BeastBlog: July 2008


About The Beastly Beasts - By The Beastly Beasts

This is where we, the Beastly Beasts, tell you all about what we've been up to.

We love hearing from you too, so please leave us a message by clicking on "Post a Comment" at the end of the story.

Love and licks,
Kai, Monty, Jack, Troy, Lucy, Mack, & Rosie - The Beastly Beasts

31 July 2008

Made It !!

posted by Mack at 16:19
Oi thought Oi'd blowwn it when Oi took Granndmaa Squiggs and Gracie for a walk fruu the hedge; turns out it was one of moi better moves - though I am sorry to GS and Gracie.

That was a year ago and the same evening I was packed off to go and live with five other hounds - The Beastly Beasts. They were totally cool about a complete stranger turning up and it seemed a pretty good place to stop for a bit loike.

Next day we went out on a walk; boy it was long, longer than I'd been on. I had to have a lie down half way round.


Having a Lie Down

Anyway, Dad said Oi could only stay as a foster for a year. Oi thought 'ee mean I'd 'aveto go back to kennels after that. Luckily for me it meant that instead of being a foster Oi could be a real Beastly Beast loike.

Anyway, the years up and I am now an official Beastly Beast and dead proud loike.

Lookin' back it's been a pretty packed year rearlly. Not long after Oi turned up Rosie arrived (Oi'm sure she'll be saying something about that in a few weeks). Then we went to the Gap Show having all got fab new jumpers and not long after that we went to Swallows Dance on our 'ols - that was rearlly grreat. Then Oi became a blood donor; that's a good one - helping other hounds by 'avin' a lie down loike then gettin' a treat; if only it was that easy. Then it was Meet an' Greet season - they are fun and me, Troy and Rosie have a good crack seein' who can bag the most humans, but they are long days. Still, the ones we did raised over a thousand pounds; just think 'ow many pigs ears you can get for that!!! And then it was Christmas when we got loads of pressies and treats and stuff - we quoite loike Christmas.

Then we got to Swallows Dance again and this toime Oi enjoyed even more; maybe 'coz I knew the other everyone better loike.


On the Beach


And in the Fields

And we've done another Gap show, done the bloood thing a couple of times more, been on loads of walks with all our mates from White Lodge, watched humans race (that was fun), and - though we still don't know the results yet - been assessed as PAT dogs.

Never a dull moment here Oi can tell yer.

Anyway, here's to another year, but this toime knowing I'm stoppin'.
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19 July 2008

PPBuk News Letter

Reference
posted by Kai at 12:58
The Beastly Beasts are in this month's Pet Blood Bank UK newsletter. After Wendy, Heather and Caroline came to visit the other week they asked if we would like to be in it and we said we would. We thought there would be a little bit about us and blood doning; well there's that and loads more - about what we to to help hounds and a bit about each of us; I have to say we were rather, but very pleasantly, surprised.

The Beaastly Beasts
Us in our PBBuk Bandanas

If you don't get the PBBuk newsletter but would like to it click here. Why not sign up for the newsletter to find out more about PBBuk, what's going on and when there are blood drives; click here to visit the PBBuk website where you can do just that.
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18 July 2008

Have The Beastly Beasts Got It Down PAT?

Reference
posted by Troy at 18:03
If you've read Mack's post about the White Lodge Walk you'll know there woz summink coming off this week. Well last night woz it; some of us, most of us, all of us 'cept Monty and Lucy that is, went for PAT testing.

If you ain't 'eard of PAT before it stands for Pets As Therapy an' wot it means is us 'ounds goin' to places were 'umans ain't too good an' lettin' 'em 'ave a stroke and stuff; sort of 'ounds 'elpin' 'umans.

You might be wonderin' why Monty and Lucy weren't doin' it. Simply 'coz they didn't want to. It's like the Meets and Greets; me, Mack an' Rosie 'ave competitions to see 'oo can get the most puntas, Kai does 'is stuff wiv the ladies and Jack sorts out the 'uman puppies. Monty an' Lucy will 'elp 'coz they want to 'elp uvva 'ounds, but they ain't into it like the rest of us. An' neiver of 'em are exactly full o' the joys o' spring goin' to new places, so they decided it was best all round if they opted out.

Anyway, like Mack said, we tapped up Sol on Sunday for a few tips like, but last night woz the real deal.

We went over Salcey for the usual ball o' chalk then went to Cookno ('umans spell it Cogenhoe but say it Cookno) village 'all to meet the lady wot woz goin' to test us.

Kai woz first up - stinking 'ee was too 'aving smuvvered 'imslef in FPone in the woods; dad weren't best please I can tell ya. Anyway, he comes back an' tells us that the lady, called Pat (spooky or wot?), woz dead nice and wot 'appened woz pretty much like Sol 'ad said.

I 'ave to agree wiv Kai 'ere, Pat woz a very nice lady and, in my 'umble opinion, one wiv exceptionally good taste in 'ounds. First fing she said when I walked in the door woz "Ohh, 'ee's an 'andsom boy." - 'oo am I to disagree?

Then we does the biz. Wot it involved woz:
  • Pat making like she's goin' to 'and over a treat 'cept she don't for a bit, she just 'olds it in 'er 'and an' you ain't supposed to go for it until she gives it to yer properly like. Well that's just manners ain' it? An' I fink it's fair to say that all The Beastly Beasts 'ave manners, dad'd 'ave our guts for garters if not.

  • Then Pat made a fuss of me; grabbin' me ears, tail, an' feet an' strokin' me, gently but firmly like, to see if was 'appy being touched. Me, I 'ate it - not! As do the rest of us.

  • Then I 'ad to take dad for a walk round the 'all. Probably should 'ave said before, but we woz there while a dog club woz too; bigun an' all. So there's lots of strange dogs an' 'umans around an' you 'ave to see 'ow your 'uman gets on wiv that. Dad did OK.

  • Then Pat took me a called me to 'er. You know me, call an' I'm by yer side.

  • Then she dropped a tin lid on the floor. 'Pparently some dogs try to do a runner when that 'appens. Good job they don't live in Beast Barracks, there's always bangin' and clatterin' at meal times - it's 'ow we know grub's up. Anyway I looked at it an' then at Pat 'an she larfed.


Now get this. It ain't often you get one over on Kai; 'ee's Mr. Chilled an' takes everyfink in 'is stride ('cept being washed that is) an' everyone finks 'ee's good lookin' and stuff. But Pat said that while Kai was OK, I was a natural PAT dog 'coz of the way I like goin' up to 'umans. I woz well chuffed.

Then it was Jack's turn and 'ee did it all OK too. As always 'ee fought it woz a right larf an' really enjoyed 'imself.

Mack was up next. I wondered wot Pat would 'ave to say about 'im wot wiv 'im bein' the uvver 'alf of the Bookend Boys like. Good 'ol boy; anuvver one wot woz rated.

Last up was Rosie. She woz a bit leary about it wot wiv all the other dogs around. But you know wot? She came back saying she'd enjoyed it too. She made Pat larf at the tin lid fing an' all 'coz she stood there an' wagged 'er tail at it.

Afterwards Pat 'ad a bit of rattle wiv dad, but so we knew wot the score woz we sent Monty out the van to stand wiv 'em.

Pat said we woz five dead good 'ounds, which woz really nice of 'er. She then said stuff which Monty didn't really get and didn't make much sense to us eivver, summink about dad 'avin' a CRB an' did that matta? Apparently not, wot evva one of them is. Then they 'ad a chat about 'oo an' where we might visit. She reckoned dad an' us might be OK for a place wot sounds like it ain't everyone's cup o' tea, but that we should all 'ave a fink.

And then, almost the last fing she says woz, "If ever I get a proper dog it will probably be a grey'ound". 'Course all dogs - well, most dogs - are proper dogs; Pat has Collies wot is proper dogs, but it's nice to know there's annuva 'uman out there wot cares about us grey'ounds.

Anyway, Pat's PAT testing don't necessarily mean we're in. We now 'ave to wait to see if PAT HQ says we are or not, an' that could take a few weeks. Cross yer paws for us an' watch this space.
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13 July 2008

July's White Lodge Walk

posted by Mack at 19:27
This afternoon was the Whoite Lodge Walk at Ratby. As always dad handed over some of us to help look after other humans. Troy and me went off with Jasper as we often do when he?s here; and Jack went and helped Rudy with his humans.

Jasper, Mack and Sol
Me with Jasper and Sol

The weather was great, really noice and warm, an' we 'ad a loovely walk. And it was a long one, which we loike.

We 'ad a chat with Sol on the way round about some stuff we're doing later in the week. Can't say what just yet, but we'll let you know when we've done it ? honest, but Sol's already done it so we thought we'd get some tips. He told us what happens and said it was dead easy and we'd do it no problem ? no pressure then!

Sol
Sol

We did 'ave one minor incident though. There's a narrow bridge at one point an' Monty fell off it. Shouldn't laugh really, burr'ee did it slow motion like. Didn't hurt 'imself or anything, but 'ee weren't laughin' when 'ee climbed out the stream.

Part of the gang
Part of the Gang

When we got back to the car park there were the usual treats and plenty to drink, everyone's tongues were haggin' out. Someone asked about our bandanas - we'd still got our Pet Blood Bank ones on from yesterday loike - so we told them about blood donin' and 'ow it's dead easy and stuff. Some of the others that do it agreed with us and seems we aren't the only ones that like the treats at the end - there's a thing.

Caleb and Rudy
Caleb and Rudy

Next month it's our local, Salcey Forest. We can't wait to show our friends from up north around the place and hope loads of 'em turn up.
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A Day at the Races

posted by Lucy at 18:46
Hi'ya possums, you'll never guess what we did yesterday ? we went to watch humans race. Apparently some humans do racing for fun and that was what they were doing yesterday; one of dad's mates'd sorted out the race to raise money for a human puppy school where they live, so were like Humans Helping Humans, which is nice.

We all reckoned hounds watching humans race was a bit of a turn up for the books. It's quite different from greyhound racing though. For a start they don't have to get in cages at the start; they just stand around then some chap lets out a ripper of a blast on a horn and they?re off.

Takes 'em a bit longer too 'coz they don't run as fast as us, but then they do run a bit further than we do, four miles they went. The first guys appeared back after about 20 minutes, which is pretty fair goin' for an animal that only has two legs.

Watching Humans Run
Watching Humans Run

There's more of them too, but they only have the one race. There was about 90 of 'em, and this is another difference, even the ones that come last get a clap and everyone is nice to them ? no worries about if you'll be goin' back to your kennel that evening.

And here's another thing; humans ? even the ones doing the racing ? aren't bred for it; humans choose if they want to run or not (dad choose not to), and if they don't want to no-one thinks any more about it. No "run or die" choices for them. I tell ya, being a human sounds a right cushy number.

It was a fair bonza afternoon an' all, and just standing around watching the humans running was pretty thirsty work. Luckily Troy had tapped up Glen, one of the guys helping out, and he got us some drinks like the runners had had ? nice one Troy.

Having a Drink
Watching Humans Run is Thirsty Work

'Course, loads of people came an' said "Hi" and we all got lots of cuddles. A few people asked why we hadn't taken part ? been there, done that, and survived thanks mates; now we get to run when we want to, not when we're told to. But they were just joking and everyone was really nice.

There was a sad bit when a lady told us her Afghan Hound had gone to the bridge recently ? only eight years old. Where ever you are, run free mate.

We had a fun afternoon and we think we might go and do it again sometime.
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03 July 2008

Busted BloodBuster

posted by Monty at 18:31
Bad news - my ALT levels are up again.

Dad spoke to a lady from PBBuk on the telling bone today who said my ALT was high again. She said it might just be me and that the number - about 200 - wasn't serious, particularly if I wasn't showing any other symptoms - which I'm not.

But the really bad news is I've been busted from donating blood ever again. Apparently they can't take blood like mine even if it is normal for me. While of course I kind of understand that they only want the best blood, I'm disappointed that I won't be able help any more.
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