NWESSR

Gill & Paul

Paul & I are relatively new to the world of Springers. We both have had dogs throughout our lives, Paul his beloved white Shepherd - Karl, me, the family Cairn - Tigger (a popular name then!). Together there was Mac, a very street-wise terrier cross, who will be forever in our hearts 'cause he was a one off. Coming into Springer Rescue we have 2 dogs: Ragamuffin - or Muff (don't laugh), a ? Sheltie X who loves everyone except kids!, going on nine but thinks she's 2, & Rocky, a Flat-coated retriever X, coming up to 7, very handsome but a bit of a prima donna when the mood takes. It has to be said that if it wasn't for these 2 we probably would have been failures as foster parents, 'cause Rocky & Muff have done more work with the 'fosterlings' than we have. To have a regular procession of new & at times, 'strange' dogs come into your home, says a lot for their characters. They have been absolute stars, Muff fusses around the poorly ones, looking after them, and Rocky rounds them up when they wander off & tells them all the ground rules!, and they both teach them good and bad habits!

Anyway, enough of the 2 stars of the family. How did Paul & I get into Springer Rescue? My friend & colleague Sue rang me one day last July and said "Gill, how do fancy looking after a couple of Springer pups that have been dumped on the St.Helens expressway". Well, what can you say but O.K. And that's how it started, Brachan & Willow came to stay, a culture shock for us all. No table manners, no etiquette, just 2 lovely puppies who all they wanted was lots of love, lots of food, and a good time, and then we were hooked! We won't mention the 'mange' that they brought with them, 'cause it was all sorted out with one of the new wonderful cures!

So, that was our first experience of Springers, I saw them both at Fun Day & they are gorgeous, and a pair of cracking dogs, luckily they both went to their lovely new home together, and are living with a superb family in Warrington.

Fostering can be a very rewarding experience, here's an example: we had a 13 yr old Springer bitch come to us, Chloe, she had, God love her, been kept in a pit hole of a kennels for 6 months (her owner, unable to look after her, DSS put her into kennels), she was urine marked from her paws to her chest, she came to us and apart from a 'wee' on the first night, she wasn't a bit of trouble, all she wanted and needed was somewhere warm to sleep, good food to eat, at least two gentle walks a day (after 6 months in 'prison', exercise had to be taken slowly to begin with), and lots of love. She is now bossing about an exuberant 3yr old Springer dog, the family cat, & her wonderful new owners & living very happily in Darwen.

Springers come to rescue for many reasons, and often the reasons are a lot more complicated than was first thought. Here's two examples of girls who have come to stay:

• Jade:- came to stay because her owner was extremely ill and couldn't care for Jade any more. The details we got were - she was a lovely girl, but (there's nearly always a 'but'), she had some urinary incontinence. This was an understatement, love her, she too was urine marked & skin burnt from her own urine, & she was a very very poorly girl. To cut a long story short, after a hurried trip to the vets and investigations it was discovered that Jade had an enormous bladder stone that either had to be removed by surgery or in the best interests of Jade she would have to put to sleep! Phone calls made to Trustees & consent was obtained to go ahead with surgery (large vet bills rightly, so have to be sanctioned). The bladder stone was enormous, the size of a pool ball (I know, Jo the vet showed it to me). Jade made a remarkable recovery. Soon after we all went away on holiday in the caravan, and Jade began to enjoy her life again. She is now living very happily in the North East, I know 'cause my mam & dad adopted her. Without North West English Springer Rescue Jade would not be enjoying the life she has now.
• Nellie:- is currently our guest! She came to us because her owners thought they couldn't give Nellie the time she needed with the commitments they had to their young family. Again she was a lovely girl 'but' she had a urinary incontinence problem! Nellie came to stay and it became quickly evident that Nellie's incontinence problem was that her bladder couldn't keep up with the enormous amounts of water she was drinking (up 5 litres + a day). Again to cut a long story short, off to the vet's, a wonderful caring young vet called Ian, and after investigations (sanctioned again by the charity's Trustees, because these test's aint cheap), Nellie was diagnosed to be suffering from Cushing's Syndrome (where the body produces huge amounts of its natural steroid, leading to many problems - including excessive drinking resulting in excessive 'weeing' if you need to know more just ask), she has undergone a course of treatment and it has to be said she is making amazing progress, she too is starting to enjoy her life again and doing what all Springers like to do. Nellie looked like an 'old woman' when she first came, she is now bright eyed, what little coat she has(she was clipped too short), is starting to look a little better, she is a pretty girl. We really need a long term foster home for Nellie where she can continue to get better and enjoy herself, but she will need constant monitoring and medication for the rest of her life. Nellie loves her walks & having a good root around in the shrubbery.

Both Jade & Nelie are not young dogs, they were both 10yrs old when they came to stay, both of them after care & treatment looked & behaved like younger dogs. And both have an enormous amount of love to give to the right people.

Although we say we are looking for a long term foster home for Nellie, we will be sorry to see her go, however, if I don't make a little bit of space in the home we can't have another 'guest' to stay. Things are a bit 'snug' - there's Rocky & Muff, Molly (Springer Spaniel - another story), and Tina our long term 'fosterling', aged 13+yrs, who had breast cancer last year and a stroke earlier this year. She is a wonderful old girl, she picks herself up & keeps on going - in Scotland in June she thought she could swim to Ireland!

Springers that go into kennels at Rose Tree Cottage are in the finest kennels we can find & we know they are under the best care we can ask for, with Linda and her staff. However, Springer Rescue endeavours very strongly to foster the very young, the old & the sick into homes where they can have all the extra care they need, this also includes dogs that may have a specific behavioral problem/problems.

Fostering can be very enjoyable, but it can also be very hard work, it is not easy, it can be upsetting at times, but, it is the best thing we have ever done & we would not change the last 18 months. To see these little ones come in their sorry states, find out their problems, get them the necessary treatments, give them the love & care they need, & see them move on to their new homes is so rewarding, we can recommend it. The most important thing you need to know if you are thinking of becoming a foster parent is, you will receive all the back up & support you will need. There are people within Springer Rescue who are there to guide & advise, & if the answer isn't to hand we will find it. If Paul & I didn't have the support we received when we first started I doubt if we would have continued - if you need help ask - even if you think it's something daft!

Besides fostering, I also do home checks on people wanting to adopt Springers, I have to confess I'm quite stringent on who I consider is suitable to adopt, and only after discussion with Liz & others will I agree to allowing a dog to be adopted. Having said that, following up how a dog has settled in to their new home is very rewarding, again, this is something that is better discussed on a one to one basis.

Part of our volunteer work with Springer Rescue is to collect Springers that are being surrendered to Rescue for one reason or another. Sometimes this is the hardest part, being 'nice' to people that have kept these dogs in conditions that have been totally unacceptable, asking them questions you know you are you going to get the answers you don't want to hear, i.e. where does this 6 month old puppy live = in the shed! Has this 6month old puppy any toys = No! Believe me if you become involved in Springer Rescue you will hear a lot, lot worse.

So, we've talked about the dogs, 'cause they are the most important bit. What about Paul & Gill, I hear you ask, well we're pretty boring really:- Paul is semi-retired (worked in petro-chemicals for 30yrs+), now has a part-time job, 5pm-9pm, & I am a Community Midwife (hours you don't really want to know!)

We got involved with Springer Rescue knowing it was a Charity, to us this means giving not only our time but also our commitment, to be honest it is all about caring for a wonderful breed of dog that is sadly abused and misunderstood. If you are thinking of becoming a volunteer, don't think it's going to be easy, cause it isn't, but it is very rewarding. On a happy note we have succumbed and adopted Molly, she was found wandering around Stoke, and she is an absolute cracker, (apart from the recurring ear infection, that is, you never get nothing for nothing!)

If you want to know more contact Paul & me. Gill, thro' Springer Rescue & we will help anyway we can.

Try it you'll, love it - foster a Springer!!!!!

Alex & Joe

Joe and I have been fostering Springer Spaniels for many months now. At the moment we are fostering 'Todd' a 10-year-old adorable Springer who is recovering form a serious fungal infection affecting not only his skin, but also his nose and ears. In fact his ears are so badly affected that we think it may be the reason why he is stone deaf. And as if that isn't enough Todd is partially sighted. He is a large show type Springer with a very laid back personality but who loves to run and play just like a pup! Where there's water there's Todd merrily swimming around and always without a care about the state of the weather! Anyway, after 2 recent visits to the vet recommending a strong course of antibiotics and daily ear drops we're pleased to say that 'Todd' is doing extremely well and may even, according to the vet, get some of his hearing ability back. Fingers crossed!

Unfortunately we don't yet have an up-to-date photograph of Todd to show you as I think a photo can tell a thousand words. Instead we'd like to share with you a few pictures, which I feel depicts well the difference that a change in environment can make to one of these dogs.

This is Max, who was approximately 10 months old, during the first couple of days with us. After a traumatic start to his life it was apparent that Max was suffering both psychologically and physically. As you can see for these pictures Max was seriously underweight and found it uncomfortable to sit or lie down.

Eye contact was rare, and on being approached Max would cower and lose control of his bladder through fear. His fur was discoloured with urine and blood stains. Because he had been confined in limited space for so long walking and running in a straight line was almost impossible for Max as he'd been used to walking in circles. You can see a kind of lifelessness in Max's eyes. It was important that Max was willing work with us to try and gain some strength.

This is Max after only a few weeks with us. Like many Springers Max couldn't get enough of water. We didn't know that Max had never been in water before and when he found it by accident, after the initial shock, Max decided he'd make up for lost time. And that he did!

Max started to put weight on quite quickly and was monitored regularly by the vet. Meals were little and often with doggy treats in between, of course! We put drops daily in Max's ears and cleaned them as he had a serious wax problem, which we discovered early on. Fortunately this cleared up quite nicely.

Max was slowly gaining confidence but we knew this was going to take a while. Bladder control was improving although not quite as good as it should be, but of course this would go hand in hand with trust, which he was slowly starting to gain.

Max is now living in Staffordshire with a lady he is very happy with and who is thrilled with him!

Now to Bracken (unsure about his age initially but we think he was between 2 and 5 years old according to the vet) who was found straying in Cumbria. As you can see from this picture Bracken was grossly underweight and found it difficult to digest food. Lethargic and seriously lacking in confidence Bracken was going to need some intensive input. The vet was baffled as to what the cause of his poor digestion could be for a while so Bracken failed to thrive very well and it was quite a worrying time. However, one day by chance we noticed something rather unpleasant moving around in Bracken's stools. Surely this wasn't the cause of Bracken's digestive problem?

It certainly was. After a few worming tablets Bracken started to thrive again. He was like a changed dog with all the energy of puppy!

These are just two of many pictures taken a few weeks into Bracken's stay with us. In fine form and full of energy we would take him for long walks but never manage to wear him out! Fanatical about chasing birds but not obsessive Bracken, like Max, was an absolute joy to take out walking. Another water-lover Bracken didn't want to come out! A lovely friend, fun to be with and extremely loyal.

Bracken found a new home and is said to be settling in well. As Foster Carers we are fortunate to be able to accompany on follow-up visits. Bracken is due a visit and we'll look forward to seeing him in his new home.

So, you may be wondering whether fostering is for you?

Possible medical/psychological/physical problems - because Joe and I have experience in the nursing sector we find it easy to deal with medical problems that the dogs may have. This gives us a distinct advantage, which we fully appreciate. It's useful to be aware of possible problems of incontinence, although this is only usually temporary. You may spend a while cleaning up a lot, but you soon get used to this. Neutralising spray I have found very useful after cleaning. For dogs with psychological problems, apart form an awful lot of patience and support a good canine book is useful in explaining behavioural traits or try asking someone with experience.

Exercise - springers are energetic little creatures who are often impossible to wear out so it is essential (as with all dogs of course) to give them regular exercise. Joe and I usually take the dogs out at least twice a day, ensuring that they will have at least one decent walk of preferably a few miles. We both enjoy walking so it really isn't a chore. Invaluable are our wellies, which I think we spend most of the day in outside!

Grooming - as well as general grooming Springer Spaniels' ears need a special eye kept on them as they are noted for having ear problems.

Food and other provisions - as a Foster Carer you would provide everything except vet's fees, although if you are short of anything I'm sure the Springer Rescue Centre would be only too happy to help. Both Joe and I are indebted to two of the North West Springer Rescue workers Hazel Thomas and Liz Emmott who have been so supportive to us. They make sure that on handing over a dog to you that you are absolutely fine with the situation. After explaining thoroughly what the circumstances of the rescue are they make sure you have contact numbers should you need any advice/help.

I remember one incident in particular involving Bracken who managed to swallow half a bar of soap. I phoned Hazel in a panic but she soon reassured me that it would be ok and that Bracken wasn't going to get horribly ill!! And of course she was absolutely right. It is reassuring to hear from them, as they will phone you to check that all is well and we usually keep them up-to-date with the dog's progress. They will inform you of a possible new home.

The hard work it can entail is nothing in comparison to the rewards you get. Each dog has his/her own character and little ways about them. When I think of them sometimes I chuckle or smile when I remember the things they used to do. I often say to Joe 'remember when Max used to?.' And we'd laugh between ourselves with fond memories. I can't say that parting with the dogs is easy. There is a certain 'emptiness' in the house when they're gone and a feeling of desperation for me, but I know it is only because we care. Both Joe and I make it clear that in the event of anything not working out for the dogs we are more than happy to take them back. To go back into kennels would be devastating to them. We are aware of this.

I would say most importantly that as a Foster Carer it is imperative that you have plenty of unconditional love, patience and time for these dogs.

If you are interested in Fostering and would like any further information that we might be able to help with please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it We would be only too happy to help.