When Cheap is Expensive

Lovely, lovely weather! Having our yearly kennel overhaul before winter kicks in. Heating working, painted all the houses, put down new sand and fixed any holes in the fence. We replaced a whole section of fencing and built a wall.

I was sat on a breezeblock rendering the wall, in the sun, having a moment. All the dogs were in their houses, crashed out, as it was quite hot. I hear this noise, a low rumble that got louder and louder. I put the trowel down and looked in the first house to see Jake, the boxer, flat on his back, legs flopping outwards and Jess, puppy, laying on his stomach with her head under his chin, both of them fast asleep, him snoring his head off. It was a very funny sight especially because Jake is a bugger with other dogs but clearly loves his new sister.

I heard a rumour from the Town Hall that businesses and street traders operating without paying tax are to be the new target, to give those of us who do pay tax and do it properly a fighting chance to survive.

I know there are at least two people looking after dogs in La Herradura, one in Otívar and another in Almuñécar somewhere. You must be very careful using these operations; it’s a false economy. One customer of mine came back and said she felt silly because she saved 35 euros on kennel fees and ended up with a 450-euro vet bill as her dog was attacked and almost killed. Another client’s two dogs came back thin and flea ridden. There are too many stories to tell you.

It’s not easy looking after your animal, your family member, most people that do it without a license haven’t got a clue about dog behaviour. Also, if your dog is taken away it could cost you 1,000 euros to get him back and say six dogs (6,000 euros) were taken, you cannot have yours until the full fine is paid, so even if you can afford a 1,000-euro fine, the other dog owners may not be able to.

I was told this by one of the Guardia that show up from time to time from somewhere else, all dressed in black and very tall. They came to the shop to see if I could take a street dog that had been brought in. We got talking about the lack of help from the Town hall. They were amazed.

C.A.S have loads of dogs that need fostering; you can do this for a week or a month. Drop by or give me a call, if you want more info, also have a look at their website – you might find the best friend you’ll ever have.

I’m on the scrounge again: Old blankets, towels, curtains, any fabric at all, for my clan of 50 animals. They all have houses and snug places to go for the winter but need soft furnishings! We are rounding up 15 street cats to be spayed at 45 euros each, so if you want to pay for one please do, the spaying will also be part of a documentary being made by Channel 4 in the UK – my uncle Barry is coming out; he works for the R.S.P.C.A and is an ex police-dog trainer. The documentary is following six vet students and will focus partly on animal welfare.

Lots of love to Wendy and Ernest; Paddy was a gorgeous dog.

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