Monday, 16th of September

Monday is back to business and with most of our volunteers having their own full time jobs, children to look after, school runs to do, it can be very busy during the week. We have no paid staff and are completely run by volunteers who give up their free time. Sometimes the public have the idea we have a similar set-up to the likes of the DSPCA or Dogs Trust with staff, an office, large kennels and a cattery but we don't. We receive very little funding and rely completely on our fundraising campaigns to keep our services going. We work through foster homes so there are limits to the number of animals we can take in so unfortunately it is impossible to take in every animal we are contacted about, but we always do our best to find room in an emergency. 

On Mondays the admin team try to catch up on any emails and messages we may have missed over the weekend. We are constantly monitoring and updating our website and facebook page, answering emails, checking adoption applications and arranging home visits. Vet visits are arranged, the committee manage our finances and the general running of the charity.

The fundraising team are busy as always and today we launched our photo competition for our 2014 calendar. We had a great response last year with some fantastic entries and the calendars turned out brilliant. With the first entries already received we are excited to go through all the photos and choose the winners. We are also working on arranging our Christmas photo shoot next month for our Christmas cards.

It's challenging finding ways to raise money and there was no rest after the dog walk yesterday, the team are busy organising our next event, a table quiz in the Round O pub in Navan on the 1st of November. Collecting prizes isn't easy, you almost feel guilty asking people for them but thankfully people are very generous and we always come up with something.  

Amber studying for the table quiz :)

Antoinette brought Woody, one of the dogs she fosters, back to the vets for a check up after his operation on his knee. Not so long ago we discovered why Woody could be a little snappy at times. He has a condition where his back knees would pop out of place and back in, sending shooting pains up his legs. Understandably this made him very nervous of people touching him and he could snap. Thankfully with the help of one of our vets he has had the first knee operated on and today the vet is pleased with his progress but we will have to wait another 2 weeks to see when the operation on the second knee can be done. Poor Woody isn't fond of the vets and howled when getting his stitches out. He is on crate rest at the minute but he will be like a new dog at the end of his treatment. Any help with Woody's vet bills is much appreciated. http://www.idonate.ie/248_last-hope-animal-charity.html

Five more of the battery rescue hens went to a new home and I'm sure will adjust in no time and start laying eggs. We still have a number of them in foster if people know anyone looking for some. Hens are very easy to keep and we have people available to answer any questions people rehoming these girls may have.  

Almost daily we receive requests from people asking for help to rehome a pet, the reasons vary and sadly these days emigration is the most common one we hear. It's usually cats & dogs but todays request was a little more unusual. We were contacted to see if we could help with rehoming two cockerals who live on a farm with 3 older cockerals and to avoid fighting have to be kept separate from the older birds, so with 5 on one farm this is getting more difficult. They are beautiful birds and hopefully we can help find these two handsome guys suitable homes.

www.lasthope.ie

http://www.idonate.ie/248_last-hope-animal-charity.html