Litta, our good-natured mixed breed girl

Litta is hardly one year old, but has already been abandoned and has witnessed her entire family coming to Scooby and finding a home of their own – now she’s the only one that hasn’t been adopted yet. What may be the cause of that? Maybe it’s because she is a black dog who doesn’t stand out from the crowd at first glance. In any case it isn’t her fault – she’s an absolute darling.          

Litta was born May 2010. Her mother was a gorgeous and elegant pointer lady, we think her daddy must have been some kind of sturdy labrador. The two of them were proud parents to a whole litter of pretty, funny and playful pups who were wanted by nobody at first, so Littta and her little family (just dad was not present) came to our shelter.
Going into the paddock and taking pictures of this band of rascals became a near Olympic sport in the ensuing weeks after their arrival since the wee pups were growing at an astonishing speed.  Of course they all wanted to say hello at the same time, they hopped around, played, ran around – but even then Litta was the one that wasn’t pushing to be up front. She prefered to take in some sun, or simply waited for her siblings to calm down and go back doing their own thing and then she would step forward and receive her daily dose of cuddles.

Today she is more or less totally grown up and she has turned into a wonderful dog: very loving, strong, playful, but at the same time with a pleasantly calm nature. She is very good with other dogs, even doesn’t mind if they are pushing her boundaries a little. As an extra plus she is doing well on a lead and she is also good with cats.

When visitors come by she is beside herself with joy. She walks up to the visitors wagging her tail off with pure joy and loves being hugged. She presses herself against you and showers you with hugs. If she had a say in it, she’d have cuddle sessions like these all day long.

It is obvious that she is craving some human attention. It’s definitely noticeable and she sure wonders what she has done wrong that she is always left behind while all the other dogs around her get adopted.

All we can tell her is „Nothing, dear Litta!“.  She just needs someone special who’s willing to look closer, enjoying her beautiful black coat shining in the sun and finding that her beauty lies also within.  We hope this special person will soon fall in love with our Litta, because she has known nothing but our shelter in her short life and this should change – the sooner, the better.

VIDEO LITTA:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2OeaVNjivk   

Protest against cruelty to animals throughout Spain on Sunday, March 25th 2012

Last sunday, 25 March 2012, there were organized demonstrations throughout Spain against animal cruelty and for the strengthening of the penalties imposed on the perpetrators. In Valladolid as well and in the evening between 7 and 8.30 so with the new summertime it was good that it was still light for an hour more.
Last year the interest had not been that big and people were a little nervous, or better tense, to see if it was going to be a bit better this year.
And fortunately it was better. Last year the turnout was about 50 people, but this year the newspaper said about 250 people showed up, so that is a decent increase in numbers.
And that is a good thing because about the mistreatment of animals they can tell you a lot in Spain. Just think about the hunting dogs, galgos for example and the bullruns and if nothing is being done about it, it will probably go on for centuries more.
There were several animal welfare organizations who read manifestos, slogans were chanted and everybody participated, there was an altar with lighted candles in memory of all the innocent animals who died by mistreatment, and it was very emotional to see.




There were a lot of people with protest signs, including a very large one on Tordesillas, a village where because of a "party", a bull is being slaughtered alive by throwing lances into him, gruesome and too horrible for words that people seem to enjoy doing this. But even if we are living in the 21th century, this is still going on with the Spanish government consent. The Spanish government does little to nothing about cruelty to animals so it is often more dangerous to try and help the animals in need, than it is to torture and/or kill them, because then nobody knows about it and nobody will tell.
The press also paid attention and since these protests were throughout Spain, we might hope that we have raised the awareness and we have let those, who have no voice, be heard. But just let us hope that there will be someone listening because for them that is the most important.
But without doubt: till next year!

Elise – dumped for killing

Our Galgo-Mix girl Elise didn´t have an easy start into life. She belonged to a matador and one fine day he decided, to dump her and another Galga at a perrera, where they were supposed to be put to sleep. So both of them desperately waited for a miracle…

And indeed it happened. Scooby discovered Elise and her companion in the perrera and we took them to our Residencia in Valladolid where both were allowed to first get over the shock. The Galgo girl is already reserved and looking forward to have a family of her own very soon. But Elise is still waiting. Meanwhile she has moved to the “Scooby-base” in Medina, where she has a big paddock and plenty of Galgo mates to play with.

Our “little” beauty has a very special charisma and her look hits you right into the heart. She is a soft girl that likes humans but first doesn´t dare to run to you like many other dogs do. Elise conquers you the gentle way, lays her head in your hand, looks at you and you are melting away…We guess that, in a loving home, she will little by little mutate into a cuddle monster and wrap her entire family around the finger within a short while since obviously she is longing for affection.

Elise is eye-catching as soon as you enter her paddock because she is an extraordinary nice Galgo mix. She has the size and shape of a Galgo but everything on her is sturdier compared to a “normal” Galgo. Especially beautiful is her fur, wonderfully brindled and long-haired with white paws and a white tip of the tail. On top a pair of cute fluffy ears … and ready is the dream of a dog!!!

Yes, and now we are looking for a home for this dream of a dog, where she´ll never have to think about her past anymore but just will be a really happy dog. What about you?

Sombra in paradise

Recently we received the mail and pictures below from Sombra´s, now called Sol, owners. He had to wait 2 long years at Scooby to finally find his forever home but now he is as happy as a dog can be. And also his owners;-)

Hello great people from Scooby,

although the winter must be a very hard time for you and all the animals there, we just wanted to cheer you up a bit by sending some pictures of big black beauty Sol (Sombra was his Scooby name) enjoying his first Dutch snow.

At first, he was watching the snow from his warm basket by the window and didn't know what to think of it, but once he was outside, he thought it was just like the sand at the beach, only a bit colder! 
He absolutely loved and and spend some time running around with his 'brother" galgo Paco and then he found out that catching snowballs is even more fun then catching tennis balls, because you can eat them! 
That was when I took these pictures; Sol is showing his beautiful snow beard!

Besides this, there's not so much I can tell about him, without repeating myself over and over again about what a lovely boy he is, quite obedient, very calm (yes, he really is! I know he was quite excited when he was staying at Scooby, but he's all at peace know, enjoying laying in his basket and going on long walks) and sooooo very affectionate!
When we look at him now, we think that he's truly happy to have found his own family and we...we're just so glad to have him here! 
Hopefully there many, many more matches made in heaven are waiting for all the animals staying at Scooby!

Greetings from a white Holland

Lonneke and Gerard
Paco and Sol

Adele´s “Rolling in the deep“ is history...

Nowadays it´s “Rolling in the carrots”

A load of carrots delivered to the Scooby fields on a sunny day in February.

The photos are NOT edited, all natural, and it simply was a festivity for the eyes, mainly in orange and blue, our website colors btw!

If you are looking for a way to volume up your hair, try it, that really works as you can see in the last photo;-)

Our little cripple friends

Hi, these are our little cripple friends, both have been run over by a car, both have their paws broken, both have been operated, but only one of them has had more luck than the other. She has been adopted, and the other one has not.

 For one the operation has been paid for by our friends of Levriers sans Frontieres and of course I can never thank them enough for what they’re doing, but the other one’s has not , and please note, that nobody misinterprets what I am saying, and our friends of LSF are doing very much already, but I just want to point out that even being born a dog you need to have luck. If anyone wants to adopt this poor little one, she really needs an adoption home now!

Falling in love 50 times in 4 days

Right now I am visiting Scooby for the first time and now I’m supposed to tell you what I do here all day. Well, I can be very brief at that: I clean paddocks, take some pictures, clean paddocks, cuddle and hug a little, clean paddocks, think of fitting descriptions of some of the (new) dogs and… clean paddocks.

I’m also supposed to tell you what I think of being here and how I’m experiencing Scooby and that is a far less uncomplicated matter altogether.

How one feels visiting Scooby is something one can only understand to the fullest by actually being here, I think. It is without doubt the most beautiful place in the world and it is absolutely impossible not either to be or to become happy and content around here.

As soon as you enter a paddock (no matter which one), you are showered with unconditional love, endless gratitude and loyalty that knows no boundaries. Feelings that can only be experienced and shared by animals.

Most people would describe the perfect dog as loyal, sweet, grateful, friendly, pretty… in a german shelter you may find maybe one dog out of 20 to 30 who would really fit that description. In Scooby I found that out of the 200 – 300 dogs I got to know here only a maximum of 20 would not fit that description and actually just 3 who weren’t likeable to me from the start.

The only thing that makes me a little sad around here is seeing these wonderful dogs living here, although each and every one of them so much deserves to have the best and most beautiful home in the world.

I have been here for only 3 ½ days and tomorrow I will travel back home and even though all my muscles and bones enjoy the thought of getting some rest, my heart will stay here.

Of course I am looking forward to seeing my own animals, my friends and my family, but I have found a new family here and leaving them isn’t easy. I will miss every single one of them.

My fact: Visiting Scooby is well worth your time and I will definitely come back!

Above that: Future 4-legged family extensions will only come from Scooby!

PS: For me personally it is especially wonderful seeing my 3 favourite dogs, whom I already fell in love with on the internet site, all found their own stories‘ happy ending by now. Pancho is going to Holland, where he surely will find a new family he can make totally happy very soon, Felipa will be welcomed with a nice warm sofa in England where she can enjoy her well-deserved retirement and Gabriela, my virtual adoptive child and my best friend in this world is the unchallenged queen of the oldies‘ paddock where she enjoys having the sun on her fur and getting fussed and spoiled.

I wish them and all who are still waiting for their happy endings all the best and everything they have dreamt of in those Spanish winter nights.

Marina