Monday, 8 August 2016

Fostering for Luna Animal Resuce






Since I concluded working full time in an office job, to pursue my writing career, I have begun to foster dogs for Luna Animal Rescue as I now work from home and have the time to commit to helping our animal friends.

I joined their foster volunteer group a few months ago, and found them to be a very supportive network of people who are doing great work and achieving amazing results for the many unwanted dogs/pups, cats/kittens and even small critters such as rabbits and birds.

They are a voluntary non-profit organisation with a non-destruct policy (meaning they will never put down a healthy dog). They even offer further support to any adopted animals with a lifetime of rescue back up to assist if any changes in circumstances arise after adoption and even behavioural support. All animals who are up for rehoming are neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed, fleaed and vet checked. And the do all this using only donations.

There website is HERE
Registered Charity Number 1163839 

Our first foster dog came to us a few months ago now. He was rescued from a pound in Lincolnshire where he would have been euthanized if he hadnt been picked up by Luna and fostered. He is Charlie the Lurcher. And he is an amazing, wonderful dog.

At first it was a bit of an adjustment as Charlie is nervous of other dogs (not surprising given he came out a pound) and we already have one dog. But we were supplied a crate for him (as well as all other accessories needed, such as leads, harness, bowls, food etc). So we did some slow socialisation along with further crate training with him to try overcome the difficulties. But despite adjustments its been a great thing to do and a fantastic experience. My goal now is to find Charlie the perfect forever home so he can be happy and loved and have stability in his life.

 Charlie

Charlie is a very loving and gentle dog and likes nothing more than to cuddle up on the sofa with you in the evenings. His training is good - he knows, sit, lay down, shake hands, and he walks wonderfully on the lead. He is fully crate trained. He attends obedience classes with his foster-sister twice a week, he is very clever and learns very fast. He is a happy dog who loves to play and go for walks. He is a bit nervous of other dogs, some of the work we have been doing in the classes is to build his confidence when meeting other dogs and help him be less fearful and to teach him better interactions skills with other dogs. He is such a wonderful companion and makes for a truly loyal and loving family member as he forms a strong attachment quickly. He is very expressive and you really feel he is listening to you when you talk to him. He is extremely handsome and well behaved, he doesn't mind being brushed or having his nails trimmed. He is quiet and doesnt bark much at all, not even when the post man comes to the door. All in all Charlie is a really amazing dog, and I hope he finds an equally amazing forever home where all the love he has to give is returned in equal measures.

 If you are interested in giving Charlie his forever home please contact Luna Animal Rescue by completing the enquiry form here: Enquiry Form




Some more photos of Charlie.

Charlie is a beautiful blue and white Lurcher.

Ideally we would like Charlie to be rehomed as an 
only dog and definitely no cats (he has a strong 
chasing instinct like a lot of dogs). 

He could live with children of 13 and over 
and loves people.

He is a very tall lad and his basic training is very good


               

     He is neutered and microchipped and up to date on vaccinations.








For more information on the following dogs please call either  Louise 07860 480015 Or Natalie 07970800530 between 10am - 5pm Tues - Sat, or fill in our enquiry form and someone will call you back.


 Fostering saves lives, and remember ... Adopt Don't Shop



I would like to thank Kiri Vincent at Dog Tired Dog Training in Whittlesey for all her support and assistance with training Charlie and helping him to conquer his fear of other dogs, she has been an amazing. 
Kiri's dog school website is here

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

The Jungle





An odd title on its own, but in context ‘The Jungle’ is the unfortunate name given to the large refugee camp that has formed on the edge of Calais, France. The camp is effectively Limbo for the people trapped within, they are unable to go back and unable to forward. It no secret the world is facing a humanitarian crisis and it is ill-equipped to handle it.

‘The Jungle’ has already been demolished once in the past and even now some areas are being torn down, causing smaller camps to spring up, and inevitably the main camp regrows as more displaced people arrive daily. Aid workers, charities and volunteers are overwhelmed by the numbers arriving from war torn countries and countries with great civil unrest such as Syria, Afghanistan and East Africa.   

There are ways the average person can help with this crisis. There are solidarity movements taking place across Europe and in the UK.

I decided to help as best I could be starting a collection at work and amongst friends. I was looking for donations of warm clothing – in particular warm winter socks and coats, also men’s shoes (as the majority present in the camp are teenage boys). I also collected food to create food parcels and for the on-site kitchen within the camp itself. Working with local charity on site l'auberge des migrants to ensure the donations met the requirements of the camp at the time. With winter setting in, many people there are without shoes and shelter.

Poster Design:


I ended up teaming up with Leila Crerar and the ‘Fill a Van Full of Food for Calais’ project. We combined our donations and got them out to the camp to make a bigger impact, to try and really make a difference. In the end I managed to collect more donated clothes/shoes and food than I could fit in my car alone. Even managed to get items such as roll mats to get people off the cold ground at night.

 If you see something about the world that upsets you; that you know in your core is wrong, there is always something you can do about it to make a difference, that’s what I believe. It may seem small in the grand scale of things, but if everyone is doing this, it all adds up to something much bigger than just ourselves.


Amnesty International say according to the UN around 250,000 people have been killed and 13.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria.

More than 50% of Syria’s population is currently displaced.

One-in-every-two of those crossing the Mediterranean this year – half a million people – were Syrians escaping the conflict in their country.

Amnesty International key facts:
  • Gulf countries including Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain have offered zero resettlement places to Syrian refugees.
  • Other high income countries including Russia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea have also offered zero resettlement places.
  • Germany has pledged 39,987 places for Syrian refugees through its humanitarian admission programme and individual sponsorship; about 54% of the EU total.
  • Germany and Serbia together have received 57% Syrian asylum applications in Europe between April 2011 and July 2015
  • Excluding Germany and Sweden, the remaining 26 EU countries have pledged around 30,903 resettlement places, or around 0.7% of the Syrian refugee population in the main host countries
In Calais alone the census taken by 'helprefugees' estimates (figures taken on Feb 22, 2016):
Our census shows:
  • 5497 Total Residents
  • 182 Family Units
  • 205 Women
  • 651 Children of which 423 are unaccompanied.
- See more at: http://www.helprefugees.org.uk/2016/02/22/calais-camp-total-number-of-residents-revealed-for-the-first-time-423-unaccompanied-minors/#sthash.AdkpMQP7.dpuf
5497 Total Residents
182 Family Units
205 Women
651 Children (423 are unaccompanied by an adult/family member and are extremely vulnerable).

I will include some information on how people can get involved below, I would also like to share with you a video created by Ian Raphael Gan who volunteered in the kitchen in The Jungle in Calais.

 

  • 5497 Total Residents
  • 182 Family Units
  • 205 Women
  • 651 Children of which 423 are unaccompanied.
  • - See more at: http://www.helprefugees.org.uk/2016/02/22/calais-camp-total-number-of-residents-revealed-for-the-first-time-423-unaccompanied-minors/#sthash.AdkpMQP7.dpuf
    Our census shows:
    • 5497 Total Residents
    • 182 Family Units
    • 205 Women
    • 651 Children of which 423 are unaccompanied.
    - See more at: http://www.helprefugees.org.uk/2016/02/22/calais-camp-total-number-of-residents-revealed-for-the-first-time-423-unaccompanied-minors/#sthash.AdkpMQP7.dpuf

    Links on how you can help: (most links courtesy of Calais - People to People Solidarity - Action from UK)






    Near to you: http://refugeemaps.org (NB this map was made around 4 months ago, some donations points may have changed. Calaidipedia has an ongoing updated list if you don't find what you need on the donations map

    Contact an association / a group:


    ► Do not go to The Jungle without having an appointment with one of the mentioned association or group below.Your car is full. You have gas and support from your close ones. Calais is in your GPS, but who's waiting for you there? You were 10 to load the van, will you be alone to empty it?

    Those association are working directly, and often primarily, with and for the migrants.
    (Others might be missing, if you have their name + local phone number + link, let us know. Doctorsoftheworld - aka Médecins du Monde - is really active on the ground but is not providing a direct local contact)


    In France
    • Association Salam (food distribution at Centre Jules Ferry and other services)
    http://www.associationsalam.org/Welcome-to-the-website-of-the
    Email:  salamnordpasdecalais@gmail.com
    00 33 6 27 45 47 96 (Send SMS with your information so they can call you back)
    • L'Auberge Des Migrants  (distributes food on Tuesdays and Saturday...and other services all week long)
    http://www.laubergedesmigrants.fr/
    00 33 6 78 02 05 32

    https://www.facebook.com/laubergedesmigrantsinternational?fref=ts
    • Calais Migrant Solidarity 
    https://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/
    00 33 75 30 30 410
    162 Boulevard la Fayette, 62100 Calais
     --> Stocking capacities overwhelmed for now
    • Calais Ouverture et Humanité 
    http://www.calais-ouverture-et-humanite.fr/
    Fabienne (Please contact for material donations)

    00 33 6 73 28 99 65  contact@calais-ouverture-et-humanite.fr
    • Ecole Laïque du Chemin des Dunes (The "Jungle's School")
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/437668536434885
    • La Vie Active (institution running the Jules Ferry center and the women's house)
    www.lavieactive.fr 03 21 32 01 90
    • Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) - Calais
    Centre de santé
    Place de l’Europe
    59760 Grande-Synthe
    Tél. : 0033 (0)6 50 37 77 03
    migrants.ndpc [at] medecinsdumonde.net
    • Secours Catholique Calais (distributes shoes every Monday afternoon and clothes every 3 weeks on Saturdays)

    Call Pascal if you are not coming on a Wednesday or Monday afternoon
    0033 679 57 34 50
    http://pasdecalais.secours-catholique.org
    Email: m.christine.descamps@free.fr
    00 33 3 21 15 10 20

    2, rue de Croy  = 62100 - Calais
    open every Monday and Wenesday 2 to 5PM.
    Drop offs can be made at other times by prior arrangements if you have a lot.


    In UK
    • Doctors of the World UK (Médecins du Monde)
    http://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/pages/calais-appeal
    020 7167 5789
    • Emmaüs St Albans
    http://www.emmaus.org.uk/st_albans/latest/news/1677_calais_appeal_updated
    01727 817 294
    • London Catholic Worker
    http://www.londoncatholicworker.org/
    020 8348 8212
    londoncatholicworker [at] yahoo.co.uk


    Who does what?
    • Secours Catholique to drop off clothing, shoes, bicycles, toiletries, smaller quanitities of non-perishable food and most other stuff; 
    • Association Salam or L'Auberge des Migrants for bulk deliveries of food, and dropping off other things when Secours Catholique aren't available to receive them or don't have storage capacity for them;
    • Calais Ouverture et Humanité are good for receiving material such as tents, sleeping bags, and jackets;
    • Emmaüs for dropping off potatoes, furniture and various other stuff;
    • Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) to drop all hygiene/health kits and medical supplies;
    • La Vie Active for women and children;
    • Calais Migrant Solidarity is an English language group that documents police violence