Ruby, our star for November, is looking for a new home
Ruby is a young lurcher waiting for a home at Raystede Centre For Animal Welfare, in East Sussex. She has been nominated to be the November entry in our virtual calendar by Rachel Simm, the Centre’s senior communications and digital media Officer.
“Ruby is a Raystede STAR (Special Training and Activity Requirements) dog,” says Rachel. “This means she has been provided with tailored, reward-based experiences to help her realise that keeping all four paws on the ground is just as fun as leaping around and being boisterous. She is looking for a loving home to continue the work Raystede has started. Ruby is a fantastic dog and will bring huge amounts of fun and joy to a family that will continue to let her learn at her own pace.”
Britain is a nation of animal lovers so it’s probably not that hard for most of us to understand how dogs could have provided comfort, companionship, and a positive effect on morale for soldiers at war who were missing home comforts.
On the Western Front, a dog would have provided great psychological comfort to the men enduring the cold, wet and bleak horrors of trench warfare. But many were also there for very practical reasons and dogs, like horses and pigeons, had an important role to play in World War One. Field communication systems were slow and crude in the trenches and sending messages posed a problem. There was always a possibility that vital information couldn’t be shared between the front and HQ.
The use of vehicles in transporting messages was unreliable as they could break down and also eat up the mud making the environment even more difficult to cover. Human runners were large, easy targets for the enemy. Trained dogs solved this communication problem. A canine could travel over almost any terrain and was faster and more discreet than a human runner.
Messages were put in tins around the necks of dogs and they were identified by a scarlet collar or tally. Dogs were extremely dependable and faithful if they were trained properly. As well as being quick and reliable messengers, dogs proved also to be a great asset when it came to tracking the enemy, detecting explosives and finding wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
Dogs used during WWI included Border Collies, Lurchers, English Sheepdogs, Retrievers and mongrels. The Airedale Terrier was probably the most common breed used by the British. The Red Cross also commonly used them to find wounded soldiers.
Raystede is celebrating 70 years of caring for animals. Since the late Miss M Raymonde-Hawkins founded Raystede from her cottage in 1952, the team has worked to alleviate animal cruelty, rescue, rehabilitate, re-home and provide sanctuary for animals in need.
Today they are one of the most diverse rescue centres in the UK because they care for so many different species of animals, with staff, volunteers, and supporters helping more than 1,200 vulnerable animals each year from a beautiful 43-acre site in East Sussex. The pledge is to make the future better for animals through education programmes and activities.
For more information on this wonderful work, email: info@raystede.org or call (01825) 840252
Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare,
The Broyle, Ringmer,
East Sussex, BN8 5AJ