Lola is 7yrs old, the bones in her legs never formed properly, meaning she has ongoing problems with her legs and hips. She is monitored regularly to deal with flare ups that affect her mobility.

Lola has had surgery to both elbows but  then developed further joint complications. Lola’s  specialists manage this with a cocktail of painkillers, weekly hydrotherapy, a controlled exercise regime and heat packs for when she gets stiff and starts limping. It is hoped this will be enough to avoid her having to have further surgery.

She did put up a bit of resistance to her medications Managing to eat the peanut butter coating and then spit the pills out. But this success was short lived.

She is  a bit of a princess and  sometimes uses her gorgeous looks and charm to get her own way.

Swimming is her passion – not only at the hydrotherapy pool but anywhere there’s a chance of a dip. Another favourite pastime is ball hunting.

Lola loves going on walks especially the woods. At bedtime she is ready for her carrot.

Buddy is  10yrs old and completely blind in his left eye and his right eye has very limited vision. He has been on a supplement for 3 years  to help with his runny eyes which have to be wiped regularly with a special solution.

Buddy has had to be extremely brave when Sue his specialist is prodding about with all her specialist instruments. He doesn’t enjoy it at all.

The capsules he takes are huge, but at least he gets to take them with food which is always a bonus and they are doing him good.

Buddy has not taken too kindly to being told to slow down a little and being told chasing ducks on the pond, is something he should avoid at his age !

Budy loves being off the lead though and having a good snuffle about in the hedgerows just in case his nose, which is vastly superior to his eyesight, finds something interesting but he knows he mustn’t wander too far. He adores playing with his friend Holly, she’s a Cockapoo and they are definitely the best of friends.

Back home, Buddy tends to bump into furniture now and again but he has got the hang of the layout now and has no trouble finding a knee with his excellent nose.

Sponsors help Buddy to live his best life

7yrs old Alfie could not stop drinking water. Bowls of water, rainwater puddles, lakes and streams. It was a serious problem and can kill. But vets didn’t know what was wrong.

Finallly a vet diagnosed the condition, Diabetes Insipidus. Alfie has now been on medication for approximately one year which has worked. He will have to have medication for the rest of his life. He has to take a tablet at exactly 7 am, 3 pm and 11 pm everyday. .

This regime must be strictly followed or the condition can manifest in a potentially dangerous  obsession with water.

On top of this, before coming to NWESSR, Alfie had been mistreated by the owners  2 year old child, who was described as prone to ‘kicking, hitting and jumping on him’. The owners were also leaving Alfie for 6 hours per day with little exercise and time and attention.

Alfie is a  friendly dog  and good natured with adults. He enjoys being out and about.

Alfie is enjoying life in is new home which is much more calm with owners who appreciate what a good dog he is. He is big friends with their tomcat and even their more nervous female cat, has started to curl up with him.

Alfie is quite a character. As soon as he hears the “Go Compare Man” sing on the tv, his ears prick up, he throws his head back and howls along.

Max is  6yrs old and in the last year was diagnosed with diabetes.

Max must have injections twice a day to keep it under control at 12 hour intervals. He will need this medication for the rest of his life. He has to visit the vets frequently to keep a check on him, but they are pleased he has stabilised on his medication.

Max had started bumping into furniture before coming to NWESSR and he was found to have cataracts on both eyes. This is a side effect of the diabetes. The vet has advised against their removal at the moment because it can have complications.

Max can still see some light and dark contrasts and shapes and his new  family have given him  a great Light Up Ball to play with.

None of this gets in the way of Max’s enjoyment in his new home. He loves being outdoors, playing happily in the garden, where he has learnt to negotiate steps. On his walks he relishes running over the fields. He sits nicely to cross roads and he always knows which is his house on the return.