Beautiful Belle is not looking or feeling her best.  This lovely, gentle girl was left behind by travellers who were doing some illegal coursing.  In their haste to get away they left behind Belle and another dog.  Belle did her time in the dog pound but was not claimed when her 7 days were up.  The pound she was in euthanaises all lurchers, so at the end of her "stretch" she was due to be put to sleep. Fortunately, we were alerted in time and were able to save Belle. 
 
Belle has terrible mange and has had urgent vet treatment for it.  She is currently on medication and is having special skin bathes and washes to help clear it up and soothe her tender skin.  She is too underweight to spay at the moment and her general poor health means that she needs to be cared for in a foster home where she is having ample helpings of TLC to build her strength.
 
In just the one week she has been in our care, we have noticed a great difference in Belle's coat and condition, and from her photos you can clearly see her cheeky personality shining through too!  This adorable girl just loves to play and is certainly getting into the life of being a pet dog!
 
Belle will be in our care for a few weeks longer whilst the vet treats her skin and she puts on weight.

Any donation you are able to make towards the cost of her treatment and care will be hugely appreciated, just click here to make a secure payment, or send a cheque (made payable to GRWE) to GRWE Medical Appeal Belle, PO Box 4243, Radstock, BA3 3ZL. THANK YOU!

Tiggy is yet another throw-away dog found wandering in a very poor condition in the middle of a large city. The dog warden picked her up and took her to the local pound where it was apparent to everyone that she was in poor health and also quite elderly. So Tiggy was taken to see the vet who felt her health was far too poor to undergo a full examination and the general discussion went in the direction of putting her to sleep.

Fortunately, GRWE was contacted instead and, delighted to be able to help, we rushed to collect Tiggy – a noisy inner-city dogs’ home is certainly no place for such a weak and old dog!

When we collected her the first thing we noticed was how very underweight she is. Then we found that she was covered in fleas, her ears were full of pus, her back end is bald and she has a skin infection. Her toenails were so long some of them had curled round and were growing into her pads. Clearly, Tiggy had been severely neglected before being abandoned.

Tiggy is now safe and warm in one of our foster homes and is receiving plenty of care and attention. While clearly very unwell, she has lots of spirit and is a real character despite her wretched state.

We have taken Tiggy to one of ‘our’ vets who aged her at around 9-11 years old and told us the following:

Tiggy had her toenails cut and was given extra-strength flea-killer. She had blood taken for analysis and the results will tell us how far the cancer has taken hold and generally help us make a long-term treatment plan. While we await the results of the blood tests she will have a week of good food and comfort to build strength and settle in. She will then have a chest x-ray and the vet is confident that she can do this without the use of anaesthetic, which Tiggy would not survive at this stage. The chest x-ray will give a clearer indication of the course of action needed. Tiggy will begin a course of heart tablets and steroids to stabilise her heart problem, which will in turn hopefully improve the fluid on her chest.

If, as we hope, Tiggy doesn't have tumours in her lungs then, once she is stronger and her heart problem stabilised, she will be operated on and the mammary tumours removed. However, if Tiggy is found to have a lung tumour as well, she will be given comfort and love for the rest of her days in the care of her wonderful foster mum. We feel very strongly that even if the cancer has spread and nothing can be done it is important to give Tiggy the opportunity of life, rather than dying alone in a pound with nobody to care or grieve for her.

Who could possibly have been so callous as to throw this sick and old dog out in her hour of need? We are so glad she is safe with us, even if it proves to be for a little while only. Tiggy's foster mum will keep us up updated on her progress. In the meanwhile we pray for a positive outcome for Tiggy so that she can have many more happy years of life ahead of her.

If you would like to contribute to helping Tiggy, please click here, thanks.

Update on Tiggy's Progress - December 2007...

Tiggy has settled in really well and this is what her foster-mum just told us:

Tiggy has settled in really well. Our immediate concerns about her health have been answered with visits to the vets. She is doing very well and is now on heart tablets and steroids to help with her heart and breathing. She needs to go back to be weighed but has a very good appetite indeed. There are still unknowns - her stomach, kidneys and liver did not show well on the x-ray and her heart is very enlarged as well as the valve. Thankfully the cancer is not in her lungs as yet. We are working on feeding her up and once up to a good weight then we maybe able to operate and remove the lumps she has.

She really makes us smile as a couple of nights ago she was on her back rolling on the settee playing catch the cover in her mouth and rag it. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and she had me in fits of laughter. You have this feeling she is going to be here in another 3 years. She enjoys going out on walks - hates all things furry and would love to chase across the fields if her heart and legs would allow!. She is really a bless and she has settled in like she has been here for years. Will keep you updated on her progress! Jx

Update on Tiggy's Progress - February 2008...

Miss Tiggly Wiggly, as she is affectionately known, is doing very well, all things considered and would like to thank everyone who asks after her and helps towards the cost of her medication. We hope the update and the photos show you what a wonderful character she is and how very much your support matters.

The good news is that the tumours have not yet spread to her lungs. The not so good news is that the bigger lump has grown a little and each morning there are little ‘accidents’ greeting her foster mum. Although she is eating very well, she has still not put on any weight so an operation is still out of the question.

In the four months she has been with her foster mum her character has blossomed and she just loves being there and with the four other rescued greyhounds.

Here is what her foster mum says:

“She has responded well to her medication and her breathing is much clearer and not as laboured – unless she is throwing herself around on the end of the lead wanting to play with the others!

While she has got worse since Christmas, in herself she is doing great. She is obviously enjoying her life with us as she is looking well, albeit still very thin. She loved Christmas and often helped clean the plates before the dishwasher door was shut - very helpful indeed.

This week has been the first time we have let her off the lead as we feel she is fitter and able to handle a bit more exercise. To our amazement and total delight, the first thing she did was fly across the field at top speed. And I have to say, if she had dropped there and then she would have been the happiest girl in the world and no one can ask for more than that.

She is a total joy and there is not a day that goes by that she does not make us laugh or bring a smile to our face. She loves lying on her back throwing her legs about and trying to rag the blanket at the same time. If you stop tickling her she does the same and you can’t help but smile and continue.

When I took Tiggy in as a foster she fell in love with us as much as we her, and looking for another home is not an option. The medication helps keep her comfortable and she is loving life. Whatever time she has left, it will most certainly be the happiest – thank you all for helping to give her this.

Jx and Miss Tiggly Wiggly”

Bess has had her surgery and this is a picture from the first days. Your kindness and generosity has been overwhelming and we are very touched. We are also delighted to say that Bess' medical costs are now covered.

To all the individuals who gave so generously, to Sighthounds On-Line for their wonderful donation, to Collar-a-Sighthound who donated a percentage from their sales and to the gang at The Hound Lounge who organised such a successful on-line auction - THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. Click on the link below for more photos and details on her recovery!

Click here to read the full account of her story...

To read about the successful recovery of Sean, an earlier medical appeal dog, and see latest photographs, please click here.