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Last Chance Hotel Animal Rescue & Rehome

If the first month of 2018 is anything to go by, then there are even tougher times ahead for Last Chance Hotel and animal rescue in general. The demise of two small rescues up country, and many others struggling with a lack of funds and resources, does not bode well for all the dogs and other animals in need of a safe place to lay their heads. Add into the mix the necessity to remove 21 dogs from the deplorable environment of a run down dog rescue centre to places of safety, and we have a poor start to the year. The volunteers at the centre (based in Walsall) bravely came forward to ask for help for these dogs, which were kept in appalling conditions; a group called Rosedene 12, made up of around 40 people from other dog rescues (including LCH), charities and former volunteers, stepped in to help. Situations like these make us even more determined to ensure that this year yet more lives will be saved, more loving homes will be found for precious souls, and Last Chance Hotel will be stronger and better equipped to deal with whatever comes our way.

LCH continues to grow; our supporter base has increased exponentially over the last two and a half years, and we are humbled by all those kind people who have recently come forward to give their time, willing to help in some way, adding more vital cogs to the LCH machine. We are thankful for those who donate when we are desperate for funds for a poorly pooch, and to those who foster for us, often taking on difficult dogs who need that bit extra understanding, patience and care. All the fab peeps who support our local events, our online auctions and dog show, visit our Hub Shop to buy, and donate goods to all these fundraisers help ensure that yet more lives can be saved and the animals can have the veterinary treatment they need.

Times are hard for many at the moment, and there is a mood of uncertainty in the air, - the political shenanigans going on currently don’t help. But this is certain, - LCH will continue to protect all those in our care, and save even more lives in the coming year.

That is our mission, for 2018 and for as long as we are needed.

New Arrivals

The month of January is always a hard one in rescue, following on from Christmas and New Year and so it proved to be this time around. So many requests and demands, and having to make difficult decisions as to which ones make their way to the safe haven of Last Chance Hotel. These are just a few of them. Dear Jade lost her owner over Christmas, but after a short time in foster this girl has now found a loving new family. Mia, aged 9, came from another rescue which folded, and she desperately needed the support of Rescue Back Up (RBU), which is where we came in. This beauty has landed on all four paws with a savvy and caring new family. Nancy, pictured right, was picked up from the pound by mistake by another rescue; this happens sometimes, we are none of us perfect, and mistakes do occur. Nancy had shown some dog aggression in kennels, and the rescue who picked her up could not take her as there was no space for a potential dog-aggressive dog, so Nancy had to go back to the pound. We were alerted to her plight by the fabulous Lily Bear-Lisa who transported her, so we contacted Carolyn Robinson and offered help, which was accepted. Nancy is now safe, and at the time of going to press, will shortly be on her way to Cornwall, and looking for a savvy child free foster home. Milo the lab, and little Lacey have gone into foster; their forever homes are on the horizon, and Tim’s fosterer has already “failed”! 6 year old Buzz is looking for a foster home with view to adopt.

Top pic: Nancy

1st row left to right  - Jade, Mia, and Buzz

2nd row left to right - Milo, Tim, and Lacey

These are just a few of the incomers for last month. 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. We now have a news section on the Home page; dogs are constantly being assessed in their foster homes and information changes regularly.

Happy Departures to New Homes

January appeared to be the month of the “failed foster”, that very special kind of fail when a pooch is told that he or she is staying put. Noodle came into rescue in the autumn of last year, and Tim came under LCH’s wing only recently; both have managed to charm their fosterers into keeping them. Zola has been in foster for almost a year, undergoing extensive rehab, and in January we received the news that her fosterer had decided that the best place for her was with him. This gorgeous girl now has a permanent lap to rest her head upon. Happy days for you Zola!

At the other end of the spectrum, Lucy’s paws hardly touched the ground, this little sweetheart found a home very quickly. Henry, the Staffie with the neurological problems, who came in to rescue in November, has settled in and is having fun in permanent foster care. Last Chance Hotel is not just about dogs; Biscuit, the ginger cat, who has been in foster with Louisa following a house fire, returned to her owners, who are now in more suitable accommodation; they were overjoyed to have her back in their lives. Chancer the pony trotted off to his forever home, and the three female rats that came into rescue in November have made a young lady very happy! A great start to the year for all these animals and their families.

Top: Zola and dad

1st row left to right: Lucy, rat girls, and Noodle

2nd row left to right: Biscuit, Chancer and Henry

Fundraisers

Lee’s stroll from Bracknell to Portsmouth
We never cease to be amazed at the adventurous ideas that our supporters come up with to fundraise for us. Lee Nicholls decided that, as he fancied a bit of a challenge and was free on Sunday 21st January, he would take a stroll from Bracknell to Portsmouth, a distance of about 40 miles. He estimated 17 hours to complete the walk, but on the day (he started in the very early hours) it took him 18 hours, in unkind weather, a hard task indeed. But it was all worth it, because to date he has surpassed his target of £500, raising £660 for the animals in our care. Hats off to you Lee, we hope you recovered quickly; massive thanks from all the team for putting your best foot forward for LCH.

LCH Online Fun Dog Shows
Andrew Russell, not content with organising local fun dog shows for us on a regular basis, has now come up with an online fun dog show, the first of which was held during January. The fab trophy for Best in Show went to Poppy, owned by Selena Vigo Di Gallidoro, who had this to say about her special pooch: ‘Poppy is 14 years old and came to me after her owner sadly passed away, but don’t be fooled by her little old lady look, she causes more trouble than any of the younger dogs, - she chases the chickens, pees on my floor, shouts at me constantly as well as stealing off the coffee table, but she’s a huge part of my family and we love her dearly.’

Poppypiddlepants is the epitome of what LCH stands for. An old dog in desperate circumstances given a new leash of life. Congratulations to Poppy and Selena, and huge thanks to Andrew for organising the show and Sarah and Emma for judging all the fab entries.

Why not join in the fun? Just check out ‘LCH Online fun dog shows’ on Facebook, and join the page! There will be many more shows throughout the year.
STOP PRESS! Andrew has just introduced an online cat show, for our feline friends. Join the Facebook page : ‘LCH Online Cat Shows’, and enter the competition from the comfort of your armchair.

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.

Sit Happens

In this occasional feature, Sarah Higgins, who runs LCH’s ‘Sit Happens’ Dog Training, gives training and behaviour tips

Enrichment is an often-overlooked aspect of dog ownership. Brain games are so much more than a bit of fun, they are mentally taxing, increase confidence, promote problem solving, and are an excellent way to occupy an energetic dog. So instead of pouring dog food into a boring old bowl, how about you hide it around the house? Make your dog search for their dinner, exercising those amazing olfactory abilities that have been harnessed for use in drug detection and human rescue dogs. Or maybe your dog is afraid of new things and you need to boost their confidence. In this case utilise your recycling by getting a cardboard box and filling it with rolled up newspaper, empty food packets and plastic bottles, then chuck your dog’s food in it and encourage them to snuffle about amongst the bits and pieces.

Some people think that a dog getting three walks a day but is still zooming around the house needs more exercise, but the more you walk a dog, the more they need, and you end up creating a canine athlete who requires 10 miles a day at least! Instead involve them in an activity that satisfies their need to expend energy, but instead of working their legs they are working their brains. Something like a stuffed Kong, Snuffle Mat, filled hoof or even just scattering their food on the lawn will really get them working, but as a bonus it also acts as a calming activity for busy dogs.

Enrichment is especially beneficial for fearful dogs or reactive dogs. It lowers their arousal level and engages their brains on something other than anxiety. It’s a useful tool to have if you and your dog have had a stressful day or a bad walk, as it helps reduce stress levels and encourages them to calm down and rest. Enrichment is key to a happy hound.

Thank you!

Amazonians strike again!

Huge thanks to the anonymous supporter who sent us this bundle of goodies from our Amazon Wishlist for the animals in our care. Very much appreciated!

Santa Paws Appeal - just WOW!

A massive, massive thank you to Support Adoption for Pets for our donation cheques raised from the Santa Paws Appeal which ran throughout December at branches of Pets at Home.
We truly appreciate your valued ongoing support and that of the customers of PAH; thank you all for taking part in this amazing fundraiser.

Pictured here are some of the fantastic PAH staff; above is James, manager of Pool branch, and on the right, staff members at Bodmin branch, proudly holding the presentation cheques.
Also a big thank you to Claudine, Janet and Sarah for being the faces of Last Chance Hotel, as always we appreciate all time you freely give to LCH.

Did you Know?

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.
Thank you from Team LCH and all the animals!

Happy Gotcha Day!

“Gotcha Day” is the name given to the day a lucky hound first came into his or her forever home. 

MR PICKLES

Happy 1 year Gotcha Day Mr Pickles. You're such an amazing and much loved member of our family. Thanks LCH for introducing us and for all the hard work you do xx SH

Rainbow Bridge

Jessie was dumped in the pound by her old owners in 2016. This dear old soul knew love and kindness from her lovely adopter Sylvia, and died in the arms of humans that loved her very much. Run free sweet Jessie, you are truly missed.

Albert was also a poundie. He had been abandoned by his previous owners and ended up on death row, old, tired, frightened and ready to give up. He came into rescue just before Christmas 2013, and went into foster with Mandy and family. Everyone was convinced that he only had a few weeks left, he seemed so frail. But with the love and care from his new family, he gained strength and it was clear he had decided he wasn’t going anywhere yet! He loved life, even though he found walking tough and was mostly deaf, and would greet his family with the waggiest tail every single day. Albert went to Rainbow Bridge from the comfort of his favourite bed, under his favourite table, full of chicken and ham and held tight by those who loved him until he let go. Our hearts go out to Mandy and family, who gave Albert the best 4 years of his life, and adored this special boy. Run free at the Bridge Albie.

Rescues Revisited

This is what Last Chance Hotel is all about...

A birthday tribute from Joe….
Happy 4th birthday to my baby boy!
We adopted Louie 2 and a half years ago and every day has been the best day of my life with him by our side. He is the sweetest most loving and sensitive lad and makes me so proud. 
Having the responsibility of caring for Louie really opened my eyes to how innocent and vulnerable animals are. It definitely had an impact on seeing that innocence and vulnerability in all other animals and how devastating and heartbreaking it is that we take advantage of those qualities for our own pleasure.

We adopted Louie from Last Chance Hotel, Cornwall. They work so hard to save lives of animals all breeds/ages and have always been so supportive to me and Marianne with Louie. If you're looking to rescue definitely check them out!
Give your pets plenty of hugs and kisses everyday! ADOPT ANIMALS AND SPOIL THEM!! JV

Hetty
I'm happy Hetty gaining confidence slowly. Toilet training we don't talk about because pads are left down for me so I don't need to do those functions outside unless on a walk! (I scoot back in from the garden to relieve myself, haha!) I love my food but they weigh my portions ‘cos I'm voluptuous - I still get treats though ‘cos my humans love me dearly x JC

Can you help?

Last Chance Hotel is urgently looking for a new place to rent, ideally a farm or smallholding, with approximately 4 acres of land, a small residential dwelling and outbuildings to use or convert for rescue purposes. Any condition will be considered, but it needs to be accessible, with electricity, running water and no nearby neighbours. We would like to stay in the Cornwall/ Devon area, but may consider further afield.
If you know of a suitable property, please get in touch with us: 01209 281159 or email info@lastchancehotel.org. Thank you.

Dates for your Diary

Sunday 11th February 10am until 4pm

Pencarrow, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL30 3AG

Snowdrop Sunday in aid of LCH. Entrance is by donation. The Peacock Cafe will be open for refreshments and dogs are welcome in the gardens. Come along and enjoy the snowdrops and beautiful gardens and help our animals at the same time! There will be a charity stall where you can meet some of the LCH team members.

Details of this event can be found on our website Events page.

Saturday 17th February doors open 7.30pm
Disco and buffet at Mount Charles Social Club, Clifden Road, St Austell PL25 4NX. Tickets £4 available on the door and at Penwinnick Road Garage, St Austell. Strut your groovy stuff and boogie your way into Spring at this Disco and Buffet for Last Chance Hotel.

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole

Roger A. Caras