Cyprus pup had a Lucky escape, thanks to Susan
Susan and her rescued dog, Lucky. (D554A240)
WITH his shiny coat, big brown eyes and wagging tail, you’d never guess that Lucky had a tragic past.
The 18-month-old Coonhound is happy, friendly and well-loved – but things could have been very different.
As a pup Lucky was found at the side of the road with a broken leg, starving and desperate for help.
But thanks to the help of the UK-Cyprus Dog Rescue Group, the cute canine was rescued and found a new home in the UK with fundraiser Susan Sheard.
“He’s called Lucky because he was one of the lucky ones,” she said.
“He wasn’t the worst off. We’ve seen some bad cases. Some dogs were so badly treated you couldn’t tell they were dogs anymore.”
Susan, of Berwick Avenue, Heckmondwike, first heard about the plight of Cypriot canines from a friend living in Cyprus.
“Hunters take dogs and breed them, then throw them out,” she said.
“The hunters train them from the moment they can walk and if they are not doing what they want then they just abandon them, they don’t care.
“The council then picks strays up in trucks and the dogs are put down.”
The UK-Cyprus Dog Rescue group wants to build a shelter for abandoned dogs in Cyprus and help to rehome them in the UK.
Volunteers guide families through the adoption process, including applying for a pet passport for their new dog.
Dogs being flown into the UK have to be microchipped, vaccinated and tested for sandfly before they can travel.
Susan said: “I used to meet the dogs in Arrivals at Manchester Airport, it’s an amazing feeling when you have got all the owners there waiting. It’s very emotional.”
The 54-year-old, who also has an RSPCA rescue dog called Curly, is preparing for the first of many charity shows to help the abandoned animals.
On Saturday, a 31-strong choir will take to the stage at Batley Town Hall for Show Extravaganza, a concert of songs from West End Musicals including Les Miserables, The Sound of Music, Cabaret, We Will Rock You and more.
From 7.30pm, the choir will sing its heart out to raise money to build the dog shelter.
Tickets are available from the town hall and cost £11 (£9 concessions).
And Susan is already planning more charity events to keep the donations rolling in, with a Christmas show at Club 21, Batley, on December 1.
The choir is also looking to recruit new singers – particularly men.
For more information call Susan on 07970643283 or visit uk-cyprusdogrescuegroup.co.uk.
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Weather for Batley
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
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