Yesterday was our Meet an' Greet at Pets at Home to raise some readies for Greyhound Gap; you might remember we done one last year.

We pitched up about 'alf nine an' mum an' dad got the stand set up wiv all the leaflets an' stuff. While they was doing that some chap bunged us some money - and we 'adn't even started!!


The Stand

Pets at Home was dead good and let us put our banner outside the shop so everyone could see it was us.


The Banner

Soon after we was ready a lady called Marion turned up. She knows Aunty Claire dead well and goes on The Refuge forum thinggy (she's called ChickenTikka there). She knew all about us and was really nice to us all, but especially Rosie 'oo she thought was beautiful.

Then Jayne and 'er puppies, Charlotte, Jessica and Tom came along. We all like Jayne 'cos she comes round if mum and dad is out, and 'er puppies sometimes keep us company like.


Aunty Marion wiv Kai and Tom wiv Jack

And then this chap called Joey turns up wiv a lady called Wanda (you gotta say the W like a V), an' 'ere's a fing - Joey is a Gap 'ound wot she's fosterin', the first Gap 'ound that's come along to one of our gigs; way to go mate, great to meet ya! Poor sod, 'ee's only free but 'is gnashers were that bad they 'ad to take 'em all out except 'is fangs; makes chewin' a pigs ear a job and an 'alf I bet.


Joey wiv 'is Foster Mum

That was the morning shift sorted so we got down to the business of accosting punters. We wanted to get at least as much dosh as we did last year so we decided to go balls out for it (bit of irony there given the state of our bits). If you read Jack's blog about the Coventry bash and Rosie's about Syston last week you'll know she loves doin' these. So we decided to 'ave a bit of a competition to see 'oo could accost the most punters. We 'ad a right larf. My technique - as usual - was 'ead under the arm and onto the leg then lean on 'em, Rosie'd do a little jump or go 'ead first for the groin. If there was only one we'd both 'ave go at 'em, an' then to top it all Mack'd get in on the act and pin 'em darn from the uvver side then not let 'em go 'til they put dog food tokens in the tin; funny fing is, the punters loved it.

'Spose I'd better say that we only did that wiv the grown ups. Me and Mack left the 'uman puppies alone - they ain't really our fing, but Rosie was dead good and was well gentle wiv 'em.


Rosie wiv an 'Uman Puppy

Joey's a dab paw at Meetin' an' Greetin' an' all. 'Ee went about it in a more subtle way than us like, but every time I looked over he'd got someone strokin' 'im. Even Lucy got stuck in, and Monty didn't go an' lie down to well into the afternoon, which is well unusual for 'im - 'spose 'ee's got an excuse at the moment wiv 'is leg 'an all.


Joey wiv a Punter

Josie was only goin' to stop for an hour or so but she stayed loads longer than that. Eventually she 'ad to take Ann and Norman 'ome. By the way, Normans's great for leanin' on, an' Mack agrees wiv me - cheers bloke. An' you might reckon that Josie's mum is a sensible kind of lady, not the sort that goes an' gets tattoos an' stuff. Well, you'd reckon wrong 'coz she's got a greyhound tattoo; not numbers in 'er ears like, but a tattoo of a greyhound. Dad made her strip so 'ee could see it!!


Aunty Ann's Tattoo

The words say "Semper Fidelis" wot, as I'm sure you know, means "Always Faithful", wot is spot on 'coz I'm always faithful to 'ooever I'm leanin' on, and Jack is always faithful to 'ooever 'as the treats!!

Marion was anuvver one only stopping for about an hour too - that didn't go to plan then; it was well gone one by the time she left.

By that time Noah 'ad turned up wiv Sam and Mark in tow. 'Ee's a case is Noah - 'ee stands around lookin' like 'ee's not quite sure and the punters love it.


Noah Doin' 'Is Stuff

All through the day we 'ad a constant stream of people, and that meant people to lean on and stroke us; it's a tough job but all of us managed to cope. Couple of people were really nice and bought us some treats - special fanks to them.


The Brindle Babes - Lucy an' Rosie

I'm gonna digress for a bit 'ere, coz among the people wot turned up today there is a load of connections. So, one of Wanda wiv a V's 'ounds was called Jill and came over from Ireland wiv our Jack - Jack an' Jill, geddit? Then Marion 'ad 'elped bring Mack to White Lodge, an' of course it was Aunty Sam's mum - Grandma Squiggs - wot had 'im first from there. And Aunty Sam 'elped sponsor Monty over from Ireland three years ago; she told us that she'd promised the ladies from Wexford that she'd go an' see 'im at White Lodge over the Christmas 'ols, only for 'im to go 'ome wiv Kai a few days after arrivin'. Small world innit?


Mack


Monty

Anyway, back the Meet an' Greet. We was gonna 'ang around 'til four, but even though is was gettin' dark there was still people comin' to see us so we 'ung on a bit longer. About 'alf four it started rainin' - nuff said and we did a runner to the BeastBus well sharpish and left the 'umans to pack up.

Then they went into shop to get a few bits and bobs, Noah went too, and a lady asked why Noah was all dressed up. When Sam told this lady why she gave Sam a quid to add to what we'd collected.


Joey, Kai, Noah, Lucy and Jack

I 'spose you wanna know 'ow many spondoolies we got for Gap. Well, let me say we all feel pretty chuffed wiv ourselves. and Joey, Josie and Noah, coz each one of us 'ounds managed to get nigh on £70 durin' the day. The actual total was £697.71, but we got dad to bung in the extra few bob to round it up to seven 'undred quid.


Lucy 'Avin' a Lean on Me

So it is mega-thanks to Marion aka ChikkenTikka ('oo fell in love wiv Rosie), to Josie an' 'er mum Ann ('oo fell in love wiv Rosie) and dad Norman (top draw leanin' post), to Jayne ('oo loves Rosie - spotted a theme 'ere anyone?) an' 'er puppies Charlotte, Jessica and Tom, to Joey 'oo stopped all day wiv 'is foster mum Wanda wiv a V (an' not a fish joke in sight), an' Noah wiv 'is mum an' dad Sam an' Mark for pitchin' up an' 'elpin' in the afternoon - a lot of the pics wot I've used were taken by Aunty Sam, so thanks for that too.


Kai


Jack


Noah

And thanks also to Pets at Home for lettin' us do our thing, and last - but by no means least - to everyone wot put money in our tins; you all 'elped to make it great day. Fing is, the money is well needed 'coz there are loads of 'ounds that ain't as lucky as wot we are an' need 'elp at the moment.


Yours T

So to everyone wot I've mentioned, and to anyone wot reads this, 'Appy Christmas from all The Beastly Beasts, an' let's 'ope 2008 is a good year for all of us - 'ounds and 'umans.

Cheers!!