Lucy Irvine Foundation Europe

The past week brought good news and bad news, joyous arrivals and sad departures.  Calico, fighting several diseases as an inpatient at the vets, finally couldn't fight anymore. She died as she'd come to us when Ilia, our Roma helper, found her struggling to breathe on a rubbish dump. She was a frail wheezing bundle of delicate bones in his arms then and I carried a similarly fragile bundle to the vets on her last journey. But between those painful moments she had several years of reasonably good health and contentment at LIFE. That's what I must remember when I think of her. Kirichko, an inpatient for months in equine hospital for corrective surgery on his knock-knees, has been back with us for over a week now. He's not fully mended, as we'd hoped, but one leg is a lot straighter than it was and he's taller and stronger than the wonky-legged baby we sent away. We can tell he's experienced some pain as he's less ready for cuddles now and more ready to ki...

Cats have been close companions to me since I was a child. A parade of old feline friends pads across my mind: Big Puss, the massive Tom my father brought home; Perdita the lost one we found; Charlie my first ginger brought by a coalman to the highland cottage where my sons were born. Only when I was on desert islands were there no cats on my bed. When I moved to Bulgaria I took Misty from Scotland with me -  not something I'd do now, given the hordes of unwanted cats here, nine alone in the caravan I've lived in since my Bulgarian house burned down; 20 plus in other vans dedicated to cats, more in a crumbling barn and a small waterless kitchen beside the ruined house.  Pimple, the black kitty pictured, is the sole survivor of a weak litter born locally last year to an ailing mothercat . I bottle-fed her like a baby and she slept curled under my chin. By now, she's a sultry debutante and has left my caravan to join the Ruins Kitchen gang.  This week she was spayed. That...

One of the Lucy Irvine Foundation Europe 's most valued and versatile helpers is Roma. With us for nearly 6 years now, he's learned how dogs and horses can be handled differently - with more sensitivity to their needs - than is customary in the community he comes from. His new knowledge is starting to spread among others making Ilia,  in effect , an ambassador for LIFE in several Roma communities so that more dogs and horses are experiencing more thoughtful handling.  As Ilia learns, others learn from him. This past week he acquired a new useful skill to pass on: how to file a horse's hooves between trims carried out by an expert. LIFE wants to thank trimmer Vanya Lavarova, who's also a qualified vet and a successful competition rider, for helping Ilia to learn how to file hooves. Vanya Lavarova demonstrating how to file hooves Supervising & Guiding Ilia Ilia learning to file his filly's hooves With Ilia, who helps translate my Bulgarian into Romanes when we...

The Lucy Irvine Foundation Europe (LIFE) held a meeting last Monday with Roma owners of horses we want to help. Most local horses are seen first and foremost as transport. They haul wood and water for their owner's family and whatever roots or herbs a buyer will take for onward sale. The horse is vital to the family because it enables them to earn. But for many, the horse is disposable because it can be replaced easily; far more easily and cheaply than a tractor or car. LIFE, at the same time as treating horses for parasites and tending their wounds, aims to teach that horses feel pain, loneliness and joy just like us. Meetings like the one held on Monday give us the opportunity to do this. The meeting was only able to take place because 3 amazing individuals dedicated their time, skills and energy to making it happen. Suze Crane, a regular volunteer at LIFE, provided most of the materials needed to set up a stall on which we displayed lucky dip prizes. She concentrated on treating...

Every day this past week, on top of the routine jobs involved in caring for our rescued animals at LIFE, we've worked towards a meeting with Roma owners of dogs and horse we're holding on Orthodox Easter Monday here, 3rd May. One aim of the meeting is to treat as many dogs and horses as we can against parasites carrying killer diseases, so we need to attract a good turn out. To this end, Ilia and I, during our usual trips to stock up on animal foods and meds, have added small packs of cat food to hand out for children with kittens at home and prizes for lucky dip entry tickets. As well as treats, flour and sunflower oil, both of which have recently sky- rocketed in price, have been included as lucky dip surprises. Experience suggests such useful basics are often more welcome than fancy soap or chocolates. For families we know to be on very low or no regular incomes, we've made pre-Easter deliveries of  ingredients for festive bread and a few family meals.  While the key aim...