Many Tears

[Mich]

So did your mum just go to help?

Also does anyone know if she needs short term foster homes?  I couldn't foster long term as I work but I would love to foster during holiday times- I have quite a lot as I teach.  Can you offer to foster for periods of 1 or 2 weeks?

[PennyB]

So do we actually know that Sylvia wants us to go and help then? x

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Ask MaryP and she'll tell you as she was up there at the weekend!

[PennyB]

So did your mum just go to help?

Also does anyone know if she needs short term foster homes?  I couldn't foster long term as I work but I would love to foster during holiday times- I have quite a lot as I teach.  Can you offer to foster for periods of 1 or 2 weeks?

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Short-term fostering is only viable if the dog is definitely going elsewhere but this is often difficult to co-ordinate sometimes and you really don't knwo how long it will be to rehome a dog (I've had some for a few days to several weeks). So you'd effectively be fostering for the short period and then sending dog back to kennels which IMHO isn't fair on the dog. I do do short-term stuff but thats usually emergencies and its organised locally as there are a handful of people who work in rescue in the area.

I really do think that supporting Many Tears is a good thing but we have to be careful about getting carried away with it all. I live not too far to foster/help for Many Tears but I also know there are other rescues locally that are in such dire straits as Sylvia (she is not alone in this fact believe me) so I help them (they also have the harder to rehome dogs there as well). You can help Sylvia from a distance as well but may be raising money for the rescue would be just as useful.

Others I know are helping out with one rescue on dogpages by writing letters to get sponsorship for kennels, helping transport dogs from the pound to other rescues etc. all worthwhile and very helpful to them.

For those that live a long way from Many Tears what about highlighting the puppy farm problem, raise awareness for Many Tears and their plight ( to help them rehome more dogs), and raise money for them all in one go—all that could be done at car boots, dog shows, etc.

[Mary P]

Hi,
I've been really busy, so wasn't able to reply until now.
Sylvia knows me only as someone who adopted a dog (Jack) who we got in Nov '04, and as she likes to be kept informed about their progress, I'm in touch now and again.
I went down again on Sunday, and we brought home Peggy (who was Molly on the website), so that's why I was on the phone to her last week.
Weekends there are really busy, and when I said that some of you would like to come to help, she quite obviously said yes, but followed by - and then they could take dogs home with them, I really need foster places.
So of course if you made arrangements she'll say yes to the help, and if you're homechecked then you could foster. There is a b&b close by, so if you want to go, then contact her and make the arrangements.
 
However, I must say that I have a lot of sympathy for what Penny B and Rachel have been saying. Don't get me wrong, I have enormous admiration for Sylvia, but there might be more productive ways of helping, especially if you live at a distance. Sylvia prefers to foster out of area, so she'd be very grateful if someone could help there, but there are rescues all over the country, and the time spent travelling to Many Tears might be spent transporting dogs or becoming a home checker, or helping locally. It took me 5 hours each way to go on Sunday - that's a big chunk of time!
 
Jack was in the pound, and would have died if not for Sylvia, but pound dogs die every week and people on Dog Pages are crying out for help with the 'poundies' too - transportation or emergency accomodation.
 
Peggy has spent her short life in a shed with 30 other dogs. She's 4 years, so I'm guessing she may have had 4-6 litters. She certainly looks as if she's only just finished feeding pups. The puppy farmer only gave her up as she wouldn't fight. The farmer would just put the food in, and then the dogs would have to fight for it. Peggy was getting very malnourished, so she was given up.
Sylvia said that this particular woman won't tell where her farm is, and will only meet Sylvia in laybys to hand over dogs. Something bad going on there I think!
We could all REALLY help the dogs by campaigning to get women like her put out of business.

We all help in our own ways, but as long as we do something. Sylvia is an amazing woman, and will be grateful whatever you do, but she'd also love to see a stop to puppy farming - that would certainly lighten her load!!

Cheers,

[Mich]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely informative post.

I live south west of the Midlands and so am relatively close, certainly close enough to help out for a couple of weekends.

I agree that helping in other ways would be really good too.

Thanks again xx

[cindere528]

Thanks, Mary for taking the time to write such a useful post.  One of the reasons I haven't as yet volunteered anything is that I thought time could be better spent doing things rather than driving all the way to Many Tears.  I too have a Many Tears ex breeding bitch but she was in foster care before I got her so I've never been to Many Tears or met Sylvia.

I agree wholeheartedly with what you say about getting puppy farmers stopped, but we have to be extremely careful in this respect.  Many Tears and Fionna at Lizzies Barn (along with other rescues) have spent a long time building up a trusting relationship with the puppy farmers so that they now hand over their unwanted dogs to a rescue.  Before they did this, the puppy farmers would drown, shoot or otherwise dispose of their unwanted "stock".  It's important that they trust the rescues so that they carry on letting them have the unwanted dogs because their end otherwise is unthinkable.  The puppy farming business is horrendous and needs to be stopped, but it's not something that individuals should start on, individuals starting hate campaigns against puppy farms would do more harm than good.

As for fundraising, if you look at The Refuge there is an initiative on there to nominate a rescue every month to be the recipient of donations paid online.  It looks like a good idea to me but it's quite new & I'm not sure how it's going to work.

[PennyB]

I agree wholeheartedly with what you say about getting puppy farmers stopped, but we have to be extremely careful in this respect.  Many Tears and Fionna at Lizzies Barn (along with other rescues) have spent a long time building up a trusting relationship with the puppy farmers so that they now hand over their unwanted dogs to a rescue.  Before they did this, the puppy farmers would drown, shoot or otherwise dispose of their unwanted "stock".  It's important that they trust the rescues so that they carry on letting them have the unwanted dogs because their end otherwise is unthinkable.  The puppy farming business is horrendous and needs to be stopped, but it's not something that individuals should start on, individuals starting hate campaigns against puppy farms would do more harm than good.

As for fundraising, if you look at The Refuge there is an initiative on there to nominate a rescue every month to be the recipient of donations paid online.  It looks like a good idea to me but it's quite new & I'm not sure how it's going to work.

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I think its more about educating the public really rather than a vendetta against these farmers (its not just the relationship re rescue but it is also a dangerous game :: )

[Jan/Billy]

I think its more about educating the public really rather than a vendetta against these farmers (its not just the relationship re rescue but it is also a dangerous game :: )

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Yeah I completely agree. How many people would still buy puppy farm puppies if they really knew what went on. I know there is no way on this earth I would have. I won't even buy anything from the local shop that is owned by the people who own/run the puppy shop. I refuse to line their pockets   .

[Mary P]

Hi,
I certainly wasn't thinking about hate campaigns, and agree that it would be unthinkable to spoil the relationship which has developed. Rather that lobbying MP's to raise the profile, or supporting and helping with campaigns like the Dogs Trust have been doing. Getting a pile of stickers and getting family and friends or the Vets to display them etc.
Cheers,

[Jan/Billy]

Getting a pile of stickers and getting family and friends or the Vets to display them etc.
Cheers,

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Dogs trust do anti puppy farming car stickers. If anyone wants some if you e mail dogs trust they send them to you very quick. I have one in my car  

[Penel]

Mum went down there specifically to take PP home with her - she lost one of her Cavs the week before and saw PP on the website.  She's got a broken wrist at the moment (Mum) so can't actually do much at all !

[Mich]

Mum went down there specifically to take PP home with her - she lost one of her Cavs the week before and saw PP on the website.  She's got a broken wrist at the moment (Mum) so can't actually do much at all !

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Ahhh i hope she is feelin better soon.

I am still really hoping to go for a weekend to help, I would really like to help in a hands on way, but of course that is just me!  Will also do anything else I can.

[cindere528]

Hi,
I certainly wasn't thinking about hate campaigns, and agree that it would be unthinkable to spoil the relationship which has developed. Rather that lobbying MP's to raise the profile, or supporting and helping with campaigns like the Dogs Trust have been doing. Getting a pile of stickers and getting family and friends or the Vets to display them etc.
Cheers,

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I wasn't insinuating that you or anyone here was planning hate campaigns, it's just that a lot of people don't know how dangerous the puppy farming business is and I wanted to let everyone know that if it weren't for the relationship between the rescues & puppy farms, a lot more dogs would suffer.  The rescues have worked very hard over the years to get the trust of the puppy farmers and it would be horrible if that trust was lost.  

I too have a Dogs Trust anti puppy farming sticker in my car and have been asked about it quite a few times.  Most of the general public are totally unaware of the horrors of puppy farming.  I agree with what has already been said, we need to raise awareness.  If people knew about what goes on, the majority would never buy from them.

[Mary P]

Thanks Cindere

[sarahp]

This may be a really a daft question but is it legal for pet shops to sell puppies and kittens??