Wetnose Animal Aid

Burgess / Wetnose Rescue Awards 2011
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This year we invited all independent UK Rescue Centres to nominate themselves for a recognition award under specific category headings as shown below. The the response was staggering to say the least. Well done and thank you to all those who entered.

The Best Rescue Centre categories were:

Best dog rescue

Best cat rescue

Best small animal rescue (rodent)

Best fibrevore rescue (rabbit/guinea/chinchilla)

Best greyhound rescue

Best donkey / horse rescue

Best ‘rescue’ story

CLICK HERE
for the 2012 Awards Nomination Forms

Best dog rescue – Lizzie's Barn Sanctuary in Wales
Best cat rescue – Chestnut Cat Rescue in Essex
Best small animal (rodent) – Herts Hogline in Hertfordshire.
Best ‘fibrevore’ rescue (rabbit/guinea/chinchilla) – Fat Fluffs Rabbit Rescue in Solihull.
Best Greyhound rescue – Celia Cross Greyhound Rescue in Surrey
Best donkey / horse rescue – Remus Horse Memorial Sanctuary in Essex
Best ‘rescue’ story – Penny from Furry Friends Rescue Centre in Surrey

The judges will pick the best OVERALL UK rescue centre from the above winners and this will be announced at the award ceremony in March. In addition to the ‘Best UK Rescue Centre’ Award, the winner will receive a cash donation of £500 courtesy of Burgess Pet Care.

CHESTNUT CAT
SANCTUARY
Epping, Essex.

The Judging Team. From left to right:
Andi Godfrey (The London Dog Forum)
Andrea Gamby-Boulger (Wetnose Animal Aid)
Paul Miley (Director - Burgess Pet Foods)
Naomi Chatterley (Marketing Manager - Burgess Pet Foods)
Debbie Connolly (Dog Behaviourist)

Thank you to everyone who took part in the event, it was a great success. A particular thank you to our judges and to the Noel Coward theatre in London for use of their rooms for judging.

To view the full video of the award ceremony
CLICK HERE

To view the short video of the award ceremony
CLICK HERE

To view the photo gallery of the award ceremony
CLICK HERE

Read the stories of the winners below

Best Rescue Centre Story - Penny the Border Collie / Jack Russell cross

The Wetnose/Burgess Rescue Centre nominations were judged on Friday the 12th November in London at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Penny was found in a garden after being caught in a snare! Her back leg was just hanging off by a small thread and so it was decided that the entire leg needed to be removed immediately. But the worst thing was that she was in labour and about to give birth.

After a while she gave birth to five puppies in someone’s back garden, but sadly because poor Penny was so distressed four of the puppies died by the time she was rescued and then immediately after that she had to go under general anesthetic to have her leg removed which was now full of gangrene, so goodness knows how long poor Penny was in this snare for.

As soon as she woke up she started looking for her puppies….she hadn’t forgotten but there was only one that could be returned to her and once reunited with her baby she quiet happily settled down and started to relax a little and so the healing process could start.

The new little puppy certainly helped Penny get over her awful ordeal and the good news is that Penny and her pup were rehomed by Furry Friends in Surrey and are safe and very happy with a lovely couple who have other dogs as well to keep Penny company.

Sponsor Ellen Stevens (Penny's mum) in the Robin Hood Half Marathon. Find out more on our LATEST NEWS page - CLICK HERE

Best Rescue Pet Story - Blue the Border Collie cross

The Wetnose/Burgess Rescue Centre nominations were judged on Friday the 12th November in London at the Noel Coward Theatre.

I first saw Blue on the 15th February 2009, when I was asked if I could rescue a Border Collie cross. The owners had a new dog and didn’t want the old one. Blue was kept outside in a shed, not ideal but nothing unusual about that, so we thought.
When we walked up the garden, the shed was so overgrown you would never have known that there was even a shed there at all. But shockingly, we soon realised Blue had no outside access or even daylight. His world was solitary dark prison.

We open the door, and out hurtled Blue, running round the garden, initially looking at the sky and then making silly noises, and then finally he came over to see us. He was a happy boy, but very smelly, not surprisingly as he had spent the last 8 years locked up in this shed - EIGHT YEARS IN A SHED CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

Of course I took Blue away from that awful place and straightaway went to a friends house and gave him a bath. Afterwards he looked so much better but the smell really did not go especially when he opened his mouth. Upon closer scrutiny you could see some of his teeth were black.

The next day I took Blue to The veterinary dental surgery in Byfleet. They took some blood for testing to see if he had any general problems. Thankfully these came back as ok, but he did needed to have his teeth sorted out. He had already lost some teeth and others were loose. There were also many abscesses in his mouth, some of which had splinters of wood in. He even had staples from the shed down the sides of his teeth into the jaw, where he had been trying to chew his way out. Blue had to have 14 teeth removed.

Blue also had sores on his front legs where it looked like he had stuck his feet out of bottom of the shed door where he had managed to chew a small gap. These legs were soft to the touch and if pressed, oozed pus with splinters in.

Amazingly, Blue’s recovery was swift and the stitches in his mouth seemed not to bother him, but he did have the habit of smashing his face onto the floor wingeing and moaning and rubbing all his face after eating or drinking. We think this was down to the fact that whenever he ate or drank, he must have been in so much pain that he rubbed his face on anything he could to relieve the agony. Blue still does this throwing his head to the floor but we make sure he has something soft under his head so he does not harm himself.

Thirteen months with no problems followed and then BANG……Blue collapsed with a suspected splenetic tumor that the vets indicated could be cancerous and that due to Blue’s age was not a good prognosis. I was determined that the operation would go ahead. I bravely said my goodbyes…….. .in case…….and waited and waited. It turned out to be a cyst but Blue had to have 60% of his liver removed. His recovery amazed all the staff who came into contact with him.

Further problems followed Blue. He had to have another operation as he had a colonic blockage that was difficult to deal with but a clever surgeon managed.

I have been told that when Blue was younger he was shut in a cupboard and if he messed in there, he was force fed Hot Chili Powder as a punishment.

Blue has a wonderful temprament and is a very loving dog. I love him with all my heart and would love thank everyone who has helped my boy Blue.

Karin Ridgers of Veggie Vision talks to Andrea at the 2011 Awards Ceremony