Elizabeth's Journey with TAG...Part 3 - Morse, Lazy Hound and Zorro.

You will notice in the BLOG that there are many council dog pounds in Turkey. They are cold, frightening places with no outlook or love for the animals.

The dogs are hungry most of the time or are fed stale leftovers or bread, have no toys or chews and have no beds or blankets to lie on. They sleep on concrete- roasting in summer and freezing in winter in small , cramped pens. They exist in  an unloving atmosphere. Many are heart-breaking places with desperation etched into the dogs' faces- desperation for food, desperation for  love and desperation for  a gentle touch.

Morse, Lazy Hound and Zorro came from such a place in Turgutreis.



What keeps these dogs' souls alive? In a word VOLUNTEERS- wonderful people who choose to go along to care for the cats and dogs.

They pet them, hug them, walk them and fight for a better life for them. I call them the Turgutreis Angels.

One such person asked Karen if they could advertise a 3 legged dog on the TAG site. Karen , of course, said yes, go ahead and I saw Morse. I knew EXACTLY who would love him and give him a better life. Morse's crime? - to have 3 legs and he had been 5 years in Turgutreis.  He now lives in Aberdeenshire with Norma and Corey and is SO happy.

Morse



Morse with Corey

The next dog I heard about had been 8 years in Turgutreis. His crime?- to have runny eyes.
Another dog old Lazy Hound's crime? -to have grown  stiff and sore with old age after being kept on concrete for many, many years.

 

Two Turgutreis angels ,Sharon and John, who would walk them  twice a week, had promised Morse , Zorro and old Lazy Hound  when they left Turkey that they wouldn't forget them and do everything they could to get them out and into loving homes. We made contact and  I told them we'd take Zorro home to us and Karen said she'd take Lazy Hound to the TAG shelter to have a better life.
 

Karen then helped us , when I arranged to take Zorro out of Turgutreis , to have him in the TAG shelter to build up his strength for the long journey to the UK.

 

In April 2012 we excitedly drove to Turgutreis to pick up Zorro. He had been washed and groomed and taken to the vets for injections by Jayne, Mandy, Trev and Maria (Turgutreis Angels). They were excited too for old Zorro and so happy for him. I signed the papers to release him and he jumped into the car with complete strangers like us , never looked back and set off for his new life at the TAG shelter.

Zorro leaving Turgutreis shelter after 8 years

Initially we had him in with Lazy Hound but the two old sparring mates argued and fought together so they were separated. Poor Karen lost a precious kennel to Zorro and I'll always be grateful to her for sorting out the two old grumps!! My other problem was Zorro would jump into any water and empty it- can you imagine how precious the water is?  And he's throwing it over his head!
 

I visited my boy again in September and he was one of the gang- running free in the middle of the shelter and being his busy self.

Zorro has a purple tongue - surely a throw back to a chow?-and very thick coat ( probably saved his life in Turgutreis)- and he is at least 10 years old but completely unbowed with what life had up to now thrown at him. He was fatter and his coat was thicker and his right eye was less runny. Bless his heart.

 

He left Turkey in November 2012 and came across Europe with Karen safely. She whispered to me he was the only one in the van who would not do his toilet in the van but wait and wait to go out on his leash. And this guy had had to do his toilet on a concrete pen for 8 years. Bless his heart. 

The Turgutreis Angels tried to find the papers of what had happened to him and why he landed up there but it was too long ago. He has a number tattoo in his ear- something they used to do years ago.

 

He arrived home after a long journey for us  from Folkestone up to Aberdeenshire with Frodo ( another story) and accepted his new life with ease. We had already our 2 black labs, our rescue collie and Toorki in the house, so had Frodo and Zorro in the chalet to rest and recuperate. Zorro decided otherwise and barked and barked and stood looking into the house because he was going to be a house dog for evermore. After a week he came into the conservatory but barked and barked and after another  week came into the kitchen/dining room where it was hot with the Aga. He barked and barked and after a week he came upstairs into the bedroom at my side of the bed. He has never left my side- he is my self -appointed guardian angel, but at least has let me go to the toilet on my own , at last!!!  Bless his heart.

 

Zorro , Zozzie or Zozzicle- which he answers to, has gone from strength to strength. His eyes are almost 100%- I give the left one a little clean every morning; he has a new Mum who he has to guard and he is the grumpy old man when the young dogs get out of hand. Stop that- he growls - behave yourself- and reminds me so much of Mr Badger in Wind in the Willows. A good, old soul. He is at my feet as I write and he has wound his way round our hearts with his funny tongue, his infectious , laughing face and his love of water. We thankfully have a splooshing pool for all his watery desires. 

May you live well and long with us Zozzie. Bless his heart.

Zorro...free at last



 

Fox and Pink - Available for Adoption

Fox and Pink

Siblings dumped at the TAG shelter.    Their brother Tas(Bear) was adopted.

 They are 6 months old now and we would love to find them forever homes. 

Super sweet little girls who love cuddles and the other dogs.

 If you are interested please contact us as we would love either a foster home in the UK until a home is found or a forever home and we will help with the costs via fundraising.

Elizabeth's Journey with TAG...Part 2 Toorki

Toorki's story.

 

 

Toorki arrived with Princess Ruby and was called Peanut. He was to stay with us a few weeks- a big, quiet, Anatolian cross who loved to run. Thankfully we have fencing round our croft -built a few years before to keep my Mum and her little dog safe  as she walked him as she suffered from dementia.

 

Toorki was initially aloof, didn't like anyone touching his neck/collar and stayed back from showing  emotion. He had been boarded in kennels in Bulgaria and would walk on concrete but not grass. What we initially thought was disobedience was actually him being scared of the feel of grass under his feet.

 

The adoptive couple never saw Toorki -or Peanut-as he was still called- as the whole adopting process fell through and Karen called one Saturday to ask if we'd take him for our own. We had been standing back , knowing he was to go soon, so now we could set about getting his training on course and love him. We clicker trained him with tasty morsels of chicken so that we could touch/hold his neck easily  and he'd come to us. He was highly intelligent and very easily trained. He gave me a few scares though when he jumped the fence before he trusted us completely.

 

He had been picked up by Karen as the villagers where he was, had been going to shoot him for  chasing hens. He had been tried at another home in Turkey but that lasted only 24 hours .  Toorki ( Ataturk is his Sunday name) was ours now and knowing he was going nowhere else turned this quiet , unemotional , standoffish dog into the long-legged, loving, obedient, loyal friend he is today.

 

  Everyone loves him and he has been a wonderful teacher to our young  labrador Willie, letting him climb over him, pull him and play with him- he has SO much patience and a quiet dignity and quite a regal bearing. A wonderful dog.


Toorki with Jenny

Toorki with Robert


 



Toorki, Zorro, Frodo and Milas    



 

 

Update on Lotty

Remember Lotty?  The dog found by Karen after a road accident....STORY HERE.. Well you will be pleased to know she has made a remarkable recovery at Karen's home.

Karen says:

Here she is the little cracker, she pulls the bandage off daily the Minx she is! Loves her food and I mean loves it, she is so happy that at last someone loves her, And she is in a home it is so overwhelming for her, I've never seen a dog so happy to be rescued like Lotty was. If anyone is interested in her we can fundraise with help to get her to the UK, she wont be much bigger than in this picture , Karen x

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The auction for Lotty's vet bill ends in 4 days time.  If you want to be added to the auction group on Facebook, please let me know.  Or if you would like to donate towards Lotty and other dogs needing veterinary care, please use one of the links on the sidebar.  Thankyou

If you are interested in adopting Lotty please get in touch.

Elizabeth's Journey with TAG . Part 1..Ruby

Elizabeth and her husband Robert are loyal supporters of TAG.  They have fostered and adopted from TAG.  Elizabeth's journey with TAG will be published in 5 parts and I am delighted that Elizabeth has provided me with these stories.  Here is Part 1:

Princess Ruby's story.

In 2011 Robert and I were married for 40 years and had not decided what to do to celebrate. We were in Turkey in February and as always surrounded by cats as we sat outside in the warmth. One in particular was visiting and she stayed the whole week whilst I combed and combed her matted and dirty fur. We worried about her and in April when we returned we looked for her. We were leaving on the Sunday and on the Thursday she turned up. She had kept herself clean and was SO happy to see us, bedding down in a little wicker basket. Then I knew what I wanted for my Ruby wedding present- I wanted her.

Action stations! On Saturday we had arranged to get her to the vet and Karen was going to look after her for us. As it happened Ruby needed Karen as her stitches burst and Karen - in her usual hands on way- demanded the cat was seen to immediately whilst she stood by and supervised. Ruby then went to Karen's apartment then on to  Bulgaria with another 20  cats with Karen and a friend and happily Ruby could be fast-tracked across Europe as all her injections etc were done.

 

I remember my last sighting of her frightened face when I told her, "This is the start of a long, long journey."

 

She arrived at the end of the year in a van with a big, shepherd cross called Peanut. We had decided to foster this dog for Karen as the adoptive couple weren't ready. The animals  could come as far as Yorkshire so I organised a neighbour to go and pick them up for us as we were both working. Ruby arrived and never looked back. Everyone goes with Ruby's rules- no dog will pass her on the stairs as they get a click on the leg for passing by! She sleeps most nights on my head!  She is aloof with the other 3 cats and SHE eats first. She LOVES people and purrs for most of the night.

 

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Look out for Part 2 ... Toorki's  (Peanut) story.

Miley - Available for adoption or fostering

Meet Miley.

She is a Husky mix who lived on the street in Yeslikent.    Miley has been fed by us since around 5 months old and we went every night to feed her on the streets.

We also had her spayed and then the complaints started,  so one night as usual we went to feed her and she was missing.  This was very  unlike Miley.   Karen asked around and was told that she had been taken to the  council pound in Didim. 

The very next day we got her straight out of there and she is now in private boarding as there is no room at the shelter.   

She is around 10 months old now and  she is the most placid dog ever.   Beautiful sky blue eyes; she has the sweetest nature and is a super softy.   

We can help fundraise to get her to the UK or if you can foster in the UK please contact us.  Thank you

Jake...adopted by Annie

Jake

 

 

Jake has been with us since late August 2012 and I don’t know how we filled our time before he arrived.  Most days now revolve around where we are going for a walk  or how we are going to detangle all the burrs and grass seeds from Jake’s fur after our  day out.  

Whether we’re in Bodrum or the village, he’s the ideal companion on any outing. For a one year old dog, he is very well travelled and has been to most archaeological sites in the region. When he first arrived he wasn’t so keen on the car. He’d get in OK but was reluctant to get out. I think he had probably been dumped on to a busy road from a car and was determined not to let it happen again.   In his first month with us, he’d cower at the sound of any approaching engine but after a winter walking in Bodrum he doesn’t bat an eyelid.

Jake’s not much a swimmer but he’s happy on boats and we’re thinking of introducing him to kayaking once I can locate a doggy lifejacket.  For the full story go to : backtobodrum.blogspot.co#7FC5D6

We are so thankful to Karen at TAG for rescuing this lovely dog and I wish all her charges a happy home.  In the meantime I know they have a safe place to sleep and a full tummy.

TAG dogs adopted

TAG have rescued, neutered and spayed in excess of 500 dogs.  All have received veterinary treatment, vaccinations, etc. before being ready for adoption.

Here are just a few of the very many dogs adopted from TAG in recent years...Their stories in pictures.

 

 

If you would like to see more TAG success stories, have a look on the TAG Adoptables page HERE

Sunday - Available for Adoption

Beautiful Little Sunday.

She is Small/Medium in size, Min pin / Hound mix.Short coated.

Spayed and up to date with all shots.  We think she is around 1-1.5yrs old.

Lovely, sweet natured little dog,  and great with all dogs of any size.

If you are interested in adopting Sunday, please contact us.  Thankyou.

Adopted by Jackie - Janet's story.

This is Janet, adopted by Jackie in the UK

Jackie says:

We got Janet from Karen coming up to two years ago. Karen had discovered Janet in the "official" dog pound*  and felt heartbroken by her. Janet was in a bad state, matted fur, covered on blood and in season etc. Janet spent several months in Bulgaria (PAWS) waiting out the rabies quarantine period as was then necessary.

Janet is totally adored by everyone who meets her. Neil (hubby) is totally besotted with her and my mother in law has Janet's photograph up with the grandchildren's pics

We hadn't had Janet very long when we noticed blood in her wee. She was diagnosed with a very large stone in her bladder which required urgent surgery. The vet who did the operation said that had we not discovered the stone, she would have had only a few months to live as her organs would have started shutting down. We have her wee tested regularly to ensure no sludge or crystals are starting to form again, and it is recommended that we have ultrasounds performed on her every 6 months to be on the safe side - she WILL NOT eat the special food she is meant to have!

Janet has the loveliest nature imaginable. She loves to sit on your knee and have her tummy tickled and will let you tickle her for HOURS!! She loves her (my) bed and, if one of the others is being noisy or Neil is hoovering, she will escape upstairs for 40 winks! She doesn't like chocolate or other naughty things (good girl) but she is addicted to chopped pork and is very partial to steamed salmon! She is wonderful on a leash but is excellent off leash too. She gets on well with our other dogs and was very good with our (now deceased) elderly cat - letting him climb on her and often curl up on her side/back and go to sleep!

We don't know how old she is and don't know what she suffered before coming to us. If I have to leave her at home for any reason, she will steal my shoe or slipper and keep it beside her for "company" - never chews them! She flinches at fast hand movements which makes us believe she has been beaten, and she also shows fear if you point something at her (ie if you offer her something on a spoon), backing away and flinching.

I had had westies for 30 years and preferred them over all other breeds of dogs because of their independent and feisty character. Adopting Janet has to be one of the best things we ever did and caused me to re-think my "breed" preference. For us now, it is definitely ADOPT DON'T SHOP from now on.

 

 

*These are dog pounds run by local councils in many areas of Turkey.  They are generally appalling places to house strays rounded up from the streets by council workers.  They tend to be enclosed in huge fenced in areas,many of them sick, all of them hungry, with little or no veterinary care, or adequate food (usually stale bread thrown into the pounds so that only the strongest get fed).   It's a dreadful life, little better than being left on the streets.

Shelter Provisions

 

This is enough Pasta to last 3 days only for the shelter dogs only..
The dogs eat 5/6 large packets of these per day with 1.3 sacks of dogs biscuits..
The above is for the shelter dogs only.

 

The street dogs need food on top of all the above,  including bones, bread and biscuits mixed with the food to keep down costs.

 

The bleach, disinfectant and water also has to be bought, to keep the shelter clean and hygienic.

 Please consider sending a donation.   With the cost of veterinary care, neutering, spaying, etc,  we are always short of money for food, so every little helps.   Thank you very much.

http://www.youcaring.com/other/TURKISH-ANIMAL-GROUP/46397

Dilillah and Seni - both available for adoption

Dilillah - Available for Adoption.

 Di is a little sweetheart , full of mischief and fun and loves to be with other dogs.

She is a pointer Mix and around 4 months old now and just loves to play.

Meet Seni - Available for Adoption -

 

 

Seni was found wandering the street/beach area of Akbuk,
She is a Terrier Mix around 12 weeks old.

She has soft wiry hair and is a classic terrier type.   A little bossy but full of fun.

 

If you are interested in adopting Dilillah or Seni then please do get in touch. Thank you!

Oskar - Adopted by Denise

Another happy ending.  This is Oskar.

Denise says:

This is Oskar, My Little Turkish Boy, who I love with all my heart, found in June 2012 and came to the UK in October 2012,.   I can't thank Karen enough for getting him here to me and of course  Lorraine who very kindly fostered him.   He is one of the lucky ones.

Duman - available for adoption

MEET DUMAN - AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION

 

 

 Bull Mastiff. He is not neutered but will be before adoption.

 He is around 4 or 5 yrs old we're guessing!  Very gentle dog but not sure how he is with cats because he kind of barked and wanted to run after the cats!   He was good with one male neutered dog that he met and they were playing and running together.  

 

He is clearly big and strong dog and he plays rough.   He can almost knock you over when playing ball for example.  He was also great with a 9 months old female dog. 

 

Duman was abandoned by his owners.    He ended up chasing a female in season, and wasn't seen for 5 weeks.   When he was found  he was very thin,  skin and bones with bites and scars, no doubt from trying to defend himself from the street dogs.

 He is in a foster home short term and  has to find a permanent home as soon as possible. Someone with experience of  large breed dogs is essential,  as Duman is strong!

 

If you are interested, please contact the Turkish Animal Group (TAG) Adoptables page on Facebook (see link on sidebar), or let me know and I will point you in the right direction.

Adopted by Kerry...Blondie's Story

From Kerry:

This is Blondie at 6 months,who we took off the Turkish streets in Dalyan at the end of May 2012. Basically she adopted us and we totally fell in love with her and wanted to give her a better life with us in the UK!!

After a very hard start with us accidentally trusting the wrong woman ( whom we were told ran a bona fide dog sanctuary). Karen and Mustafa came to the rescue and did all they could to get my beloved Blondie away from the dodgy sanctuary woman. 

 

She refused to give her up and even had her spayed without  our permission ( from which she nearly died, as she was operated on by trainees at the local vets ). 

 

 To cut a very long and fraught story short, TAG went above and beyond and with the help of the local Jandarma (Military Police) with their guns drawn, my little girl was free and in Mustafa's arms... Karen was able to offer a safe place for Blondie to stay until she could be brought into the UK..which Karen helped us to arrange through TAG. To say that we were over the moon to get her in our arms once again in November 2012 was an understatement. 

 

We owe everything to  Karen and Mustafa, because without them Blondie would have definitely died either of starvation or other neglect issues at the so called animal sanctuary. Or she would have been poisoned or shot at the end of the season.

They have done so much to care for as many street animals as possible, feeding, creating a spay/neuter release scheme for local street dogs ( now 517 dogs have been spayed/neutured) and obtaining veterinary care for them when necessary. This is on top of caring for 70+ dogs at the TAG shelter.

 

 

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If you would like to adopt a TAG dog, go to the Turkish Animal Group (TAG) Dog Adoptables page on Facebook, or contact me and I will point you in the right direction.

Auction for Lotty

As part of TAG's continued fundraising, we run auctions on Facebook.  There are always lots of lovely things....so get bidding HERE.  This one was added yesterday and it's to raise money for urgent veterinary treatment for Lotty.  (Warning...you may find the following upsetting)

 

Lotty was found at the side of the road by Karen and Denise (who is currently on a volunteer holiday with TAG).   Lotty was unable to move or walk as she had been hit by a car.   They picked her up and got her in the car and took her to the vets clinic 1.5 hrs drive away, where she was put on a drip.  The leg was treated and her tummy was so swollen they had to open her a little to look for internal damage. She was riddled with worms, they just poured out.

Had they not been removed and urgent treatment given, she may not have survived..She is now at home resting with Karen.   Please join in the auction for Lotty, or donate to one of the links on the sidebar.  Thankyou.

Message from Karen about TAG Auctions:

PLEASE JOIN OUR AUCTION AND HELP US TO BRING IN MUCH NEEDED FUNDS TO FEED THE 82 DOGS WE HAVE BETWEEN THE SHELTER, BOARDING AND FOSTER, WE ALSO HAVE 4 CATS IN FOSTER, ON TOP OF THIS WE FEED UP TO 80 ON THE STREETS - IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU... WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO THE AUCTION, ANYTHING AT ALL - TRINKETS, HOUSEHOLD GOODS, JEWELLERY, CLOTHES, SHOES, HANDBAGS, ANYTHING REALLY WE WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL OF THESE ITEMS, THANK YOU, KAREN ♥
https://www.facebook.com/groups/176841569089029/

The mange curse

So many dogs on the streets have mange.  It's a terrible condition and unless treated will usually result in dreadful irritation and pain, and ultimately death.

Karen has rescued many dogs with mange, ranging from mild cases to very severe.  In Karen's eyes, every dog deserves to be rescued and given the chance of a normal life.

This is Tommy.  I found him in my village, but at the time my own dog, Beki, was very poorly (she subsequently died) and I was unable to take Tommy in.  I made a call to Karen and within hours she had hired a car, and she and Mustafa made the long round trip to the village to rescue Tommy.  Just look at the before and after pictures.

 

In recent days, Karen has rescued two dogs with severe mange:  (Warning:  You may find these pictures upsetting)

Silver

Silver with Karen

 

This is Silver, a big boy TAG is currently looking after near Soke where he was found  with terrible mange and starving. He is having treatment for his mange and responding well. The locals were terrified of him at first, due to his size and the fact he is missing a lot of fur. He was covered in blood from scratching. 

Karen and Mustafa got him into the car much to the amazement of the locals. Gradually, after seeing them treating and caring for him, although they wont touch him, they are now no longer afraid of him.

This little man was found in the middle of the road chasing a grasshopper in the hope of some food, ultra thin with severe mange. Unable to catch him alone, Karen drove at speed to collect Mustafa to help. 

Mustafa got a few bites because the dog was so scared and shaking so much they thought he was about to go into shock.  Finally they  managed to get him and TAG will now do their utmost to get this little man back to health.   He was  dehydrated and starving, but he is now at home with Karen.

Whenever Karen rescues a dog with mange, she takes it to her home and keeps it there until the vet treatment is complete.  There has to be absolutely no sign of mange before the dog will be transferred to the TAG shelter.

If you would like to donate for treatment of these dogs, then please do so via this link - http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/tag-dog-sponsorship/62614

Thankyou.

Update from Karen on the poor little guy in the last picture (who was given the name Pluto)

23.6.2013

Sadly yesterday afternoon we had to have Pluto PTS its has really effected me very badly as he was the sweetest little boy in the world. He had distemper and there was nothing we could do for him. 2 days ago he started to cry out and his back legs began twitching really badly and he was in pain so the kindest thing although so hard was to free his pain R.I.P little man just know we loved you for this short time and only wish we had found you sooner. Karen ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥