Post by Old Dragon (Al) on May 6, 2004 12:31:02 GMT 1
This really is a very simple project but, at present, has very few members participating in this particular area.
As these also tend to be older people doing a little on a local basis to aid other older people, there is immense scope for others to do a similar thing in their own area.
As we get older, it is inevitable that, being animal owners and lovers, we get feelings of concern about the fate and welfare of our animals should we have to be in hospital or anything for a while.
The simple aim of the Animal Support Project group is to help others who might be ill, disabled, hospitalised etc. A type of local support network and that works both ways.
If someone needs help, then there are people that may be called upon to offer it but in a supportive, reassuring manner rather than a controlling, dominating and dependent one.
Having disabilities myself has shown me the benefits of this whilst still encouraging and enabling me to do what I can both for myself and others.
When the effects of my accident began to take a toll on my ability to do what I'd formerly done with my animals, there were a lot of people who wanted to step in and start 'telling' me what to do, such as sell my horses and get rid of my dogs. I'd have hated that, as I am sure many others here would have in the same or similar circumstances. Instead, through the Animal Support Project, ways and means to make compromises can be worked out and that prove beneficial to my animals, myself and also the people that help me.
One of my old horses is now on a shared loan with a friend who gets to ride and enjoy him in exchange for helping with the care of them both when I'm unable to and help with tasks I can no longer perform. I also get help with dog walking. Megan in particular, is difficult for me to cope with in that respect, although Kira presents almost no problems. Also someone will feed and see to the poultry in the mornings for me, as I'm far from at my best or very mobile at that time of day.
Amongst the ways I am able to contribute back to the project and its members is through sharing the pleasures the animals bring and without that necessarily costing other helpers anything in financial terms. (The friend sharing my one horse does, however, pay for his shoes, although all other costs are mine personally to cover.)
I can also offer them really fresh, surplus eggs from the chickens, bantams and ducks - be they my own or the fostered ones taken in via the Animal Support Project; manage to lodge the collie, Moss here with me for my ex husband, whose frail, elderly mother would not be able to cope with him in their home, and I can also manage to care for various small, caged animals for other helpers if they happen to be on holiday or in hospital etc.
On occasions we also find that unwanted animals are brought to project helpers and, depending upon what animals these might be and what problems etc., we do our best to provide for those or rehome them.
Included amongst these that are here at the moment are three rabbits and a hamster that apparently was going to be destroyed as it was biting the children, many poultry and also various caged birds. A lot more have been found new homes and including numerous guinea pigs, chickens, cockerels, budgies etc.
It's all positive stuff for everyone concerned and yet another way to become involved helping rescues as, let's face it, if this project didn't exist, it is quite possible that many of the animals it helps might otherwise have found their way into the care of rescue organisations, further adding to the burden they already have to contend with.
Even on a very local scale and amongst the numbers of animals and people currently involved here, that would be roughly 100 animals!
On the whole, this TRPD project group requires very little in the way of financial resources. This is because where any animals concerned actually belong to individual group members, then those members themselves pay for all their feeding, care and veterinary costs. However, there are almost always costs involved when it comes to animals being handed in as unwanted or cared for in the event of someone being seriously ill in hospital and especially if their relatives simply don't want any involvement - just to be rid of the responsibility of their relative's pets.
The old Pet Craft Project was able to help the Animal Support Project out to a small extent, as has the TRPD Art and Craft Projects and others by giving items that can be used to help raise those funds, although very often much does still seem to come out of the pockets of the actual ASP members themselves.
Within limits, that's okay, but sometimes that can throw up a few extra costs (such as veterinary treatment for animals being handed in) that do put a strain on the contingency funds and members' pockets.
At the moment here in the village there seem to be a large number of either escaped or deliberately released pet rabbits that are running the streets and playing with the traffic! One has been taken in here and at least another two that we know of have been caught by or handed over to other animal lovers able to care for them by local children. However, there are still several that we know of on the loose. Two, at least, having been driven into the allotment areas. If they stay well hidden amongst the undergrowth of the disused ones, all might be well and only natural preditors might concern them, but if they stray into the cultivated plots it will be a different story. We can only do our best to try to locate and capture them before that happens.
Al
As these also tend to be older people doing a little on a local basis to aid other older people, there is immense scope for others to do a similar thing in their own area.
As we get older, it is inevitable that, being animal owners and lovers, we get feelings of concern about the fate and welfare of our animals should we have to be in hospital or anything for a while.
The simple aim of the Animal Support Project group is to help others who might be ill, disabled, hospitalised etc. A type of local support network and that works both ways.
If someone needs help, then there are people that may be called upon to offer it but in a supportive, reassuring manner rather than a controlling, dominating and dependent one.
Having disabilities myself has shown me the benefits of this whilst still encouraging and enabling me to do what I can both for myself and others.
When the effects of my accident began to take a toll on my ability to do what I'd formerly done with my animals, there were a lot of people who wanted to step in and start 'telling' me what to do, such as sell my horses and get rid of my dogs. I'd have hated that, as I am sure many others here would have in the same or similar circumstances. Instead, through the Animal Support Project, ways and means to make compromises can be worked out and that prove beneficial to my animals, myself and also the people that help me.
One of my old horses is now on a shared loan with a friend who gets to ride and enjoy him in exchange for helping with the care of them both when I'm unable to and help with tasks I can no longer perform. I also get help with dog walking. Megan in particular, is difficult for me to cope with in that respect, although Kira presents almost no problems. Also someone will feed and see to the poultry in the mornings for me, as I'm far from at my best or very mobile at that time of day.
Amongst the ways I am able to contribute back to the project and its members is through sharing the pleasures the animals bring and without that necessarily costing other helpers anything in financial terms. (The friend sharing my one horse does, however, pay for his shoes, although all other costs are mine personally to cover.)
I can also offer them really fresh, surplus eggs from the chickens, bantams and ducks - be they my own or the fostered ones taken in via the Animal Support Project; manage to lodge the collie, Moss here with me for my ex husband, whose frail, elderly mother would not be able to cope with him in their home, and I can also manage to care for various small, caged animals for other helpers if they happen to be on holiday or in hospital etc.
On occasions we also find that unwanted animals are brought to project helpers and, depending upon what animals these might be and what problems etc., we do our best to provide for those or rehome them.
Included amongst these that are here at the moment are three rabbits and a hamster that apparently was going to be destroyed as it was biting the children, many poultry and also various caged birds. A lot more have been found new homes and including numerous guinea pigs, chickens, cockerels, budgies etc.
It's all positive stuff for everyone concerned and yet another way to become involved helping rescues as, let's face it, if this project didn't exist, it is quite possible that many of the animals it helps might otherwise have found their way into the care of rescue organisations, further adding to the burden they already have to contend with.
Even on a very local scale and amongst the numbers of animals and people currently involved here, that would be roughly 100 animals!
On the whole, this TRPD project group requires very little in the way of financial resources. This is because where any animals concerned actually belong to individual group members, then those members themselves pay for all their feeding, care and veterinary costs. However, there are almost always costs involved when it comes to animals being handed in as unwanted or cared for in the event of someone being seriously ill in hospital and especially if their relatives simply don't want any involvement - just to be rid of the responsibility of their relative's pets.
The old Pet Craft Project was able to help the Animal Support Project out to a small extent, as has the TRPD Art and Craft Projects and others by giving items that can be used to help raise those funds, although very often much does still seem to come out of the pockets of the actual ASP members themselves.
Within limits, that's okay, but sometimes that can throw up a few extra costs (such as veterinary treatment for animals being handed in) that do put a strain on the contingency funds and members' pockets.
At the moment here in the village there seem to be a large number of either escaped or deliberately released pet rabbits that are running the streets and playing with the traffic! One has been taken in here and at least another two that we know of have been caught by or handed over to other animal lovers able to care for them by local children. However, there are still several that we know of on the loose. Two, at least, having been driven into the allotment areas. If they stay well hidden amongst the undergrowth of the disused ones, all might be well and only natural preditors might concern them, but if they stray into the cultivated plots it will be a different story. We can only do our best to try to locate and capture them before that happens.
Al