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.
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| Morse |
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| 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.
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!
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| 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.
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.
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.
May you live well and long with us Zozzie. Bless his heart.
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| Zorro...free at last |
Tears were streaming down my face as I read this. I know and love all 3 of these dogs so well as we used to take them out twice a week for the 6 years we volunteered at the council shelter. They had no hope, no life and apart from the handful of volunteers, no love. There were nearly 200 dogs at the council 'shelter' so they only got out of their cages twice a week at most, for a very short time. Zorro would literally be throwing himself at the cage door in his desperation to get out of there and run (although he would always pause to pee on my leg first!), Morse would pull and pull on his lead until we let him off and despite having only 3 legs and being drastically under-weight he was one of the strongest dogs there. He hated it when we put the lead on to take him back to his cage and it used to break my heart to have to leave him. He would press against his cage door watching us as we walked away to take the next dog out, hoping we would turn round and come back for him. Lazy Hound had 'wonky' back legs, from a hip problem, but despite that he had to endure laying on a hard cold and usually soiled floor. He would be laying down in his cage watching us as we past him with other dogs, with a hopeful look in his big brown eyes until it was his turn to come out. He would initially amble up to the top in his lopsided LazyHound manner, have a good sniff around and would then throw himself down and give me 'the look' which was his command for me to get down and rub his tummy! He would have stayed there for ever given the chance, he loved the affection and would close his eyes and wave his legs in the air while we rubbed his belly. When it was time to go he would have none of it! He refused to get up and we had to try to drag him along, but he was too stubborn so I would always give in and give him an extra 5 minute tummy rub! He would eventually (very reluctantly!) stand up and come with me back to his cage where he would flop down and look at me with large, sad eyes knowing he would spend the next 3 days at least locked in. These 3 old dogs endured hell in that place and I can't begin to explain what TAG and Elizabeth's help and kindness has done for these 3 old boys. Seeing photos of Morse laying on Corey's lap on a comfy sofa or Zorro with Robert and Elizabeth is pure joy. And as for dear old Lazy Hound - Karen from TAG read his story and despite having her hands more than full with all the existing TAG dogs, she made the amazing decision to move Lazy to her own TAG shelter so that he too could finally have some comfort, freedom and love in his old age. The decision was made to keep him there for life as his age meant the long journey to the UK would be too much for him, so he now lives a happy life with the rest of the TAG dogs. He has friends, freedom, good food and a comfortable bed - and has his dignity back. Zorro, Morse and Lazy would still be locked in cages in the council 'shelter' if it were not for Elizabeth, Robert and Karen and the volunteers from Turgutreis will be eternally grateful for all they have done for these 3 wonderful old dogs who, without TAG, had no hope. If Zorro, Morse and Lazy could talk, they would thank you from the bottom of their hearts - but of course, they can talk, not in words, but by the look of pure love and gratitude in their eyes which says it all. There is a saying that sums up TAG's work - "Saving a dog may not change the world, but it will change the world for that dog" So very true. Thank you TAG
ReplyDeleteSharon. Thankyou so much for your words. These council shelters are desperate places, and without the tireless work of volunteers such as yourself, the dogs would have no life at all.
DeleteI was also moved to tears by this story, and was so pleased that Elizabeth took the time to write about it. It's been a pleasure for me to blog about these dogs and their happy endings.
A big thankyou from me for people like Karen, Elizabeth and Robert and especially all the volunteers who give these dogs hope. xxx