I would like to tell you about ASH.

No.  I’m not talking about that mob of self-righteous, hypocritical, money-grubbing bastards whose sole purpose in life is to hate the smoker.

I’m talking about the other end of the spectrum.

Not too far from here there is a farm.  It is a fairly typical farm with a house surrounded by barns and sheds.  Unlike most other farms though, it is packed to the rafters with domestic animals.  There are dogs everywhere.  There are dogs in the barns, in the sheds and in every single room in the farmhouse.  There are also pigs, donkeys, rabbits, cats and a beautiful fox.

You see, this is ASH Animal Rescue, run by Remi and Helena.

Remi and Helena take in stray animals and treat them as family members.  Naturally they can’t keep all of them as we are talking of over a hundred animals, so they do their upmost to find loving homes who can adopt.

At ASH, the animal comes first.  All the animals are very well looked after and are nursed back to health, as some of them are in a pretty sorry state when they first arrive.  The dogs are neutered and vaccinated and are very well cared for.

The problem at ASH though is that they have a “no kill” policy.  If they can’t find a suitable home for an animal, they will look after it themselves as euthanasia is reserved as a very last resort for the tiny number who can’t be nursed back to health.

Once they find an adoptive family [and they are great at matching the right dog/cat to the right family] they visit the adoptive home just to ensure that it is right for the animal.  There is no point in rehousing a Great Dane into an apartment on the fifth floor?

The ASH farmhouse is a very happy place.  Remi and Helena are a lovely warm couple who have dedicated their lives to the project and the house itself is full to the brim with animals.  Their sitting room alone has about a dozen dogs, a couple of cats and a fox all draped around the furniture and every single animal looks happy and contented.

There is one big problem though.

All these animal need feeding and veterinary care and that comes at a price.  They get a grant from the gubmint which is more an insult than a grant.  €15,000 a year does not go very far.  As a result the whole enterprise is run by fundraising and voluntary donations.

In gratitude for finding us Penny, and as a mark of admiration for them, I have replaced my “Buy Grandad a pint” yoke on the sidebar with a direct link for donations to ASH.  The vast fortune I have made to date has already gone to ASH.  I hope the miniscule number of donors don’t mind?

So I’m not asking.  I am fucking telling.  Dig deep into your pockets and click on the doggie.  I am placing him here and he shall remain on the sidebar as well.

Please give generously