help for the animals is broken! Constructive criticism is welcome but remember with that, you yourself may need to come walk a little in our shoes to see how the changes can be successfully implemented.  Today my heart is to heavy - I hope your day has been better.

Walk in my shoes and help carry my load,
for my hearts to heavy to carry this alone.
Walk in  my shoes, please give me strength,
without your passion my energy's spent
Walk in my shoes, help our dreams unite,
just rescue the suffering, help us sleep peacefully tonight.
Sylvia

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?
A terrified little old cat who has lost her mum and now only has us to help her have hope that there is a future in a new home for her. We just need to find it.	A little puppy with a broken heart. He only has the staff, supporters and fosterers to rely on in the hope he just may get it fixed and receive help not only a mend to his broken heart but to give him the gift of life too!!!!

I am in training for the walk I have challenged myself to do as the years have flown by and we are busier and busier. I so appreciate all the hours and days amazing volunteers spend fund raising, and each year I make myself go to a show or two and fund raise too (as I believe I should never ask of others what I would not want to do myself).  Time seems to be running out to try to make a BIG and immediate difference to Many Tears thus the walk. The year started so badly. I did not tell anyone for fear no one would believe I could achieve the walk and not sponsor me but I had a serious knee problem, resulting in sleepless nights and even tears. I broke down in the end and told Emma a physio we have known for many years and one who supports us. She came over and examined my knee and found my knee cap had slipped too far around.  She manipulated stretched and advised and somehow she put this back and the next day I could walk!. I have to do many exercises every day and hopefully the pain will reduce.  I cannot tell you how grateful I am to Emma.

My dogs Boo and Tidy will be my walking companions (hopefull)  and so are also in training.  They too have their own trained doggy physio (Juniper) and I am grateful for her help.  She told me to follow the following plan

Boo
Boo is a small breed dog and a little older than Tidy so he has the typical signs of  wear and tear everyone feels as they mature. So to begin with his exercises are very targeted at building up his muscles so they are able to support any joints that are feeling a bit older.  Boo will be enjoying regular massages and some gentle doggy yoga. At the same time he will be gradually increasing the amount of walking he does each week. Joints contain fluid and as we age the fluid can become less efficient at oiling the joints. Just like a car engine the oil can become thick and lumpy when not in use, but as a car warms up the oil flows better around the engine, the fluid in the joints of the body are the same, so Boo’s exercises focus on getting the joints working and this will loosen up the joint fluid making the joints more comfortable over time.

Tidy
Tidy is a young, fit and healthy dog but being a giant dog his body has extra strain placed on it, so he has a few sore areas in his back, which is to be expected. Some  gentle regular massage will soon help him feel much looser and ready to face his challenge. All animals like humans are right or left handed, this slight variation is completely normal and wouldn't cause most dogs any issues. As Tidy is hoping to join me on  on this long distance walk we want to try and build up his weaker side so the differences are less noticeable. To achieve this Tidy is starting  on a programme of doggy squats and lunges, this will be done by doing stand to sits and walking up and down steps or over poles. He will also be building up his core strength with yoga stretches.  By the time he starts the challenge in May he will be at peak fitness ready to accompany me on my trek to secure the long term future of Many Tears.

I am thrilled to say we had a lovely visitor to Many Tears on Friday. Richard Jones (winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2016) and a serving soldier in the army visited. Here is is pictured with Tidy and he has agreed to walk a little with me so now along with Carl Hester MBE (Gold Medal winner in dressage) I have had two celebrities who said they would support me and hopefully attract the media. I am so very touched by this, as most celebrities I have written to don’t write back, or point blank refuse.  Let’s hope with mine and hopefully your efforts we can really make a difference to secure Many Tears, and its future. 

To make you all smile this is just a little poem Bill can relate to!

Another year is nearly over. For the dogs that passed through our care it’s been an amazing year. Well over 3 thousand lives saved, and that is fantastic.  An amazing  job from all, from our fantastic web mistress, office staff and yard staff, and  literally hundreds of volunteers.  Volunteers who foster , home vet, make thank you cards for us, walk dogs, bath and socialize , give time home checking, standing at street corners rattling tins, and all the countless other fundraising that is done.

There are so many to thank, but to give you some ideas I will tell you about a few . I will start with our shop at Blackwater. A team of amazing people give up their time to run a VERY successful shop. All the items are donated They  sell good quality things, and manage with the support of each other to keep this shop running, talking NO wages. We  sometimes are so busy here we forget to say a HUGE thank you to all of you , please forgive us,

Then another group of all our fosters who go the extra 9 yards -  like a mum daughter and friend, who have taken any heavily pregnant dog they had room for, gone through the stress of c sections or whatever, hand raising and losing some, and the joys of saving lives and homing. A real roller coaster. Even yesterday they were here watching their charge have a c section, hand feeing the pups every two hours, and rushing to emergency vets at 2 in the am with the mum with low potassium.
 

Those who spent months planning and sorting the Christmas fair and party, there are so many to thank.

All of you people with every unselfish act of kindness generosity  and love have made Many tears what it should be.

 This year not only am I determined to keep the place running well, I am trying to look to the future and make sure the rescue is safe, some of you know I plan to walk 20 miles a day from London to home to raise funds and awareness, just something out of my comfort zone whist I still can. But anything you all do adds to Many Tears s success. The raffle each year helps towards the huge specialist vet bills, the street collections too. The gift of sight donations change dogs life’s and open their new world up, broken hearts are mended as are limbs. Huge hernias from over breeding are sorted and so much more.

If you want to raise funds for any specific category please let us know and we will be sure to use the funds for this.

Lastly I want to thank those who are no longer working or volunteering for us. Those who gave up as ill, those who changed careers and any others. Without you all this place would never have been able to save so many lives, and I really do miss you all.

Happy New Year to all of you, I hope it will be peaceful and full of joy.

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness,

I hope you read some fine books, and kiss someone who thinks you are wonderful,

And don’t forget to make some art-write and draw or build and sing and live as only you can.

And I hope somewhere in the next year you will surprise yourself.

Sylvia x

A few years ago I adopted a dog called Bashful from a rescue in Cyprus and yesterday 12 dogs from the same rescue arrived at Many Tears. Like Bash before I adopted him, all but one of them have been in kennels for YEARS. They have never know what it's like to live in a home with people who love them and so they have come here to wait for some who is reading this to offer them a home. Every one of them is really lovely - they have different personalities but what they all share is the need for someone to offer them love, a home, a soft bed for the rest of their lives. I sadly lost Bash a few months ago and in his memory I have offer to try and help these 12 find someone to love them as much as I did Bash. So I am really hoping there are people out there who see these 12 and will offer them a place in their hearts and homes. They all arrived here in wonderful condition, with new collars and had been bathed - the look great and now it time for the to finally have a chance. So meet the fantastic 12 and you can find out more about them by clicking on their hames.

Frankie	Boris	Simba
Mike	June	Lady
Lana	Mary	Leila
Sienna	Maximus	Ollie

Prayers did not work for Crisps who I picked up from a breeder, who had never known about life in a home with a special mum or dad and she lost her fight at 5pm last night. She was in renal failure and we could no longer see her slowly slipping away so the vet helped her.  I am sick with sorrow but take comfort that Trinket stood and took 3 steps. Joe our lovely vert and acupuncturist came yesterday and Trinket had a session of acupuncture. We are all incredibly relieved as it does look like Trinket may be on the road to recovery.

It's the second-hand shop in Blackwater 1st birthday on 17th November and they are having a party between 10am-4pm  which they invited Bill and I to attend.  Unfortunately due to staff shortages and dogs coming in this is just not possible which is a real shame so we are hoping our friends, supporters and fosterers will all go along and support them.  We are so proud of the whole team who make the shop the success it has become and grateful for all their hard work as we know they also do jumble sales, car boots etc to raise even more money.  Their success has been truly amazing and certainly helped the rescue.  So please do go along if you can, they will have a cake sale, drinks and a lot of bargains in the shop!
Sylvia

All I can say every day is that hundreds and maybe thousands of people have said prayers for Trinket who looked like she would never have a normal life again. Our acupuncturist (who is a vet), our vet and locum vets all looked and have helped with Trinket's care. Josh one of our kennel staff  has been incredible - massaging her and probably shedding a lot of tears over her.
Every day, there has been the tiniest bit of improvement and yesterday we put a StreamZ collar on her that would help the blood circulate to her poor limbs. We felt anything was worth a try.
Now look today we're not supporting her and she can barely walk but can stand! We feel that by continuing physio she will be able to walk again and we need to thank StreamZ collars.
Tell me this is not a miricle. Anyone who has donated for her MRI, we will not be going down that route now.  If you would like your money back we will be more than happy to return it - please email us at info@manytearsrescue.org and we will sort this out immediately.  If not any remaining money at the end of Trinket's care it will go into our other funds where we are struggling at the moment.

Today we have been given a DOG StreamZ Smart collar by the company. It's heart warming to know there are so many out there wanting to help our dogs. These collars help increase blood flow and we have found them very good so we are thrilled to have them. They have a 360 degree spiral magnetic effect and have been found to help reduce inflation and pain, improve mobility and promote the general sense of wellbeing.. I am putting one on Trinket.  I wear one on my ankle, so I will take that one off for her.
Here is Elsa getting in the bowl so her fat brothers and sisters all who weigh at least 3 times as much as her don't get all the dinner! She is a bit of a miracle, I never thought she'd make it. I had to mostly hand raise her, though Amen her mummy did help all she could. All her siblings have biblical names, but I let Sydney my granddaughter name her, and although I explained and requested a name from the bible, Syds called her Elsa!   I am very grateful she had got to 6 weeks now and seems to be doing well.
Sadly that is not the case of all our dogs. They come with little or no history. Dear Crisps stopped eating over 5 days ago. We have syringe fed her and rehydrated her, but now things are so bad she is on a drip. She is neither sick, or having a bad tummy. We had her X-rayed today and have already had her bloods done. Nothing on the x-ray but her bloods results were terrible and now it will take a miracle to save her.  With no live in staff at this time the workloads HUGE, I am so sad, please pray for her and the lovely Trinket. 
 
Again we have decided to hold on the MRI for Trinket as today improved a tiny tiny little bit so we are still monitoring and hoping. Our vets happy to look in this weekend and Joe our other lovely vet will also come Monday. Visitors are very welcome to sit with her and chat, She loves that!  She has also been helped by the kind donation of special slings to help support her and we thank Terry Bolding one of our fosterers and supporters for sending these.

Trinket is doing very well and is being taken care of by Josh a member of our kennel staff.  He is spending a lot of time with her and he is monitoring her progress each day and has noticed very slight but definitely some improvements.  We are continuing with physio and acupunture (thank you to everyone who has donated which has made this possible) and will be making a decision about the MRI scan after further consultation with the vet.

On registering Trinkets microchipped yesterday we found she was just 4 not 6. She is such an outstanding  and lovely girl and today she did balance on her legs a tiny bit, but still her lower limbs do not move. The MRI decision is to be made tomorrow.

Crisp also needs prayers. She gave up eating some days ago and although her colour and temperature are fine she is not. Bloods were taken and we may X-ray tomorrow, so from you all I ask prayers.

Walking round the kennels I saw this had been stuck on a door, I read it and smiled.  As you can see the sign was ignored and I had to laugh seeing the three tearaways in that very same kennel chewing up pillows and duvets on my next round!!!!!

This morning we called everywhere we could about an MRI and were just about to leave to take her to the specialist when our lovely vet Joe arrived. She did a number of tests on Trinket then called the specialist at Langford’s (where we were taking her) as Trinket had a temperature this morning and Joe wanted her to be put her on antibiotics and perhaps send her tomorrow.
Joe asked me if she was the same as she had been the previous days and I said sheepishly that this morning although I could not really say why but somehow she was different. Anyway even though three vets had done deep pain tests with no reaction the days before, when Joe did it she did seems to react very slightly. Maybe I am too hopeful, but I pray somehow we can fix this lovely dog.
I want to thank everyone for your donations for her. I will fill you in on what happens and we will care for her with all the love and attention we can give. Please if you have time to come and sit and talk to her do - she would so appreciate this.

This is Bertie. He was rescued by the staff who really care at Swindon Pound. He had lost all his faith in humans. and the pound did not have the time or space to keep and help him and his options were fast running out so he has come to live with us.
The staff who are incredible now have a little trust. He gets 3 walks a day a lovely bed, a heated bedroom and a sweet little JR girl for company. He will need a very patient never give up sort of a person, with a secure garden and home and another friendly kind dog to help him.
This will take months or maybe years, so are you up for this???? I hope someone is!!!!

This is not a pretty picture. Buzz was picked up from a breeder who no longer wanted him. He was very mistrustful and would do anything to get away.
Yesterday we cornered him to look at him further and try to groom him. His coat was thick mats and he stank. In the end as he was so distressed and we could feel under the mats he had major problems so we had to get the vet to anesthetise him.
I then shaved him. Under those mats his whole body felt on fire, the skin was covered in dry puss and bleeding sores. When he awoke I gave him an antibacterial bath and moved him and Banana (who is the sweetest little JR and has become his friend since he arrived) to a very warm comfy kennel.
He is so scared of humans if you go in with him he just paces round and round his basket till you leave. He is now on antibiotics and baths, calming creams and vitamins. He is so special and so sad.

This is what I recevied today after someone was turned down for adopting for a dog.  We only ever try to do our best for our dogs and if you are turned down we are always willing to discuss the situation and see if there is a way to resolve the issue.

Email to the Potential Adopter
Thank you for your application to adopt Drift. At the moment we are considering an application ahead of yours so are unable to proceed with your application.  However, given your working situation, we do not feel a young pup who has not had their 2nd injections yet would be suitable. Sorry to disappoint you but thanks for your interest.
Kind regards
Many Tears Animal Rescue

My reply to the Potential Adopter
Thank you for your very "polite" understanding and articulate e mail.  One person emailed you based on the info you provided. Because of your "pre-judgmental assumptions" that everyone at "Many Tears is driving people to puppy farms I felt I needed to educate you, the educator!!!!"

These 4 dogs are coming to Many Tears from Cyprus.  They have been waiting several years for homes but have never been picked.  I adopted Bash from this rescue who was also one of the dogs that had been waiting almost his whole life for a home.  I lost him earlier this year and in his memory have offered to take some more hounds like him to find them homes for the first time in their lives.  Volunteers who help and the Cypriot rescue and know these dogs well have written a bit about them. Each has chosen the dogs they know best.

OLIVER KNOWN AS OLLIE
 
 
Ollie undoubtedly has one of the best characters you may find in a dog, a character that shines through his smile. He is a gorgeous, energetic, good-natured dog that always looks for company and cuddles when he sees people around him. I have walked with him a number of times and was astonished to see how much he loves freedom, being outdoors and smelling everything around, since it’s part of his nature. Ollie is the kind of dog you immediately fall in love with...I personally find it very hard to lead him back to his pen every time we finish our walks because he really looks so happy and relaxed. He is a really devoted dog that will grab every opportunity he finds to show how grateful he is when you give him some of your time. Beautiful Ollie doesn’t ask for much; he only needs a home that will offer him nothing more than the love and affection he has been deprived of all those years. And believe me, he will give a lot more back in return. He certainly knows how to love and make a person happy. My dear Ollie, we will miss you. I will miss your beautiful face and you barking impatiently every time I would approach your pen. I will miss the way you would jump enthusiastically every time we were out for our long walks. I will miss our hugs and your kisses. But I am sure, it won’t be long before someone falls in love with you and takes you home with them. I will be waiting eagerly for the day I will switch my computer on to see your pictures, with your new family in your new home!

MAXIMUS

 
Maximus was one of the first dogs I got to know as a volunteer at Sirius Dog Sanctuary. I will never forget the way he looked at me the very same day I visited the sanctuary, as if he was begging me to take him out, which of course made me cry. Indeed, words cannot describe what a lovely dog he is...He appreciates even the slightest thing you do for him and looks at you with those beautiful, big, expressive eyes to show his gratitude and devotion. He is loving, affectionate and loves being with people, so living in a pen gives him a very hard time. Maximus loves running in open spaces and it’s when you realise how much he values freedom, so I always try to spend time with him and take him for walks when I visit the shelter. My dear Maximus, Words cannot express how happy I am that you are about to start a brand new life. I really can’t wait to see you leaving the shelter, but what would make me the happiest person on earth is finally seeing you having the life you deserve. I am more than sure you will be adopted very soon by a lucky family that will be able to offer you all the love and warmth you so much need. I will miss you buddy...You will have a special place in my heart forever; you will always be loved and never forgotten. Have a great life, my precious!

MARY

 
Beautiful Mary - our little helper at the Sirius Dog Sanctuary events!! Whenever we have a Dog Walk - Mary is always there to help out! She loves nothing more than to sit with us - and make the most of all the fuss she gets from everyone! And she certainly enjoys her treats. She will happily sit and watch the other dogs go racing by - but Mary prefers the quiet life and when asked to go for a walk, is much happier just having a cuddle! A gentle natured lady - Mary would be a wonderful companion for someone - she is very sociable with people, but perhaps a bit choosy with her four legged friends. Mary has waited far too long in the shelter but never lost her trust and affection for people - always pleased to see you - tail wagging and those beautiful eyes just saying - are you here for me, is it my turn now?

LANA

Lovely Lana - timid by nature and a little bit frightened of the world outside of the shelter.Lana seems very shy when you first meet her, but once she has gained your trust she is so very happy to see you! Lana has come a long way over the past few years in trusting those around her - She shows her affection in a very humble manner but you know that she longs for some cuddles!She loves her walks, once you can persuade her to leave the safety of her pen - and enjoys running along with the other dogs.She will need a patient owner - one who can teach her trust, and can show her the meaning of being loved so that she can feel safe.Her sad eyes tell such a story - a story of having patiently waited for that special someone who she can call her own.

Autumn came to us heavily pregnant but unable to deliver her pups. Six staff, one vet and one vet nurse later and the family arrived via c-section. Then staff sat all day in rotors helping the pups while their groggy mum woke up, waiting till she accepted them. We have done all we can, now we hope they are safe.

The last pictures is a tiny pup's perfect paw.....




 

 
We had a heavily pregnant pug cross handed in and she produced 6 pups, one of which is tiny. As the other 5 brusiers grow she cannot get to the milk bar, so every night, every 2 hours she has a bottle. I am knackerd, she is getting stronger and fights on a daily basis to live!  I cannot name her as I with a name it seems to make it even harder if I lose her but when she is 3 weeks of age I will let Sydney my granddaughter do this. Please say a prayer, so much sadness and tears here, we all need the rainbows too.

The Many Tears Christmas Party is coming up on the 26th November. Tickets will be on sale on our forum shortly and then opened to the public but there are only a limited number available so don’t miss out as there will be an important announcement that evening.
In the day we are having a Christmas Fayre. Please look and see if you could donate tombola prizes for this and bottles for a bottle stall. We aim to make this a FANTASTIC and great fund raising day. PLEASE help us achieve this.
Sylvia x

This little helper is my granddaughter who is a tad to young to apply for a job here although I think she would like to!
If you are dog passionate and interested in working for Many Tears you can send in your details at any time and should a vacancy become available we will be in touch.

I was sent the following after telling the former carers of Bashful my terrible news. There are no spare funds here and at Sirius Shelter there are 200 dogs looking for homes. Look at the dates these dogs came into their care, some many years ago. So if you every had a wonderful holiday in Cyprus (or anywhere else) what do you think to trying to send a little something to help these guys? As you see they are not cute fluffy babies so harder to home so I will sponsor one in Bashful's memory. You can either send help directly to Sirius Rescue or send here marked "In Bashful's Memory" and I will do my best to help them all.

Email From: Marianna Philippidou
These are some of our dogs. In their description below you can see their age and also how long they have been at the shelter. My list is long Sylvia, with over 200 dogs to rehome and because I cannot be impartial I am sending you 10 and I would prefer if you choose. Only 1 of these 10 is currently sponsored by a supporter but I will manage to raise the money by November. They all deserve better so if we could plan ahead for more than 3 to come to you in the future I will whisper in their ear and tell them to be patient.  Every photo has the dog's name and I have included a description below:

LANA - Tag 65 BEEN WAITING 7 YEARS FOR A HOME

Lana is a hound cross Labrador estimated to be born September 2007, admitted May 2009. Lana is a lovely girl who has been in the shelter far too long. She is in her golden years and still locked up! Lana will need someone to motivate her as she can be timid after so long in the shelter. A great companion for an older couple as she only requires calm walks and a corner to be comfortable in.
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 89cm
From the shoulder to the ground 60cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 71cm

MIKE - Tag 116 BEEN WAITING 7 YEARS FOR A HOME

Mike is a male hound cross estimated to be born December 2008, admitted December 2009. Mike came in with his sister June. They were both very frightened but this has settled a little. He will need to leave the sanctuary in order to to build a relationship in a loving home. He is good with other dogs.
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 72cm
From the shoulder to the ground 60cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 70cm

LEILA - Tag 74 BEEN WAITING 6 YEARS FOR A HOME SPONSORED

Leila is a female pointer cross estimated to be born January 2007, admitted March 2010. Leila used to be a very shy girl who slowly got out of her shell and started enjoying the company of humans. She is sweet and playful and likes going on walks. She is fine with children but has shown to be timid around some men.
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 96cm
From the shoulder to the ground 55cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 62cm

SIMBA - Tag 9 - BEEN WAITING 5 YEARS FOR A HOME

Simba is a male hound cross estimated to be born October 2010, admitted October 2011. Simba is a little timid in the beginning but he does relax after a while! He loves to walk and very good on lead. Simba is very stressed in the shelter and as a result seems restless all the time. he could benefit in a more relaxed and less crowded environment
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 89cm
From the shoulder to the ground 61cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 71cm

LADY: Tag 33 - BEEN WAITING 5 YEARS FOR A HOME

Lady is a female Pointer cross estimated to be born December 2008, admitted October 2011. She is a wonderful natured dog. She rolls on her back for her tummy rubbing and is very friendly. She has good manners, she is very well behaved and she is truly a LADY!!!!
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 87cm
From the shoulder to the ground 57cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 72cm

PETE - Tag 88 BEEN WAITING 4 YEARS FOR A HOME

Pete is a male Pointer cross Beagle estimated to be born January 2011, admitted June 2012. Pete is a nice dog, playful, very intelligent and responds well to commands. He gets on well with other dogs. He loves long walks and games. 
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 89cm
From the shoulder to the ground 60cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 73cm

OLLIE (Oliver) - Tag 120 BEEN WAITING 4 YEARS FOR A HOME

Ollie (Oliver) is male hound cross estimated to be born December 2012, admitted February 2013. He is a very sweet and playful boy but would definitely be happier in a home where he can run and play freely.
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 86cm
From the shoulder to the ground 58cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 80cm

SIENNA - Tag 12 BEEN WAITING 4 YEARS FOR A HOME

Sienna is a female Hound cross estimated to be born January 2010, admitted February 2012. She is a very friendly and calm dog. She loves going on walks and she is great with people.
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 90cm
From the shoulder to the ground 62cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 74cm

EVITA - Tag 28  BEEN WAITING 2 YEARS FOR A HOME

Evita is a female Hound estimated to be born May 2012, admitted May 2014. She is affectionate, tender and obedient. Common traits of her breed. Evita is a lively dog who enjoys walks. She is good with people and other dogs.
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 90cm
From the shoulder to the ground 56cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 67cm

MAXIMUS - Tag 29  BEEN WAITING 1 YEAR FOR A HOME

Maximus is a male hound cross estimated to be born January 2014, admitted May 2015. Maximus was found with a broken leg. He got operated and now his recovering. He is a very friendly dog. Loves being around people, and adores to be cuddled.
Measurements
From the tip of the nose to the root of the tail 95cm
From the shoulder to the ground 60cm
From the floor to the tip of the ears or the top of the head 73cm

We are so grateful for the food help and donations. People really care and it lifts all our spirits. Me, well I am not working well, I am drowning in my misery.  I don’t usually post personal things too much, but as so many had met those who I am posting about I will continue.
When I lived in N Carolina I took over running a rescue that had very heavy animal traffic. At our own home there was a stray black cat. If I took her to the shelter she would have no hope so we first spayed her and then set her free again thinking she would go home and we would have some red neck banging on our doors screaming at us, but this never happened and Panther became our cat.
We brought her to the UK and she lived with us. We built her her own staircase to our room and she pretty well owned the rescue. At times she would walk round and lie on the signing in books. If you stopped stroking her she hooked your hand with her paw and pulled you back. She was not just any black cat. She lost weight and we had a blood sample drawn which showed she need thyroid tablets. She picked up and was doing great. The other night she bounced over the dogs and leapt to her windowsill restaurant and basket. We all went to sleep. In the night she must have gone out and in the am she was not in her basket, we opened the door to the balcony, she lay dead. No injuries just dead, feet from those who loved her so much.
This week again another indescribably sad time. Some of you knew Bashful. He arrived because a rescue in Cyprus asked our help for some other dogs. I looked at their site and saw a post from a man in N Carolina who did the same terrible job I had to out there. He described with detail talking to the dogs he had to kill, giving them sausages telling them how sorry he was. I related to the post as it rang so true. It’s a terrible thing to be forced to do. Anyway his post was next to one about Bashful who had lived at this sanctuary 9 years. He was a black hound, just like hundreds I had murdered. I wanted to adopt him personally, maybe to ease my conscience, I don’t know.
He arrived at Bristol airport and hated the handlers at the airport to the extent no one would touch him. I just went in and he and I looked at each other and I knew it was forever a partnership.  He accepted me straight away. He was my dog and loved.  He trusted me, walked with me mouthing my hand and grinning up at me.  He hated many people especially anyone to do with vets. Some here were scared of him but although he barked loud he never bit anyone. Good years passed, he was stiff and old and on pain management. Then the other day he suddenly became very ill. After 3 days I decided to try to be brave and say good bye.
I cannot tell you the pain I have…. But its reflecting in my work, my response times to e mails calls and everything. I am sorry.
I sort of need a boost… do you live near TN15 7HP Stansted Village ….. if so please come to the dog show there. Seeing the support will help me please. We have our own rescue class, a stall and tombola. If you have foster dogs you could bring them, if you have dogs you adopted you could show them and let me see them again too, if neither bring your family and your own dog and just support.  It’s very hard to feel motivated but I will do my best to make our part of this fate well worthwhile your visit.
Thank  you Sylvia

I have picked up a lot of dogs over the last few days and my heart is heavy. One of my own sweet dogs is critically ill and I am super worried about the situation here.
On the brighter note people are rallying for us to keep us going and give us breathing time to make a plan. I realise we are far from being the only rescue hurting at these times and of course all deserve help, however I personally must fight for Many Tears.
Those who run or support other rescues and seem upset that I am fighting for MT please don't be -  if you are hurting I will share anything I can when things improve. After all are we not all reaching for the same thing and trying to save lives?
Other rescue who are in a better situation than us have offered us help and we will do the same when we are in a better positition.
I want to thank every one of you who are trying to help us keep going as this means we will not have to cut bat or slow down. I am one of those people who is all or nothing and I could not bear to send desperate dogs away if there was space here simply because we did not have the food. Your support is giving me strength and I have ideas brewing.
THANK YOU ALL SYLVIA x

This week has been a week full of despair. The dogs I see seem more stressed and frightened than ever especially the beagles pictured and my heart breaks. The situation with the sudden loss of food has been a bad and sudden shock, and my complete exhaustion has just added to my mood. Tears really do flow here on a regular basis!
On a much brighter note the support shown by the amazing dog lovers of the UK has boosted my spirits, my staffs hard work and dedication has humbled me, and my dogs here waiting for a new life has strengthened my determination to try to find a solution to all the problems.
Meanwhile Hannah my daughter has secured a spot at her villages fate, dog and horse show. I am able to have a class at the dog show for the best rescue dog, and also a spot to have a tent with info and tombola and doggie goods and beds for sale. This venue is on 3rd of September at Stanstead Village Green, Malthouse road, Sevenoaks Kent, TN15 7PH at 2pm. This is a FANTASTIC village with the
most amazing dog walks all around from the  green. It's a chance for anyone living that way to strut your mutt, to bring your foster dog, to meet adopters fosterers and me. Please come support enjoy and talk to me... I am hoping we can have a great and lucrative time. A  fun happy time that benefits all. Apparently the parking is good, and there are prizes and rosettes for our class that is open to any  rescue dog not just for Many Tears Rescue dogs.
I want to thank you all for helping me carry on, for sharing my worries and for keeping strong and focused on saving dogs lives. If you want to help at the show please let me know. I will be setting up the tent from 8am I think, that Saturday morning. Tombola prizes welcome, I am running a dog tombola and an ordinary one also alongside each other.

Tumble is a tiny pug cross and Seven is a tiny schnauzer cross.  Both are extremely scared and so today moved into my house to learn about cuddles,  They need a kind home or fosterer to help them move forwards They really need a confident dog to team up with and would be best split as together they feed of each others insecurities and fears. If you can help by fostering please ask for them on this weeks run or if you think you can offer one of them a home and understand their needs please put in an application form.  Sylvia


 

So last night a fellow turns up having dug up with his digger 5 baby bunnies at 11am yesterday morning. He brought them to us for help on his way home.  I had a crash course in bunny care and  I stepped out of the office only to meet this very handsome hedgehog.  Experts will take the bunnies on in this morning but they need to get to Haverfordwest. If your travelling that way and can offer them a lift please call me at Many Tears 01269 843084 or email info@manytearsrescue.org
 

It’s been a really busy time. I picked up a large amount of dogs in Ireland last week that had done their time to be able to travel with passports.  Then on coming home and settling them in I started loading the van and horse trailer with all the amazing beds and donations that our supporters have given to raise funds.  I then did the 6 hours drive to the venue, spent three intense days at the show setting up, selling items and then packing up and driving home - getting back at 1.20 pm on Monday morning all this has taken its toll but we raised just over £4,000 which of course is an amazing amount, so THANK YOU for all your help.
By Monday night I was loaded again to go to pick up the the other passported dogs. We returned yesterday and am now busy bathing, grooming, health checking and caring for the new intake. Walking around looking at them yesterday I lost it and started crying. I never do this in front of my staff but sheer exhaustion and worry lead me to it. Two bulldogs slobbery kisses and I was back on track.
Busy busy times for us all here and now your time, support and help is really needed. We of course want to carry on but we are so financially compromised.  Our dogs can cost thousands in vet bills many come to usm needing leg, eye, heart surgery and so much more. Just not sure how to keep this up but do know I will try.
Thank you again to the amazing helpers who turned up at Ardingly and to those who sent items to sell - I could not have raised these funds without you.

So having said I would not do another show this year and then finding out funds are so low we are in trouble here we are again setting up for a show.  At the one we did in Ardingly last year we sold nearly everything and peoples donations for the stall really paid off.  We have wonderful home made luxury pads for sale and a big tombola. I have little energy but great helpers!
Let's hope we raise enough to pay the vet bills for the dogs with broken jaws, dogs with no sight and the dogs unable to walk properly and just just the every day running bills!
Please God let this go OK and please visit us.  We are at the Ardingly Agility Show at the South of England Showground, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH17 6TL all weekend.

We are home from a stressful few days. This is the first time a breeder in Southern Ireland has agreed and held for us such a large amount of dogs whilst they waiting for their passports to be issued.
I picked them up with Matt. The dogs were walked to us on leads, they wagged and met us happily, kennel staff knew them and saw them off and the owner and his dad stroked them as they left. Back here they have played in water , run in the sand school and rolled around on damp towels. It has made such a difference to see these dogs walking on leads and not shut down BUT all the way home their tails thumped on the crates and they barked for attention, so it was a noisy trip.
Now here we have multiple happy ex-breeding labs all very keen to be some ones special dog. They could be only dogs though never have in the past so will need owners who understand their needs if adopted as only dogs. Please look at their updates, and maybe come and meet these sweet boys and girls!

I am so sad to have to say that Moony did not make it. Despite all the efforts of the vet and staff she deteriorated to a point that it was felt their was no option but to help her on her way.
This poor girl was shown as much love and kindness we could give her in the last few hours of her life after being left to struggle for so long.
However, the story has not ended. Moony has a foal. Most foals are born in May so it’s not a bad guess to think if the foal is still alive it's young. A local to the marshes has sent a picture of a man checking the horses and taken their car registration number.  We have asked the police to trace this and tell him to check the foal. We have offered if it's alive to take it. We hope the police will help. It's pouring here and the misery is acute.
and I'm told the Authorities are looking into the case.  No water in the field just ragwort and another mare whose skin is sloughing. I pray they will act as it's out of my hands. This job is so sad, the whole centre feels like doom and gloom today.
Thank you to everyone who donated towards her care.  This will help towards the vet costs and we are very grateful to those of you who donated towards helping her. We are just all very very sad the outcome could not have been better for her.

X
Disgusting pitiful and miserable……

This ponies suffering is beyond words. The locals tell us she has been reported number of times to authorities but today she was staggering and collapsing. We have taken her and will be delighted to talk to anyone who says this is their pony!!!!!!

The vets been here two hours trying to save her and is still here trying to save her. Staff are holding her up now and we are all drained.

If you want to help us, we will need to pay the vet, farrier and dentist and she will need a lot of care but this is only if she survives!!! Most of all at this moment she will need prayers. 


 

Some late night checks are not as you may imagine. Though we scanned and knew this girlie was in late stages of pregnancy ½ an hour before my evening check she had given no indication she was about to give birth. But within 30 minutes there was a little extra soul to care for and this morning there are two. As you can see mummy is a perfect lady.

Erin's blood work came back today. All seems fine but she is perfect to us whatever. Tom  our vet fell in love with her as she lay at his feet while he worked. Now she has a space next to Matt's head on his pillow at nights and soon we will start to look for a home for her.
This is a true tale of an underdog and what love and the resources can achieve and I want you all to know she lives because of you all, so feel proud,…………. I am !!!!!

Erin had a poo yesterday and I was elated. We think she was in too much pain to try and thus she had more pain relief and a little help and presented us with a poo. Now I know that sounds so sad that this was one of the highlights of the day, but it was. 

The other was that Dee one of our fosterers and supporters arranged a meet and greet for Julian a wonderful man who did a sponsored bike ride raising £2,805. I was so busy but I was told there was food stalls and a great but wet time was had by all. It’s a great feeling knowing people are pulling together to keep us going. 

Hex goes home with various staff and in the day hangs with my family, but he needs a home or foster home of his own. He is a GREAST pup with loads of savvy, Please spread the word.

Erin’s still battling on. She will now eat, but her breathing is poor. The vet said there could be lung tumours, or she simply may not have been able to expand her lungs for so long as the tumours she had ( now removed) were so large that it could take time. Whatever two hour monitoring has made a strong bond with her and I and a lot of tremors of her little tail have  slowly developed to a little wag. I feel privileged………. But........
You know when your over tired when the last visit to Erin  before bed, you find your toothbrush tucked behind your ear when wanting to write her notes?!
Or how when the alarm goes off every two hours you think it’s time to get up for good and start dressing in day clothes?! But worse than that instead of saying good night to your long suffering husband, you make kissy noises and say good night puppy..... well that’s me , a walking zombie…..

I was thinking, those of you who love to use the internet,  how about going on eBay and seeing if any of the sellers would donate some goods to the show I am going to to try to raise funds at?  I know a lot of rescues are hurting for funds, but I will not give up on these dogs without  a real fight, so if you have energy and want to help, please please try to help me get this together, and maybe even help at the stall at the Agility Club Show  23rd to 25th July at the Showground in Ardingly.

I am truly VERY worried about funds and the dogs awaiting my go ahead for passports, and the many coming in . I can see huge bills ahead, and we simply are not financially keeping up.
I held a stall at a big dog show, and there we raised £3000 plus in funds, but I had not planned on another this year. However I have been lucky enough to be offered a free spot at a huge 3 day agility show, and as things stand I must accept this offer and attend to  try to keep our heads above water and save as many dogs as possible.
I need everyones help. I have used up stocks of beds and bowls, dog toys and prizes. I run a tombola to pull the people in and then sell everything doggy, new and second hand.
Please look to see if you have things you don’t need that you could donate.. and please write to or email all the dog toy and equipment manufacturers, shops, stockists and ask for donations to be sent here for the show.
I would not ask, but am truly desperate. PLEASE HELP.
If a keen sewer could sew folded duvets inside a duvet cover these sold very well for dog beds…. Your help will simply be their lives, and its breaking my heart to think of any other scenario.
Thank you

Erin is trying to pull through after her major surgery yesterday to remove an enormous tumour, but having lost a huge proportion of herbody weight I can now see how very thin this poor girl is. Please keep her in your thoughts.











 

When life seems miserable…. You know why you have as dog to cuddle

When friends let you down…….. You know why you have as dog to cuddle

When you are in despair…………. You know why you have as dog to cuddle

When night falls and you lie worrying in bed….. You know why you have as dog to cuddle

Dogs are my world. Thank you for those who agree and help.

Today I picked up a dog , it was called in Monday, but exhaustion stopped me driving all the way to get her, and it was put off till Thursday.

 On seeing her I knew something was wrong. I got her home and Tom our vet scanned and opened her up. She was having trouble breathing and had a HUGE belly. On opening he found 1.5 kilos of her 7.9 kilo body weight was a tumour. It’s now removed, and it’s up to her and God to fight for her life. ( My regret is I had not picked her up when asked, but I thought as was not told she was an exbreeding dog  not one with a problem, its doubtful the breeder knew ), but I feel  just terrible.

Bisto our sweet Burnese was not putting on weight and was bleeding when urinating. The vet could feel a problem in her bladder and she was opened up today to reveal a cauliflower type tumour attached to her bladder.

At first the vet was not sure he could do anything, but after a better look he has removed the tumour and we are hoping that she will be ok.

She will remain being loved and fostered by a staff member, but a little prayer could help too.

Many hours have passed - time I really have not got to spare but our fellow has truly benefited from it and now does not hide when he sees me. Tomorrow a fosterer is taking him into her care and will continue to try to help him. I will miss him but I know its best he goes elsewhere where he will live in a family situation.

So Benjamin started to look at me and I thought this was great progress until he then started to bark at me and, if I came in to close, lunge at me,  He has no interest in other dogs either. In fact all he wants to do is save himself from any painful action a human may do.   It is clear all man means to him is unkindness.
Today I felt I needed to get him out of his corner and into the sun. I picked him up with some good cloves encase he bit and with help I put a harness on him and then put him down in our back yard. Surprisingly instead of freaking at the harness he took off and I followed. Round and round we went. We stopped here and there and I tried to stroke him. Eventually I picked him up and put him in a new kennel in the same unit with a quiet but interested in humans westie. Let's see how this goes.
Poor Benjamin

 

Today Benjamin looked at me twice and did not hide. But as I got closer he shook to the point of making the basket rattle. He associates humans with fear, and this is VERY sad. I know I should not think of him as a human.however I do, and I feel so sorry for his turmoil.











 

Today we had the vet castrate Benjamin. It was the only way to really give him a good health check and shave of his terrible mats. We were able to give him his pre med with out too much fuss and I carried him to his own basket to wake once castrated and his ears and mats shaved so it was not all too stressful. He is only around 3 years old and yet his teeth were worn from him gnawing at his cage front and filthy with food encrusted around sore swollen gums. Now he will be comfortable.

We mended the TV in his unit and I managed to get him to turn his head towards me in the afternoon, but then he returned to burying his head in the bed. It will be slow going but he is worth it.
We appealed for fosterers this week, as what I am doing is very time consuming and sadly there are many scared dogs here at the moment. If dogs go to foster it frees the staff up to being able to work with the remaining dogs. Many have stepped up and for this I am so grateful. A lovely vet came and helped us again on Saturday and others are coming in a few weeks to do some voluntary spays. Groomers have come and helped us - and all of this kindness helps us continue.
I am proud to work with you all, so THANK YOU x

This is Benjamin. When we went to get this dog he was SO extreme to handle thrashing around biting etc that the breeder told us to leave him and he would shoot him! Mathew was with me and expertly picked him up (not with ease) but managed and put him in the van. There he thrashed about and then sat looking at the wall. Getting him out the other end was terrible too. We decided to let him chill with two other dogs, sadly he jammed himself in a corner to scared to move. A day passed and I worried so much I decided to move him to the unit next to my house. We call it the TV Iso unit. It has a TV on - not music, just people talking and cartoons etc. I put him on his own. This sounds harsh, but now the only thing that happens in the day is humans go in and out, we feed, sit, talk and touch. We ask nothing of him. This is Day 1 so let’s see how it goes. He needs to accept me and look at me, but as I approach he hides his eyes so he cannot see me.  He is a heart breaker “Benjamin HB“ - Benjamin heart break!!!!!

I am back and tired but the place kept running without me and everyone has done a great job. The foundation for the kennels in Ireland is down and we just need to find the rest of  the funds needed to put the kennels up. There is still some money left from the original very kind donation, so more work will be done as soon as possible.
As I am sure you have seen whist I was away many poor dogs have had to see specialist vets and need major expensive surgery.   I have been thinking long and hard about Many Tears future and am working on a plan, but everything takes time planning and of course funds. Please sell sell sell the raffle tickets as soon as they are out on May 1st.  It will be more important than ever for this to happen this year.
Again THANK YOU FOR ALL SHARING OUR CARE. x

This week has been incredibly difficult and I have seen some terrible sights.  We have taken in a large number of dogs and puppies all of which now of course need to find homes. Our kennels are full to bursting. We have two puppies with congenital medical issues and are in need of expensive operations and others who need other specialist help.

On top of this I have two ill and elderly relatives in the USA who need help so I have to go away for a week which will be the first time in about 3 years that I have left the rescue.  I am desperately worried about things and so once more am asking our fosterers to see if they have the space to take an extra dog but especially the puppies - I will be eternally grateful.

If you are reading this and would like to help by becoming a fosterer you can find out more about this on this page http://www.manytearsrescue.org/foster_for_mtar.php

Thank you
Sylvia

When I go to Ireland I see some very sad sights. The people I work with are INCREDIBLE. Because of those who care we were able  to buy  some of these Irish angels vans to pick up and transport the desperate dogs to safety.

 One of these ladies has now bought a small property with a big bit of land. She has pulled down a large greenhouse and wants to build kennels. One of our supporters gave a sum of money towards this, Now I have the quote for 4   5x5 kennels roofs and runs, ( I do not have the quote for the base yet.) this quote is just over 10 thousand. I know this sounds a lot, but to do the job properly and the best way, this is the cost.

 These kennels will not be Many Tears kennels, but will be free of charge Many Tears holding kennels, whilst passports are done.

This lady has been working with me over 5 years and in dog rescue many more years than this. Up to now we have used stables for holding kennels, and they are far from ideal.

 I am hoping every one may like to put a little towards this venture.

 Please if you donate by cheque mark the cheques Ireland on the back.

 Please watch this blog to see pictures posted of the kennels being built.

However if you want to help but not with  that project, I really want to build a play yard for the bottom overflow kennels, and this will need fence panels which will not come cheap. Maybe you could spring clean and do a family boot sale to raise funds? Or think of another way to rally together to help us help the dogs.

 Here’s in hope, my dreams are yours also.   

 Sylvia

A huge thank you to Jane. She is fostering cherish, and because of her love and kindness I see the way clearly now for Cherishes future.  These pictures are  of Cherish in the sun enjoying her new start to life.. Last night was Hell, trying to decide what to do for her, but now I know, as Jane was so kind as to foster her and find out more about her and what she can cope with. So now we are looking to buy her the gift of mobility, as hers will never come back without some wheels.  Then we shall need a completely committed dacsy lover to adopt and give her the 24/7 she will need for the rest of her life.

 

AFTER

Thank you  for all the books donated to the southern Irish book shop that supports the rescue of unwanted dogs out there. Mandy who runs this would love any donations of fiction books and childrens books aged 5 up wards. . Sylvia at Many Tears is happy to collect these at the centre for them and we will ensure they are passed on to Mandy and used to raise funds to help more dogs.

Who says a blind dogs not useful. Here is Archie being Bases pillow. Cute eh!!!!!

Archie the latest Van Atta, is enjoying life, and though blind not treated like a disabled dog. . We treat him like all our canine family, though tend to try to find extra stimulation each day for him too.
Today he had a new puzzle toy. He soon worked it out and was opening boxes and recovering his treats.
 Last week he easily did a 5 mile forest walk with 14 others.  I walk him off the lead  if safe and treat him just like the others though try to be there for him and watch over him. It's a pleasure to be part of Archies life, I am so grateful he chose me to spend his days and nights with. 

Today was planned.  I went to bed the night before feeling more at ease than the previous week as I knew what I was doing... silly me! A call late that night begged me to save a dog being shot at a pound. His crime?  Well they said nasty.  I rushed my jobs drove 1½  hours And arrived to meet the pound owner.
He went in with the dog who went mad. He came out and I went in.  The dog is in the corner of a small stone kennel growling. It was such a tight space it was dangerous and he was out of his mind with fear. I talked quietly but the pound owner was behind me and the dog was kicking off.
I retreated and as my van was pulled up to the gate of the kennel I asked the pound owner to go ahead and just pole the dog in. I hate the pole but I was not going to get anywhere with him in such a defensive state.
I drove the 1½  hours back home and then along with two others we shut ourselves in the side of the van and opened his door. He looked around came out sat on my lap and thanked me.
Chris from CARA made me aware of this dogs plight and thus saved his life. He is about 8 months and underweight and oh so sweet to us. Fine with other dogs but will come with some baggage as you can imagine.   He is now called Courage. I hope someone out there will want to help him further.

So Archie won our hearts and is staying with us. We all try to make his day meaningful, even when working. He is a special boy, like so many others.
The winter here has bought so much rain, so much extra work, so many extra dogs, but NO extra funds. This year's raffle is crucial, so please all see what you can donate as a prize.
I am working on new ideas and new ways forward and still we are all focused on saving lives but for us competing against funds needed when others can afford TV adds etc seems very hard indeed. We won't let this get us down, we have to believe to achieve.
Your participation is the only way forwards, so let's all say a little prayer tonight that Many Tears will survive and carry on with its great work.