Issue 43 October 2015 RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter, Black

Issue 43 October 2015
RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter, Black Hat Lane, Bakers Hill, Exeter EX2 9TA
Tel: 01392 439898  www.rspca-littlevalley.org.uk
SHOPS
129 Reddenhill Rd, Babbacombe TQ1 3NT
Tel: 01803 323841
1 Market Street, Brixham TQ5 8EU
Tel: 01803 859695
46 High Street, Budleigh EX9 6LJ
Tel: 01395 442349
31 Cowick Street, Exeter EX4 1AL
Tel: 01392 213847
27 Paris Street, Exeter EX1 2JB
Tel: 01392 494759
91 South Street, Exeter EX1 1EN
Tel: 01392 494113
49 Courtenay St, Newton Abbot TQ12 2QN
Tel: 01626 330716
10 Torquay Road, Paignton TQ3 3AB
Tel: 01803 528118
Brutus Centre, Totnes TQ9 5RW
Tel: 01803 866597
LITTLE VALLEY ANIMAL SHELTER
RSPCA South, East & West Devon Branch
Black Hat Lane, Bakers Hill, Exeter, EX2 9TA
Registered Charity No: 205154
Telephone: 01392 439898
Email: info@rspca-littlevalley.org.uk
Website: rspca-littlevalley.org.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/rspcalittlevalley
Twitter: twitter.com/rspcaexeter
Just Giving: justgiving.com/rspcaexeter
Shelter Opening Times
Open 6 days a week (closed Wednesdays)
11.00am-4.00pm (Last entry: 3.30pm)
24 hour Cruelty and Advice Line:
0300 1234 999
Shelter News
By Jo Evans, Shelter Manager
It has been a busy time here, with lots of events happening. Adam did his Skydive and
raised a whopping £483.18—so a big ‘Well done’ and ‘Thank you’ to Adam. We have also
had a small Car Boot Sale here and raised £118—we hope to try this again next year come
the Spring. The Open Afternoon was popular with lots of visitors and the homemade cakes
went down a treat—we raised a fantastic £333.04. Then there was the Big Walkies which
was supported by lots of dogs and their owners—more of that later in this issue. Somehow,
we managed to book sunshine for all these events which made them all the more
enjoyable! A big ‘Thank you’ to all who got involved whether attending, volunteering,
making cakes etc. Keep an eye out for next year’s events.
Many of you will have met Jan, who has been our receptionist for the past 7-8 years. She
had retired from her full-time school role to come and work with us on a part-time basis.
She has now retired—take two! Hopefully she will be able to enjoy more holidays and
hobbies and enjoy the quiet life! Thank you Jan for all your hard work and we wish you well
in your retirement. We have found Jan’s replacement in one of our volunteers and Julie
Thomas will be joining the team shortly.
Lastly, I look forward to seeing many of you at the Christmas Fair on Saturday 28
November. Remember it is here at the Shelter throughout the day, so please pop in for a
festive warmer, a wander round the Shelter and a chance to buy lots of Christmas gifts
from many interesting craft stalls. There is a poster for this on the back of this issue—
please feel free to display it somewhere to help promote the event. See you there!
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Dog Sensory Garden Update
We are making great progress with the Dog Sensory Garden, as you can see from
the photos below! From left to right—dog pond with tiny dog access, textured tiles
for the dogs to explore, the sand pit taking shape with jasmine and hops planted
ready for the dogs to snack on if they wish and finally, the garden so far!
Rabbit Compounds Update
Our rabbit compounds are complete and in use—hurrah! It’s been a long road but
it was absolutely worth it. Take a look at these happy bunnies—and even guinea
pigs!—enjoying the new compounds!
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Friends of Little Valley
By Jill Brush, Membership Secretary
Autumn is upon us. Where did the summer go? It's true that as one gets older the
time flies by or is life more fulfilling and we more contented? I am sure I can rely
on the wonderful Friends of Little Valley to support our Christmas Fair raffle as
strongly as ever and, if possible, please come along to our Shelter which is hosting
the Christmas Fair for the first time—we and the animals will be there to welcome
you. Thank you so much for your continued support. To contact me email
phillandjillb@aol.com or telephone on 01392 661424.
Young Fundraiser
Ellie Morgan and her friends decided to raise some money for Little Valley with a
bake sale on their doorstep. They raised a whopping £88.70 for the animals! Thank
you Ellie and friends—a magnificent effort. Ellie came up to the Shelter and had a
tour around when she presented us with the money she had raised.
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We have three wishlists — one for dogs, one for cats and the other for
small animals. They list lots of items that our animals really like, such
as treats and toys. You will need an Amazon account to do this but it’s
really easy to set up and it’s free. Go to www.amazon.co.uk. Log into your Amazon account and
type into the search box “RSPCA Little Valley Wishlist” and our wishlists will come up! It’s a
great way to help us out and all the animals in our care will be very grateful! And don’t forget to
claim for your purchases using Easyfundraising, as we can raise even more money that way!
If you shop online, please use
Easyfundraising to help us raise even
more money. Lots of well known
retailers are on there and it’s free to
register. Sign up at:
www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/
rspcalittlevalley
Giveacar raises money for UK charities
by scrapping and selling old cars. They
provide a nationwide FREE service
which:
- Arranges the collection of the vehicle
from your home;
- Depending on its age and condition,
recycles it at an authorised facility or
sends it to auction.
To arrange donation of a car visit
www.giveacar.co.uk or call 020 7736
4242, quoting “RSPCA Little Valley
Animal Shelter” as your chosen charity.
Join the Pets at Home VIP Club to get great
discounts. Select your home store as Exeter,
Exmouth, Torquay or Newton Abbot and you
can opt for Little Valley as your chosen
charity so we can receive benefits as you
shop! Register at: http://vip.petsathome.com
Please consider sponsoring a dog kennel, cat
pen or rabbit run for as little as £3 a month
through our Safe Haven scheme. An application form can be found on our website.
A legacy to us will provide crucial funds. We
could not carry on our work without such generous support. Please visit our website to find out
more about leaving a legacy to us.
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Pat Pollock
It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Pat
Pollock—Trustee, Budleigh Salterton Shop Manager and former
Exmouth Auxiliary Secretary.
Pat’s love of animals could be traced back to her childhood in the
West Country and the time she spent living on a farm with her
parents. On leaving school she joined the WRAF where she was
commissioned and acquired many new skills, not least flying a
glider! It was during her time as WRAF Schools’ Liaison Officer for
the North East, based at RAF Middleton-St-George, that she met
her future husband Dave Pollock, who was also an RAF officer.
Pat resigned her commission when she married and embarked
on life as a ‘service wife’ moving frequently, both in the UK and abroad, with Dave, their
two sons and various animals.
It was after retirement to Exmouth twenty two years ago,
and as a result of adopting Boot (a large black Collie cross)
from Little Valley that Pat became an active supporter of
the work of the Shelter. She made few concessions to retirement and employed her legendary organisational skills
for the benefit of the Branch and the other charities she
supported. She was a committed and conscientious Branch
Trustee for many years and could be relied upon to give
wise, considered and fair advice. As Auxiliary Secretary she
also organised the successful fundraising activities of the
Exmouth Auxiliary Group for several years until 2009 and
was responsible for recruiting and nurturing many supporters of the work of Little Valley.
From 1997 Pat managed the Budleigh Salterton Shop on a voluntary basis, ably assisted by
Beryl Gooding as Deputy Manager. During this time she built up a loyal band of volunteers
who were inspired by her friendliness and enthusiasm. This, in turn, helped to create a
welcoming atmosphere within the shop which was much valued by customers and
resulted in the substantial financial contribution made by
the shop on an annual basis towards the running costs of
Little Valley.
In 2001 Pat and Dave adopted Molly from the Shelter. She
was a stray Staffie cross from the streets of Liverpool and
came with ‘attitude’. It is due to their loving care and
patience that she matured into a lovely companion.
Pat was a great ambassador for the Branch and will be
sadly missed by all her friends. We send our sympathy
to Dave and her family.
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Special Case Dog Rescue
Back in January 2014 we were involved in a
large case at Doddiscombsleigh. In all, 28
dogs were rescued from the property—
many of whom came to Little Valley. It took
a long 18 months before the case came to
trial and the dogs were finally able to be
rehomed. Of all the dogs in our care from
Willow
Acorn
this case, only Willow and Acorn are still
looking for their forever homes.
Bernie joined the Sellick family in May 2015, here is his story: “Bernie has quickly settled,
going from being quite a nervous dog to become a confident and happy chap. We were
prepared for Bernie not to be house-trained and to struggle being in the house, but he is
very much at home and has found his place! In all this time we have had no accidents in
the house at all and he is quite the model dog! He loves his countryside walks and has discovered the joys of sticks, occasionally choosing to play with
Bernie
a toy as well! His favourite past-times are watching the
world go by in the garden, snuggling up in his favourite chair
and having a bit of a fuss made of him (he even quite likes
being groomed). We knew that Bernie would need time and
a quiet, calm, patient approach, and bringing him home is
the best decision we could have made. He very much chose
us and the speed with which he has settled is due (in no
small part) to the time, work and efforts of the Little Valley
team, who continue to be a great support. Bernie is a tender
and very sweet-natured boy who we love seeing come out of his shell a bit more as the
weeks go on. We can't remember life before Bernie - he is absolutely part of the family!”
Wendy (Wendolin) was adopted by Gill Watson, here is her update on her: “I'm sorry to
see that some of the other dogs from the same home are still waiting for homes, as if they
are anything at all like Wendy they will make fantastic pets.
Wendy is just wonderful—so gentle and tolerant. She is still
Wendy
nervous of people but I can now walk her down into Topsham on
a quietish morning; we just stop off at a cafe where we can sit
outside in a quiet spot and the guys who run it have been making
friends with Wendy and giving her treats—bits of sausage and
bacon! Mostly we walk in quieter areas. She has been over to
Sidmouth to see my Mum and go for a stroll there and has managed well. When I come home from work she goes berserk and
roars round the garden. Her personality is coming out more with
every passing day.” Recently, Wendy came back to visit the staff
and she was an absolute star!
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New Homes Required!
Many of the animals in our last edition have now been rehomed. Bob the Sharpei
is still waiting, but more about him elsewhere in this newsletter. Poor Acorn and
Willow are still waiting for their forever homes, as are ferrets Capt America and
Ant-Man, who have now teamed up with fellow super-sleuth ferret Miss Marple!
All the latest animals for adoption are on our website: www.rspcalittlevalley.org.uk.
Liquorice & Cinnaomon
Snuggs
Cluedo
Syrup
Mr Darcy
Loki
Florence
Caleb
Caleb
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Happy Endings!
Reggie
Pebbles
Roger
Tubbs
Bryson
Zeus
Bear with new
pal Roxanne
Ermintrude
Judd now Max
Freddie
Freddie
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Daphne Absalom
We are very sorry to report the death of the Branch
President, Miss Daphne Absalom.
Daphne was a lifelong supporter of the work of the RSPCA
and, after her retirement in 1985, she became Branch
Secretary of the Exeter Branch and was instrumental in
the acquisition of the smallholding at Little Valley which
became the site of the present Animal Shelter.
Daphne was born in Kingston upon Thames and during
the war she drove an ambulance in the First Aid Nursing
Yeomanry. After training as an Occupational Therapist, she went to work in a psychiatric
hospital in Melrose, Scotland and then, after some years, moved to be with her parents
and sister, Thelma, in Dunchideock and joined the Occupational Therapy team at the RD&E
Hospital. Daphne eventually became Chief OT and remained at the hospital until her
retirement. Throughout this time she had many
opportunities to enjoy her great love of travelling and was able to visit many countries
around the world, both in connection with her
work and for pleasure. One of her favourite
expeditions was to Asia to travel the Silk Road.
She also had many other interests including
books, poetry and calligraphy and, of course,
her beloved dogs.
Her active association with the Branch began at
a crucial time for animal welfare as the existing
Branch Shelter in Market Street, Exeter was
under notice of closure from Exeter City Council. After viewing many sites and properties
she found Little Valley and, with the aid of a large legacy to the Branch and a grant from
the national Society, she turned the first turf and oversaw the building of the Animal
Shelter. Kennel Block A bears a plaque commemorating Daphne’s contribution to the
Shelter. After some years as Branch Secretary, she retired to become Branch President and
maintained an active interest in Little Valley,
most recently attending Shelter Day in June and
meeting her many friends. Her connection with
the animals continued throughout the years,
most recently when she and her sister adopted
Zac, a lovely ten year old Shihtzu who arrived in
February and quickly settled into a life of bliss in
Dunchideock.
Daphne will be greatly missed and we send our
sympathies to Thelma and their family.
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Big Walkies Update
We had over 70 dogs turn up to the Big Walkies at Ludwell Valley Park, Exeter and
the sun was shining! An army of fantastic volunteers helped out on the day with a
special mention to the University of Exeter Animal Welfare Society, Wonford Community & Learning Centre and Stephen Evans of Café 64, Bovey Tracey who put on
a fantastic BBQ! We raised an amazing amount of just under £710– thank you to
everyone for supporting our very first Big Walkies! Photos courtesy of Maz Bowers
and Matt Round of the Express & Echo.
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Special Dog Campaigns
Recently we’ve had some dogs in that have required some special treatment. We go above
and beyond for the animals in our care, but any specialist treatment is not cheap. Here are
some of our recent campaigns.
Biscuit is a 9 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. When he
came into us, he appeared to have something wrong with his
eyes. On further examination it was discovered that he was
losing his vision and would need reconstructive surgery on his
eyelids to save his eyes. Without this surgery he would go blind.
However, this specialist surgery would cost £650. We were
determined to do everything we could to help Biscuit so set up a
Just Giving page. Amazingly, we managed to raise £380 of the
total needed and the balance was donated by a kind
benefactor. Gorgeous Biscuit has now had his operation, which
was a complete success, and he has already found his new family and gone off to his
forever home. Good luck Biscuit!
Bob is a 7 year old Sharpei who has been at the Shelter since May. On arrival, it was clear
that he had been living with a recurring ear problem. We started treatment, but sadly this
hasn't made him more comfortable. Now we are going to perform an operation on one of
his ears to hopefully solve the problem, but this still leaves the issue of his other ear which
may also need an operation down the
line. We hope not, as this would mean
that Bob would be deaf. Bob is a real
character—he is loving and fun and a real
favourite with the dog team. Bob's
operation will cost £500. We want to do
all we can to help him but we are a local
self-funding branch of the RSPCA.
Anything we can raise towards this would
be a huge help. If we raise more than is
needed for Bob's operation, we can put
this towards the next animal that needs our help. We have set up a Just Giving page for
Bob: http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/rspcaexeter/bobsbigop. Please help Bob if
you can—no amount is too small.
We already have our next dog project on the horizon. Lolly is a 5 year old Bulldog who
sadly wakes herself up when she is sleeping due to breathing difficulties. It looks like she
will need an operation to have her nostrils enlarged and her soft palate reduced to make
her more comfortable. We will know more shortly and will set up a Just Giving page if
needed.
Any donations towards these causes can either be made via Just Giving or cheques can be
sent into the Shelter marked for the appropriate appeal—Bob or Lolly.
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Popular Paris Street
Welcome to Little Valley’s shop in Paris Street,
Exeter. The shop is run by myself, Sue Mason and
my Deputy, Nikki. We would like to take this
opportunity to welcome you to one of our
vibrant shops in the city of Exeter, which has
supported the Little Valley Animal Shelter in
excess of 18 years. During the last 14 years of
managing the shop I have been fortunate to
meet some generous people—those who have
given up valuable time by volunteering in the
shop and those who have donated items to us.
All our volunteers are welcoming and do an
invaluable job helping to keep the shop stocked,
tidy and aid us in sorting, steaming and pricing our pre-loved goods in order to raise
precious funds to support the Shelter. Another superb way to make additional funds is
through Gift Aid. We ask all persons donating stock if they would like to Gift Aid as it
enables the shelter to
claim an extra 25p in
the £1, which can make
all the difference.
We always welcome
new volunteers to our
team, one of whom has
remained
at
Paris
Street over 17 years—a
huge thank you to
Jenny. Every volunteer
has their own niche
which enables us to make the shop successful. One of our volunteers also spends her own
time making home-made groovy and glamorous dog coats using recycled materials which
would otherwise be put to rag. Each coat is unique, all raising money
for Little Valley.
The Paris Street shop is situated beside Exeter Bus Station giving us a
great advantage on receiving donations such as clothing, bric-a-brac,
DVDs/games, electrical goods and other miscellaneous items. We
often get visiting coach parties and as well as our regular valued
customers who continue to support us there is Samson, who visits
everyday! Please pop in and see us—you may be surprised what you
find in store. If you would like to volunteer in our shop, please give us
a call or pop in and see us.
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Long Service Awards
Some of our staff and our Trustees have recently received RSPCA long service
awards. Barbara McPhail received the RSPCA Queen Victoria Bronze Medal for her
dedication to animals. Trustees receiving long-service awards are Wendy Brookes,
Carol Allan and Jackie Williams. Long serving members of staff are Sara Minter, Sue
Hurst, Dominique Doe and Sue Mason.
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Events 2015
Saturday 21 November—Christmas Fayre, Exmouth
10am to 12 noon—All Saints Church Hall, 2 Church Road, Exmouth EX8 1RZ
Details: Budleigh Shop on 01395 442349
Saturday 28 November—Little Valley Christmas Fair at the Shelter
11am to 3pm—Little Valley, Black Hat Lane, Bakers Hill, Exeter EX2 9TA
Details: Shelter on 01392 439898
Events for 2016 coming soon—watch this space and check out our website!
Please support our events—they are vital for raising funds and also awareness of the
Shelter. We are always looking for volunteers to help at events, if you are interested in
getting involved please email us on info@rspca-littlevalley.org.uk.
We are looking for craft stallholders for our Christmas Fair at the Shelter. If you would
like a space then the cost will be £10 per stall. If you have your own gazebo/table/chair
you can bring, please let us know as this would be a great help. If you would like a space,
please contact Maria on mkouts@rspca-littlevalley.org.uk.
THE FAMILY MASSAGE CENTRE
Established 1994
Annie Samuels (Hons)a holistic approach to health care and diet
Deep tissue massage, sports injury therapy, Hopi ear candle treatment,
aromatherapy
1 hour to 3 hour treatments from £30 to £70
Available 7 days a week (9.30am to 5.30pm) by appointment only
Gift vouchers available for cash or cheque only
7 Piazza Terracina (river basin), Haven Road, Exeter EX2 8GT
Tel: 01392 203182 (answerphone) | Email: annie.samuels@yahoo.co.uk
Canine Remedial Massage
A complementary therapy which uses the manipulation of
soft tissue to promote the physiological and psychological
well-being of dogs — regardless of age, size or breed.
Veterinary consent is required prior to treatment.
For further information or to request a consent form, contact Linda Rogers ITEC Dip ICAT
Tel: 07732 688383. Email: linda@handsandhounds.co.uk
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