Horrific, neglected, starved, dehydrated and terrified are just a few of the words that came to mind today when a young Staffie was brought into the rescue. It was hard to believe that anyone could allow a poor animal to get into the state that this dog was in. The pictures here say more than words ever could.
When the Dog Warden carried this poor animal into the rescue staff and visitors alike looked on in despair. You could literally count the ribs and just about see every single bone in this small body.
The dog was in a very bad way when it was brought in and rescue staff went into an all too familiar routine, regrettably this was not the first dog that staff and particularly the founder of the rescue, Anne Owen, has seen in the last 34 years of its existence. Staff have named the poor dog Carla.
Having been assessed Carla was transferred to our vets who were waiting for her when she arrived, she was put on a drip and started on the road to what is likely to be a long recovery, both physically and emotionally. Hopefully there will not be any lasting health problems caused by the neglect that this poor animal has suffered over a number of months, possibly even all her life ..................and they say dogs are a man's best friend.
A little boy with a form of mutism who struggles to express himself has been 'taught' to show his emotions - by his pet cat.
Lorcan Dillon, 7, suffers from an anxiety condition that leaves him virtually unable to communicate with teachers and classmates at school. He also find it difficult to express love and affection towards his family.
But he turned a corner after his mother Jayne brought a cream Birman called Jessi-cat into their home in Davyhulme, Greater Manchester.
The pair have become inseparable over the past two years and Lorcan is now able to say 'I love you' for the first time.
Best of friends: Lorcan with Jessi-Cat
Lorcan's mother Jayne Dillon, 44, a former hospital midwife said: 'Jessi-Cat has made a huge difference to Lorcan's life.
'We've had her for a couple of years and in the last year alone he seems to be making excellent progress at school.
'In the past two weeks he's started communicating with people he doesn't know very well and even reads to one of the teachers now - something he's never done before.
'The bond between Lorcan and Jessi-Cat is so touching as he's able to show physical affection to her which he doesn't like doing with people - even me. She's such a delightful, responsive cat and he hugs and kisses her all the time.'
Playtime: Jessi-Cat is a finalist for the Cats Protection's National Awards 2012 for helping Lorcan
Jayne said the bond between her son and cat was 'so touching'
She added: 'The reason why we have got Jessi-Cat is because pets and cats in particular I think are very good with children with special needs or autism or anything like that, and it's a way for Lorcan to communicate.
'Lorcan does speak at home with his family, but still finds it hard to show his emotions to them - he can't say "I love you" to his mum. 'He does speak normally at home - he doesn't have selective mutism with us at all in the house. 'But he doesn't express his emotions - he would not say 'I love you mummy' or anything like that but with the cat he can cuddle her and stroke her and talk to her and he does say 'I love you Jessi-Cat' which is really nice. 'It is a way for him to express his emotions that otherwise he wouldn't be able to do.'
Seven-year-old Lorcan Dillon sufferers from Selective Mutism - a condition that means he finds it difficult to communicate with people, leaving him feeling lonely and affecting his confidence. It is said to affect around one in 1,000 children.
Jayne added: 'Lorcan was diagnosed when he started nursery school at three and a half. The staff were concerned that he wouldn't speak to any of the adults and most of the children.
'Lorcan can find it very hard to express himself yet he can be himself around Jessi-Cat and finds it very easy to talk to her.
'She is always interested in what he's doing and that unconditional love she has for him has been a huge boost to his confidence.
Jayne said her son and cat were rarely apart
Jessi-Cat shows unconditional love for Lorcan
'Lorcan is able to connect love to Jessi-Cat, something he can't do with people and she's been a great support to him when things have been really hard.
'She is without a doubt the best friend a boy could have and has made a huge positive impact in his life.' The pair are rarely apart and this year both Lorcan and the Cream Birman have been shortlisted in the Best Friends category in the Cats Protection National Cat Awards 2012.
Jessi-Cat is down to the last three in the Best Friends category and if she wins she'll be in with a chance of scooping the prestigious title of National Cat of the Year.
Kate Bunting, the Awards organiser at Cats Protection, says that Jessi-Cat's story was an inspiring one. She said: 'We had entries from across the length and breadth of the country and it was a tough job to narrow them down. 'Each and every entry we received told a tale about why cats have such a special place in people's hearts - sometimes heart-rending, sometimes funny and often quite amazing!
'We think all cats are special, but Jessi-Cat especially deserved a place in the final for showing what an incredible impact cats have on the lives of people of all ages.'
Volunteers from Pets at Home Head Office worked their socks off on Tuesday to make the the
Enrichment Barn a step closer. This area is really taking shape now, we just need to get the windows and new
steels in, coloured paw prints on the walls and then its time to create the
Dog Enrichment equipment so our lovely rescue dogs can enjoy this special
area and help stimulate their minds to prevent boredom.
We would like to give a big Thank You to Pets at Home for cracking on with the painting, it all makes a huge difference to us and hopefully they enjoyed their day out here as well. It makes the opening of this much needed area a step closer. As you can see from the photographs they all played a part and did a fantastic job.
Also thank you so much to Tony Roberts and Son, Builders for working there socks off to build this barn, it
looks great and we can't wait for it to be all complete.
We also need to say a massive thank you to Pedigree Adoption Drive for awarding the amazing
grant to make this project possible in the first place, without there help,
this would still be a leaking Dutch barn, and we would still be dreaming of
this for many years to come. so thank you to you all for your kind support!
Following the flooding that led to the cancellation of the Dog Show in July, NCAR has now decided that this years, Compaion Dog Show will be combined with the Pet Pamper Day on 23rd September 2012 at the rescue from 11am to 3pm.
There will be a BBQ as well as many gift stalls, pet advice stalls cake stalls, and tombola's etc and so much more on the day, so it will be a fabulous day out for all the family. So bring your lovely dogs along to a great day out. There will be many classes, with something for every dog.
Remember to book the date
Don't forget to put it in your diary now and keep an eye on the blog for more details.
When the Dog Warden carried this poor animal into the rescue staff and visitors alike looked on in despair. You could literally count the ribs and just about see every single bone in this small body. 
