ManxSPCA
2014
C H R I ST M A S N EWS L E T T E R
What a year! Again! It’s never dull at Ard Jerkyll. We’ve had more
ups and downs than a roller coaster ride and we are looking forward to a New Year of calm and serenity – not very likely but we
can dream.
Our finances have been the main problem, as they usually are,
but on this occasion the situation was really serious and we were
looking at drastic measures to reduce our running costs but
when we, with trepidation, went public on this, we were amazed
and delighted by the support given. Almost all charities are
suffering from reduced income caused by the economic downturn and we also have to deal with increased turnover of animals
as this same economic situation affects pet owners who have to
move house and cannot take their pets with them or who simply
cannot afford ever-increasing vets bills so our running costs have
increased while income has dropped. The situation looked pretty
desperate until we were thrown a lifeline by the Scheinberg family who are dedicated to animal welfare and have given us an incredible opportunity to move forward. We still need to streamline our working methods and find new income streams without
reducing the level of care we give to the animals but, when people like this wonderful family believe in you, it gives you the confidence and the impetus to succeed. After all if we don’t succeed,
what happens to the animals?
Training classes in the Play Barn are
proving to be really popular and it’s a
great venue for all kinds of events
such as the Christmas Fair organised
by Friends of Manx Animals at the
beginning of November and we plan
to utilise the space even more once
we have systems in place to ensure
that animals in the sanctuary are not
disturbed by increased footfall. Our
decision to restrict viewing in Kennels has its downside but it is better
for the dogs as they remain calm and
prospective owners can meet them in
a much more relaxed environment.
Taking on kennelling and out of
hours duties for the Dog Warden Service has created extra work but it also
means that we can ensure the safety
of stray animals and send them off to
happy homes if they are not reunited
with their owners.
We are involved on a daily basis with the Island’s wildlife, rescuing seals, seabirds, starlings trapped in derelict buildings, hedgehogs stranded in the middle of the road, baby rabbits abandoned
by their mothers, feral kittens who need to be socialised and every other creature you could think of! You will see our distinctive
vehicle with its animal livery being driven around the Island as
our staff investigates complaints and concerns brought to us by
members of the public. Fortunately cruelty cases here are not as
prevalent as in UK but they do exist and we do all we can with in
the law to help the animals involved. We would like more stringent legislation but we hope that this is not too far away and we
are encouraging our politicians to act sooner rather than later for
the sake of the animals.
Cattery continues to welcome literally hundreds of cats throughout
the year and we are now making
much-needed improvements to
the Isolation area thanks to an educational trust which has offered
support. My favourite time in Cattery is in the morning when the
girls are cleaning and the cats
wander around the whole of the
area, mingling and socialising – it’s
wonderful to watch.
Rabbits, ferrets, snakes all thrive in
the Small Animal Unit and we are
now starting a boarding facility
which will bring extra revenue.
Our striking new leaflets, designed by Marion from ArtStream who is a regular at our Saturday dog
training sessions, show the different aspects of our work and we are using the theme ‘we’re worth it’ –
keep an eye open for them in the sections and in our Reception area. We’d love you to buy one of our
car stickers and spread the word that Happiness is a Forever Home so that your fellow drivers know you
are a supporter. Reception is developing into a shopping treat with jewellery, clocks and mugs, beeswax
lip balms and candles, key rings, Manx honey and lots more to come. We have all kinds of plans for this
area and we also intend to have an online shopping facility as we are also revamping the website. If you
have retail experience and would like to help us please do get in touch.
New ManxSPCA Car Sticker
On the subject of retail, our charity shop in Bucks Road continues to provide invaluable support for the Society as well as offering all kinds of exciting goods to its customers while Second
Chance Boutique in Windsor Road, after a few false starts, is up
and running and the place is buzzing with ideas for fashion
shows and window displays – watch this space! Go and talk to
Alex and Hazel who will happily suggest new outfits for that special occasion .
It is the season of good will and we thank all of you for all the kindness you have shown to the society during the past difficult year. We
will move forward with confidence into 2015, knowing that we can
continue to be here for the animals and ready to work as hard as we
can to make their lives the very best they could hope for. Ard Jerkyll
means High Hopes in Manx Gaelic and we have high hopes that we
will see many of you at the sanctuary, at our fundraising events and
in our shops.
We are proud of the Ard Jerkyll family and we know how much your
animals mean to you so please keep in touch, let us have your
thoughts and ideas, let us have your e-mail contact details so we can
bring you up to date electronically with new and ongoing projects.
We’d love to hear your stories about your animals and their adventures and we’ll have a special page on our new website featuring the
animals we still call ours, even though they’ve moved on to new lives.
Happy Christmas from all of us and thanks for all of your help and
support – thanks to you we’ll be able to give all the animals at Ard
Jerkyll a very happy Christmas with chicken dinners and special
treats and we can hope for a future where every animal has a happy
and loving home.
Nollick Ghennal as Blein Vie
Noa
If you haven’t bought your Christmas Cards yet have a look at ours
as they feature animals who are
part of the Ard Jerkyll family, all
animals who have been rehomed
from the Sanctuary or who are still
waiting to start their new lives. By
sending these to your friends and
family you are supporting us and
helping us to help the animals but
once the Christmas festivities are
over you can help us even more as
we are planning a major recruitment campaign to bring new volunteers in to the sanctuary. In January most of us try to repair the
damage caused by Christmas chocolate, wine and perhaps the occasional Baileys……..well, don’t pay a
gym membership, come and walk
a dog or two. You’ll see your reward in the happy faces as you
walk along the nature trail, breathing in the fresh Manx air. If you
need a more relaxing activity, you
can sit on one of the social rooms
in Cattery and help some of our
more nervous feline residents become accustomed to human company. Rabbits too need socialising
and they are such friendly little
creatures that they’ll be delighted
to have you spend time with them.