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Last Chance Hotel Animal Rescue & Rehome

With the Summer Holidays in full swing, there were opportunities in August for a little bit of fun and relaxation for some of the team. It doesn’t happen often, and a break from rescue is not only welcomed, but necessary, to recharge batteries and try to temporarily shake off the load that continues to bear down. Falmouth Carnival provided an outlet for a bit of fancy dress, as some team members joined the procession through the town, handing out leaflets and getting Last Chance Hotel out there in the public eye.

For one youngster however, Summer Holidays had a different meaning. Bella Stevens from Perranporth set out at the end of July to walk 300 miles along the South West Coast Path, camping along the way, all in aid of LCH. Bella and her family adopted Pepper and Milo from Last Chance about 6 months ago. Bella is 10 years old, and wise beyond her years as she was determined to fundraise for us, because she knows that we take on dogs with all sorts of problems, and are always in need of funds for vet bills. This young lady is an inspiration, and a credit to her parents Kim and Steve. Kim accompanied Bella, and the two little dogs on this gruelling challenge through terrible weather, physical hardship and plenty of blisters! We will have a full report of Bella’s adventure in next month’s newsletter.

As a rescue, Last Chance Hotel’s primary objective is the welfare of animals. But there is also a human element to our work. If someone falls on hard times, or a catastrophe hits them, we do our best to help in any way we can. Aside from the many waggy tail endings in August, we had the pleasure of reuniting a family with their beloved furbaby, and also receiving a delightful update from a very happy gentleman.

August brought us more dogs in desperate need, tears of joy and great sadness, challenges and relaxation, inspiration and amazing generosity.

Life is never dull in rescue.

New Arrivals

So many arrived in August, many from the pounds, and others given up by their owners for various reasons, it’s hard to decide which ones to showcase here. The sad sight of Doods, a Hungarian Puli, who was due to be PTS by his owners because he was biting, pulled at the heartstrings of many of our supporters. Luckily for him, the owner of the kennels where he had been taken whilst his fate was decided, persuaded his owners to let him come to rescue. His coat was a horrible tangled, matted mess. As soon as he arrived in Cornwall, he was taken to The Dog House, Helston, where Kathryn set to work on him, although he was terrified and snappy at being touched or handled. A huge shaving operation followed, and the result was astonishing. This boy wanted cuddles and strokes, now he was free of the painful mass of tangled hair he had been carrying for years. Doods is now in foster and learning how to be a dog again. Sisco, our cover boy, is 14 years old and had been dumped at the pound. He is such a friendly boy, it’s hard to understand why anyone would give him up. Lester the pup has a damaged leg and needs vet treatment and rehab to get him strong again. May is a friendly Collie x who has had to fend for herself at times. Sky the Husky cross and Fly the lurcher are private rehomes.

First 3 Left to Right  - Doods before, Doods after, and Sky.

Second 3 Left to Right - May, Lester and Fly

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.

Still Waiting

Georgie Porgie has come back into rescue through no fault of his own. This dear boy is 9 year old, and is looking for a child free forever home. Georgie has lived with other dogs, but not cats. He enjoys his walks and the beach, and ideally would like a home where someone is there most of the time. Like all lurchers, he loves to snooze on the sofa. Have you got a space on yours that is Georgie sized?
If you think you, or someone you know, could be that special someone for gorgeous Georgie please go to our website lastchancehotel.org or contact us by email info@lastchancehotel.org

Happy Departures to New Homes

Although August saw many dogs coming in to rescue, there were almost as many happy endings. Pip, Sally and Poppy Spaniel’s paws barely touched the ground before they all found their forever sofa. Four fosterers were added to the FFC (Failed Fosterers Club, - the best fail ever), with Caster, Violet, Roger and Honey making their stay permanent. Poppy the Pug cross and Narla the SBT found wonderful loving homes. Bruce’s owner had fallen on hard times, and was living in a car; Bruce’s new family are over the moon with their new addition. Finally, George, who has been in foster with Carla for so long, is no longer looking…..he’s staying put with her and her lovely gang of oldies. Happy days ahead for them all.

August Fundraisers

This is Bella, who is fundraising for LCH by walking 300 miles along the SW Coast Path. Bella is 10 years old, and has given up her entire summer holiday for this mammoth and gruelling challenge; she is accompanied by her mum Kim, and their two Last Chancers Pepper and Milo. At the time of publication, Bella and Kim are approaching the finish line at Plymouth, and we will ‘catch up’ with them properly next month. It has been very hard going at times, but these two have soldiered on through dreadful weather, injury and blisters. Bella’s JustGiving page* has 100 photos showing their journey, and she has so far raised over £1000 for Last Chance Hotel. If you would like to sponsor Bella, please pop along to her page. Massive thanks from all at LCH to Bella and Kim, and Pepper and Milo, for their amazing “feet of endurance”; they deserve a complete rest, - but Bella will be back at school the day after they finish!

*Bella’s page is under another name as she does not have a Justgiving account herself.

Heidi Lawrence and her husband reached their 25th Wedding Anniversary recently. For their celebration gathering, they asked everyone for donations to Last Chance Hotel, in lieu of presents. They enjoyed a great evening, and with donations via PayPal, in cards and collection buckets, raised a whopping £250 for us. Thank you Heidi!

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.

 A common training problem for dog owners is loose lead walking. Lots of us know the frustration of being dragged along as our dog pulls to get to the park or an interesting smell. I find with classic loose lead training methods, that the process of training is almost as boring as the act of being pulled along! Methods usually involve lots of turning and stopping, and not getting very far very fast. These approaches do work, eventually, but interest or momentum is lost quickly, and it’s so boring you feel that pulling is easier to put up with! Other harsher methods using punishment like jerking the lead might work more quickly, but they don’t make your dog want to walk nicely, but scare the dog into not pulling.

Rather than focusing on stopping pulling, really what we want is the dog to enjoy being close and focused on the handler, rather than distracted and wanting to explore the environment. We need a desire to be close to the owner and see them as the bringer of good things. So, grab a bag of treats, or a portion of your dog’s dinner, and let’s get training! In an area with no distractions, get your dog on a lead and stand still. Your dog will probably sniff the ground or try and pull. As soon as your dog turns to you mark them with a word “YES”, “Good”, or “Nice”! (You can use a clicker instead of a word). Then reward them with a yummy treat. Then wait until they move towards you and do the same. Take a step in one direction, then as your dog moves towards you mark and treat! It’s as simple as that. Keep lessons short and sweet and practice every day. As your dog gets good at it you can start moving further and faster. Always mark and reward when your dog moves into position next to you, and you can finish with a fun game of chase to really harness their desire to be with you!

Thank You!

A+ for Zooplus

A huge delivery of pallets containing all things dog arrived at HQ during August, a fantastic gift from online retailer Zooplus Pet Supplies. Massive thanks to Zooplus for this amazing donation of food, crates, beds and much more which will be used for all the animals in our care. Many thanks also to RR Transport of Redruth for transporting and storing the goods for us.

Buster's Bath

Huge thanks to Michele Ridgeway of Whiskers and Tails, Par, for giving Last Chancer Buster a bath and de-shed. He looks great!

Communication is everything

Grateful thanks to AdEPT Telecom plc who sponsor all our communications, including internet and telecommunications for HQ, the Hub Shop and our 01209 automated number. We look forward to a long and close relationship with you.

Kind thoughts at a sad time

We would like to thank Lorna Bannister for her donation of dog food, which is greatly appreciated. Thank you for thinking of us at such a sad time. Run free Luca, and we are sorry for your loss Lorna.

Support LCH with Lynn’s Knitted Dog Coats

Lynn is a lovely lady who supports LCH and other animal charities by knitting bespoke dog coats. Pop along to her website www.lynnsknitteddogcoats.co.uk and see how you can keep your pooch warm this winter and help LCH at the same time.

Brian, our Patron

See this lovely photo... this is Brian, our fab Patron with Lilylooloo a lifer, and Snoopy, one of Brian’s constant companions (you can just about see Max). Brian passed away and started on his new adventure on 27th August. He left us peacefully and in his sleep. Brian was a massive animal lover, he was a rescuer and a keeper of broken souls, he was a staunch supporter of Last Chance Hotel, and attended our dog shows as a guest and really great judge. Brian had a cheek about him and a sense of humour that hid his illnesses and his pain. He is now at The Bridge with all of his old charges, and his dearly loved wife. We will miss him more than we can say, and although our visits were few and far between, he understood, more than most, the nature of our rescue. All our love, strength and support goes to Sarah James, his daughter.

Rescues Revisited: 

Doggy Tales

Bronx

Some months ago we received a call from a very distraught owner who had sadly lost everything, including one of their beloved dogs in a house fire. The family cat was missing and found a week later; Bear was brought into our care, but sadly after seeing our vet it was discovered he was very ill, so with the owners’ consent and vet’s advice poor Bear was released from his suffering. The family were placed in temporary accommodation which had a “no pet” rule. After losing everything the last thing they needed was to be told they had to give up their one remaining precious pet. This is where LCH stepped in, Bronx came into our care. At first Bronx was placed in kennels but once we realised this was going to be long term a lovely foster home was found for him. Whilst in our care this gorgeous boy had a full health check, including castration, a dental and removal of a little cyst. Finally, after so many months of being apart, Bronx’s owners found a place to live and were reunited with their boy. It was a day of smiles, kisses and a very waggy tail from dear Bronx.

Raymond and Maddie

In September 2015 Raymond adopted 11 year old Sam, an almost completely white Springer Spaniel, from Last Chance Hotel. Sam and Raymond had nearly two very happy years together, before Sam was taken very poorly and helped on his way to the Rainbow Bridge in June. Raymond was devastated at his loss of Sam, he described him as a lovely little chap, his tail constantly wagging, and very popular with the dog owning fraternity. Raymond wrote to Janet, who had fostered Sam, to tell her the sad news, and also mentioned that if she came across another Springer around 7 or 8 years old, could he be considered as a potential adopter. Raymond may be getting in years, but there was no doubt at all that he would be a wonderful ‘dad’ to another dog in need of a home.

LCH has many contacts in the rescue world, rescues that work together to get the best outcome for the dogs that come into care, and social media (aka Facebook) plays a large part in that. We put out a shout to these rescues for a Springer that would fit Raymond’s criteria, and Cynthia from NESSR (NE Springer Spaniel Rescue) in Newcastle responded with a photo and spec of Maddie. She looked perfect for Raymond. A transport run was arranged (with all the difficulties of one from the North East to Cornwall!) and Maddie was safely delivered to Raymond by Jo, less than two weeks after he had lost his beloved Sam. Jo saw first hand how Maddie and Raymond instantly bonded, - he was besotted with his new companion; she was very similar in looks to his dear Sam. As Jo left, Raymond was taking Maddie out for a walk, totally in his element as he proudly showed her off to some friends.

Two months on and Raymond wrote to Janet again to let her know how Maddie had settled in, taken over and has turned into a gourmet dog with a taste for fish of all kinds! She rarely strays from his side when they are out, and thoroughly enjoys romping through the maize fields, flushing out whatever is there, as Spaniels so love to do. Maddie is a happy dog, tail always wagging and becoming popular with the local dog fraternity. A lovely update from a lovely gentleman, and we are very privileged to have been instrumental in bringing these two beautiful souls together.

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 a few tributes from August of that celebration of love.

Shay

Happy 2nd Gotcha Day, Shay.
We brought you home, straight from your vet check up, and you changed our lives completely. We couldn't have wished for a better dog. You have your quirks but you wouldn't be you if you didn't. I wish you'd eat more but, after the start you had, I'm not surprised you don't. However, you are a healthy, if slightly skinny, loving, loveable, nutty ball of collie fluff and we wouldn't have you any other way xx EL

Beanz

Happy 3 year Gotcha Day Beanz. CD

Teddy

It's been a year since we adopted gorgeous Teddy (also known as Maurice the Space Cowboy !!) How time flies. We wouldn't be without a rescue dog in our family. Grateful thanks to the wonderful team at LCH !! JC

Meet the Team!

Volunteering for Last Chance Hotel Animal Rescue

This month Sue Combellack describes her varied role within the team:

“I first joined Last Chance Hotel about 4 years ago when I fostered a collie (who I ended up adopting). Since then I have fostered quite a few dogs (and failed a few times too!!). I am currently fostering Meg on an end of life basis. I also help to organise some of our fundraisers, mainly the dog show part, and sometimes judge them, and I help out at our weekly training club. I love being a part of the team and am very proud of the work we do. Last Chance Hotel take on dogs regardless of what health or behavioural issues they have, or how old they are. I cannot imagine life without LCH, so many animals would not be alive now if we didn't have our amazing team.”

Sue

Dates for your Diary

Don’t miss the Last Chance Hotel

Autumn Fayre and Dog Show
Sunday 1st October 10am-4pm

Crofthandy Village Hall Nr St Day Redruth TR16 5JQ

Stalls, Tombola, Raffle, Games, Cake and Refreshments. Dog Show under cover in the marquee thanks to Absolute Canvas of Falmouth

Check out our website soon for details of classes and times

The Last Chance Hotel Hub Shop

The Hub Shop is situated at 83 Fore Street, Redruth, almost opposite Wilko’s, and open 10am - 4pm Monday to Saturday. Lots of new and preloved goods on sale and hot drinks in exchange for a donation. Pop in for advice about animal related issues, and a browse around! Our 'Sale' days have been very popular.

Volunteers to help man (or woman!) the shop are warmly welcomed, - just a couple of hours a week will help enormously. Please contact the shop on 01209 315547, or drop in for a chat.

Rainbow Bridge

Beautiful Bracken, another elderly Staffie dumped at the pound. She was one of the lucky ones, who came into end of life foster with the lovely Carla about a year ago. Bracken was such a gentle girl, who deserved more than being thrown out like garbage. Her time with Carla was filled with love and companionship, and now she is playing with Jake, Edgar and all the other LCH babies at Rainbow Bridge. Run free sweet girl.

It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal

Joaquin Phoenix