Issue 43 October 2015

RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter, Black Hat Lane, Bakers Hill, Exeter EX2 9TA

Tel: 01392 439898 www.rspca-littlevalley.org.uk

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Shelter News By Jo Evans, Shelter Manager

It has been a busy time here, with lots of events happening. Adam did his Skydive and raised a whopping £483.18—so a big ‘Well done’ and ‘Thank you’ to Adam. We have also had a small Car Boot Sale here and raised £118—we hope to try this again next year come the Spring. The Open Afternoon was popular with lots of visitors and the homemade cakes went down a treat—we raised a fantastic £333.04. Then there was the Big Walkies which was supported by lots of dogs and their owners—more of that later in this issue. Somehow, we managed to book sunshine for all these events which made them all the more enjoyable! A big ‘Thank you’ to all who got involved whether attending, volunteering, making cakes etc. Keep an eye out for next year’s events. Many of you will have met Jan, who has been our receptionist for the past 7-8 years. She had retired from her full-time school role to come and work with us on a part-time basis. She has now retired—take two! Hopefully she will be able to enjoy more holidays and hobbies and enjoy the quiet life! Thank you Jan for all your hard work and we wish you well in your retirement. We have found Jan’s replacement in one of our volunteers and Julie Thomas will be joining the team shortly. Lastly, I look forward to seeing many of you at the Christmas Fair on Saturday 28 November. Remember it is here at the Shelter throughout the day, so please pop in for a festive warmer, a wander round the Shelter and a chance to buy lots of Christmas gifts from many interesting craft stalls. There is a poster for this on the back of this issue—please feel free to display it somewhere to help promote the event. See you there!

LITTLE VALLEY ANIMAL SHELTER RSPCA South, East & West Devon Branch Black Hat Lane, Bakers Hill, Exeter, EX2 9TA Registered Charity No: 205154 Telephone: 01392 439898 Email: info@rspca-littlevalley.org.uk Website: rspca-littlevalley.org.uk Facebook: facebook.com/rspcalittlevalley Twitter: twitter.com/rspcaexeter Just Giving: justgiving.com/rspcaexeter Shelter Opening Times Open 6 days a week (closed Wednesdays) 11.00am-4.00pm (Last entry: 3.30pm) 24 hour Cruelty and Advice Line: 0300 1234 999

SHOPS 129 Reddenhill Rd, Babbacombe TQ1 3NT Tel: 01803 323841 1 Market Street, Brixham TQ5 8EU Tel: 01803 859695 46 High Street, Budleigh EX9 6LJ Tel: 01395 442349 31 Cowick Street, Exeter EX4 1AL Tel: 01392 213847 27 Paris Street, Exeter EX1 2JB Tel: 01392 494759 91 South Street, Exeter EX1 1EN Tel: 01392 494113 49 Courtenay St, Newton Abbot TQ12 2QN Tel: 01626 330716 10 Torquay Road, Paignton TQ3 3AB Tel: 01803 528118 Brutus Centre, Totnes TQ9 5RW Tel: 01803 866597

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Dog Sensory Garden Update We are making great progress with the Dog Sensory Garden, as you can see from the photos below! From left to right—dog pond with tiny dog access, textured tiles for the dogs to explore, the sand pit taking shape with jasmine and hops planted ready for the dogs to snack on if they wish and finally, the garden so far!

Rabbit Compounds Update Our rabbit compounds are complete and in use—hurrah! It’s been a long road but it was absolutely worth it. Take a look at these happy bunnies—and even guinea pigs!—enjoying the new compounds!

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Friends of Little Valley By Jill Brush, Membership Secretary

Autumn is upon us. Where did the summer go? It's true that as one gets older the time flies by or is life more fulfilling and we more contented? I am sure I can rely on the wonderful Friends of Little Valley to support our Christmas Fair raffle as strongly as ever and, if possible, please come along to our Shelter which is hosting the Christmas Fair for the first time—we and the animals will be there to welcome you. Thank you so much for your continued support. To contact me email phillandjillb@aol.com or telephone on 01392 661424.

Young Fundraiser Ellie Morgan and her friends decided to raise some money for Little Valley with a bake sale on their doorstep. They raised a whopping £88.70 for the animals! Thank you Ellie and friends—a magnificent effort. Ellie came up to the Shelter and had a tour around when she presented us with the money she had raised.

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Giveacar raises money for UK charities by scrapping and selling old cars. They provide a nationwide FREE service which: - Arranges the collection of the vehicle from your home; - Depending on its age and condition, recycles it at an authorised facility or sends it to auction. To arrange donation of a car visit www.giveacar.co.uk or call 020 7736 4242, quoting “RSPCA Little Valley Animal Shelter” as your chosen charity.

Please consider sponsoring a dog kennel, cat pen or rabbit run for as little as £3 a month through our Safe Haven scheme. An applica-tion form can be found on our website.

If you shop online, please use Easyfundraising to help us raise even more money. Lots of well known retailers are on there and it’s free to register. Sign up at: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/rspcalittlevalley Join the Pets at Home VIP Club to get great

discounts. Select your home store as Exeter, Exmouth, Torquay or Newton Abbot and you can opt for Little Valley as your chosen charity so we can receive benefits as you shop! Register at: http://vip.petsathome.com

A legacy to us will provide crucial funds. We could not carry on our work without such gener-ous support. Please visit our website to find out more about leaving a legacy to us.

We have three wishlists — one for dogs, one for cats and the other for small animals. They list lots of items that our animals really like, such as treats and toys. You will need an Amazon account to do this but it’s

really easy to set up and it’s free. Go to www.amazon.co.uk. Log into your Amazon account and type into the search box “RSPCA Little Valley Wishlist” and our wishlists will come up! It’s a great way to help us out and all the animals in our care will be very grateful! And don’t forget to claim for your purchases using Easyfundraising, as we can raise even more money that way!

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Pat Pollock It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Pat Pollock—Trustee, Budleigh Salterton Shop Manager and former Exmouth Auxiliary Secretary. Pat’s love of animals could be traced back to her childhood in the West Country and the time she spent living on a farm with her parents. On leaving school she joined the WRAF where she was commissioned and acquired many new skills, not least flying a glider! It was during her time as WRAF Schools’ Liaison Officer for the North East, based at RAF Middleton-St-George, that she met her future husband Dave Pollock, who was also an RAF officer. Pat resigned her commission when she married and embarked

on life as a ‘service wife’ moving frequently, both in the UK and abroad, with Dave, their two sons and various animals. It was after retirement to Exmouth twenty two years ago, and as a result of adopting Boot (a large black Collie cross) from Little Valley that Pat became an active supporter of the work of the Shelter. She made few concessions to re-tirement and employed her legendary organisational skills for the benefit of the Branch and the other charities she supported. She was a committed and conscientious Branch Trustee for many years and could be relied upon to give wise, considered and fair advice. As Auxiliary Secretary she also organised the successful fundraising activities of the Exmouth Auxiliary Group for several years until 2009 and was responsible for recruiting and nurturing many supporters of the work of Little Valley. From 1997 Pat managed the Budleigh Salterton Shop on a voluntary basis, ably assisted by Beryl Gooding as Deputy Manager. During this time she built up a loyal band of volunteers who were inspired by her friendliness and enthusiasm. This, in turn, helped to create a welcoming atmosphere within the shop which was much valued by customers and

resulted in the substantial financial contribution made by the shop on an annual basis towards the running costs of Little Valley. In 2001 Pat and Dave adopted Molly from the Shelter. She

was a stray Staffie cross from the streets of Liverpool and came with ‘attitude’. It is due to their loving care and patience that she matured into a lovely companion. Pat was a great ambassador for the Branch and will be sadly missed by all her friends. We send our sympathy to Dave and her family.

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Special Case Dog Rescue Back in January 2014 we were involved in a large case at Doddiscombsleigh. In all, 28 dogs were rescued from the property—many of whom came to Little Valley. It took a long 18 months before the case came to trial and the dogs were finally able to be rehomed. Of all the dogs in our care from this case, only Willow and Acorn are still looking for their forever homes.

Bernie joined the Sellick family in May 2015, here is his story: “Bernie has quickly settled, going from being quite a nervous dog to become a confident and happy chap. We were prepared for Bernie not to be house-trained and to struggle being in the house, but he is very much at home and has found his place! In all this time we have had no accidents in the house at all and he is quite the model dog! He loves his countryside walks and has dis-

covered the joys of sticks, occasionally choosing to play with a toy as well! His favourite past-times are watching the world go by in the garden, snuggling up in his favourite chair and having a bit of a fuss made of him (he even quite likes being groomed). We knew that Bernie would need time and a quiet, calm, patient approach, and bringing him home is the best decision we could have made. He very much chose us and the speed with which he has settled is due (in no small part) to the time, work and efforts of the Little Valley team, who continue to be a great support. Bernie is a tender

and very sweet-natured boy who we love seeing come out of his shell a bit more as the weeks go on. We can't remember life before Bernie - he is absolutely part of the family!” Wendy (Wendolin) was adopted by Gill Watson, here is her update on her: “I'm sorry to see that some of the other dogs from the same home are still waiting for homes, as if they are anything at all like Wendy they will make fantastic pets. Wendy is just wonderful—so gentle and tolerant. She is still nervous of people but I can now walk her down into Topsham on a quietish morning; we just stop off at a cafe where we can sit outside in a quiet spot and the guys who run it have been making friends with Wendy and giving her treats—bits of sausage and bacon! Mostly we walk in quieter areas. She has been over to Sidmouth to see my Mum and go for a stroll there and has man-aged well. When I come home from work she goes berserk and roars round the garden. Her personality is coming out more with every passing day.” Recently, Wendy came back to visit the staff and she was an absolute star!

Acorn Willow

Bernie

Wendy

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New Homes Required! Many of the animals in our last edition have now been rehomed. Bob the Sharpei is still waiting, but more about him elsewhere in this newsletter. Poor Acorn and Willow are still waiting for their forever homes, as are ferrets Capt America and Ant-Man, who have now teamed up with fellow super-sleuth ferret Miss Marple! All the latest animals for adoption are on our website: www.rspca-littlevalley.org.uk.

Snuggs

Mr Darcy Caleb

Cluedo

Florence Loki

Liquorice & Cinnaomon

Syrup

Caleb

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Happy Endings!

Zeus

Judd now Max Freddie

Reggie

Tubbs

Pebbles

Roger

Bryson

Bear with new pal Roxanne

Ermintrude

Freddie

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Daphne Absalom We are very sorry to report the death of the Branch President, Miss Daphne Absalom. Daphne was a lifelong supporter of the work of the RSPCA and, after her retirement in 1985, she became Branch Secretary of the Exeter Branch and was instrumental in the acquisition of the smallholding at Little Valley which became the site of the present Animal Shelter. Daphne was born in Kingston upon Thames and during the war she drove an ambulance in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. After training as an Occupational Therapist, she went to work in a psychiatric hospital in Melrose, Scotland and then, after some years, moved to be with her parents and sister, Thelma, in Dunchideock and joined the Occupational Therapy team at the RD&E Hospital. Daphne eventually became Chief OT and remained at the hospital until her

retirement. Throughout this time she had many opportunities to enjoy her great love of travel-ling and was able to visit many countries around the world, both in connection with her work and for pleasure. One of her favourite expeditions was to Asia to travel the Silk Road. She also had many other interests including books, poetry and calligraphy and, of course, her beloved dogs. Her active association with the Branch began at a crucial time for animal welfare as the existing Branch Shelter in Market Street, Exeter was

under notice of closure from Exeter City Council. After viewing many sites and properties she found Little Valley and, with the aid of a large legacy to the Branch and a grant from the national Society, she turned the first turf and oversaw the building of the Animal Shelter. Kennel Block A bears a plaque commemorating Daphne’s contribution to the Shelter. After some years as Branch Secretary, she retired to become Branch President and maintained an active interest in Little Valley, most recently attending Shelter Day in June and meeting her many friends. Her connection with the animals continued throughout the years, most recently when she and her sister adopted Zac, a lovely ten year old Shihtzu who arrived in February and quickly settled into a life of bliss in Dunchideock. Daphne will be greatly missed and we send our

sympathies to Thelma and their family.

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Big Walkies Update We had over 70 dogs turn up to the Big Walkies at Ludwell Valley Park, Exeter and the sun was shining! An army of fantastic volunteers helped out on the day with a special mention to the University of Exeter Animal Welfare Society, Wonford Com-munity & Learning Centre and Stephen Evans of Café 64, Bovey Tracey who put on a fantastic BBQ! We raised an amazing amount of just under £710– thank you to everyone for supporting our very first Big Walkies! Photos courtesy of Maz Bowers and Matt Round of the Express & Echo.

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Special Dog Campaigns Recently we’ve had some dogs in that have required some special treatment. We go above and beyond for the animals in our care, but any specialist treatment is not cheap. Here are some of our recent campaigns.

Biscuit is a 9 month old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. When he came into us, he appeared to have something wrong with his eyes. On further examination it was discovered that he was losing his vision and would need reconstructive surgery on his eyelids to save his eyes. Without this surgery he would go blind. However, this specialist surgery would cost £650. We were determined to do everything we could to help Biscuit so set up a Just Giving page. Amazingly, we managed to raise £380 of the total needed and the balance was donated by a kind benefactor. Gorgeous Biscuit has now had his operation, which

was a complete success, and he has already found his new family and gone off to his forever home. Good luck Biscuit! Bob is a 7 year old Sharpei who has been at the Shelter since May. On arrival, it was clear that he had been living with a recurring ear problem. We started treatment, but sadly this hasn't made him more comfortable. Now we are going to perform an operation on one of his ears to hopefully solve the problem, but this still leaves the issue of his other ear which may also need an operation down the line. We hope not, as this would mean that Bob would be deaf. Bob is a real character—he is loving and fun and a real favourite with the dog team. Bob's operation will cost £500. We want to do all we can to help him but we are a local self-funding branch of the RSPCA. Anything we can raise towards this would be a huge help. If we raise more than is needed for Bob's operation, we can put this towards the next animal that needs our help. We have set up a Just Giving page for Bob: http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/rspcaexeter/bobsbigop. Please help Bob if you can—no amount is too small. We already have our next dog project on the horizon. Lolly is a 5 year old Bulldog who sadly wakes herself up when she is sleeping due to breathing difficulties. It looks like she will need an operation to have her nostrils enlarged and her soft palate reduced to make her more comfortable. We will know more shortly and will set up a Just Giving page if needed. Any donations towards these causes can either be made via Just Giving or cheques can be sent into the Shelter marked for the appropriate appeal—Bob or Lolly.

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Popular Paris Street Welcome to Little Valley’s shop in Paris Street, Exeter. The shop is run by myself, Sue Mason and my Deputy, Nikki. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to one of our vibrant shops in the city of Exeter, which has supported the Little Valley Animal Shelter in excess of 18 years. During the last 14 years of managing the shop I have been fortunate to meet some generous people—those who have given up valuable time by volunteering in the shop and those who have donated items to us. All our volunteers are welcoming and do an invaluable job helping to keep the shop stocked, tidy and aid us in sorting, steaming and pricing our pre-loved goods in order to raise precious funds to support the Shelter. Another superb way to make additional funds is through Gift Aid. We ask all persons donating stock if they would like to Gift Aid as it

enables the shelter to claim an extra 25p in the £1, which can make all the difference. We always welcome new volunteers to our team, one of whom has remained at Paris Street over 17 years—a huge thank you to Jenny. Every volunteer has their own niche

which enables us to make the shop successful. One of our volunteers also spends her own time making home-made groovy and glamorous dog coats using recycled materials which would otherwise be put to rag. Each coat is unique, all raising money for Little Valley. The Paris Street shop is situated beside Exeter Bus Station giving us a great advantage on receiving donations such as clothing, bric-a-brac, DVDs/games, electrical goods and other miscellaneous items. We often get visiting coach parties and as well as our regular valued customers who continue to support us there is Samson, who visits everyday! Please pop in and see us—you may be surprised what you find in store. If you would like to volunteer in our shop, please give us a call or pop in and see us.

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Long Service Awards Some of our staff and our Trustees have recently received RSPCA long service awards. Barbara McPhail received the RSPCA Queen Victoria Bronze Medal for her dedication to animals. Trustees receiving long-service awards are Wendy Brookes, Carol Allan and Jackie Williams. Long serving members of staff are Sara Minter, Sue Hurst, Dominique Doe and Sue Mason.

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Canine Remedial Massage A complementary therapy which uses the manipulation of

soft tissue to promote the physiological and psychological

well-being of dogs — regardless of age, size or breed.

Veterinary consent is required prior to treatment.

For further information or to request a consent form, contact Linda Rogers ITEC Dip ICAT Tel: 07732 688383. Email: linda@handsandhounds.co.uk

THE FAMILY MASSAGE CENTRE Established 1994

Annie Samuels (Hons)a holistic approach to health care and diet Deep tissue massage, sports injury therapy, Hopi ear candle treatment, aromatherapy 1 hour to 3 hour treatments from £30 to £70 Available 7 days a week (9.30am to 5.30pm) by appointment only Gift vouchers available for cash or cheque only 7 Piazza Terracina (river basin), Haven Road, Exeter EX2 8GT Tel: 01392 203182 (answerphone) | Email: annie.samuels@yahoo.co.uk

Events 2015 Saturday 21 November—Christmas Fayre, Exmouth 10am to 12 noon—All Saints Church Hall, 2 Church Road, Exmouth EX8 1RZ Details: Budleigh Shop on 01395 442349

Saturday 28 November—Little Valley Christmas Fair at the Shelter 11am to 3pm—Little Valley, Black Hat Lane, Bakers Hill, Exeter EX2 9TA Details: Shelter on 01392 439898

Events for 2016 coming soon—watch this space and check out our website!

Please support our events—they are vital for raising funds and also awareness of the Shelter. We are always looking for volunteers to help at events, if you are interested in getting involved please email us on info@rspca-littlevalley.org.uk.

We are looking for craft stallholders for our Christmas Fair at the Shelter. If you would like a space then the cost will be £10 per stall. If you have your own gazebo/table/chair you can bring, please let us know as this would be a great help. If you would like a space,

please contact Maria on mkouts@rspca-littlevalley.org.uk.

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