"Sleepy Bugs" in Doggie Eyes and Today's Post

I have been trying --- as usual --- to catch up on the backlog of images that Marjorie has taken of our doggie guests. I "process" all of these with Photoshop CS3. If a dog has a "sleepy bug" in his or her eye, I remove it with Photoshop. I also add catch lights to the eyes themselves, and do other enhancements. These photos are then posted in our online gallery at www.hmdp.net where owners can purchase the high-res file for a modest Stg 7.50.

As I was doing this, I thought of our persecution by the Council. It's never far from Marjorie's or my thoughts. I wondered:

• How many kennels take any photographs of their doggie guests?
• Of the ones that do (are there any?) how many do so in hi-res, with Canon professional equipment?
• And then how many spend tons of time "processing" the images in Photoshop, taking the time and care to remove something as simple as "sleepy bugs?"

I've decided that I shouldn't really politicise a warm-and-fuzzy doggie blog, so I've purchased a new domain name: www.council-sucks.com I'm in the process of installing forum software there, to provide a place for folks (starting with me) to have the satisfaction of venting their frustration with inept Council bureaucrats. I know from experience that even if nobody reads the posting it is still cathartic to post it where someone might read it.

Don't get me wrong. I don't know about other Councils, so can't say that all Councils sucks. And I've lived in Worcestershire since 1986, and haven't really had many dealings with the Worcestershire County Council prior to this. But I definitely think they suck now!

Just as I was feeling depressed and angry, the day's post arrived. In it were copies of two questionnaires sent by our customers to Worcestershire Trading Standards.

Talk about cheering me up. One read:

The health and well being of our dog is, and remains, the most important concern for us when we leave him in the care of Lucies Farm. It goes without saying that we took a great deal of time researching possible kenneling facilities for him before we settled on Lucies Farm and of course that included not only a viewing but also a trial overnight stay.

We could not be more delighted with the facilities and service that Craig and Marjorie Walsh and their team of dedicated staff provide for both us and our dog. Over the three years that we have been their clients, we have never failed to be completely satisfied at all times. When we see the excitement on our dog's face as we arrive at Lucies Farm, his delighted reaction t being reunited with Marjorie and at times the reluctance he shows to get back i the car to return home --- it is moments like these that reassure us that he is being treated as one of their family.

Not only do we have photographs that Craig has taken of our dog displayed in our home and a signed copy of Marjorie's latest book on our shelves but we have, on numerous occasions, recommended Lucies Farm to complete strangers whilst out dog walking as well as to friends and family.

From the moment we first "visited" Lucies Farm on their impressive and friendly website through to when we collect our dog (complete with his complimentary homemade cookies for the journey home!) we are completely confident in the service we are paying for. And whenever we have missed our dog, whilst being overseas, we have been thrilled to have the facility to watch and listen not only to him, but also the staff who are with him via the 24 hour web-cam.

Lucies Farm is exactly what it says it is. It is a luxury dog hotel for owners who put the needs of their dog first very time. Which is exactly what Lucies Farm does and we are privileged to be one of their clients.

In their covering letter to Terry Blanchard, they say, " . . . my wife and I are very concerned that you appear to have details of our pedigree dog on your electronic database. Could you please confirm that you are legally allowed to hold such details without our consent (does the Data Protection Act not apply?) and that all data will be destroyed at the end of your investigation? You seem to have a large database of pedigree dogs and their addresses, which would be highly valuable information in the wrong hands, and given the recent spate of central government loss of databases on CD's and laptops, this concerns me deeply."

Our position, confirmed by our barrister's opinion, is that the Council acted illegally when they stole this information from our password-protected computer and database.

The second letter to Ms. Blanchard that arrived today said:

I wish to make the following observations with regard to your letter. My immediate reaction was disbelief that Craig and Marjorie Walsh would be subjected to investigation by trading standards. I first used their services two years ago, at short notice, because the putative kennel I had chosen for my dog was not acceptable. I could not have made a better choice and was delighted with the care and attention that they could offer. The same high standard has applied during his subsequent stays. The question about the fee is puzzling because this information is openly available on the Lucies website. Craig Walsh also discussed the costs under the FAQ heading and his frankness is illuminating and refreshing.

The author of the first letter made a new booking today using our online system --- the one we supposedly don't have. In the comments section they said, "Ooooh. He'd love to stay in the cave."