A non-profit organisation set up to rescue and re-home shar peis in need.

My Own Rescue Family

19/4/2010

Dooray sadly passed over the rainbow bridge with our help. We knew she was ill and had agreed that if she started to suffer we would help her leave. She was such a kindly, happy girl and leaves a huge, Bordeaux sized hole in our lives. We will all miss her and are at present raw with grief. You were the love of your dads life and he will always love you. R.I.P. Dooray. Goodbye Sweetheart.

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It's been quite a while since I updated my family, so I really thought it was time.

Like myself, all the dogs are older. Dillon and Pucheen are nudging eleven, Charlie is seven this year, the 'baby' Chichi is not a baby anymore at four and our Douge de Bordeaux Dooray is nine in April. As you may be aware, both Charlie and Chichi suffer from FSF and swollen hock syndrome and so I decided to take it upon myself to try to give them a longer life by making my own food. (If you would like my diet please do email). Despite the work involved, I find feeding them a natural diet both rewarding, in the pleasure it gives them. but also the obvious health benefits. Dooray developed epilepsy at the end of last year (Pucheen has always been epileptic) as well as other problems, such as peeing on our bed, which has tested our love for her! However despite being unable to find the cause we have now regulated the fits and despite some 'not so lovely' changes in behaviour, she'll be with us for as long as God allows. Also last year we noticed that Pucheen had a swollen toe. We took her to the vet and she was initially diagnosed with Arthiritis, however despite the usual medications I could see that though the toe was no larger, it had started to cause her some discomfort. To cut to the chase, after another consultation and x-rays, it was discovered that she had bone cancer. As there were no metastases in her other joins and more importantly nothing in the lungs, we had her left back leg amputated on Christmas eve. Her progress has been remarkable since the op. She doesn't even seem to notice, though occasionally she's forgotten and given paw on the wrong side and slowly keeled over and she has charged towards me in joy and discovered that she's gone sideways instead of straight ahead! Nothing has changed and we love her as much as ever. One rather strange thing.her fur won't grow back!! I've thought about using hair restorer cos she gets such a cold bum, but my dad who is as bald as a coot, and a testament to the fact that it doesn't work. So onto Dillon, our beautiful, cuddly boy who is brain damaged and was such a monster when we first took him on. He's as fit as ever despite the odd ache when he's been laying on a leg for too long and has developed the most beautiful grey chest and muzzle. We can not imagine our lives without our family, but like all dog owners we have to accept that their lives are shorter than ours and that at some point we are going to have to say goodbye. Despite the pain of loss, I wouldn't change a thing. The joy, love, cuddles and loyalty these animals give me are my reason to get up each day and face the world. Thank you my 'puppies', I love you all.

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I have had rescue dogs all my life and been privileged enough, whilst travelling, to care for and be bitten by, several wild animals..none of whom meant it, I'm sure.

The first rescue Pei we adopted came about because my partner had always wanted a Shar Pei. He had read every book available and was prepared to buy a puppy when finances allowed, however I found Pucheen in a local magazine, supposedly abandoned in kennels by her previous owners.

My first memory of Pucheen is that her nose was badly scuffed.and I thought she was deaf!

We paid the kennel bill of £300 and took our first Shar Pei home with us, much to the irritation of our deerhound/greyhound cross called Bruno. At that time we also had a rescue Chihuahua called Ethel and a Chihuahua cross Lancashire Heeler called Pippa.

Bruno taught Pucheen her manners and how to be a good little Shar Pei . When we got home we bathed her, cleaned her ears and discovered she could hear, however it took some time before she completely moulded to the family because, although I do not believe she had been ill treated, she had been ignored. Something which I now understand, that for a Shar Pei, is extremely damaging.

Within a very short time we were hooked!

When Bruno, my very special boy died, I was completely devastated and my partner, out of love for me, bought me Charlie, a beautiful little Shar Pei puppy and I guess that sealed my complete infatuation with the breed.

When we heard about Dillon in a local shelter we originally just went to help the Sanctuary deal with him, as he was showing aggression. We contacted the various people we had met in the Shar Pei 'world' and they just weren't interested, so despite his terrible past, we took him on.

It wasn't at all easy and I was very grateful that years before I had worked as an aggression trainer, but Dillon is now a testament to how this fabulous breed, can be turned around; and how much love and reward you can achieve with a Shar Pei.

Whilst visiting Battersea Dogs Home, to assess a Shar Pei, we also ended up adopting a very silly, loveable Dogue de Bordeaux and so our family grew.

I have recently realised that the latest addition to our family has not been added to this page..perhaps that's because she settled in rather quickly so it's as if she's been here forever!

Her name is Chi and she came to us with a skin condition at the age of seven months. After fostering her we re-homed her to a family with another young dog, however for various reasons she was returned to us within the week!

She was so loving and cuddly and persistent that for the first time ever, Dillon learned to play. It was very much against his nature but she sat patiently bopping him on the nose until she got a reaction and gradually she taught him the game. We did find her another loving home, but the night before she was due to leave, both Neill and I ended up in tears at the thought of parting with her.

Thankfully, the lady she was due to go to, was really understanding..so she stayed!

She's been with us now nearly a year and we couldn't be without her. She's funny, feisty and eats faster than any dog I've ever known. When she's not licking you or bouncing about, she loves cuddles and has definitely found her place in the bed with the others. She also l,oves watching the television, especially programmes about dogs.She's just great and we love her to bits!

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I guess Pucheen and her wonderfully gentle, though stubborn, nature was really the inspiration of

Shar Pei Rescue & Welfare UK

We approached breed clubs, Shar Pei breeders and the Kennel Club and offered our help to rescue. Sadly we were informed that if we didn't breed or show, we really didn't know what we were talking about and had nothing to offer.

Then those who had encouraged us at the beginning, decided to shun us because we felt that a couple who had accidentally had a litter from an unregistered female of only twelve months old, were not to be pilloried. They loved their dogs, had had no desire to breed and sold the puppies at a reasonable price. In refusing to ostracise this couple we were ostracised ourselves.

Feeling bruised but still committed, we decided that if we re-homed two dogs per year, we were at least doing something that we believed in. Since deciding to go it alone we have achieved more than we could ever have imagined and we have good reason to be proud of what we have achieved.

Despite continued harassment, from those who we initially thought had the same aims, the same commitment and were our friends, we have managed to gain a reputation Nationwide as an organisation that really cares.

Even today, we are constantly denigrated by those that feel, because we will take dogs without papers, dogs that should be 'gunned', (though no representative of any other organisation has ever assessed them), and take animals into our own home to re-train them..BUT, do not breed or show...we do not have the knowledge or importance to love and re-home these dogs...?

WE are still here.

Thank you to all those who have supported us.

On the 5^th November 2004, Little Ethel had to be helped to shuffle off this mortal coil, to go and join Bruno and all those other wonderful dogs I've known over the years, who wait for us on the other side.