Can I tell you a story?

NOTE FROM Gill Sinclar. This is a story of one woman's utter devotion to animals, all animals, but this story is mainly about dogs.

Not Bostons, but an inspirational story about a very special lady, Jacquie Leigh Stobbart . She lives in Cumbria , England. Here is her story.

 At age nine I said I was not going to eat animals again and never have. I have always had a natural affinity with animals. Always loved them and got on with them so much better than people. So much so, I think I was one in a past life! I have always seen them as equals, if not better.  I think I have been put on this planet to be a voice for the voiceless and I have got a big mouth!! So if you would not do it to a human, do not do it to an animal. 

At age fourteen I insisted I had to volunteer at the local rescue kennels. An adult had to come with me until I was sixteen, my long suffering mother volunteered for the job!

I volunteered there for twenty-one years. I grew up there, it was my life. Nothing made me happier than caring for the dogs and helping to re-home them.

I got my rescue dog Frankie from the local pound.  He was six weeks old and on death row.  It broke my heart when I lost him, he was nearly seventeen.

The local rescue I volunteered at had a strict no-kill policy. We took dogs with all sorts of issues. If they couldn't be re-homed, they were loved and stayed with us.

Kaiser came into the kennels, age three. He had been chained up outside a house his whole life. He was thrown in pits to fight. He was kicked, beaten, they even filed his teeth down so he would have a disadvantage in the fights. They also hit him with chains if he did not perform. He had many scars, a broken tail and jaw. He was scared and did not trust people, understandably. I was instantly drawn to helping him.

To me that is what rescue is about, righting the wrongs that other humans have inflicted. We slowly got to know each other. We developed a special bond. He was my favorite! I could not take him home. I still had Frankie and was living with parents. My mam came to help me at kennels and eventually Kaiser got to know, trust and love her too. He has been left with serious issues with people after extreme cruelty. It was an ex-armed force nut job that had Kaiser and he did a good job on Kaiser too. Kaiser loved many of the volunteers, but never took to some. He was okay with other dogs, if they left him alone. There were 'incidents' in kennels down to some people not understanding him or how to handle him. Some said he was damaged and could never be re-homed.

When I lost my Frankie I was devastated. I had to take two weeks off work and could not speak to anyone. during this time, I had been living with my fiance, but we split up and I was back with my parents.

When Milo came into the kennels he was three and a half years old.  I fell in love and rescued him. He had had three homes, each time dumped for not liking dogs and cats. He adored all people. I still could not re-home Kaiser, as he had to be with a single person living on their own as he forms a strong bond to one and displays protective jealousy.

As the years went on the volunteers knew Kaiser as 'my dog'. I would take him to the beach and pet shop every weekend.  I visited him all the time. There was no electric at the kennels, no heat or light. I put battery lights and a radio in Kaiser's kennel along with luxury beds, quilts, toys etc. I would lock myself in the kennels at night and lie on his kennel floor holding his paw until he went to sleep.

The kennels were always ran by like minded people, but some came and went that wanted Kaiser put to sleep. Battles were fought and won to keep him safe.

Until new people started saying that the long stayers were 'blocking kennels' and should be put to sleep. This filled me with utter panic, like somebody had stabbed me in my heart - my babies!!! No way!! The long term, like minded volunteers, chair and vice chair fought hard to stop this, we were committee members now too. It got worse and there was a big fall out over a staff.  The new people wanted to kill. It turned very nasty. The new people out voted me other committee members and the chair and voted to ban us.

That nearly killed me after working there twenty-one years. I had to get my Kaiser out asap. He was not safe there any longer. When I got a pay raise at work, I bought my flat [apartment] and set out to keep him and Milo apart. I had introduced Kaiser to our dog walker Andy.  Every week for months, while Kaiser was still in the kennels Andy would walk him, until he eventually trusted him.  Then I adopted Kaiser. Me and mam [mother] tried to introduce them [Kaiser and Milo] for six months. They were never going to get on. They would have killed each other. So they never meet! [in the same space].

Daily life is a military operation! When I am at work I get up at 4:30 am to walk and feed them. Milo goes to mam [mother] and dads for the day. I pay Andy our dog walker to come to Kaiser at my flat [apartment] a few times a day.

In the evening I divide my time with them. Milo sleeps with me and Kaiser has his own luxury bedroom. I have a two-way monitor where I can see and talk to him.

When I am off at work, I have a two-way monitor at my flat and one at mam and dads.

I have volunteered at a new rescue for the last few years, as much as I can with the little free time I have. I have had to stay single and do not see friends as much because of Kaiser's issues. I can not go on holiday with Milo anymore either. Lots of people think I am mad, but they [the dogs] are my family.

Shortly after I rescued Milo, he was in extreme pain and became paralyzed.
He had to be rushed to a specialist hospital and had a major two-and-a-half-hour spinal surgery. Then he had to stay there three nights.

I felt like I had my right hand cut off! I then had to give him physio and massage a few times a day. I had to express his bladder, teach him to walk in a sling, take him to the hydro pool a few times a week. And even slept in a cage with him - That all had to be done for months, until he slowly began to walk and wee again. He is a walking/running miracle!! All that happened again a year and a half later. He has disc problems.

BOSTON TERRIER NETWORK: 

Gill Sinclair who brought this passionate story to our attention, is a wonderful lady who also lives in the United Kingdom. She has been very involved for years in saving shelter animals. She lives in Folkstone UK.  Gill is the founder of For The Love of Bostons Auction Group, a very successful online auction here in the US, This three year old auction holds monthly auctions in support of Boston Terrier Rescues. Due to Gill reaching out to us, over three years ago, this auction has raised over $125,000. One hundred percent of the money this auction has raised has gone directly to many different Boston Terrier Rescues. I just could not pass up this opportunity to mention how this auction has become so important to our Boston Rescue's, that the waiting list to participate is almost a year out.  Her selection of our US based administrator Marilyn Holzerland to manage the admin team was one of the best decisions, contributing to our continued success. (Disclosure: I am one of the founding members of this team). 

UPDATED May 2016 According to Marilyn we underestimated the amount raised for the rescues

Marilyn Morgan Holzerland   "$229,238 made to date on the For the Love of Bostons Auction Groups monthly rescues!"

Edited by Julie Bradford