Well July has been a bit quiet really! Far too quiet for my liking, I like to be out and about, partying and meeting lots of people and I am really looking forward to August and September!

We did go on one trip in June when we headed off to Acorn Pets for a microchipping day.  I was on my best behaviour, of course, and was the most gorgeous boxer there by far! It was a lovely summer day and lots of people got to meet me, which I know they enjoy!

Mum said this was the first time we had been to Acorn Pets so I had to be really good so we could go back again.  I don’t know why she was worried, of course they would want me back – who wouldn’t! Mum let Trevor and George come too and I suppose I have to admit, they were well behaved too. We must have made everyone happy, because Mum said that everyone raised over £500.

We are off to Pets at Home, Aberdeen for another chipping day on 31st July and I can’t wait to catch up with everyone again. My best friends Isla and Chloe always come along and we have lots of fun playing (and being a wee bit naughty!). Isla is another rescue babe like me and just as bouncy as me, even though she’s older. She’s on the BWS calendar for August, so I suppose she’ll be bragging about that. I’ll just have to remind her my face is on EVERY month, ha ha.

Believe it or not, I often think hard about what I can write about in my blog. Sometimes I have to be serious, sometimes sad and sometimes I have very important information to give out to educate and help people understand boxers better, and I think I really need to do that on this blog.  Most of you already know about “cute” Trevor, my newest boxer brother who Mum adopted.  Well, I have to tell you all the truth and, despite what Mum says, he is not “cute” and is an absolute terror!  Look what he did to Mum’s croc! Well you would never get me doing such a naughty thing, I have been an angel since the first day I arrived, a perfect lady I might add.  But this Trevor, well he is another story.  Poor Dad has to keep hunting around the garden for his car tools and Mum has to keep chasing him off the counter, when she catches him stealing food!  (I have to admit, he does pass some goodies on to me sometimes, so I shouldn’t really complain too much!) Here I am being a perfect example of boxer goodness and I am living with  an asbo boxer nutcase!  But to tell you the truth, none of us would have him any other way!

Well that’s plenty about Trevor, honestly he steals my thunder often enough, without me having to talk about him all over my blog! I think I am going to try and lose him at the next big event. I am sure Mum won’t notice her mouse missing from the back seat on the way home?

So that’s about it for July’s blog. Don’t forget to visit our website so you can find out where and when you can come and meet me, it should be on the top of your “to do” list for the summer!

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx

Wow, hasn’t it been a great month! I have been out and about at lots of events since I last spoke to you and it has been great to meet up with so many new people.  Mum and Dad took us all along (and by us of course I mean me, George and that fruit loop, Trevor) to Pets at Home in Inverness on 29th May.  It was pouring with rain and I didn’t get out much, but Mum said it was good fun (don’t see how when I wasn’t out much!) and they all raised over £500!

More recently we headed off to the Festival of Historic Transport at Lathalmond near Dunfermline.  It was a great weekend of fun and games! We got to stay two nights camping and got lots of walks with our boxer friends Isla, Chloe, Cally and Talla, who were camping with their Mums and Dads too.

We had a stall at the event and some posh cars to show off, as well as good old Brian the Snail who came along too! He gets lots of attention, sometimes more than I do, which isn’t much fun at all!  How can a car be more cute than a gorgeous boxer girlie like me!

Over £150 was raised on the day, so it was all good.

While we were at the event, it was too hot and busy for us to get out much and poor George got all upset and over heated.  It happens so quickly, but luckily Mum was with us and was able to give George a shower to cool him down.  I was a bit worried about the big lump for a while, but Mum soon got him sorted and happy again.

Mum said that it is so important for people to understand just how hot us doggies can get with all this lovely weather. She said that some silly people leave their dogs in cars with no open windows and they die! Why would anyone want to leave their dog in a hot car, it just doesn’t make sense and I am hoping that some of you reading this will tell everyone you know, not to do it.  Mum also says that dogs can die of heatstroke if they are not cared for quickly, so perhaps I should give you lots of good ideas on how to look after your dogs in this hot weather.  If your dog starts panting a lot and appears to be dazed and lethargic with pale gums, the most important thing to do is to cool him/her down, carefully. Cool, wet flannels on the inner thighs and stomach are the best areas and to soak the paws too. It is best to give a nice cool shower or use a hose but what ever you do, DO NOT submerse them fully in water, or use ice cold water as this can cool them down too quickly and cause hypothermia! Gentle cooling is essential and keep them standing so their blood can keep circulating. You could stand them in a pool up to their ankles and then gently pour the water over their back.  Small drinks of water, but don’t allow them to gulp too much down at once, just in case it causes bloat.

Me, George and Trevor have been enjoying lots of fun, sunny days in the garden, but Mum always keeps a close eye on us to make sure we don’t overdo it.  Sometimes she is really boring and makes us come in when I want to keep playing outside, but I know she is doing it because she loves me.

Right, well I am off to find Trevor and make sure he is behaving.  He has been a bit naughty recently and poor Dad has to keep hunting down all the tools that he has stolen and hidden in the garden.  It’s great fun to watch and even better fun knowing it’s not me getting into trouble! But then why would I, we all know I am perfect ………….

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx

Well May is here and Mum is busier than ever! Seems spring cleaning can also mean getting rid of your old boxer! Mum says she is busier than ever, but then she is always saying that!  Mind you, she has been running around with the phone a lot these days, so I guess I had better believe her!

I did manage to make her take me out for a day earlier this month and we headed off to the Forres Theme Day.  Mum took “Brian” her new S-Cargo van and she got a lot of attention!  I stayed around the snail for a little while, but to be honest, it was cramping my style, so I went back and sat with George in the shade.  Mum kept Trevor with her and he got lots of attention too! Lots of people wanted to come and see him because he was white, don’t know why though, he is hardly special! In fact, he is never really white at home because he gets in to too much trouble! He is normally black from oil or red from strawberries! Honestly, you would never get me behaving in such a way! Anyway, lots of people were asking lots of questions and Auntie Karen came along with Sasha and Tizzy too, so all three of them were showing off how wonderful boxers are, while I looked after Dad.

Mum brought lots of people over to see me with Dad and someone from the show even came to take our photograph. I think they should have waited until I was facing the camera though, they didnt get my best side! Everyone was really pleased to meet me (not Trevor!) and Mum said that we raised £140 on the day, just by me being gorgeous!

It’s a good job that we raised those extra few pounds as Mum was telling me about poor Marley who has to have his leg amputated.  Mum said that he fractured is femathing when he was little and now has to have it taken off, because he is in pain and can’t use it.  I hope his operation is ok. Mum said that his story is on the website and that he will have a blog too, to talk about his surgery.  I don’t know if I want another boxer having a blog on MY website, but seeing as Marley is going through so much, I suppose I can let him.

Mum said that she is hoping lots of people will help and give more money for Marley’s operation because we don’t have a lot spare.  I wish I could help get some of these other poor boxers a home, because then we wouldn’t have to worry about all those expensive kennelling bills, but Mum says no-one wants the older boxers.  I think that’s silly! Auntie Karen says her Sasha is a big energetic lump and she is 6 1/2. I agree with her, Sasha has outrun me chasing for sticks ( but that’s because I wasn’t trying very hard and wanted to let her win-shhhh).

Right, I have just seen Trevor sneak on to the worktop and grab the strawberries, so I am off for a snack! Save some for me Trevor!!!

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx

Well April is a very special month for me, but I will tell you more about that later. I am leaving my news until the end because I always deserve to be the finale!

Firstly, I need to tell you about our Vet School Rodeo event for 2010. All the volunteers worked really hard collecting stuff and organising everything right up to the day and then lots went along on the day to help out.  I wanted to go, so everyone could see how wonderful I was, but Mum says it’s a long way to go and that I can go to some different events in the summer – she has promised me! Anyway, Mum said that lots of people came along to help, as well as lots of other Boxer Welfare Scotland boxers who came along to say hello.  Mum says it’s always really good to see how they are doing and see their photos.  I always think I am the most important boxer to her, but no not really, all her BWS boxers are just as important!  Everyone managed to raise just over £500 on the day and someone kindly gave a donation of £200, all of which goes back into helping other boxers get new homes too. I want to say thank you, on behalf of all the other boxers!

Ok, back to me! This is my blog after all!  Anyway, I was saying that April is an important month for me – well I shall explain.  April is my Gotcha Day and each year I look back on where I came from and thank my lucky stars that I was saved by Boxer Welfare Scotland

This is how I looked when I first came to BWS.  I had been living in a cage for the first two years of my life and my paws were covered in my own wee.  I couldn’t move much and I wasn’t getting fed properly.  I was sooo skinny, I can’t believe I ever looked like that!

I am so lucky that Boxer Welfare Scotland came along and helped me and that’s why I work so hard with my Mum to help other boxers get new homes.  Mum says that she loves me lots even though I am a grumpy old ****! How shocking that one should be called something like that, but she’s right, I had such a hard time that sometimes I forget who I am and where I am and can be a little madam.  But I am always sorry.

Now I have a wonderful life with George and Trevor who I love to bits, but don’t tell them I said that, I don’t want them to think I am going soft.  Trevor is growing on me as well as sleeping on me regularly! Obviously I have put on enough weight now to be used as a cushion – the cheek of him! I make sure I keep everyone on their toes and the boys know I am the boss, but I think they love me too really. Mum says I am lucky, but I think she is the lucky one to have me! So I want to say a personal thank you to everyone who volunteers for BWS and gives up their time to help raise funds, so more boxers can be as happy as me. Mum works hard keeping the rescue running, but without the volunteers’ hard work too, we would have a lot less money.

Wow, that was a little deep and meaningful for me? Think I had better go and eat a cat to feel normal again.  Smokey, where are youuuuuuuuu?

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx

I bet you think I have made a mistake and have spelt “hair” wrong, but surely you know I am perfect and would never make such an error!

This is the reason I have spelt it that way – it’s my hair and it’s falling out! Mum got very worried about me as I started getting badly bits.  To be honest, I am a bit embarrassed by them and I have told the boys I will bite their legs if they laugh at me! Mum took me to the vets and they did lots of tests on me but thankfully they didn’t make me stay in one of those horrible cages.  I get so stressed out when they try that one!  Anyway, they did lots of tests and Mum was given the good news that I don’t have Cushings disease or thyroid problems.  What I do have is something called Seasonal Alopecia. This just means that every now and then all my hair is going to fall out!  How mortifying! Thank goodness I have my wonderful BWS hoodie that I can wear to events so all my fans don’t have to see me like this.  Mum says that it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but what does she know, she wears crocs! Mum also says that lots of other boxers get the same problem, although I don’t know if I like having something so “common”! I think I might have to find a different name for my alopecia to make me special.

I suppose I should say “that’s enough about me”, although I never get bored talking about myself, but Mum says I really should tell you all about the poor boxers who are looking for homes at the moment.  Mum says that most of them are over 7 years old and that everyone always asks for the youngest boxer possible.  I bet these guys don’t know they are older, they just know they need a new home and I feel really sorry for them.  Hopefully there will be some kind people out there who will consider a more mature boxer, rather than the youngest they can get!

Oh I just remembered, Easter is coming! I hope Mum has been to Pets at Home to buy me some Easter eggs, I think I should have at least two, or three or four or five even! I am looking forward to chasing the Easter Bunny round the garden if it doesn’t leave me any doggy chocolate! Remember though, if you are buying your dog an Easter egg, it has to be special doggy chocolate and not that disgusting human stuff, because that will make us dogs ill.

Right, I am off to play with Trevor, that pup just never runs out of energy and George is too lazy to play with him! Boys eh.

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx

February got off to a very good start for us! My Mum always says that she remembers when it was just her helping boxers, a long time ago and she is always so amazed when Boxer Welfare Scotland gets some special attention.

Our special attention this time came in the form of a television appearance on 2nd February! In December, STV’s The Hour went along to our kennels in Edinburgh and filmed Lorraine, Kelly and Shona with some of the poor boxer babes who were looking for homes.  Then in February Kelly and Shona were on the telly!!!  They think they are famous and special now, but of course they aren’t as special as me, no-one can be better than me! If you didn’t get to see them you can find a link on the homepage of this website.  Mum thought it was just wonderful to see BWS on the telly and she cried alot – all day!!

Also in February there was a coffee morning organised by Carrie Hogg and her Mum, Mary.  They did a fantastic job and lots of volunteers baked cakes and goodies and made things for the day.  They raised £1, 075 in total, can you believe that.  The lovely ladies sent up a box of goodies for Mum.  Auntie Karen phoned to see what she had in her box and it turns out that Mum ate all the doggie treats that were sent up for me (and George and Trevor I suppose)! Can you believe the cheek of it, it’s bad enough that I have others stealing my limelight and now my own Mum is eating my special homebakes! I was not impressed!! Mum said they tasted lovely, but I wasn’t listening.

We have another big fundraising night this weekend in Falkirk.  There is going to be dancing, music and raffles.  I was expecting to make an appearance, but it is past my bedtime, so I can’t go, but I am looking forward to visiting people soon.  So, if you see a BWS event advertised, try and go because you may be lucky enough to meet me!

Right, there is snow in the garden and that wee whipper snapper, Trevor wants to play out again, so I am off out for a charge around.

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx

Well Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas and all the boxer babes out there were as spoilt as me!

Mum said I had a surprise coming! I got so excited thinking about what it could be? A new bed or lots of new toys? Maybe some new treats or lots of delicious biscuits?  What could it possibly be?  Well “it” arrived one Saturday afternoon and “it” wasn’t anything to eat or sleep on and, as you can see from the photo, it didn’t take long to get into my bed either!!  The cheek of him!  So; this was my “surprise”, a cute little puppy called Trevor!

Ok, so I have to admit he is cute (but not as cute as me of course,) but boy is he exhausting!  He just never stops! Mum says he is deaf and that I am going to have to be a clever big sister and teach him how to be good.  Good? I think I can do better than that, I can teach him how to be perfect, just like me. I am letting George help out of course, but he gets too tired running around, so I end up doing all the babysitting, but then I am better at it. Tell you what, he may be a cute puppy now, but boy is he going to be huge! He has the longest legs I have ever seen, so I am going to have to be really nice to him, so he is nice to me when he is bigger than me!

Well, I felt the need to get my own back on Mum for her little “surprise” and plotted my revenge.  They do say revenge is a dish best served cold and this definitely counts as cold, very cold!  This is Mum just before she took part in the Loony Dook on 1st January at South Queensferry.  Her and lots of other volunteers waded into the freezing Firth of Forth to raise funds for Boxer Welfare Scotland! I think they are all mad, and I am very glad that Mum decided not to take me in with her. Not just because of the cold water but, hey, I have my image to think about and that outfit definitely clashes with my style! But I was very proud of her, and everyone else on the day.

So that’s it for January, I guess I had better go and play with Trevor, he is being all cute again and that is very definitely MY job around here! The young whipper snapper needs to learn that!

Lots of Licks

Lucy xxx

Oh I am so sad this month. While everyone else is running around excited, and happy, getting ready for Christmas, others are kicking their dogs out.
This beautiful, sad face belongs to Hope.  Mum said she was found wandering the streets in Wishaw.  A very kind person took her in and phoned Mum, so she arranged for her to come to Boxer Welfare Scotland to get looked after.  Mum and Auntie Karen worked so hard for her, they made sure she got to the vets and that she was being looked after as best as possible.  They arranged a foster home for her, so she could get better, all nice and warm like I did, when I was that poorly.   The really sad thing is, that poor Hope was so poorly that we just couldn’t save her, and the vet had to let her go.  Mum and Auntie Karen cried all day and I know they are both still very sad about her.  They want to find her owners, so they can get peace for Hope, so if you can help, please call them and give them any information you have.  The BBC also helped with Hope’s story and you can read it here, it is just such a sad story.

Hope’s story got me thinking (I do get serious sometimes you know!) Mum said that lots of people buy puppies at this time of year for Christmas presents? Why anyone would want to give something as life changing as a puppy for Christmas is confusing for me, but I just hope they know what they are doing.  Hope was a puppy once, she was probably loved and played with, maybe she was brought home for a surprise for the children at Christmas, as were all the other boxers that Mum and Auntie Karen have brought in the past few weeks.  So, next time you are thinking about getting a puppy ….. STOP.  Sit down and think.  This puppy will grow up and might not be as cute any more, it might chew your favourite shoes, your lawnmower or even your carpet: it might mess in the house when you leave it alone all day: it might bark at your neighbour’s dog, or chase other dogs in the park, it might get sick and it will, most definitely, grow old.  Will you still love it when all these things happen, will you care for it when its old and pay the vet bills when it gets sick, or will you just dispose of it like last year’s Christmas presents when it gets too much like hard work?  Please save a boxer from going through the stress and trauma of being rehomed, just because you didn’t think things through beforehand.

Wow, now that was serious!!  Ok, I think I should stop now before people think I have got all grown up and sensible!  I really hope that all poor boxers Mum says are in kennels find their forever homes very soon.  Keep warm, stay safe and HAVE FUN!!  Happy Christmas everyone from me, George, Mum and everyone at Boxer Welfare Scotland.

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx

Well, what can I say? I am now a television star, and about time too, although five minutes is just not enough!

For those very few of you that may have been too busy to see my moment in the spotlight, I shall explain.  Mum said we were running very short of money and that we needed to do something to help people find out about us. Thankfully, after some nice emails, the BBC contacted us and said they wanted to put me on the television.  Of course I agreed immediately and a nice man with a camera came round and did some filming. I spent a lovely afternoon running around the garden while I was filmed. I even let George get some camera time too.  If you did miss it (and I can’t see why you would) here is the link to the webpage. Mum says we still need lots of money, so if you think I am wonderful, which I am, and want to help more boxers like me, please donate!

So, after the excitement of being on the telly, I was then introduced to a Scotland rugby player – well he was introduced to me anyway! Jim Hamilton plays for Scotland and Edinburgh and very kindly came along to Pentland Pets at Home to help raise some money.  He was so excited and happy about finally meeting me that he wants to come and draw our Prize Draw raffle, just so he can see me again!  So if anyone missed him, he will be with me at Pets at Home in Aberdeen on 5th December!

I feel my moment of fame has finally come and more people are going to be able to see what a gorgeous girl I am.  Of course, I am one of the lucky ones and Mum tells me all the time about all the other boxers who need homes.  We always need money and recently all our wonderful volunteers have been working really really hard and have managed to raise a fantastic £3,000 by giving up their time for microchipping days and car boot sales.  It is just amazing and I know just how important this money is, because I know that if it wasn’t for my Mum and Boxer Welfare Scotland, I would probably still be living in a crate, so I say a big thank you from me and all the other boxers you help.

Well, five minutes really isn’t enough for someone as fabulous as me, so I am off to call my agent and get something else lined up! Who knows where and when you will see me next!

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx

I know last month’s blog was a little sad, but sometimes sad things happen within a rescue.  Thankfully though, this month has been a lot better and I have some good news to share with you all!

As you know, Pets at Home are great for helping us out and we hold lots of microchipping days at their branches.  Well on 11th Oct we went to the Falkirk branch for our fifth chipping day there and it was amazing! The very clever chipping volunteers managed to microchip 157 dogs and cats. That means a total over over £1,700 was raised on the day!  Mum was so excited about it and said that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of all the volunteers who came along on the day!!

George and I were there, of course, but unfortunately because it was so busy I wasn’t able to come out and meet as many people as I would have liked to and I know people will have been disappointed not to meet me. George and  I did keep a very careful eye on things those as you can see from my photo! Of course I am in the driving seat as I am always in charge!

Mum says we are still very busy with boxers coming in and not so many going out, so I am hoping that a few of my boxer friends will find homes this month so they don’t have to spend too much time in kennels.  My Mum says that one of the problems is that everyone wants puppies? I don’t understand that because I am just wonderful and I am not a puppy?!

I am really looking forward to going to Inverness on 31st October although I think Mum is going to look really silly as she has bought a fancy dress costume.  I think I might just hide in the campervan again and pretend I don’t know her!  Of course she wont look as wonderful as I did in my Hallowe’en costume last year, it’s just a shame that one can’t wear the same outfit twice.  Besides, I can’t always be the best dressed person around, sometimes I do have to let others have their turn.

So Happy Hallowe’en everyone and please remember to think about your pets on Bonfire Night. Remember, we don’t all like fireworks as much as you humans do!

Lots of licks

Lucy xxx