Tag Archives: animals

When Trigger Met Fanny

THIS IS I – TRIGGER

Yesterday I went with my owner, Kevin to catch a train into London Victoria. He says he has to go into something called the office. Personally I can’t see why. I mean its much more fun chasing foxes and other wildlife in the park or taking tasty snacks from the shelves in those big stores they call supermarkets. Its most kind of staff to leave eatables just where my nose can reach them …! Anyway I digress. As I was saying, I was at Gipsy Hill station yesterday when this furry tease (she is called Fanny I understand) sat on the Oystercard reader arching her back at me. I wagged my tail furiously but she wasn’t having any of it and kept well out of my way and, to cap it all my owner told me to behave. Fancy telling me to “behave”, butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth (it would be swallowed so fast it wouldn’t have time to melt)! This feline fiend has even got her own Twitter account (https://twitter.com/thegipsyhillcat). Who ever heard of a mere cat having such a thing. I demand one immediately!

THIS IS FANNY

Yours disconsolately

Trigger

Riding

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Her leather jacket.

Can she hack it?

Pack it

that leads to sin.

A riding crop.

Will he stop?

The horse

May run his course.

Force of circumstance

Or chance

Sees matters advance.

Her mount strides

but who rides

whom

as they canter through the gloom?

A Review Of “More Than Best Friends”, An Anthology To Raise Money For Guide Dogs

1 Reply

Early this year a group of authors, including myself, came together to produce “More Than Best Friends”, an anthology in aid of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (GDBA). All funds go directly to GDBA with no monies being received by the authors.

I was delighted when Olivia Emily of Bibliomad kindly agreed to write an honest review of “More Than Best Friends” in exchange for a free copy of the book. For Olivia’s review please visit the following link, https://bibliomad.wordpress.com/2015/09/28/more-than-best-friends-book-review/#more-428.

The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association are a registered charity who receive no government funding. If you would like to support the work of the Association in providing guide dogs, thereby enhancing the independence of visually impaired guide dog owners, please do consider downloading the anthology and making a donation to GDBA. I would like to thank my fellow authors for their generosity in donating their work and time free.

(Please note. I have been visually impaired since approximately 18-months old as a consequence of a blood clot on the brain which caused me to lose the majority of my vision. I am now working with my fourth guide dog, a brindle lab/retriever called Trigger, of whom I am very fond despite his habit of helping himself to other people’s lunches, particularly my work colleagues)!

Dog

Guide Dogs Not Allowed IN

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The following email (reproduced below) about the discrimination faced by guide dog owners is self explanatory. As a guide dog owner I am saddened and angered by the fact that 75 percent of guide dog owners report having been refused access to a taxi when accompanied by their guide dog. I am saddened but not surprised because the same thing has happened to me on several occasions (I.E. taxi drivers flouting the law by refusing to carry me when accompanied by my guide dog Trigger). If you live in the UK please do take the time to write to your Member of Parliament regarding this issue. The original email can be found by following this link http://emails-guidedogs.org.uk/LDK-3KHFD-E85B5CNX2A/cr.aspx. Please note, the links in the email reproduced below don’t work (for the working links please visit the original document linked to above).

Many thanks,

Kevin

Email From Guide Dogs For The Blind Association

Dear Kevin

“My biggest problem with refusals comes from taxi drivers. I used to have a very tough two hour commute to work. The taxi part of the journey was the shortest

bit travel wise, but it always ended up being the bit that held me up the most because I was having to spend time facing drivers who wouldn’t take me with

my dog. It made an already stressful situation really stressful and upsetting…it’s good that my contract was flexi hours otherwise I’m sure I would have

been sacked for being late all the time – it happened so often.” Guide dog owner, Northamptonshire

Earlier this year we carried out a survey of over one thousand assistance dog owners. The results were shocking.

75% of guide dog owners

who responded had been refused access to a business or service at some stage because they were accompanied by their dog, and nearly half had within the

last year.

Take action to help us stop this from happening.

This is why we’ve launched an important new campaign called ‘Access All Areas’ which aims to ensure guide dog and other assistance dog owners are able to

gain access to businesses and services with their dog, as is their legal right.

A guide dog owner and guide dog about to get into a taxi

Amongst guide dog owners the most frequently encountered place to be refused access was taxis and private hire vehicles. You can help us tackle this problem

by taking our new online action.

Thank you for supporting this vital new campaign.

Best wishes,

Rachael

The Fox And The Bear

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A fox he went a-hunting, a-hunting with a bear,

They tracked a huntsman down, they tracked him to his lair.

Said the huntsman to the animals, “Two against one simply isn’t fair. Give a man a sporting chance to escape from his lair”.

Said those two to the huntsman, “Sir we have no gun. Come out, we’ll give you a sporting chance, lets all have some fun”.

Through an open window the huntsman tried to run.

The animals followed in hot pursuit, then came the fun.

Discounted Children’s Books By Victoria (Tori) Zigler

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Author Victoria (Tori) Zigler is offering a number of her books at a discounted price in the Smashwords Summer Sale. For details please see (http://ziglernews.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/smashwords-summerwinter-sale-2015.html).

Kevin