Hello
Welcome to yours2share's October 2009 newsletter.
- Dog sharing case study in Toronto, Canada
- Testing, testing...
- Meet me in Norfolk
Plus a selection of recent ads to whet your appetite.
Dog sharing case study in Toronto, Canada
Dr. Barbara Langford from Toronto, Canada recently contacted me because
she has been so pleased with a dogsharing arrangement and wants to help other people to share dogs.
Like me, she dislikes the concept of "renting" a dog that some agencies are promoting.
We both believe that a dog should be shared by no more than two households so that the dog has consistency and routine.
She also liked yours2share's dog share guidance notes – always good to hear. She has put me in touch with several other people in Toronto
and between us all, over the next few months, we are going to develop private dogsharing in Toronto.
Six months ago Dr Barbara Langford and her husband Robert unexpectedly lost their beloved dog Charley.
He was a black Cookerpoo, one of a kind and they adored him – they were three of a pack.
When Charley died, they weren’t able to commit to the full responsibility of another dog at that time in their lives.
Five weeks later, they saw a woman with a dog that looked just like Charley.
Even his name was the same - Charlie! Barbara and Robert stopped and told the owner, Kristin, about their Charley,
partly to explain why they were both fawning over her dog.
Robert wisely gave her his card and said they’d be delighted to look after her dog if she ever needed.
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Barbara, Kristin and Charlie
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A few weeks later, Kristin called them. Barbara and Robert took her Charlie on their favourite walks to parks they knew so well. Kristin gave them the key to her home and encouraged them to visit and walk her dog whenever they wished, since Charlie was alone all day while Kristin worked.
Barbara: "This dogshare experience has worked magic for us! Everyone considers this a win-win-win,
including our new dog! We are truly thankful to be able to share Kristin's dog as she works full time and sometimes travels. "
Barbara: "When we have her dog he goes everywhere with us. If dogs aren't allowed, we don't go.
This experience has been enriching on many levels. I need to walk to help maintain my bone density.
Charlie provides company, increases my activity and helps keep me to a routine as well.
Robert walks and runs with Charlie in the mornings. "
Barbara: "My elderly mother loves a visit from Charlie at her retirement residence.
The other seniors also delight when he visits, as many of them have had dogs of their own in the past.
We all love having a dog in our lives again. Dog therapy works for me every time.
Our shared dog now gets more attention and is less stressed with reduced time spent alone.
I just love stroking his fur, cuddling him, and just having him around."
Barbara and Kristin met through serendipity. If you would like to increase you chance of finding a like-minded partner to share a dog with, post an ad, it doesn't cost anything to use the service.
Here are the current list of yours2share dog shares, and some important guidance on setting up a dog sharing agreement.
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Testing, testing
Work is well underway on the new yours2share website which should be launched in November.
As well as including everything in the existing website, and giving me a lot more flexibility for the future,
the new website will have:
- user forums enabling you to tap into the boat sharing, horse sharing, landsharing or any other sharing community
- directory specifically designed for companies that provide services to sharers
Although testing the new website is very much my responsibility, I would like to have a few yours2share members "test" the new website
a few days before we release it as a final check. These need to be people who have used the website many times to register, post ads and send messages.
If you'd like to get a sneak preview, and don't mind volunteering a couple hours to help out in early/mid November,
I'd really love to hear from you.
Meet me in Norfolk
If you live in East Anglia and would like the opportunity to meet me and find out more about yours2share.
I shall be at the WIRE Autumn Fair at World Horse Welfare (formerly known as the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH)) from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 31st October 2009.
As well as running yours2share, I have been a network leader for the WIRE Norfolk group for the last year, which is why I'm involved in this Autumn Fair.
World Horse Welfare is located at Hall Farm, near Snetterton, just off the A11. You can walk around the farm where over a 100 horses are kept. There is a good café and play area. It's heaven for any horse-lover! There will be a wide range of products for sale all representing businesses run by women in Norfolk, plus the chance to come and meet me!
And finally, here are a few of yours2share's recent ads that I really
like.
Selected ads are entirely my choice and ads with a good photos are always more likely to be picked!.
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