Letters and happy endings !

All our rehoming of animals to new homes are happy endings - here are letters and stories we have heard back.

If you have a nice story to tell, please write to us and let us know !

Cuan & Liam settle in...
An update on Ernie (Jamie!)
Mr. Archer drops a line...
Jamie sends us a special letter from his new home...
Walter writes to us...
Mum talks to our dog on the phone
Dog changed out lifestyle
"Dawn", the flying dog

"Cuan & Liam settle in....."

"Hi Helena and all at Ash!

I thought I'd let you know how the "boys" are getting along!

Well at first we thought that they didn't like each other much, Bear being such a friendly playful sort and Liam (now Charlie) being such a little dominatrix! It was snap snap this and snap snap that for a day or two and a lot of piddling in the kitchen and anywhere they could find the corner of something or the leg of something really!

But now ........ they are the best of friends! Charlie so looks up to Bear and follows him everywhere smelling the same lump of grass and peeing on the same trees etc and pegs along behind him at a rate of knots in the park! Charlie runs after his squeaky toy and I run with Bear on the lead (as I mentioned he loves the deer!) to try release some of that energy!

All that energy may now dissipate a little as he had his operation today and has the biggest lampshade EVER on his head! The poor Bear! He is so sad but Charlie is looking after him and being very supportive having been through it all and worse himself!

During the day I catch them playing with each other in the back yard and when Charlie won't drop his toy Bear stands in front of him barking like a mad excited thing trying to persuade him to "let go"!

Charlie still has his stitches in and I'll be bringing him to the vet on Monday with Bear for a check up but the look very good and healing nicely! I have been taking his lampshade off when I take him on walks as the back of both my legs are black and blue as he walks within inches of me (I told Liam to sit in the back with him to bond but on no, I now had two new sons who will listen to no one but me!)

Everyone in the park stops to talk to them they are such a pair! They are just GREAT! A little smelly but great! (baths can wait until the stitches come out!)

Take care and we may see you on that walk at the end of the summer !

Rgards,

Fiona"

"Dog changed our lifestyle..."

"Hello Helena, Remi & Eva!

Early last December, my husband, my sister and I visited your home and met you all. We brought home a 3 month old puppy - I doubt very much you remember her - at the time she looked a little like a Collie with a bit of a
St. Bernard thrown in for luck! She had a white freckled nose and was dark
ginger & black in colour. I understand she was brought to you from a pound in North Dublin along with her sister/brother. We name her "Toffee" after my husband's previous dog "Fudge".

I just had to write to you to let you know how unbelievable happy we are to have found such an adorable dog! She is without a shadow of a doubt the best thing that ever crossed our path! She has grown into a most beautiful ginger Collie / Springer (no sign of the St. Bernard!!) and is so incredibly gentle yet so lively and fun. Our entire lifestyle has changed - we know plan our day around long and enjoyable walks. We recently even enjoyed a holiday in a great country house in Mayo - a fabulous place chosen simply because they welcomed dogs!!"

We heard about your place from my sister Dee whose friend Sharon recommended we pop down to see you. Since then we've been singing your praises and pass on your details to anyone interested in homing a dog. We wish you the very best of luck and again - THANK YOU!

Regards
Eve McDonnell"

"Mum talks to our dog on the phone..."

"Hi Helena

First of all Max is the most affectionate dog I have owned to date and he really is an absolute pet. Everybody loves him and they all say that he is such a happy dog. We have been away for a couple of short breaks and Max has stayed at Deutsche Boarding Kennels Garristown. Peter Wenden runs the kennels and he adores Max. He always says to me that we were very lucky to get such a lovely dog! My mother always talks to Max when she phones us from england and she is 83 years old and when they stay with us my father , who is 86, takes Max out for big long bonus walks!

However, I am making an enquiry on behalf of one of my colleagues who has just had to have his 13 year old american spaniel - Lady- put to sleep due to a stomach tumour. The vet carried out two operations but unfortunately these were unsuccessful.

Now, Lady had a pup now 8years old a bitch called Lucky and Tom & Ann - the owners- feel that Lucky will be very lonely without her mum. Do you have any puppies availble to adopt that would be about the size of a small dog when grown?

Hope that you can help.

Regards
Susan"

"Dawn, the flying dog..."

Dawn is a lurcher (grayhound cross) who came into ASH fairly young. She had an unusual fawn and white colouring and was such a happy quiet little girl who loved to dance! (well it looked like dancing!). Dawn found her "forver home" further than most of our dogs, flying in a big plane all the way to Baltimore, America. Dawn has just arrived at her new home and this is a letter from her new "mom".

"Hi Helena,

Great new, Dawn is here!!!!!!!...She is wide awake and in great shape.She
is even more prettier than I thought and very loving,hugged my brother all
the way home from the airport. Now she is exploring the house and yard,
and for now Dawn and I have some catching up to do:)

Thanks again for everything I don't know how I will ever be able to repay
you for all the good deeds you've done.

Speak to you soon, will send photo's

Jeanine."

"Walter writes to his friends at ASH..."

Hi folks,
Thought you might like my photo for your memory band. I’m eating well but putting on weight slowly. I love going in the car now as I usually get a walk at the end of the drive.

I know where Jonathan lives so no matter which way we approach the house I start to get excited and bark.

Marie made a big fuss one day when I decided to take the morning walk on my own. She was having a shower and I know the way myself, but imagine my embarrassment when she came charging after me in her dressing gown on the main road!

I’m not left outside on my own anymore, not even for 5 minutes.

I hate going bed at night, I have to sleep in the shed as I have a bit of a problem with my toilet training.

The granny here adores me and spoils me with treats. Marie is worried about me getting too much sweet things, but I love them. Whenever the granny’s bedroom door is open I go down and stretch out until I’m found.

As you can see in the pic the chairs here are far too small for me.
Love to all, Walter

ps: piccies to follow !

"Jamie sends us a letter from his new home..."

Hi Remi, Helena and Eva

- remember me??? It's Nelson - err..no, actually I'm called Jamie now, but that makes no differnce to me as I am just a happy little puppy and I'll answer to whatever name my new pack wants to call me!

Since you saw me last I've learned all sorts of new tricks - the big one being coming when I'm called. I don't know why Claire makes such a fuss when I do , after all, I'm not a silly puppy...I love the attention and the chicken bits...YUM! But between you and me, I'd come back home anyways. It's so much fun here. I have a new freind called Monkey Man who've I've already sent to 'hospital' for chewing off his leg. But he deserved it I say!

My first night in my new home was a bit sad. I missed my brother Nathan, as well as the sounds and smells of Ash. Claire slept on the couch next to my new bed the next night, and the night after that so I would know that there was somebody close to me in case I got scared. But last night I was a big boy, as I slept all by myself in the sitting room next to the fire, and I only woke Claire up once to go pee pee ( she says it was after midnight and
could I have waited till 7 AM, but when you have to go, you have to go!).

The other person in my new pack is Sean. He goes out every morning and comes back at night and we have a bit of fun then. He doesn't play with me the same way Claire does, but he likes it when I'm a good boy and do tricks for him , and then he gives me the the ultimate - a BIG TUMMY RUB!

Between Claire chasing me around my new garden, and Sean teaching me to 'give paw' I'm having a blast! But I did have to go to somone called 'the vet' who stuck pins in me and made me cry. Claire says he is a nice fellow
who is just trying to make me well, so I didn't growl or anything, but I'm not that anxious to see him again next week. You see, I have a bit of a tummy bug, and the vet had to give me some jabs, and Claire has to give me
tablets twice a day to clear it up . But don't feel bad for me - oh no - being sick is great as I get my dinner specailly cooked for me and everything now - boiled chicken and rice - sheer bliss.

Well, I must get back to play time again, but I just wanted to drop you a quick note and let you know that I love my new home and that Sean and Claire love me too - they tell me at least a million times a day!

Thanks for taking care of me and for helping me find my home. I miss you, and maybe once I get used to the car, I'll come out and say hello to everyone at Ash again especailly to Linda and Allen. They get top paw marks
from me!

Big sloppy Jamie Kisses!!!!!!!

James ( Claire says I should use James when I'm being formal like.......)

Mr. Archer drops us a line...

Hello Helena, Remi and Eva,

Archer here, the Beagle, I left ASH Rescue on the 7th of August. I was very happy to see that my picture is still on the website in Recently homed dogs. I was so happy to see that Mally, Vicky and China have new homes, and I felt so sorry for Princess and Tull. I hope they get homes soon, just like mine.

I have a nice new friend called Oz, who I bark at a lot so he howls at the sky. But I have to clean up after him a lot. It is quite strange because my owners start to shout when I do this!!!! I'm just recycling. I like a clean garden! I also take in clothes off the line, but my owners don't appreciate it. I tried to shake and stretch a few pairs of swimming togs dry, but I accidentally dug my teeth in too hard, and they ripped. If I say so myself I was doing them a favour. They were too old and worn. My owners didn't seem to think so. I have a nice new kennel, but Oz seems to like it too, even though he has his own bigger one!

Some weird lady called Julie came too see us and brought strange rattles. She kept saying things like sit and deck. I thought "What the hell is wrong with you woman, just give me the treats, I'm not a circus
elephant, what do I look like, your servant?" my owners keep it up though. And it's not so bad once you get used to it. Oz does exactly what he's told! How boring. And what's wrong with jumping up on counters and going for a jog up the main road by yourself! My youngest owner came screaming crying after me. She didn't know I was just taking my evening jog! Her mum was calm so I ran to her to ask what was going on and then she picked me up and brought me home. They seemed very relieved. They must love me a lot. They haven't let me near the road since!

My youngest owner lets me sleep on the sofa when her mum isn't home. Then just before her mum gets home she takes out a noisy red monster and sucks all my hair off the sofa. Oz warned me about this thing. We both disappear when it comes out.

I love my new home.

Lots of slobbers and licks,

Mr. Archer

An update on Ernie (Jamie!)

Hello,

My name is Pat McKinley. You won’t remember me. But in February I adopted the little dog you called Ernie. He was in poor condition and when you got him you felt that someone had poured acid on his neck. Remember?

Well I adopted Ernie and I call him Jamie. You did very well with him. He has doubled his weight since I got him. The fur around his neck has grown in and he has a beautiful coat. He is very loving and full of life.

I appreciate all you did for him. I am returning to the U.S. on October 15th and Jamie will go with me.

I am inclosing a check and hope it will help in some small way. I am also inclosing pictures of Jamie (Ernie)

Thanks so much
Patricia McKinley