Cat Poem

They will not go quietly,
the cats who've shared our lives.
In subtle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives.

Old habits still make us think
we hear a meow at the door.
Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.

Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,
we miss them terribly.

And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
belongs to them. . . and always will.

- Linda Barnes

If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this -- the last battle -- can't be won.

You will be sad I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.

We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn't want me to suffer so.
When the time comes,
please, let me go.

Take me to where to my needs they'll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end
And hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do to me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.

Don't grieve that it must be you
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We've been so close -- we two -- these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on the snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.

I am the song that will never end.
I am the love of family and friend.
I am the child who has come to rest,
In the arms of the Father who knows him best.

When you see the sunset fair,
I am the scented evening air.
I am the joy of a task well done.
I am the glow of the setting sun.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.

~author unknown

Sorrow fills a barren space

Sorrow fills a barren space;
You close your eyes and see my face
And think of times I made you laugh,
The love we shared, the bond we had,
The special way I needed you -
The friendship shared by just we two.

The day's too quiet, the world seems older,
The wind blows now a little colder.
You gaze into the empty air
And look for me, but I'm not there -
I'm in heaven and I watch you,
And I see the world around you too.

I see little souls wearing fur,
Souls who bark and souls who purr
Born unwanted and unloved -
I see all this and more above -
I watch them suffer, I see them cry,
I see them lost, I watch them die.
I see unwanted thousands born -
And when they die, nobody mourns.

These little souls wearing fur
(Some who bark and some who purr)
Are castaways who - unlike me -
Will never know love or security.
A few short months they starve and roam,
Or caged in shelters - nobody takes home.
They're special too (furballs of pleasure),
Filled with love and each one, a treasure.

My pain and suffering came to an end,
So don't cry for me, my person, my friend.
But think of the living -
Those souls with fur
(some who bark and some who purr) -
And though our bond can't be broken apart,
Make room for another in your home and
Your heart.

-Unknown

Badger

It is just a week since the very sad day we had to make the heartbreaking decision to have Badger put to sleep. He was about 14 years old and had spent most of his life shut in an old shed, until rescued by gspca. In fact, he was the star in an episode of Pet Rescue He came to the sanctuary in a very poor state with a huge growth which was operated on successfully.

He improved greatly with the love and care of everyone and then he was badly bitten by another dog who he thought was his friend. Once stitched up I brought him home and Frank and I had the pleasure of having him here with us and our own dogs Rosie (who died last year) Milo and Trimmer. He was an absolute gentleman amongst dogs and welcomed everyone into his home, particularly my young grandchildren - he would wait outside little Mimi’s bedroom door in a morning to see her and Ben and Jack.

Unfortunately his sight deteriorated when the cataracts completely came down and he was quite blind . Undeterred, he pottered around the house, (knew exactly where the furniture was ) and into the garden but in October he had a stroke. Amazingly, he rallied from this and we were lucky enough to have him another four months. Eventually his back legs gave way so often and despite us always picking him up, he became quite distressed and disoriented - so the sad decision had to be made.

We miss him so much and expect to hear his feet on the wooden floors, his beautiful spotty face peering round the door and his gentle soft head by our knee, waiting to be stroked. This picture was taken on the day before we had to let him go over The Rainbow Bridge, where now he will be restored to health, bright eyes seeing again and strong legs to carry him across the fields once more. Our old Rosie lurcher and Blackie collie will be there to greet him you can be sure

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our first rescue dog Tyson. Shortly after the sanctuary opened Tyson came to us in a very sorry state years tied in a yard in his own mess, beaten, starved and looking like a sheep full of 'daggens'. He was in such a state we did not think he would make make it, but what we did not know was that Ty had a heart that would not give up. He pulled through, put on weight and I will never forget the day he went to the 'hairdresser'
for a short back and sides, the dog that came back was a beauty 14 lbs of daggens were removed, we cried when we saw him he looked so good. We quickly learned that because of the torture he suffered we could not home him and he was terrified of men as well.

He settled with us and soon had a girlfriend Megan and they soon became the 'Darby and Joan' of the sanctuary. He put on weight his coat improved and the the gorgeous boy we knew was there emerged. He loved his runs in the field with his 'lady' and the older dogs and soon all were friends. To see him chase over the field was a joy to us and the look of joy in those beautiful orange eyes always brought a tear to those who remembered the day he arrived. He loved lunch time as it meant his 'two legged' girlfriends would be in and there would be sandwiches, chicken and if he was lucky cake. Indeed many a time his girls arrived with 3 lunches one for him, one for Meg and one for themselves. And if you were forgetful and left your lunch on the table, well if you found the paper you were lucky.

Ty had over 10 wonderful years with us and had adoring people surrounding him that loved him to bits. He was a cherished dog who 'till the day he went over 'rainbow bridge' still got post from past staff who never forgot our boy. To say we were devastated when that fateful day came is an understatement, but his long time human girlfriend Wendy went with him on that final journey and cuddled him to rainbow bridge. We will never forget our special boy with the special eyes, he is always spoken about and will never be forgotten and his spirit is in the sanctuary watching, protecting his home. Megan was devastated with his passing and was inconsolable but lucky for her she was fostered by Martin who used to work in the sanctuary and knew her well, she has settled with him and is coming along well.

Sweet dreams special boy, you now look down on us as you play with all your pals in the clouds, it was an honour to know you Ty and you taught us all how to appreciate life. Till we all meet again take care and keep an eye on us all.

Mossie

Mossie came to me in October 2007 and was about ten and a half. Although he was clearly very scared when he arrived, he decided that I was a good bet and we had a wonderful time. Sadly, he died in January. It was very sudden and I miss him terribly. However, we had the best possible 15 months and within a few months of being with me, you could see the real boy underneath.

The first photo is of Mossie playing with a ball, the next is with a
frisbee and the last one was finding out how good it was to sneak onto
the bed linen! The frisbee was hilarious : he already knew what a ball
was for when he arrived but the frisbee was clearly strange territory
and he kept looking at me in a patronising way when I threw the
frisbee. Eventually he realised it was another game and was away.
Again the bed linen was something else he found you can enjoy. For
months he would watch me throwing the bed linen onto the floor ready
to change the bed. Then one week he decided to risk curling up on it.
I have a series of three shots where he wasn't at all sure it was safe
and then this last one where he realised that it was ok and he's got a
really cheeky look in his eye.

I love that one because it shows the boy underneath the sad old man
who came to me.

Best wishes
Sian

In praise of the older man

So there you are, one lonely evening with your fingers poised over the search bar. Internet dating. A big step. You know what you want: a mature guy, good-looking, naturally. Been around the block so he knows how to please. And there are some really dishy ones out there. Dark and handsome. Slim-hipped and broad-shouldered. A devilish glint in the eye. Where to start?

On the other hand, you don’t want an old one, do you? Or one who looks like he’s been in a few brawls. Or one that’s going to trash your rose-scented bedroom and leave hair in the plughole.

Brown eyes, greying temples. But he’s old. With a scar on the nose, he must have a sad tale to tell. Keep flirting with the others. But as the weeks go by, they each meet someone just right for them. And he’s still there. So you read his story. No longer useful. No longer able to work. No longer wanted. A quick email, just to enquire. Can’t do any harm. Just the one phone call. No commitments.

So there you are, a cold October morning, waiting for a van to arrive. When the door opens, you recognise the profile from the Internet picture. Gingerly he jumps down from the travel crate and looks bewildered. His overwhelming need is a tree and then you’re on your own. Together.

He rests his head against your leg and gazes up, trusting that you won’t let him down. How can you? Suddenly, you have become the centre of his world.

Can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Don’t you believe it. His world is full of new things: jacket potatoes, playing with Frisbees, a bath, a soft cuddly bed, a good brushing, a warm fire, a cup of tea, big hugs, trips to the country, Christmas, a loving family. Some things worry him and you don’t know why: the broom, other people’s dogs, going through gates first. But as the months pass, these stop bothering him so much and then suddenly, he’s cool. He’s the dude. People stop you to admire this good-looking boy and he doesn’t hide behind your legs. You see the magnificent dog and there’s no sad old man. And when you go out to play every evening after work, you see the pup.

So there you are, you know that he’s old and maybe you won’t have so many years together. But, it’s not the years, it’s the mileage. You fill each day with love and fun. And when it’s over, you’re so glad that you had the best of times.

“Knowing that when light is gone, love remains for shining.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning “To Flush, my Dog”

Sprite

Sprite came to live with us in May 2005 just before my son’s communion so he managed to get himself into most of the photos! He was a beautiful (to us anyway) Pointer dog who had had a bad owner who had cut most of his tail off. So whenever we took him to dog shows it needed a very small entry for him to excel. His finest moment came on 31 August 2008 when he finished first in the Monivea Dog Show pointer class and you guessed it – he was the only competitor! He was very happy that day. However Christmas was a terribly sad time for us this year as Sprite deteriorated very fast. We took him to the vet who tried to save him but alas he never woke up from his operation. Sprite left us at 3.15pm on 30th December 2008. We buried him as the sun set on New Year’s Eve in the most picturesque part of the gardens where he will forever look on the river that he so enjoyed swimming in and opposite the woods where he would accompany me on my walks.

Sprite did have a good life with us (I hope and believe). He had over 30 acres to explore and had other dogs to play with who were owned by people who lived in our courtyard. He loved to chase the horses and the postman and most of all he loved to sleep. Many was the time I have heard a terrible noise from the back kitchen and found Sprite fast asleep and loudly snoring (what I would give to hear it again). After sleeping he loved to eat and enjoyed a good appetite until near the end. But most of all Sprite loved my son Hugh and Hugh loved him. Even as he was dying he perked up when Hugh came to see him. My son is heartbroken with the loss of Sprite and indeed so am I. I would therefore like to remind anyone reading this to cherish your pet, one foolishly believes that they will always be there and they won’t and they are very hard to live without so please treasure every day.

Dicey

Our very beautiful boy Dicey has passed away . He had just spent a very short time here with us at the sanctuary. Sadly his owner had become terminally ill and could no longer look after Dicey and so Dicey came to live with us to be loved and cared for. He was just settling in to enjoy life with Walter, Bella and the rest of his new friends when unfortunately he took a turn for the worse. Dicey was twelve years of
age and had a very long and fulfilling life.

Despite our vets best efforts to cure him, he passed away peacefully. We all miss him but he is now with all our pals over 'rainbow bridge'

A tribute to Monty

Standing on the windswept beach on Irelands East Coast during the week before Christmas, with the little wooden box containing your remains – my mind went back to all the times you had so enjoyed your run on the same sand, and how you would charge away from the waves if even a tiny drop of water got on your paws – you really were quite a coward behind all the bravado. I would have to ensure we were well enough away from “friendly” people as anyone offering a hand of friendship was liable to be minus a digit before they even realized – so my unending call to the humans you might reach before I did, was – “He bites, don’t touch him” – mostly they took that on board but there was the occasional one who choose not to listen, knowing better, in their own estimations – and recoiled in horror when you snarled and snapped – silly humans, and to their cries of “he snapped at me” I would reply – “what part of – “he bites don’t touch him” didn’t you understand” – that said – you would run and play, interact with other dogs all quite happily – once you were ignored and I was always a couple of steps away for you to safely return behind my legs if you felt threatened.

In the almost four years we were together, you calmed down considerably and learned to trust me and a few selective people, all female – trust to the extent that we could put on your collar and lead and put down your food – a rub around the head, on your terms, was all you could tolerate physically but you seemed happy and content and knew every word I said to you, every invitation issued and every instruction given and you responded accordingly, like a very well trained dog should.

As an old chap you required quite a lot of vet care and my local care team were marvellous as you were not the most civil of patients, but they had
a way, a way that eventually you realized was not really too threatening and you allowed whatever procedure was required, with a certain amount
of candid snarling – but we managed, and when I came back to collect you, I was invariably welcomed like I was the best thing since the sliced
pan – and in your eyes I was.

Your ongoing medication, disguised in whatever tiny delicacy I could muster up seemed to keep you going, but then in September, I went for a few days holidays and left you in the care of the vets practise, where you were always so well looked after and so absolutely understood and appreciated for the contrary and damaged little creature you really were. But - you went downhill quite unexpectedly, over a few days, nobody could believe your rapid
decline, and I came home to very sad faces having to tell me that you were very very ill. The underlying cause of your decline presumed sinister.

I asked if I could take you for a stroll to access what should be done next, but poor baby, you were unable to give me your usual excited “Welcome back” and had hardly an ounce of energy – but your sad eyes said it all – I knew you were saying – “I’m tired – let me go” and reluctantly I made the decision, that yes – it was your time to leave this world.

The vet gave you an injection, just to calm you down totally and for the first time in our relationship I could hold you on my knee, crying into your soft
white fur, and rubbing your tiny body, consoling you that everything would be all right, and assuring you that you were safe.

Monty you had to leave, and took indeed, a little of my heart with you. You were one of the greatest challenges
of my life and I still wonder at what mishandling had you been subjected to for so many years before we met to affect your whole demeanour so devastatingly. We got used to one another and I admired your tenacity so much, I admired
the fact that you allowed yourself, through abject fear of humans, to trust again, but always sparingly. We understood each other and had such happy times, running on beaches – you – not me – walking in the mountains, in the Phoenix Park and on Tara – where you were absolutely terrified of the sheep – that used to make me laugh so much. You enjoyed your food and the little treats I kept for you – I need never come home from a dinner date without a small wrapped “something” in tinfoil – and you would sit so beautifully and wait while I cut up a minuscule piece of steak
or chicken for you – yes, you were a little bit spoiled, but Oh! -so so appreciative.

On that cold December day I looked out at Irelands Eye and Lambay, scattered you on the turning tide and wondered where you now resided, knowing you were out of pain and free again, but this time, without the chattels of fear and anxiety, free to run and romp and be happy and know – all humans are not bad, in fact the majority of us, given half
a chance, are really OK – I hope you know that now.

Little fellow, you taught me to love unconditionally, initially without much return, you taught me to “speak” and “think” in a dog sense, you let me into your very closed canine world and eventually you emerged somewhat – into my world and we made a good team, based on mutual respect and plenty of quiet space. You will be missed by more then you will ever know – all your admirers and well wishers from the Galway SPCA who always kept in touch and were so pleased at your happy progress, all the vets and staff at Active Vetcare Dunshaughlin, who genuinely gave of their all to keep you happy and pain free – and not always with your responding in a kindly manner towards them – but they too made allowances for you, the neighbours children who knew they could call and play with you but never never to touch you – they too felt they had lost a little friend and for many it was their first experience of loss, Eilish & Maureen at my office and in particular Margaret who, every Friday you waited for and went off happily in the back of her car, knowing as soon as you reached home she would have hot cooked chicken for you – yes little fellow we all miss you but thanks for the memories –

Shalom small friend.

Little Rod

Sadly our little boy passed over in his sleep very quietly and un-expectedly and to the sadness of all his pals 2 and 4 legged. He was a happy go lucky character who came to us as a kitten full of flu, but he pulled through it and was hale and hearty so the Suddeness of of passing caught us all as he was full of the joys of Spring . His party piece was sitting on your shoulder as you went around and he just loved it. Little Rod we miss you and talk of you often.

Sweet Oliver

Our beautiful dog Oliver passed away after a sudden illness, despite our vets best efforts he could not be saved. He was a beautiful dog and had a wonderful time at the sanctuary with all his friends with whom he loved to play with and have fun every day. His pals were Walti, Thomas, Hetty, Lass, Gwen. His passing has been a terrible shock to all, and he is very much missed by all in the sanctuary. We know he is now with Maxi, Bran, Monty and the rest of our motley crew over rainbow bridge, watch over us lads we miss you all.

Goodbye special lady

A special girl has gone to 'rainbow bridge' after a very full ,active ,action filled fourteen years. Billie we are all sad that you have left us, and we miss you dearly but we know that you are now well and happy and restored to the beautiful lady you were and are. The joy and stories about you will live on in our hearts and you will never be forgotten by all who loved you. Say hello to Sheba, Charlie mind them and have lots of fun, and when you meet up with Sam , Bran, Maxi and all the rest say hello from us all, and watch over us here . Sweet dreams little lady your were and always will be a very special lady.

Goodbye little man

This is little Punch who only spent a few days with us before suddenly passing over 'rainbow bridge' to meet up with Bran and Maxi. Even though he got to spend only a few days, he packed in a lifetime of fun and games with his new pals Wallace and Gromit so even though we are sad at his passing we are glad he enjoyed a few days of fun , friendship and love from all his two and four legged friends in the sanctuary. Goodbye little man

For those of you who met Maxi on visits to the sanctuary, it is with sadness we now tell you our girl has passed over 'rainbow bridge'.

Maxi was a golden labrador and fell asleep two weeks ago after eating her breakfast Maxi as always her had her priorities right. Maxi loved her daily stroll around the fields in the sanctuary. Her passing has been a big blow to staff and volunteers who loved her dearly. Her time was not that long but she enjoyed all the things in life a dog should enjoy and she had her own gang of pals she went walking and playing with pals like Walter, Bran, Alex, Shy. We know that when she crossed 'rainbow bridge' her pal Bran was their to greet her and show her around. So goodbye old girl mind Bran and have lots of fun chasing clouds.

it is with sadness that we tell you our longest resident and favourite of all who worked in the sanctuary Bran has passed over rainbow bridge.

Sadly poor Bran suffered a stroke and passed away but he did not suffer and that is something we are happy about. Bran lived with us in total happiness and much love for nearly eight years and saw a lot of comings and goings in the sanctuary. To Bran quite simply Heathlawn was home and it was a home he loved even if he had to 'put up' with them cats as he would say. We shall miss him and his smiling face as he greeted everyone and the place will be different, but he is now in a good place meeting all his pals who have gone before him and I'm sure telling them lots of stories about his exploits in Heathlawn.

From us all Bran good bye , watch over us all both two and four legged until we meet again.