My latest guest star: Toby the Bodeguero

Oh, what a bitter-sweet day. A wonderful photo - I think it deserves a place on your wall. I do hope you manage to get pupdates as Alfonso "El Maravilloso" settles into his furever home.

 

Thanks for such nice words, Helen. "Sad but happy" sums it up perfectly. I will miss Toby as an adventure buddy as well, but he'll have even more adventures as Alfie. I'm imagining him going crazy over all the new smells and things to hunt in England.

 

Thank you, Mags. I hope he remembers me as that crazy belly rub lady who took him to hunt lizards and flying rats and gave him a billion "besitos" (kisses) a day. I sure won't ever forget him.

 

Thank you, Lisa. I'm so glad people enjoyed reading about him and learning about Bodegueros along with me. I think I've now officially become a terrier, or at least a Bodeguero, person. I'm already thinking, "How much fun would it be to have a Lab AND a Bodeguero?!" Can you imagine the insanity?

 

Love and hugs xxx

 

I'm so very grateful to you. There's a lot of behind the scenes things that have gone on, but suffice it to say, Alfie had a very low chance of adoption or even survival here in Spain. The ladies here at the rescue are calling you a miracle for Alfie...and I agree!

 

I think that's a given. Maybe I'll even be able to visit if I "just happen" to be the UK.

 

Hello all Alfie fans!

Our little man is currently still in Malaga and in a kennel with his new girlfriend, a chocolate dachshund named "Reina". Tomorrow night he'll set out with the other dogs (5 from Dog Planet rescue here in Cadiz) on his great voyage to the UK. The dogs will all be delivered directly to their new homes, so with approximately 20 dogs being transported, you can imagine that it will take awhile. He's scheduled to arrive home with @Catronias on Sunday.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/pawstransportservices/posts/?ref=page_internal

If you want to follow his progress, visit the link above for the transport service. They should start posting the route and progress tomorrow or Thursday. They also take photos of the dogs, so a chance to see Alfie there. On the delivery list, he'll still be "Toby" as that is his name on the official documents, but we know he is REALLY Señor Alfonso!

For myself, I'm still pretty weepy and having to resist a very strong impulse to drive back to Malaga and tell him goodbye just one more time. However (and I sound like a broken record here) I can't stress enough how grateful I am to have been able to share Alfie with @Catronias for a short time and how much he gave me. I feel more than a little cracked around the heart area, but I wouldn't give back the experience for anything.

Señor Alfonso, thanks to your magnificence, you can count me in as a lifelong Bodeguero fan. Muchos besitos, little man.

 

A part of your heart will always be with him xx

.

 

Massive hugs to you x You`ve done a grand job, for which you should be immensely proud x

 

Hello

. Alfie should be with me on Saturday evening. As soon as he arrives and he has settled so may not be For a while I will tell you. Emily of course I will email you first. Xx

 

That's great news, Catronia! I'm really relieved to hear he'll be with you sooner than they originally told us!

 

Update on the Paws Transport page on Facebook - Alfie and the other dogs are finally on their way to the UK!

WEDNESDAY 10TH MAY 2017
OFF THEY ALL GO AGAIN !!! THOSE ON THEIR JOURNEY TO FRANCE AND THE UK ARE THE LOVELY PENNY PUP, TOM, CHLOE, LOLA, PEGGY, LOURDES, PIP, TOBY, REINA, MIA, FERMIN, ALMA, PENNY DALMATIAN, CASSIE, MABEL, FLOKI, LUCY, POPPY, VAAN, GARETH, CALA, KERMIT AND BYRON
AS ALWAYS THEY WILL BE ENJOYING THE NORMAL TOP CLASS CARE AND FACILITIES OF THE CONSTANT 20 DEGREES TEMPERATURE,
Any updates will be posted on here and then the route plan and timings which should be on sometime Friday. The tracker details will be given to everyone in a private message at the same time so you can follow their progress, once in the UK.
Wishing you all as always a very safe journey. Huge thanks as ever to my trusty drivers Anthony and Steve xxx

 

I'm catching up on the past couple of weeks of forum news and now I'm in tears. I've loved reading about Toby/Alfonso's journey with you, his tours of Cadiz and Ronda were first class, and I'm just in awe of the difference you made to his little life in 6 short weeks. I'm so happy that he's on his way to his forever home. I can't wait to read about the next step in YOUR doggy journey!

 

Thanks, but it was more him making a difference in MY little life in six short weeks.

That's definitely the next adventure! Before Alfie, I felt like I was slipping some sort of schedule I had for myself in getting my forever dog, but now I feel like things happen when they are meant to happen and have tossed the schedule. Still, I'm hoping it's finally the time when my forever dog will find me.

 

Another update from Paws Transport. Alfie is in France!

(apologies for the all caps, this is a cut/paste job and that is how she writes the posts on Facebook)

AFTER RAIN IN NORTHERN SPAIN DURING THE NIGHT THE VAN AND ALL WELL BEHAVED PASSENGERS, EVEN THE PUPS ARE NOW JUST INTO FRANCE. SUN IS TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH WHILE THEY HAVE THEIR BREAKFASTS AND A SNIFF AROUND FRENCH GRASS. DOING WELL TIME WISE AND ON TO ST MALO LATER TO DROP OFF THE FIRST PASSENGER WHO IS GOING TO BE LIVING ON JERSEY. SAFE TRAVELS EVERYONE X

 

Alfie will arrive at 10ish tonight. I am so excited. X

 

Here's the update from Paws Transport. Alfie is nearly home!

HERE WE GO- THE ROUTE PLAN AND ESTIMATED DELIVERY TIMES FOR BABIES AS FOLLOWS –
UNFORTUNATELY THERE APPEARS TO BE A FAULT WITH THE TRACKER SO HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE COMPANY TO RECTIFY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO FOR NOW PLEASE FOLLOW THE TIMINGS BELOW
FRIDAY 12th MAY 2017
KERMIT AND CALA TO SOUTH CROYDON @ 12.00
TOM TO NORTH WEST LONDON @ 14.00
LOLA TO NORTH LONDON @ 16.00
PEGGY TO GREAT WAKERING, ESSEX @ 19.00
TOBY TO SUDBURY, SUFFOLK @ 22.00
CASSIE TO HERTFORD @ 24.00
SATURDAY 13TH MAY 2017
REINA TO CHEDDINGTON @ 02.00
PENNY TO RUGBY @ 04.00
PIP TO ROTHERHAM @ 07.00
BYRON TO COUNTY DURHAM @ 11.00
CHLOE TO HEXHAM @ 13.00
LUCY AND POPPY TO CARLISLE @ 15.00
COLLECT FROM ACCRINGTON @ 19.00
LOURDES TO LLANFAIRFECHAN @ 23.00
SUNDAY 14TH MAY 2107
MABEL TO NANTWICH @ 02.00
COLLECT FROM GLOUCESTER @ 05.00
FLOKI TO SOUTH CERNEY @ 07.00
FERMIN AND ALMA TO GLOUCESTER @ 10.00
VAAN AND GARETH TO PURTON, SWINDON @ 13.00
TO ALL NEW AND EXISTING FAMILIES, MY TEAM AND I WISH YOU EVERY HAPPINESS AND FUN WITH YOUR FUR BABIES EITHER IN THE UK OR SPAIN. HAVE A SAFE TRIP BACK ANTHONY AND STEVE WITH ALL PETS COMING BACK WITH YOU TO SPAIN XXX

 

I've been reading all the messages on Facebook from the people waiting on their new furry family members to roll in tonight and also other fosters like me waiting for news of our former charges.

It's rather awe-inspiring, all the effort and love and leaps of faith that have gone on to get all these dogs to their new homes. I only know Alfie's story, but just looking at him, he's probably had at...what?....15?...more?...people who have worked behind the scenes to get him to his forever family. Homeless Bodegueros are as common as chips here in southern Spain and at any point someone could have said, "Nope, not worth it", turned their backs and that would have been the end, but they didn't. The whole journey is just all rather amazing.

I don't know...sometimes I kind of hate (or at least am mildly irritated by) humanity, but this whole experience confirms for me that there are some really great and kind people out there. And of course we already know there are many great and kind DOGS out there.

 

It's been quite the adventure for you, Emily! I can't wait to see who is around the corner for you...coming closer every day