LULU AND BERTIE – NORMAN'S STORY
Wednesday September 22nd 2010 was a day that will stay with me for a long time, it was the day that Ron Smith brought in Lulu and Bertie. In 45 years working with animals I have never seen such stress, trauma and terror of the real world and human beings.
I put them in two separate kennels next to each other. For three days they did not move from their beds. I daily cleaned them out and gave them fresh bedding, each time I entered their kennel the fear, stress and the haunting shown in their eyes was very distressing. It was obvious these two Labs had been to hell and back. However over the next few days I just sat in the barn with them, their kennel doors open. I thought that as I appeared to show no interest curiosity would take over. Then instead of feeding them in the kennel, I would leave the food in the open kennel doorway. As the days progressed Bertie was gaining in confidence, while Lulu was really having difficulty. At one stage I really felt that Lulu was not going to recover. I then started to throw food onto the floor just a short distance from where I was sitting. Bertie would approach with caution and eat the treats, bingo! out popped Lulu to join in the hunt for treats, my first break through. Several days later they would approach me and by stretching their necks by a further six inches they began taking the treats out of my hand. As this trust was developing I placed a lead onto both dogs and allowed then to get used to the lead - prior to this if I approached either of them with a lead in my hand they totally freaked out. Within a couple of days I could take Bertie out for a walk, but Lulu was having none of this.
The next stage was really exciting. I took Bertie into the secure garden and removed the lead and also introduced him to my young Lab Barney - we were now on a winner. Having done this for several days, I decided to drag Lulu into the garden. With a struggle I got her there, when she saw the two boys playing she slowly joined in, but any movement from me and she quickly withdrew, so I just sat and watched them. At this point I could throw a ball for Bertie and he started to enjoy the game with Lulu very cautiously looking on. One Saturday I went through the patio doors into the lounge to watch the football when I suddenly realised there were three others in the lounge also watching. At this point I realised we were all now on a winner. As the days progressed both Lulu and Bertie would come to me when called. I walked them on leads together into my field, let them off and they were just great. I was in seventh heaven (alright I did shed a few tears and Barney looked totally confused). This without doubt was the proudest day of my life, the change in the two dogs was almost unbelievable, this one memory of my two Babies will stay with me for ever.
A dog always listens when no one else cares. Norman Mason
THE HAPPY ENDING
Shirley Smith, seeing such good progress sent an email to all the other Area Coordinators in The Labrador Rescue Trust, asking for help to find a very special, experienced and understanding home for them both together, which is quite a task. Fortunately, the Guardian Angel of Labradors was watching over them - we had an application from a lady in Devon who has taken on, with great success, other mistreated animals when she lived in Ireland and stated on her application form for a rescue dog, that she was willing to work with special cases and rehabilitate them. So we had to get them from Cambridgeshire to Devon with as little stress as possible. Shirley's husband Ron came to their aid again and drove more than half the way to Devon and I met him at a service station on the M5. Fortunately, Bertie and Lulu had been used to being caged all their lives and feel very "safe" in a cage, so to travel that far was not too awful for them. I took them via the Devon helpers' house, picked her up and we went straight onto the new home only about 3 miles further on, rather than disturb them again.
We got them into the house, another change for them, but we sat down and left them to explore the house, then Jill took them into the garden on a long lead - just in case! We put up a large crate for them as a "safe haven". Jill who offered to adopt them permanently and teach them about the normal world, has worked very hard and had great success. She can now let them off lead in a safe country environment and the photos of them running along with their ears flapping in the wind is sheer joy for all who have been involved with them. They still have their beds in the crate but the door is never closed. The dog she has at present, Jed, is blind in one eye, has had his ribs broken but after a lot of care and love is very happy and welcomed Bertie and Lulu onto his territory. He and Lulu are now "best friends".
They are still nervous with anything strange or threatening, but improving all the time. Jill's vet also has taken a great amount of interest and care with their treatment, knowing that they are rescue dogs who have had an exceptionally bad early life.
Norman is hoping to go and visit his Babies as he calls them, happy and relaxed in the country and never to experience any unkindness and brutality again.
So thank you to Norman Mason and to Jill and her partner, without people like them, The Labrador Rescue Trust could not achieve such wonderful results for this trusting and loyal breed, the Labrador! It is so sad that they are used as puppy machines then rejected as unsuitable for household pets due to their wretched lives in puppy farms.
Lyn Allan
Joint Coordinator Devon
