Lavatera

Before and after.

A neighbour from hell, I wonder?

I know the erection of my garden fence left a lot to be desired but there was a reason behind it.

About 3 year ago I had new neighbours move in who appear to have no respect for animals or the environment they live in. They also have about 60 Canaries stuck in cages in a shed. A pair of budgies who live indoors but are put out in the sun during the day, 6 hens that live their whole life in a shed no bigger than a coal bunker, and 5 dogs who are never taken out for walks plus homing pigeons who are let out to fly above the tree tops. Their garden is regimented and is over-run with pot plants and garden ornaments, an acquired taste that wouldn’t suit everybody, whereas I like my garden to be a welcoming place for all the wildlife. There is always something happening in my garden.

I love Lavatera, a quite striking shrub which has made my garden look very colourful, and that is the problem. The woman next door doesn’t like it, she refers to it as a bloody nuisance. Soon after, my Lavatera’s startd dying, until I had none. I bought new ones, and soon they died too.  A friend of mine I didn’t see regularly, told me some time later, he had been passing when he see her apparently spraying my plants, with what he didn’t know. There was no way I could confront her, as I didn’t have any real evidence except dead shrubs.

So this spring I decided to put another fence up as I only had a chain link fence there. It didn’t help they dug up a hedge that had been between us, and had been there at least 60 years, so I needed something sturdier and to hide what I was actually growing in my garden. That fence will help without me spending too much.

I will be putting extra security in, but for now it will have to do. So it will be down the nursery soon for some more Lavatera, and this time I hope it is allowed to grow..

Vets, are they killing the golden egg?

           Vets, are they killing the golden goose ?

I have for many years taken in old dogs, some I managed to insure, but others were too old so it was down to me for vets care and their welfare. Sadly nowadays the cost of that care has escalated to ridiculous levels, especially at the point where you have to let them pass on to the other side.

I did take my old hounds to Kew’s for their final journey but their lack of empathy I found very hard to endure. To them it is a job, to me it’s a time of despair and anguish, but as long as they received their £116 they were happy.

Then on February 9^th my old girl Ciara become very ill which gave me no other option than to put her to sleep. This was a Friday evening after 20.00 hrs, so this time I chose to use Forest Vets in Epping. The bill came to over £300.00 just for sending in on her way to her God. So through my tears I paid my bill and wondered if it was really worth my while making vets richer while I suffered the pain of losing another old dog.

Two weeks ago I lost another old dog (Julian)to the same debilitating illness that Ciara suffered, an illness that doesn’t give you a choice, there is nothing other than to end their suffering.  This time I went to a breed specific vet in Brentwood who charged me just £60 to cover the cost of euthanasia and cremation.

Although £60 is a lot to pay to never see your loving dog again, it eases the pain to know I am not being ripped off to such an extent I have been in the past.

It seems you are nothing more than a cash cow in the eyes of so many vets, especially in the Harlow area, but use them you must, but if only they gave further thought to what you are going through other than how much can they make out of your distress?

Portrait of Jennie (1948)

Very Happy greyhounds

https://youtu.be/I9FKi9nKMbw

Snow in Harlow.

https://youtu.be/ENmzdQKEo_k

Very happy greyhounds.

 https://youtu.be/I9FKi9nKMbw 

Greyhound people, both Pro and Anti are normally quite decent people who look after, and love their Hounds. However, there are some so far down the evolutionary scale they hardly register. Both sides are aware of these individuals whom are intent on bringing the sport they say they love to its knees, (Pro's) as well as several Anti's who see the greyhound as nothing more than a crusade to enhance their own mundane lives. As I stated, there are many within the Industry who have done everything in their power to brighten the tedium of racing or retired greyhounds in their care, but unfortunately these more enlightened folk are often lumped together with the greyhound owners who kill, maim torture and abuse this very gentle breed of canine for whatever reason. The greyhound only wants to please and be loved in return, is that to much to ask from people whom he/she trusted? The people I find absolutely galling from with-in the sport are those who fail to appreciate the term: "RESCUED" as an explanation of how a greyhound came to be in their forever home. This is a short video of two greyhounds enjoying their new life as much loved pets, and yes, these and others just like them have been "Rescued" from a life of living in a wooden box where if they are lucky will be put in a small paddock to empty out a couple of times a day. Minimal human or canine contact, where the true reality is they are just waiting to die, unless of course they are rescued by a caring member of the general public appalled at the greyhounds plight.. Many others though are left to live the best they can in their own excrement and filth, until their God comes to take them back. A life with-out real love, no couch, no regular walks to meet their doggy friends, and no tit-bits or home to call their very own, A prisoner of circumstances who has committed no crime other than they were born a racing greyhound. A GREYHOUND SURE HAS TO BE BORN LUCKY https://youtu.be/I9FKi9nKMbw

Chapter 3. Louise Clark throws a wobbly.

     Chapter 3

I have been filming the greyhounds up for adoption at Whittingham long before Louise Clark appeared, as well as filming the regular get-to-gethers, albeit at the kennels or over the Butlers Retreat with no problem, but I hadn’t taken into account how totally infuriated Clark had become by  my action of unfriending her. She really turned ugly. Every time she sees me she glared daggers, so it was no real surprise when she refused to put my latest film of the greyhounds desperate for a new home on the website. It then began to degenerate into even more childishness when she took all my earlier films off the website. Her excuse was they weren’t right and would stop greyhounds being rehomed. Without of course any explanation as to why? The stupidity of Louise’s statement made an amoeba look intelligent. Especially, as close on 500 people have already seen it on my You Tube page, with no complaints so far. I also get a lot of their personal comments to me with no detractors.. I just think it was more evidence that Clark thinks she is now in charge and what she says goes.

I made my current film the same day that Patch died, so I witnessed first-hand what had happened to him, and the staff there was not to amused to see me there.  No cover-up could take place so they had to grin and bear it, but I think it was another reason my film was not loaded on to the website. I think the next day’s posting made by Louise which started; “We don’t normally do an update” Of course they don’t, but they had too after I had written what had befallen poor Patch, and placed it on several greyhound websites. If I had my own way they would have had to answer the question, why did they put an old ailing greyhound in a warm paddock with no cover or shade for quite some time?

The kennels used to be a friendly place but since Clark has grabbed control all is not well. I had wondered why Louise had so many people who didn’t like her, but I wonder no more, she has done it all without really trying. One of the volunteers up there knows exactly what she is doing as he/she said to me I can’t say anything as I want to carry on coming up to the kennels. Is she that scary or just manipulative as its making people wary of saying anything in her presence.

The kennel website is a prime example of her intentions as no one except Louise can post any new topic, although others can, but they are immediately shuffled onto the side-lines which makes them very hard to find. Reputable websites, like WGW invite people to post their thoughts and opinions without hiding them, unlike Louise Clark who cannot bear criticism. So Clarks posting of;

12 June at 12:34 ·

From Johanna (owner of whittingham Kennels): We will not tolerate abusive posts or messages towards our staff at whittingham. All my staff are dedicated to homing the dogs in our care and do many hours unpaid beyond their shifts. Slanderous and wrong posts will be removed and will not be tolerated. We are lucky to have a great team who all work solely for the welfare of the dogs. We have a wonderful group of supporters and volunteers and will not allow our work to be undermined. Thank you all for your support towards finding homes for as many greyhounds as we can!

Which attracted a great deal of response of course, as I and a friend watched the innocent greyhound supporters being sucked into feeling so very sorry for her by posting their words of comfort while Louise was laughing with her hand over her mouth and thinking just how clever she had been.

But it was all total bullshit as nobody can post anything of this nature on her website as she has complete control. As for this message being written by Johanna Beumer, it is another complete lie, but it does show Clarks control intentions against the people who support the Whittingham Rescue. Johanna Beumer wouldn’t use the completely wrong term of Slanderous, when the correct term for any written defamation is Libel, and of course she would use a capital letter for Whittingham, plus “is” instead of are. Another look into the twisted mind of Louise Clark I’m afraid.

What really happened of course was I had written on my Face Book page exactly what I thought of Louise Clark over the Patch incident, and her failure to post my latest film of greyhounds desperate for a forever home. Somebody see what I had written, let’s call them D, and sent it to Louise, who then hatched the plan to make it look like I was threatening all at Whittingham when my only intention was only to give a written diatribe to the very childish Louise Clark. She didn’t stop there as she also went to Johanna running me down there as well with her little lies. Which I am afraid will result in me now giving Whittingham a miss. It will also mean the money I give to Whittingham, plus monies from my German friends who send me a large sum to give to greyhound rescues of my choice every Christmas, which a big portion went to Johanna,  going to a rather more deserving cause than Whittingham from now on..

The trouble is that Louise does a great deal for Johanna, who in return cannot risk the chance of losing her, so patronises her whims and lets her get on with it.

 I have been going to Whittingham for a long time now and I have seen a few people who think they can take Whittingham away from Johanna, but nobody has done it yet? But Clark is getting closer.

There has been one thing which has always bothered me about the Clarks, it is their greyhounds, I have never seen such an unhappy bunch of hounds in my life. Such a shame really.