Starting as we mean to go on
I am not one for end of year round ups or new year resolutions. At least not public pronouncements. I might run through a few things in my head that I’d like to do. Or changes I might make. I rarely voice them aloud as I don’t see the point of creating any pressure to succeed, or the flip, disappointment if I fail. But here I am, first blog of the new year and titling it in the form of a resolution.
It is not quite that, but it is a commitment. But it’s not a personal one that will succeed or fail. It is not even a new year one. It is one that marks my charity – Schnauzerfest – moving into the 10th year of doing good things for the dogs. Today, the second day of the year, a dog in Ireland, Alfie, has just received cataract surgery thanks to the support and generosity of Schnauzerfest donors. We are starting as we mean to go on. Schnauzerfest will support dogs who need it. Together we will change lives.
It was in 2014 that Schnauzerfest as a fundraising entity came into being to support dog rescues by paying vet bills. In 2011 when I adopted my first rescue dog, Susie-Belle, she had received cataract surgery whilst in the care of her rescue. It cost several thousand pounds and I will always be grateful this happened for her. Cataract surgery sparked my commitment to raising funds so that other dogs would get the same chance Susie-Belle did.
I began fundraising for her rescue in 2011, gaining support from friends and many acquaintances along the way. A whole community soon developed and by 2014 some of my ideas had shaped up to become Schnauzerfest. In 2019, with the ongoing support and commitment of a small group of my friends, Schnauzerfest gained charity registration, moving it into a position where many more dogs could be helped. Last year alone the charity issued grants to cover veterinary treatment for dogs totalling over £142,000. Dogs right around the United Kingdom and Ireland were helped.
When Susie-Belle came into my life, I couldn’t have imagined that one day I would be running a UK charity from my home in France, marking it’s 10th year by celebrating cataract surgery for a little dog in Ireland. But here I am and that is a great way to start the year.
