Just checking in...
A few folks have asked how we’re coping at LL HQ with the kennels and the house dogs, so I thought I’d let you know we’re doing OK.
We have a rota system going for the kennels, so the dogs are always looked after, but nobody needs to “meet” anyone else - all info is passed on by texts and notes on the white board down there. Luckily most of the dogs down in the kennels are fit and healthy (touch wood) so the fact the vets are on lock down too, shouldn’t be too much of an issue. It does mean we can’t get vax, boosters and neutering done at the mo though, as they’re not classed as “essential”.
Our local pet shop (Phoenix Pets in Queensbury) is still open so I can get the Healthy Option kibble we use once a week, as well as any treats / bones etc to keep the dogs busy. They’re not getting as many walks as they’re used to, but thank goodness we have our little paddock for them to have a quick zoom and a play in.
We’ve had a few people asking if they can foster a dog whilst they’re off work, which sounds like a great idea, but realistically it’s quite difficult to implement. We can’t do home checks at the mo ( although we’re looking into doing virtual ones) and the main problem is we can’t get dogs transported to new homes as it’s not deemed “ essential travel”. This, in turn, means we can’t take any new dogs in because we’ve not got space…but most stray pounds are also on lock down and not moving dogs. If members of the public need to rehome a dog, we’ll just have to try to come up with a solution to help.
Obviously having to cancel our show in May is going to be a big disappointment to many, but we’re going to have a Online Dog Show through our Facebook page, which should be fun. We’ll be trying to think of various forms of fund raising as we can’t do a stall at other people’s shows, coz they’re also cancelled, so if you have any ideas, do give us a shout.
Lastly, on a serious note, if any of you with LL dogs find yourselves in difficulty through this enforced isolation, or have to go into hospital and are worried about your dogs being looked after, PLEASE do get in touch and we will try to help out. If you are a single person with no near family, it might be a good idea to write out what should happen to your dog/s if you do have to go to hospital, as that’d be one less thing for you to worry about. I hope it doesn’t happen to anyone, but it’s as well to be prepared (yes I was a Girl Guide! :) ) You can get hold of me on kaye@lurcherlink.org or leave a message on the answerphone at 01422 240168…. but please ONLY use that for emergencies.
Mudz says it’ll be OK, he’s got his dinosaur and his blankets to keep cosy :)