It’s Schnauzerfest Week and excitement is building around the UK for the weekend of fun walks ahead. It’s now a perfect time to introduce one very special dog who will benefit from donations many kind people are making. Schnauzerfest is all about raising money for dogs like Darla.
Sweet little Darla is a schnauzer who has survived the unpleasant, but thriving world of “commercial breeding”. This has caused her many health and psychological problems, none of which will disappear overnight. But, she’s now safe, rescued from a life which brought her nothing nice or kind, where her only value was the puppies she could produce. Happily all that is now well and truly behind her as she’s living with a DBARC fosterer while her various issues are addressed. All of which are costly and complicated. As her general health has steadily improved during the past few weeks, and an abnormal heart issue has been addressed, attention can now turn to her eyes.
Sadly for Darla she has cataracts which are affecting her vision and will worsen if left. Now that her trust in humans has grown and her general health has stabilised, the next step along Darla’s road to a happy future will hopefully be the removal of these cataracts. This will massively improve life for this brave little dog who tries hard to be confident around people. Her efforts at being a normal, loving, trusting dog however quickly fade when she’s in close proximity to humans: she simply cannot see what they’re doing, and sadly from her past life, experience tells her that close human contact may be an unsafe situation. So abnormal for dogs to have this instinctive fear of humans, but so common in those who exist in the world Darla has been rescued from.
For Darla, having her vision restored will enable her to fully experience the joy she has started to find in life. She’s an adorable dog, and although she can be timid without other dogs around, in canine company she’s a happy, waggy and endlessly playful little soul. With help from every Schnauzerfest supporter making donations DBARC will make sure her life is one fully sighted and full of everything a dog deserves.
A few words from DBARC volunteer Donna explains how Schnauzerfest will help:
“DBARC is committed to doing our very best to help Darla, but it is only thanks to Schnauzerfest funds that we can enable her to have the surgery she needs, and yet not compromise our general animal care. All of us at DBARC are endlessly grateful that the generosity of the Schnauzerfest supporters makes it possible to transform the lives of dogs like darling Darla.”
UPDATE: April 2018 - Darla now lives with her two canine brothers, Rodders and Creggan and gets to enjoy the very best life with them and mum Kate.
Darla with her brothers and mum, taking part in the Susie-Belle Memorial Schnauzerfest Walk, 2018