Freshfields Animal Rescue - the human view!

While Austin and Nellie were checking out the animals at Freshfields, I managed to catch up with Lesley Tarleton (the person who started it all) on the phone and she brought me up to date with some of the current needs and activities of the shelter. Lesley comes over as a very warm caring person who is passionate about animals of every kind. This fitted very well with the impression I got all those years ago when I briefly met her at Freshfields.

She told me that at the present time they have about fifty kittens who urgently need loving forever homes. Here are just a few:

 These ginger kitties were abandoned

 A very shy litter of four

 Olive and babies

Bonnie and Clyde

Also they have plenty of adult cats that need adopting as well as ferals that can't be returned to their previous environment. Unlike other similar organisations, Freshfields believes in TNR for feral cats - trap, neuter and return - the return part only being carried out when it is a safe environment for the cats. Otherwise they are re-homed where possible. Lesley told me that the best place to re-home these cats is on farms, of which there are many in this very rural area. The TNR programme is ongoing and a very important part of their overall strategy.

They is also a sponsorship scheme where people can sponsor a resident animal, or even an event or project. This would be ideal for anyone who would love to help and be involved on a personal level, but who cannot actually adopt an animal. It also opens it up so that non-local people can invest and be involved on an ongoing basis. Lesley told me there are even a couple of resident donkeys called Dibble and Wonkey who are looking for sponsorship. Any takers? :)

Workers and volunteers come up with ideas for fundraising and awareness raising, from coffee mornings to raffles to sponsored dog walks.

Open Day. Coming up on September 30th is an open day at the Welsh site from 11 − 4. Loads of activities, including a dog show, agility and there will also be a dancing with dogs display put on by the Ynys Mon Dog Training Society! So if you happen to be in the area ……!

Another important fund raising side to Freshfields are the secondhand (charity) shops they have in various places throughout Wales and the North West England. They are always in need of items for sale - good-as-new clothes, electrical goods, household goods. 

They also have links with rescue shelters abroad, particularly animal rescue in Greece and “Our Friends Dog Rescue” based in Slatina, Romania.

There have been so many success stories of animals who have been re-homed, too many to mention here, but I would thoroughly recommend Lesley’s book The Dog with no Name, which tells how an innocent remark made to a vet in Liverpool (you need to read the book) led to thousands of animals being rescued, cared for and re-homed through the Freshfields Animal Rescue. 

Lesley is a truly remarkable person and I hope the work she and many others do here will be able to carry on as long as it is needed. 

Voting starts in two days - Tuesday 11th to 14th September. I will put up the link and it will be very easy to vote. So remember, if you want to support the work at Freshfields Animal Rescue you should:

vote for Austin to be Cat Ruler of the World. 

He will be a very benevolent dictator!

Nellie and Austin on the campaign trail

Zee & Zoey's
Cat Ruler of The World Contest
2012

See the debate here