Written by creator Hannah Wright

Our new ‘Muddy Paws’ range has been a big success. Thank you to everyone who bought a tea towel and/or a bag at the quiz night last Friday and to those who have placed orders with us this week. As some of you may know, it was inspired by Andy after he walked over a duvet in the barn with very muddy paws.

When I saw the bedding airing over the railings, I managed to snap a quick shot of him standing in front of it and shared the picture on our social media pages, saying how proud Andy was of his latest work of art. We had lots of lovely comments on the post, including one from Caroline, who suggested that his muddy, paw prints would look great on a scarf….and there the idea was born!

Inspired, I contacted Jean and Martin of ‘Maison des Loups’ (printers) in Caylus to see if they could help us create something with the paw prints and they came up with the idea of bags and tea towels. We have plans to extend the range, but in the meantime, our bags and tea towels will be for sale at all future ‘Dawn and Dusk’ events.

Post written by Caroline Mills

A BIG thank you to Caroline and her team for their day spent at the village vide grenier (boot sale)

Last Sunday morning the alarm went at 6.15 and I hauled myself out with my dogs before leaving to meet up with Jo Stephens, the first of my much-appreciated volunteers. We made our way in convoy into the centre of the village where a lady with a clipboard exclaimed “ah oui, Dawn et Dusk” and directed us to our space near the church. We unloaded, set up our table, and displayed our bric-a-brac. Jane Robinson joined us, and armed with coffee, we sold quite a few things.

Amanda Bakhtier Irvine had made cookies and dog biscuits, and there were a few bags of chocolate brownies left over from the Quiz Night. Once I’d decided to allow a tasting, the dog biscuits sold very well. Hard to resist the sales patter when your dog has just devoured a cheesy biscuit. One lucky border terrier got three packs! Mid morning I was joined by Sue Sherratt who generously donated some pieces of her work which sold well.

At lunchtime, Andrea White took over, going off to find us delicious burgers to keep us going. Linda Walsh joined for the afternoon slot which saw a bit of sunshine, and a swell of people who had gone to Laguépie for plants in the morning. By 4.30 the stalls were beginning to pack up as the skies clouded over so when Sue Bedford and Maria Murphy and her helpful small niece arrived, I retrieved my car and we loaded up. Later at home, armed with a fortifying G&T, I added up the takings. Including a few bits sold afterwards, our total was 227€. That’s not bad for a vide grenier.

Thanks to everyone who donated items, cakes, or their time. Very much appreciated. In many ways this was a public relations exercise. As was my hope, we met lots of locals who were aware of D&D and pleased to see us there. It was an opportunity to chat about our elderly dog family and how they are unadoptable, but lead a good life with good food and healthcare, access to open fields and a comfortable barn furnished with rugs and old sofas. It’s the Dawn and Dusk way.

Translated for Pom by Anke Terbruggen

Do you all still remember me?

Chief said you would, but I’m not sure,.. for all the new people; I’m Pom, short for Pompom (but nobody calls me that). I’m the very first Dawn & Dusk dog!!

I used to tell you about myself every few weeks or so, but ever since we moved, Chief said she has been very busy and hasn’t had time to write down my stories.

Personally, I think she just forgot. 

But she told me it’s really important I let you all know how I’m doing, with Tiny Babe gone,..after all, we’ve been roommates for 2 1/12 years! We moved together from our barn to our room in Chief’s house and spent all our time together. My cuddlers always said we were like a grumpy old married couple; always bickering, but used to being together and keeping each other company nonetheless.

Well, let me reassure you; I’m ok! Us dogs, we experience death very differently than you humans. We don’t really think about it that much,. we can miss our buddies, if we’re really good friends, but we adapt quickly, especially if you humans make sure our routine isn’t changed that much. We do hate to see you sad though, and we can feel a bit unsafe and insecure and cuddle up with you a bit more. We need to know you still love us, even though you’re acting a bit strange!

I think Chief was sad about Tiny, and so was our favorite cuddler, the one that comes especially for us,.. but everybody is making sure I get plenty of attention, and walks and treats, so life as usual really! Chief says our cuddler will come for me only from now on, that makes me really happy! I didn’t really like sharing her attention, to be honest,.

Got to go back to sleep now, I’ve had a busy day and I’m no spring chicken, Chief says. I’ll get back to you another time, to tell you more about our new place. Bye for now!

Come and join us for an afternoon of you time.

Our ladies’ afternoon is for a small group of thirty ladies. It is an opportunity to connect with others, indulge in afternoon tea, participate in our wellness sessions, and experience a one-on-one therapy session.

In addition, we will have a raffle that will include prizes for a 1:1 session with Irena-Marie Makowski, an animal communication session with Colleen Kersey, Jo Malone’s room fragrance, a bottle of gin and all that is needed to drink it, and more.

Finally, we all have gifted items or items that we no longer need or use stored away in our cupboards, so we will have a (small) area for you to browse with an honesty box.

If you have any (good condition) clothes, accessories, jewellery, bags, or any items that would interest our female attendees, such as books or crafty bits, we would greatly appreciate your contribution. Please let us know if you would like to donate.

We hope you can attend. As this is a small event, places will be given on a first-come basis. Once we have your R.S.V.P. (contact@dawnandduskfrance.com) and payment to secure your place, we will send you an online form to fill in for the sessions. (Please note that we will try our best to allocate your first choice but ask for a second and third.)

Tickets are 28 €, payable via cash

Cheque, payable to Dawn & Dusk which should be sent to Ali Stickler, La Singlarie, 12270 Najac.

Paypal (friends & family option) donations@dawnandduskfrance.com.

HelloAsso https://www.helloasso.com/associations/dawn-and-dusk/formulaires/

bank transfer please contact Ali Stickler for details.

We envisage it will be popular, so don’t sit on the fence if you wish to come. xxx

Although we are small, our monthly outgoings to provide care for our dogs include food and chews (the dogs love their natural chews and get through a lot each month). Vet bills and regular medication, as well as insurance and equipment, these all add up. We are gratified to our sponsors, donators and volunteers for their contributions and those that take part in our fundraising events. (Part of our meeting last week was to outline the years’ events, which we will share soon).

We have increased our following and presence through Facebook however; We have been thinking of other ways we can continue to promote ourselves via other outlets other than social media. So we were very happy when team member, Sarah Shephard took on this challenge by writing a publicity announcement an getting it published.

We thank Sarah for the writing the article, as well as Rescue and Animal Care Magazine, for publishing the story about Dawn & Dusk in their latest issue. The UK-based magazine promotes responsible pet ownership and animal welfare with great tips, informational articles and stories, and it’s free! https://www.rescueandanimalcare.com/ .

Check out P38-39 via the link below to read about our story: https://issuu.com/jspmedia/docs/apr_may_2024_final?fr=sN2UyYTczMTkxMjQ&utm_campaign=April%2FMay%20-%20Issue%20194&utm_medium=email&utm_source=WDLMJ&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3HkTY4PzgCQv60yB9Z_YPBpHVnQXU9lprxhr-kSHBapyvr7i5lU5eQXsk_aem_AXJaZjjIQGXP_qw3W3ksFyptmIIQcGvbiaVPvVqQ9tq0V9xs–2R1Z_uCExT6v0xDlM7jIYQjcwyeKqfQvqI8jHy

Hello, I’m Cheyene, I’m the latest addition to the Dawn and Dusk doggies. I have been speaking to Caroline Mill’s who has translated my message for me for you all to understand.

I’ve been here for nearly seven months now. I was living in the woods after my owner became ill, so I love all the comforts and regular meals I get now. They sometimes call me the Bossy Bitch, well, I wasn’t going to let Colin, Primus and Mitch boss me around was I, but I’m a sweet old lady really. You just have to let them know who is in charge, so I told Pompom that I was taking over his diary this month, because there’s an important message to deliver to you, our very kind supporters. I mean, you can’t leave that to a terrier, can you?

Very soon we are moving to spacious new premises, and you wouldn’t believe the costs involved. Just fencing us in for safety is costing five thousand euros. I’m allowing the three boys to share my barn. There’s a new floor going in, and the walls are being tiled so my housekeeping team will be able to clean it easily. There are so many things to be done, and the ladies who run Dawn and Dusk (Anke, Ali, Elsa, Gill, Lesley and Caroline) are very determined to do everything right first time so they work closely with an official animal protection inspector lady who tells them what has to be done. Of course all this costs a lot of money. Usually it costs about a thousand euros each month to keep all of us comfy, healthy and well fed, but this move is going to cost about 20,000€. So we are launching a Go Fund Me appeal https://gofund.me/1cddcf1d to raise this money. I understand that not everyone can afford to make a big donation, but everything you can give will help us reach our target. Will you help us? Please click on the link and help us reach our target.

We have two fundraising channels Go Fund Me https://gofund.me/1cddcf1d which accepts Bank card or PayPal and HelloAsso, our French platform which does not take any commission from you or us (it will ask you to donate a % but you do not have to) https://www.helloasso.com/associations/dawn-and-dusk/collectes/fonds-necessaires payment is via a bank account.

Should you wish to donate the old fashioned way we have other options. Please could you mention ‘ projet’ with your payment. Our Paypal account is donations@dawnandduskfrance.com (option friends & family, please) or Euro cheque payable to Asso Dawn & Dusk and send to Ali Stickler, La Singlarie, 12270, Najac or by Euro Bank transfer account details below.

Thank you so much.

Your very loving bossy bitch Cheyene

Last October, we held a ‘How dogs work’ workshop, during which I recommended a great book by Kim Brophey. With her LEGS system, she has revolutionized dog training and behaviour.
Both team member Sarah Shephard and I have completed her course to become a family dog mediator. Thank you to Sarah, who reviewed Kim’s book for us.
click on the links to find out more about Kim https://www.dogdoorcanineservices.com/
her book is https://www.amazon.fr/Meet-Your-Dog-Game-Changing-Understanding/dp/1452148996

If you have had dogs all your life, if you are preparing for the arrival of your very first dog or if you are chewing the cud about inviting a dog into your family, Kim Brophey’s Meet Your Dog is for you. It’s a revelation, an inspiration and essential reading for anyone who is committed to making their world a better place for dogs.

The author, who is an Applied Ethologist and a practising dog behaviour consultant in the US, explains L.E.G.S – a new, scientifically underpinned system she has masterminded, to help us understand what motivates and affects dogs to behave as they do.

The acronym L.E.G.S stands for Learning, Environment, Genetics and Self. Kim describes it as a ‘simple framework for understanding the great range of factors that affect our dogs’ behavior’.

In Meet Your Dog each one of the L.E.G.S pillars is covered in a separate chapter. It brings the reader the latest relevant science in a fun, relatable and easy-to-digest format.

LEARNING covers your dog’s experiences and education.

ENVIRONMENT explores your dog’s external world.

GENETICS unravels the role of DNA in giving your dog its specific characteristics.

SELF looks at how individual factors such as health status, age and sex play a role in behaviour.

The section on genetics is especially brilliant as it clarifies what your dog was originally bred to do. Kim explains the ten primary genetic breed groups and the reader can then identify which group their dog belongs to and gain a real insight into why their four-legged family member likes to do what he or she does! At the beginning and end of each chapter Kim highlights why you may fall in love with each breed group and what you may find hard to live with. She provides home life, public life, and personal life scores as well as a relationship survival key and practical tips.

Whether you have or are thinking of taking on a guardian breed, a terrier, a toy dog, a herding dog or any one of the other breeds that humankind has ‘designed’ this book will help you to understand each dog’s behaviour much more clearly, enabling you and your family to build a positive and harmonious human-canine relationship.

I can’t recommend this book enough: It’s fun, educational and oh so informative. When you finish it, you simply want to turn back to the first page and devour every word again. I read it from cover to cover twice and became so hooked on Kim’s substantial knowledge, expertise, philosophy, and capacity to explain how to navigate common sense, that I went on to take the superb L.E.G.S Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation Professional Course.

In fact, this is why I have lapsed with my book reviews – I have been so distracted with my online learning!

Hello, my name is Belle.

I’m not a Dawn and Dusk dog but I’m living with one of the team, as a lifetime foster. I’m a 13 year-old puppy who likes to play with a ball and sleep a lot. I’m not really sure what my mum does for the dogs, but it seems to involve making a lot of cakes. Usually I’m not allowed to go to Dawn and Dusk because the dogs all say hello very loudly, and it gets very noisy. But recently I was allowed to go too. I thought I was going to meet Pompom and the others, but they weren’t there because we went to the new place.

I liked it a lot. There are lots of big fields for the dogs to explore, grass to roll on and lots of good sniffs, and big barns for them to live in. There’s lots of work to do; the barns have got to be made comfortable, with a clean floor and tiled walls, electric thingies for heating and lighting, and fences so nobody gets lost…we all know what Colin the Collie is like. Work has started which is just as well because the gang are moving at the end of March. Yesterday there was a man putting in fence posts which are very expensive or so I overheard. I listened to the ladies working out who will sleep where and which fields they will have.

They are thinking about how to raise extra money, and find people who might help, so expect to hear about some extra events and competitions, and even the opportunity to sponsor a length of fencing. When things are a bit more organised, there’s going to be a party so everyone can see where the dogs will be living, so make sure you come and see for yourself. I expect there will be cake.

Love from Belle.

(Thanks to Belle’s translator Caroline Mills)

Translated for Pom by Anke Terbruggen

Yippee Yayy!! It’s cold and frosty and dry outside!! It makes me want to run around and bounce up and down!! And bark at all the other dogs!!

I don’t like rain and mud, but this is so cool!! The lady who brought me here once, a long time ago, visited me and she was surprised to see me running around like that, at my age,.?! What age, what does she mean? I am a big strong dog, of course I can run around barking! It was nice having a cuddle with her though.

There was another lady too, Chief said she was there to take pictures of us*, to make us famous! I’m already famous, though, aren’t I? Many people know about me, Chief says! I’m really glad some people come to see me and walk me and cuddle me; they’re my favourite people really. But it’s nice that others know me too, I guess that’s why I tell you about my life, so you know I exist!

Meanwhile, all the others here are enjoying the cold weather too. We all get lots of extra food that smells fishy** and we’re nice and chubby, so we’re not cold! We all have our dens and our warm red lights and some of us get an extra coat. Not me, I don’t need one; I have my own lovely scruffy coat! Though not too long ago, I saw Chief looking at me with that look in her eyes, that look that says “Hmmm, you could do with a brush,..” I might just let her this time, I don’t mind so much anymore, as long as there’s someone that holds me. The attention is actually kind of nice. Don’t tell anybody I said that though; they might think they can all touch me with that horrible thing. Chief may do it, not because she’s the boss ( I am my own boss!!) but because I’m used to it now and I know it won’t hurt.

You might wonder why I call her Chief then, if she’s not the boss? Don’t know really, it seems right, as she brings me my food twice a day, she’s always around and keeps us all safe. She never tells us what to do, just looks after us, and that makes me want to call her that. 

* Pom means Lynn Emery, a brilliant photographer who was kind enough to take pictures of all the D&D dogs! Soon, we will have a calendar available with all these amazing photos!! 

** What Pom is smelling is the salmon oil we add to the dogs’ food for extra fat and taste