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The February weather has been record breaking, but we seem to be back to winter gales as this newsletter is being prepared. Nevertheless, we are looking ahead to the rest of the year and fundraising events to help pay the vet bills. We have four dog shows lined up, the first will be held on 7th April at our usual venue of Crofthandy Village Hall, and we look forward to seeing many happy dogs and owners on the day. October 2019 also marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of Last Chance Hotel,  - so many lives saved since that time, and we trust many more vulnerable creatures will come into our care in the years to come. As most of you know, LCH is an all animal rescue; horses, goats, ex-battery hens and ducks reside at the Sanctuary, and we have small animals such as rats and mice in care, and cats in foster, with specialist team members elsewhere. All our volunteers work hard, many have full time jobs, and we are forever grateful for all these people whose love for animals ensures that we function as a strong, solid team, and a trustworthy and committed charity. 

Here is our March newsletter, with our latest fund-raising efforts, an article from our 'crazy cat lady', some happy Gotchas, Rosie's Mini Quiz, and Sanctuary news, along with our regular features.

New Arrivals

Molly the SBT came into rescue needing a quiet foster home where she would be cared for whilst undergoing surgery for a mammary mass, and a possible amputation. She was in a poor state of health, suffering from Leptospirosis, and with intensive treatment from our fab vets, recovered from this but needed extra TLC and time to get her strength up for the operation. She went into foster with Stephanie Martyn and family who say she is a gorgeous friendly girl and settled in really well. Molly has now had her operation, and returned home to her lovely foster family on 23rd February, somewhat tired, bless her. If you would like to donate a few pounds to help with her vet bill, we would be very grateful; this girl has been through the mill and deserves the chance of a happy future.

Little Ollie is just 2 years old and is looking for his forever home. He can live with other dogs with all the usual introductions but is not overly keen on larger dogs. Ollie is a little shy when meeting new people so he needs someone with patience and understanding to give him the time to settle and learn to trust.

Dear Mia, - this 2 year old girl has had puppies and her owner decided to keep a couple of her babies but decided to have mum PTS.... She is waiting for a quiet, savvy foster home as she is also a little shy with new people. 

You can find more information on these and the other dogs by visiting our website pages: for foster or for adoption.

Above: Ollie, Mia

These are just a few of the recent incomers. If you would like to follow their progress, and find out more about all the others, please check out our Facebook page and website lastchancehotel.org. 

STOP PRESS

*****    Degus!!    *****

We have 2 incoming into our care and once assessed they will be looking for a new home. The usual applications and home checks will apply.

Waggy Tail Endings

It's not always dogs...... twenty of our ex-battery hens were put up for adoption in mid February, having been brought back to good health at the Sanctuary, looking great and laying well. We had several applications, which were all home checked, and some of the hens have already moved into their new homes. The photo here shows one such clutch of chickens enjoying a dust bath at their new abode.

Sanctuary News

Dog Training comes to the Sanctuary

Dog training classes will be coming to The Sanctuary, starting in the next month or so, with dates to be confirmed. These classes will be held by IMDT certified trainer Carolyn Boyd of West Cornwall Dog Training. You can find out more about these classes on her Facebook Events page.

Bats

We were hoping for an in depth article this month from Sam on the rehabilitation of bats, but due to breaking her knee badly, this has had to be shelved until further notice. Several bats have come into the care of the Sanctuary recently, especially with the recent warmer weather, which is waking them earlier from hibernation than is usual. Unfortunately there is very little for them to eat at this time of year, so they are often malnourished. Two such little ones came in recently, both pictured below; one, a Brown Long-eared bat, - injured, possibly mauled by a cat, and a little Pipistrelle, a bit thin and weak. (Bat fact: Pips only weigh around 5 grams, about the same as a 20p piece) They and the other bats are now in the care of Chris and Sue Harlow. These bat experts have been rehabilitating bats for some time and were due to retire, with Sam taking over the reins, having learned so much from them. They have also taught theory and handling to some of our volunteers (Dave, Laura, Carla, Andrew, Roxy, and Paul the Vet).

Thank you Chris and Sue for all your help, and also Louisa, Fiona, Andrew and Tori for helping out with picking up the bats and delivering them to their safe place with Sue.

Thanks from Sam..

'A huge massive thank you to Fiona Dyer and Jaz for coming onto the sanctuary and deep cleaning all the stables and animal houses out. A massive endeavour, on their own. I am so grateful.'

LCH Sanctuary position still open

We still have a space on our sanctuary for a like minded soul, animal lover to come and stay. We ask that you are able to turn your hand to most things, including working with the animals, building, growing veg, ground maintenance etc etc... no kids at all (sorry), no drug or drink problems and no drama queens. You will need to bring your own living area (camper, caravan etc). This is NOT a paid position, negotiation hours/rent/leccy/water... in a nutshell, a few hours work in exchange for rent etc .... email only please info@lastchancehotel.org. Based in Cornwall.

Fundraisers

We have a new online dog show running at the moment, with a slightly different format to previous ones. Just one class to enter, with any number of pics of your pooch(es) as you like, and when we have 40 entries, we will hold a poll for the favourites. Pop along and join the LCH online dog shows page here. Perfect for dogs who don't cope well in a busy show environment, and with outdoor shows not so much fun in bad weather. Prizes of Pets at Home vouchers for the winners too!

Don't forget the LCH Bonus Ball page. If you would like to join in and have a flutter, please like the LCH Bonus Ball page here.

If you would like to help LCH with a fundraising event, please contact the team with your idea on 01209 281159 or email Louisa on louisa@lastchancehotel.org.

Thank you!

Pawpers knows how to treat a cat

Many thanks to Lyn Lay and Pawpers for these super bags of treats for the LCH foster cats. 

Kongs galore for our dogs!

A huge thank you to Fundraise for Strays for this fab package of goodies for the dogs in our care. We know how busy you are, and really appreciate your support.

More presence....

We’re delighted to announce that we’ll be partnering with ​Cornwall digital agency Peaky Digital as their named charity-of-the-year. The Truro-based Digital Agency will be supporting the sanctuary with a range of digital services, helping us grow our presence online. Thank you Peaky Digital for your support.

No Chocolate February

Emily Bartlett loves chocolate, so giving it up for the whole of February was tough going, but in doing so she raised £140 for LCH,  - what a fabulous amount! She celebrated on the 1st March with a big chocolate muffin, and who can blame her?!! A huge thank you to Emily, ease yourself back in gently now..... 

Please could you vote for us?

Animal Friends Pet Insurance are giving away £1000 to each of 10 lucky charities in March. If you are on Facebook, please could you take a minute to nominate us on the Animal Friends Facebook page, and add a sentence as to why LCH deserves this fantastic donation (this is important otherwise the nomination will not be counted). Voting ends at 5pm Tuesday 5th March, so not much time left!

Click HERE to go to the Animal Friends post. Thank you!

Cats, Cats, Cats

Louisa Blum is LCH's hard working admin lady. As well as having a full time job, she somehow also manages to be a foster mum to the Last Chance Hotel cats, and was finally pinned down to write a little article on how this came about.....

I have been part of Last Chance Hotel for over 4 years now, I carry out all the admin for the rescue.

Back in April 2017 a friend in the village knocked on my door to ask me to come and scan a cat that she had found injured in some bushes, to see if it was microchipped for identification. Sadly the cat was not microchipped and was not in a good way, so I took her to our local vet.  The receptionist asked me to call the RSPCA for them to give authority to treat the cat but I called LCH instead and asked if I could sign her in under us.  The poor cat had a broken pelvis, the most likely cause being hit by a vehicle. The following day she was operated on and subsequently came into foster with me and was named April.  Meanwhile her owners had been found but were not in a position to give her the aftercare she needed and signed her over to Last Chance Hotel. April suffered a few setbacks along the way and we fell in love with her so decided she would not be leaving our care.  That was the start of me becoming the “crazy cat lady” for LCH.

A huge run was built in my garden so the cats can have 24 hour outdoor access without the risk of being run over.

Next to join us was Tony Boots (aka LGF) and Maisy cat with her 3 beautiful kittens. Maisy still lives with us but all her kittens found loving homes.

Coming up to Christmas in 2017 we received a call to help a lady and her daughter who were the victims of a devastating house fire and they needed a foster home for their beautiful cat Biscuit; she stayed with us over Christmas and went back to her family when they were settled in their temporary accommodation.

I currently have 9 cats in my care and that includes David the Cat!!! 

David – hmmm, this boy has got himself quite a following on Facebook with his antics, thieving and generally making a nuisance of himself. David came into our care as a stray that a lady had been feeding for some months; he had a poorly ear that needed surgery, so LCH took him under our wing and got him the treatment needed and he is now a permanent member of our household. I’m not quite sure what I did to deserve him though, he may be popular with his fans, but they don’t have to live with him!!! His buddy is Rigsby the Tortoise, who appears to have a similar attitude to his furry friend.

All the cats rub along with each other and our three dogs, and sometimes help me with the LCH admin if they’re in the mood. Cats are such beautiful creatures, with amazing individual personalities, not least David the hooligan……

Rescues Revisited

We love to hear from our adoptive families, and every so often will feature a story or two from them in this feature. This month Bruno and Jester tell their own stories, having been part of the Russell household for the last two years.

My story by Jester, age 4.

My dad just told me it is 2 1/2 years since I got adopted. Where has that time gone? I don't really remember a lot of my early life. I was on my way to Cornwall from Scotland and got as far as Yorkshire when something went wrong with the travel link to Cornwall. I stayed there for about two weeks and then new arrangements were made for me. A lady called Selena dropped me off at my new foster home. I was very nervous and met the other two dogs, Rosie and Tony (fat boy). Rosie told me to show my belly to the humans to get treats. After a couple of days I felt confident enough to do this. Mmmm I love belly rubs! After about a week, my foster dad said to me "Now little Jester, how would you like to stay here for ever?" Well, I jumped at the chance! Selena came to do my paperwork and the rest is history! Since then I have won 'most handsome male' at a Last Chance Hotel dog show. I have been to the Sit Happens dog training class run by Sarah Higgins as I don't really like other dogs when I am out walking. Sarah said to give me treats to distract me then carry on walking. God bless you Sarah! I always make sure my treat bag is full before going out!

Much love to everyone

Jester

My story by Bruno (age 19)

Hello everyone, Bruno here. This is my story.....

Two years ago my mummy passed away and I was very sad. Last Chance Hotel rang a family and said they wanted a quiet home for me. Selena dropped me off and I met Rosie, Jester and Jack the other dogs. I made Jester come into the garden and play. Selena told me I would be fine there and went home. My foster dad came home from work and I told him off for interrupting my play! Jester collapsed in bed at 9.30 as the big softy was tired and ruined my fun! Next day my foster mum was crying. Everyone asked her what was wrong and she said that she wanted me to stay there forever. Theresa from Last Chance Hotel said that I could stay and everyone was happy.

Much love from Bruno

Bruno is just one of the dogs in end of life foster care with Last Chance Hotel, and we will continue to ensure that he and all the others under our wing always receive the best possible veterinary care whenever required, but we need your help.  Our vet bill now regularly exceeds £7500 a month. If you could spare a few pounds now, or even better, each month, we would be very grateful. 

Rosie's Mini Quiz

Rosie is an ex puppy farm breeding girl. She came into rescue last September with several other Chihuahuas and now has a loving home with an LCH volunteer. She is very inquisitive (nickname 'Nosy Rosie') so we thought she would be ideal to host a miniature quiz! All answers can be found in the newsletter.

LCH Allsorts

1. Name 6 types of animals that are currently in the care of LCH
2. How many dog shows do we have lined up for 2019?
3. Approximately how much does a Common pipistrelle bat weigh?
4. What new activites are starting soon at the Sanctuary?
5. A special anniversary of the charity in 2019, - how many years?

(Answers at the end of the newsletter)

Happy Gotcha Day!

“Gotcha Day” is the name given to the day a lucky hound first came into his or her forever home. Here are some tributes of that celebration of love

VALERIE

One year ago today this little girl came into our lives. She and we have come such a long way in a year! LA 

Dates for your Diary

Sunday 7th April 12 noon start   LCH Companion and Fun Dog Show (no stalls sorry) at Crofthandy Village Hall, Nr St Day, TR16 5JQ

14th July 10am - 4pm  LCH Summer Fayre and Dog Show at Crofthandy Village Hall

Did you Know?

We have a NEW LAST CHANCE HOTEL FACEBOOK PAGE, which aims to keep you updated with all the latest news on the dogs and much more. Please click on the link and ‘like’ our page.

We have other Facebook groups: LAST CHANCE HOTEL AUCTION runs auctions throughout the year, with loads of fab stuff up for grabs, raising vital funds for our vet bill.

Our Amazon Wishlist, by which you can purchase specific goodies and have them delivered to us, is a lovely way to send a present for our animals! The link will take you straight there for a browse of all sorts of goodies from toys and chews to harnesses, coats and lovely food.

There are also ways to help raise funds for us whilst you’re shopping online, which don’t cost you a penny. Easyfundraising is a scheme whereby you can shop at many popular retailers such as Amazon, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, and they will donate a small percentage (usually 1%) of your order to the charity of your choice, with no extra expense to you. Giveasyoulive is a similar scheme, with over 4000 retailers involved.

Like all charities, we depend almost entirely upon the generosity of our wonderful supporters. We have several ways in which monetary donations can be made: PayPal is easy and convenient for the many people who hold an account.

JustGiving provides another way of donating and also an opportunity for individuals to fundraise for us through sponsorship of a personal challenge. In addition, it allows us to claim back the Gift Aid part of the donation which can add vital pennies.

If neither of these methods are suitable, then we are more than happy to accept donations via direct bank transfer using the following information:

Barclays
Last Chance Hotel
Sort code: 20-67-19
Account no: 73797503
(Do drop us a quick email with your details so we can say thanks!)

or cheques, if sent to our Treasurer, at the address given at the bottom of this newsletter.

Legacies are also a vital source of support and we now have a dedicated page on our website which provides information on legacies and about leaving a gift in your Will to Last Chance Hotel. All donations enable us to continue our work in rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming, and legacies provide a future for the charity, as well as giving us further opportunity to educate, inform and promote responsible pet ownership.

Thank you from Team LCH and all the animals!

Rosie's Mini Quiz answers:

1. Horses, dogs, cats, rats, mice, hens, ducks, goats, bats.   2. 4 shows             3. 5 grams          4. Dog training      5. 10 years

“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.”
Terry Pratchett