26th March 2010

This years Montecani/Ollie's Fundraising party will be on the 8th August (Sunday) and we truly hope that this years party will be the best yet !

We will have some guest visitors this year, some lovely stalls of doggy and human related products, which I hope will add to the whole party atmosphere for everyone concerned.

We will also have an opportunity to see the Retrieva Tracking Collar in action as Andy Stuart the companies Director has agreed to kindly show us his invention in action, and for those interested in a purchase, he will offer a fantastic price for one day only at the fundraiser !

Find out more about Retreiva here (if you have a dog that likes to go AWOL you'll know how this could be a life saver)

http://www.retrievatracking.com/

We are also toying with the idea of a 'beer & cider tent' - and would bring in authentic ciders and beers for sale. If this appeals to you please email me and let me know your thoughts - naturally, all profits would go to Ollie's Fund

If anyone wishes to sell their own wares at the party, which can be anything, be it doggy orientated, or otherwise, do get in touch - Shelley - Email me at haggerwoods@aol.com

10th August 2009

Philippa Robinson, who owned Alfie, who also suffered terribly to canine epilepsy, sent an email telling us all about her being interviewed about dealing with and living with canine epilepsy for the BBC.

She hopes that the interview will have been included and aired in order to raise the profile on epilepsy suffered in our dogs and the way it affects them and ultimately us as their human carers.

Well Done Philippa, it couldn't have been easy reliving the times Alfie was suffering, but we Thank You for volunteering yourself in the name of raising awareness for canine epilepsy. I hope that it will bring many peoples attention to the fact that this disease is rearing it's ugly head in many homes not only in the UK, but the world over.

The programme :

"Pedigree
Dogs Exposed" will be broadcast here in the UK at 9pm on BBC 1 on
Tuesday 19th August.

For those of you not in the UK you can log on the BBC's website and the
film can be watched up to a week after broadcast. The link is

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/

9th August 2009

After a sunny start, today Janet Ashworth's huge effort in getting together a KC Companion Dog Show were rewarded in that despite the rain continuing to fall, both the wonderful judge Max Munday and the never complaining competitors carried on regardless and raised an amazing £220.20 for Ollie's Fund.

We can't thank Janet enough for the time and effort spent in getting the show off the ground, and for her and Max carrying on despite being soaked to the skin. Thanks ladies !

17th July 2009

At East Of England showground i'm pleased to announce that both Clouseau and Jacob were placed 1st and 2nd repsectively and able to gain placings high enough to allow them to qualify for Crufts 2009, something we could only dream of achieving.Hence we are over the moon !

2nd July 2008

I am pleased to be able to offer Ollie's Fund t-shirts for those that wish to offer their support to the fund.

This idea came about after getting many requests for them after people saw Sarah, Jon, Stew and I wearing them at the summer party we held in aid of the fund this June.
(Photo's of the party are on the Italian Spinone website www.italianspinone.co.uk .....see the gallery for all the pics)

ALL proceeds from each t-shirt sold will go to the AHT Ollie's Fund and will help them in the fight to find a cure for canine epilepsy.

Please see the Online Shop for order details !

Thanks in advance for your support !

18th June 2008

After a fabulous day for the Montecani summer party, I am pleased to let everyone know that we raised a total of £264.21 from the event.

THANK YOU to everyone who travelled far and wide to be with us on the day - we can't thank you enouh for the support.

We're already planning the Xmas party which is booked for the 13th December, so watch this space !

 

 

29th May 2008

On the one year anniversary of us losing Ollie in 2007, I am so pleased to be able announce the formation of a new charity for raising money for canine epilepsy research at the AHT in Newmarket, UK. 
"Ollie's Fund For Canine Epilepsy Research" will be launched in June, and our very first fundraiser, a huge launch party will take place on the 15th June.

I feel that by naming the fund in Ollie's memory adds kudos to the whole canine epilepsy scenario rather than it being just a 'fund' for canine epilepsy.
I decided to use his name as over the 2 1/2 years he was at epilepsy's grasp, and purely as many, many people not only in the UK but worldwide will have known and therefore remember Ollie.
Many of you encountered the ups and the down of the terribly trying and deeply uspetting times we went through with him, and many of you will be going through the very same rollecoaster ride right now.

I hope that will enourage everyone to donate as little or as much as they are able towards the fund, it will mean so much to see research being dedicated solely for epilepsy in dogs, it's something we are all passionate about seeing happen, and although it's a long and no doubt complicated process, if we can offer money to the projects the geneticists are trialing towards finding the genes responsible for causing our dogs and us such distress and loss, then I am sure in a few years time from now we can see real marked success and at the very least improvament on teating the diease,  and maybe who knows, even a cure.

I'll be adding more details to the fund process and of course a donation link directly to the AHT website in the next few weeks, so please do check back soon for more information
Meanwhile here's the new logo for the fund.I hope you feel it sums up the whole epilepsy feel for our dogs......

The Spinone drawing is an original by Lin Holford (linholford@btinternet.com - I added the clouds and the lightning to denote disorientation and confusion commonly seen in epileptic dogs) and the graphic design is by Julie Wallace (jooliewallace@yahoo.co.uk)
I can't thank both of them enough for their free time and help in helping to get the design just as I had envisaged it.

26th February 2008

After attending the ISCGB health meeting for CA and epilepsy held in Birmingham on Sunday I now have from Catherine Mellersh the senior geneticist, a box of 30 complete cheek swab kits for anyone that wants to take the test to help with DNA sampling.

Remember your dog does NOT have to be necessarily linked to epilepsy - i.e if he/she is over the age of 7 their DNA is very helpful (the older the dog better) - They can play a crucial part in helping the AHT.

Other than the above criteria, your dog must be linked in some way to a dog that has epilepsy, either it's a sibling or a family member through breeding.

PLEASE TAKE PART IF YOU CAN

Just email me at haggerwoods@aol.com and I will send to you free of charge the kit for you take the cheek swab.

23rd February 2008

Today we all ventured south to Hampshire to the Hampton Estate where we took part in the HPR training day organised by the Italian Spinone Club of GB. We took along Tiva, Clouseau and of course Jacob.

Not sure of what the day would bring we wrapped up warm (us not the dogs lol!) and packed lunches and lots of drinks for the trip.

We were put into a group for newcomers (Jacob nearly fainted hearing this as according to him he is far more advanced!) and were led by Rod Johnson through the bracken into the woods of the estate.

One by one we all let our dogs out on their own to search and point any game that was lurking around.

We had a fab time, all of the dogs behaved extremely well, and Jacob was fantastic, he was such a natural (can you hear him saying I told you so ?!) he flushed up a few hen pheasants as did Catherine's Bella, who stood on a beautiful point over a particular area of thick bracken only to disappear after the very thing she flushed up.

We eventually found her about 10 minutes later, happily wandering alongside the hunt that was passing through !

All in all we all had the best day, and cannot wait to go again.

We came home happy but absolutely knackered !

9th February 2008

Today we found out from Andrew at the AHT that they will be putting together a brand new fund in Ollie's name. This fund will be in place to allow us to fundraise in attempt that we can raise as much money as we can to go into the research project for Canine Epilepsy. We know this won't bring Ollie back, but it goes a long way for us to make his fight count.

Watch this space for links to his new fund on the AHT website once all is set up.