MUNLOCHY  ANIMAL  AID  ANNUAL  REPORT

1ST  JULY 2008 – 30th JUNE 2009

Once again we have enjoyed a very successful year and had tremendous support from the public.

We have done a lot of repairs and renewals as usual...... never seems to end, however we are always

trying to upgrade and update the facilities that were built on a shoestring originally ! All the metal frames are here for the isolation unit, they took some time to make but they look great and as they are galvanised they should last for a long time. The new under sink water-heaters are installed but are not as good as we had hoped for. However they are in place and we have hot water just  not as much as we had expected ! The entrance to the kennels is looking a lot better , we have removed some old bushes and trees and now have a little garden. Looks so much nicer.

The old digger works away, we have had some work done on it and its worth every  penny, this old “horse” does save a lot of time and certainly earns its keep. We are lucky to have the small digger now and of course this machine is just brilliant.... gets into the smallest space and also gets a lot done in a little time. We just could not manage without these machines.

We have had fencing repaired and some new posts put in. The horses are very hard on fences so we constantly seem to need work done. No choice of course,  the horses must be kept secure and the pigs,  they also damage fences, hardly any wonder given their amazing size and weight.

The hens geese ducks and permanent resident seagulls now have a super fox proof house and huge run. We have needed this for a long time so delighted to know that they are safe and sound. The run will be a great help if we have a bad winter as its big enough to accommodate all the birds without having to let them out into the field.

An aviary that was started three or four years ago has finally been given a makeover and has been in constant use for our huge overload of cats and kittens. We would not have managed without this as we have had a very busy year and had a lot of cats coming our way.

Even the chipmunks have new quarters, these little creatures are very old and we only have two now but they did not have an outdoor facility so this new  house is much better for them. They can actually get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Really pleased about this, I hate to see any creature locked up so I always feel that they should have the best possible housing  .

As yet we have not managed to start the very necessary new drainage work in the field , and as its so near fete time it will have to wait until the autumn, hopefully then things will be a bit quieter and we  will have it done before the winter. We have a problem with flooding at some point almost every winter so we must have this dealt with a.s.a.p.

So  many things needing done before the winter !

The old cattery is in desperate need of major repairs. A new roof is a must and then the oldest part will probably be wet-walled. The cats are very happy and have all the luxuries that they would enjoy in a home. The only thing missing is lap to sit on of an evening ! They have central heating and if we have very hot weather they have a blower throwing out cold air to keep them comfortable. They are fed the best quality food and get plenty of it. For some of these cats this is a great life, feral cats don’t have much of the “good life” so finding themselves in the Munlochy Animal Aid cat house is real step up the ladder for them. The cattery is old and looks it but it is always kept spotless, and is cleaned out every morning just as all the animals are. All the animals in our care are shown a great deal of kindness and treated as our own while they are with us.

My niece cares for the horses and sheep and she obviously enjoys her work. Just as well as it is hard and heavy  work. The weather is a major factor when working outside with large animals and they can be stroppy and downright difficult! Some new shelters are on the cards for them , hopefully quite soon. Another before the winter job!

Our dedicated team of volunteers never fail to amaze me with their sheer dedication. The fundraising done by them is fantastic and realises a huge amount of money each year as does “friends of Munlochy” which allows people to contribute a set sum each month. We are so lucky to have this kind of support.

The dog walkers come along each day and the time they give to the dogs is invaluable. This one to one time is such a help to these poor unfortunate dogs and pup’s. Some of the poorer animals have never had a lead on so they have to learn how go walkies ! As usual Sunday is our family afternoon. Children love coming with their parents and spending time with the dogs........  this is so good for the dogs ofcourse and as we watch the dogs and how they react with the youngsters it  gives us a chance to find out a bit more about the dogs .

Funding comes in a manner of ways , our bucket collections are  always  a great success , we also have collection cans in local shops and again we find folk very generous and supportive. The local papers are very good at promoting the work that we do here and that helps people in a large area to hear about us and what goes on here. We have benefited from legacies and even collections at funerals.

The number of animals in our care never varies very much nor the variety of species. We nearly always have around 30 dogs and somewhere between 40 and 50 cats. Add to that the 14 horses 4 goats 3 pigs 40 sheep, the chipmunks , rats and birds of all varieties its hardly surprising that the work is never done

We found some lovely new homes for a variety of animals in the past year. The Llama, Pablo, came to us but just did not seem happy. We hoped that he would strike up a friendship with the goats but no ! He just looked miserable all the time. How lucky we were to find a lovely home for him out at Farr. The lady that came to his rescue had two elderly  lady Llama’s and as Pablo had been castrated we knew he would’nt give them any bother. When we opened the horsebox to let him out he recognised the girls as his own species  instantly. He looked happier and made a great fuss of the girls. A very happy ending.

The main aim of Munlochy Animal Aid  is to help animals in need. We take in unwanted pets and try to re-house  them with caring and responsible new owners. We provide assistance with neutering any animal taken from the centre and we also help with neutering pets belonging to families on low income. We help with vet fees for  accident or illness , again, for families with limited funds. We deal with vets all over highland. We help when owners are ill by taking pets until they can be re-united. There is such a problem finding emergency accommodation for animals in our area.

We have some excellent dog trainers involved at the kennels and they will give help and advice with any problems with our dogs after they have moved on to new homes. This can be very helpful in the first few weeks of having a new dog.

We have achieved so much this past year. A huge amount of work has been done. Our re-homing numbers are just excellent. 357 dogs, 101 cats ,8 guinea pigs ,15 rats, 10 rabbits  and 1 Llama have been placed in new homes.

Trustees : Mrs Alexis Ross,  Mrs Heather Gunn, Mr William Gunn, Mr Colin Macphail,  Miss Margaret MacKenzie, Mrs Iona Nicol.