What annoyed you today?

[Graham]

     Oh what a sad story. Please don't let it discourage you from the fine work you and others do.
                                  Graham.

[Sarasocke]

Our dogs are kept mostly in large pens where they have plenty of room to run and play. The only ones which are alone are the listed dogs and those which really don't get along with other, fortunately very few.
Two days ago I spent a lot of time in this large pen taking photos. The dogs were just fine and got on with each other with no problems.
I agree with you wholeheartedly Sue about the use of fireworks.
Even this afternoon, the shelter was officially closed, but I was there taking photos as per, plus a couple of the personnel. A family came to pick up a dog they were adopting. Mother and daughter were in the office, father and son were outside the compound. I was outside putting up some notices and I noticed the son, about 7 years old, had a lit firework in his hand. I told him sharply to put it out and to NOT set off fireworks near the shelter. The father said he'd told his son to go round the back of the "building". The "building" was the quarantine where new dogs are put while they're checked out. Do they think that it couldn't be heard through a fence???

The shelter is in the woods and is really a fair way from any houses. But of course the bangs can still be heard, certainly if some idiots decide to go to the woods to celebrate.

Goodness know what really happened, but it certainly put the dampers on any New Year wishes I had.

Graham - no fear, I shall keep on helping as long as I can.

[Reinardina]

Poor Sandolino, fallen prey to the pack habits dogs never lose.

A lot of dogs get anxious when fireworks are going off. My biggest doggie friend (literally) Boris (the one with pancreatic problems, as mentioned earlier in these columns. He's still going strong on medication at the moment btw) however, never batted an eyelid. Till last year. Same with my sister's bordercollie; she (the dog; I know I should say bitch, but that sounds so bad) all of a sudden developed a fear of loud noises.

I wonder what triggers that of? Any ideas?

[Eileen]

So sad to hear about Sandolino Carol.

[greypoint]

Fortunately none of my Pointers was ever scared of bangs [being of sound gundog stock!!] , but I had over ten years of autumn misery with my rescue Greyhound. I had her in October and she spent six weeks with her leg in plaster as it had been broken when she was abandoned and running loose. On Nov 5th I let her out into the garden to relieve herself before the big display at the school down the road was due to begin - unfortunately they decided to start a bit early with some of those mortars which I believe have now been banned. Result one terrified Greyhound attempting to gallop with plastered leg diving back into the house and attempting to hide. After that the slightest bang of a firework would result in an evening of her shaking and crying and pacing the house - if fireworks were confined to one or two days you could use sedatives but you can't do that for weeks on end! Anyway I thought people had no money at the moment so it seems a bit odd to burn what they do have!!

[Sarasocke]

On of the dogs in the shelter is known for going wild with fireworks and she was put in a pen on her own so she wouldn't do any damage to any other dogs. One of the grils from the shelter actually went by just after midnight to make sure everything was OK. She didn't notice anything, but then every was so dark. There are no real lights in the pen where it happened and the shelter is in the woods, well away from any towns etc.
With these loud bangs a dog can be so scared that he goes crazy. He doesn't  know what he's doing. Our little Mickey escaped throught the cat flap and somehow got out of the garden (which is well fenced) in the middle of the night during a thunderstorm. He was found at 3am about 2km away in the High Street. Fortunately he was OK and the person who found him range the police and then took him home with him. As it was during the night, Mickey wasn't wearing his collar. Now I close the cat flap at night and if there's any chance of thunderstorms Mickey just isn't left alone.
On previous New Years Eves he's bashed himself on closed windows trying to escape.
This year he was relaxed and quiet for the first time. We had the TV on loud and I think he may be getting deaf.

Anyway ...
what's annoying me at the moment is that it's absolutely pouring it down and I have to go out with our dogs.

[picsfor]

Carol,

sorry to hear about the loss of your dog, it's surprising how simply the best laid plans can fall apart...
But i know you've derived much from all the dogs you've helped rescue and would only see this incident as something to spur you on.
So many great pictures from your rescued dogs, and stories as well.

Let's hope that this one 'black' moment provokes many more 'happier' incidents.

Andrew

[Oldboy]

All the MP's want to wish you a happy new year!!!!! 


Just three days old and already 2012 is hit by news of greedy MPs refusing to play by the rules on expenses by exploiting loopholes on travel to get round the ban on first class trips.

So while Mr Joe Trainpassenger faces ticket price rises of up to 11% on rail fares this year we find that during the months of June and July last year MPs claimed for 1,334 first class train journeys at a costs to the taxpayer of £136,800.

That's a 155% increase on the same time last year. They also claimed £35,772 for a total of 115 business class flights for the same period of just two months. Do the maths and you're looking at a taxpayer bill of around £1million for the year just so MPs don't have to travel among the great unwashed.

And this is the tough new regime of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority!

The loophole on train travel allows MPs to travel first class if they can find a standard class ticket that is more expensive. Well, that takes about five minutes on the internet when you look at the prices of the flexible 'Anytime' tickets so it's hardly a barrier.

Needless to say, the suggestion that MPs claim for standard rail fares but pay any first class supplement themselves was kicked into the long grass and instead they flout the rules, inflation-proof themselves and continue to ignore the depth of public feeling about their money-grabbing.

And it's not the nobodies. It's Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, former Chancellor Alistair Darling, David Miliband, Ed Balls and his missus Yvette Cooper among others. Senior politicians you think would know better.

[Geoff I]

All the MP's want to wish you a happy new year!!!!! 


Just three days old and already 2012 is hit by news of greedy MPs refusing to play by the rules on expenses by exploiting loopholes on travel to get round the ban on first class trips.

So while Mr Joe Trainpassenger faces ticket price rises of up to 11% on rail fares this year we find that during the months of June and July last year MPs claimed for 1,334 first class train journeys at a costs to the taxpayer of £136,800.

That's a 155% increase on the same time last year. They also claimed £35,772 for a total of 115 business class flights for the same period of just two months. Do the maths and you're looking at a taxpayer bill of around £1million for the year just so MPs don't have to travel among the great unwashed.

And this is the tough new regime of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority!

The loophole on train travel allows MPs to travel first class if they can find a standard class ticket that is more expensive. Well, that takes about five minutes on the internet when you look at the prices of the flexible 'Anytime' tickets so it's hardly a barrier.

Needless to say, the suggestion that MPs claim for standard rail fares but pay any first class supplement themselves was kicked into the long grass and instead they flout the rules, inflation-proof themselves and continue to ignore the depth of public feeling about their money-grabbing.

And it's not the nobodies. It's Energy Secretary Chris Huhne, former Chancellor Alistair Darling, David Miliband, Ed Balls and his missus Yvette Cooper among others. Senior politicians you think would know better.

Sorry Oldboy but if I was in Parliament I would want to travel first class by train, I do feel that rail travel is not taking the mickey out of us the tax payer, but paying for homes that they already own is and a few MP's have gone to prison for it, yes times are hard and we all get annoyed at things MP's have done in the past but it is all out in the open now, we always disagree with lots of policies that are happening at the moment but I would not do there job for all the tea in China.

[ABERS]

The car failed its MOT yesterday, too much play in the offside trackrod end. All those blasted speed bumps and cavernous potholes?

[skellum]

Performimg Rights Society want me to buy a licence. I have a small radio in my back office area and the general public might hear it in the shop. £ 75.90 plus VAT.  Total  £ 91.08 per year. Thing is I always turn it of when I have people in the studio so I may as well turn it of permanently.

Wonder how long it will be before they send someone to check up on me..

[andydo]

alex ferguson not commenting on the performance of newcastle united last night all he said was his team didnt play well he missed the vital point our team didnt let his team play well

[spinner]

Performimg Rights Society want me to buy a licence. I have a small radio in my back office area and the general public might hear it in the shop.

Who thinks this stuff up? Here it's by way of a tax on recording media. Even if your CDs and DVDs are for data storage. I wonder which of us pays more per year in the end?  The Media claim Canada is the most over taxed country in the G20 but some times I wonder when I read things like this. And Abers MOT situation. We only need to prove our cars/trucks meet the clean air standard, every two years. Safety checks only happen if the vehicle changes hands. I suppose it makes your highways safer than ours.

[greypoint]

Performimg Rights Society want me to buy a licence. I have a small radio in my back office area and the general public might hear it in the shop. £ 75.90 plus VAT.  Total  £ 91.08 per year. Thing is I always turn it of when I have people in the studio so I may as well turn it of permanently.

Wonder how long it will be before they send someone to check up on me..

I had this about three years ago. I explained that I only listened to speech radio - Radio 4/5 live - but still had to insist no-one but me could hear it [untrue of course!]before they grudgingly said ok- did'nt hear any more

[Geoff I]

Performimg Rights Society want me to buy a licence. I have a small radio in my back office area and the general public might hear it in the shop. £ 75.90 plus VAT.  Total  £ 91.08 per year. Thing is I always turn it of when I have people in the studio so I may as well turn it of permanently.

Wonder how long it will be before they send someone to check up on me..

I doubt if they could prove you are listening to music without getting a court order to come into your premises, and you would have the right to not let them in, they will be wanting to charge cars a license fee next for listening to music, what is this world coming to. if its broadcast then its up to them to pay out and not the working man, they have been sending letters to my works but I am the only one in the workshop and music is streamed through a computer so how will they prove we have music in the workshop.