A Brief Newsround - Week Ending 11/4/21

During the remote island adventures of my youth, it was necessary to find strategies for emotional as well as physical survival. Tuin island in the Torres Strait, where I lived with one other person in the early 1980s, is not, compared to the dream version of a desert island, wildly beautiful. When a film based loosely on my book, Castaway, was made, a lush Seychelles backdrop was used. But I fell in love with Tuin because it made life there not only easier but at least occasionally, rapturous.

In rural Bulgaria, the Lucy Irvine Foundation's home site is most photographed in sunshine and the animals we've rescued looking at their most attractive.  Plus, we tend to highlight our successes more than our failures. We don't want potential supporters put off by too much harsh reality. But that harsh reality should not all be hidden. This past week saw two painful failures as well as a number of uplifting successes. Failure number one was losing last week's battle to take a vulnerable and suffering mare out of the hands of her neglectful owner.  

Then I failed to find fragile Dancho, a cat who'd survived being shot followed by difficult surgery, in time to protect him from the ravages of a violent hail storm. Finally I spotted him sheltering among battered hay bales but it was too late. Even the warmth of his own dedicated caravan, heating on full blast, followed by attempts to save him by the vet, could not prevent him dying. May he now be at peace, valiant little man that he was. 

 

Dear Dancho

My strategy for emotional survival in the aftermath of these two negative experiences was to redouble efforts to bring comfort to the many local horses that we CAN help, and to boost our constant campaign to reduce the number of unwanted cats here, so that fewer end up on the street starving or being shot. Thanks to the help of a Bulgarian lady who spreads word in her village about our work,  we had three from local communities sterilized this week and there are scores more to book for ops as soon as we have the funds. If you'd like to support LIFE's efforts to keep cat numbers down in order to prevent suffering, you can donate here. 

As for the mare we couldn't wrestle away from her owner, in the process of trying to save her we did succeed in securing a rented facility where such horses can rest and recover. And close to that facility we found a donkey in need of retirement and a puppy in need of rehoming,  both of whom turned out to be stars of this week's success stories. The donkey, named Reginald, has not only been offered peaceful retirement on an idyllic rural smallholding but there's another caring home available as back up should it be needed. Small though he is, Reginald is a full male who could, as did our own dear Selim, cause more than a little mayhem until gelded! 

 

Like butter wouldn't melt!

The last big success story this week concerns a delightful Kangal puppy. We first encountered him chained without water in hot sun, his kennel inadequate against rain, too. As usual, we alerted the owners to his needs but knew from the start that the best thing we could do for him was to get him away from where it was inevitable he'd suffer from further neglect.

Several dogs at the same place have died on their chains. By happy chance a friend of a friend, known for his love of big dogs, has recently settled on a farm here in Bulgaria - the perfect place for a puppy who'll grow into a big dog. He contacted me to consider one or two of our rescued horses for adoption and during our conversation I just slipped in the story of this pup, and sent a photo to confirm his interest ;)

Ilia feeding the pup

So, we've seen a little of hell and some heaven, this week. I'll always be haunted by the loss of Dancho the cat who went through so much, and angry that we couldn't rescue that poor mare.  I'm glad though, that we tried in both cases and the hundreds of now happy and healthy cats, dogs and horses LIFE has succeeded in saving are living proof that our efforts, despite setbacks,  are more than worthwhile. 

See here for daily updates about life on the ground at LIFE.  If you're interested in rehoming a dog, cat or horse, please enquire on our LIFE Facebook Page.  And please remember, our work depends on kind donations, so please consider supporting us if you can.

Wishing all our readers and friends a week full of goodness and hope ahead. 

Lucy