This is not how a river in the Lake District should look. This stretch of river is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the location of the now infamous Cunsey Beck fish kill in 2022. Upstream from where the second photo was taken yesterday, there are four United Utilities assets: Near Sawrey Wastewater Treatment Works, Esthwaite Lodge Pumping Station, Hawkshead Pumping Station, and Hawkshead Wastewater Treatment Works. Working with Professor Peter Hammond from @windrushwasp, we have been able to show that two of these sites have illegally dumped sewage in recent years. Utter disdain for such a beautiful part of this country. This is just down the road from Beatrix potters home.

Sometimes even we need help with dogs! 🐕 Colin came to us from a sanctuary that was closing down in Wales.  We have not managed to home him and his fosters haven't worked out.  Our dogs just don't understand him (as he is a collie in his behaviours), and we have struggled to help him settle and relax.  We have been unable to give him the activity outlets he needs as our dogs won't run with him and he needs more breed specific training than we can offer to get him the right home.  So, we have called upon an expert in collies - @HartCollie who runs an amazing free-running Collie Rescue in Wales. We had the most amazing opportunity watching Diane introduce him to her pack and see how another free running rescue works. It was one of the best things we have ever done.   Diane has taken Colin for a few weeks for residential assessment and rehabilitation with her pack. Naturally we are paying for her services and hope the much-needed funds will help some of her rescue cases too. Diane is an absolute inspiration! 100 dogs - who are the happiest dogs you could see yet who have had some of the hardest lives imaginable.  Like us she has sanctuary dogs but also tries to rehome as many as she can.  Her phone never stopped ringing with pleas while we were there and so we know how lucky we are to have got him in there.  She's been sending updates and she's over the moon with him.  He's not put a paw wrong and seeing him there within a few minutes we knew it was the best thing we could have done for him. This was Colin’s first meet with some of her 100 dogs. It was magical to watch - they seemed to instinctively get Colin, and he them. As soon as he felt comfortable he started mimicking Collie behaviours and joining in their games, playing and moving in ways we have never seen of him. He didn’t even look back when we left which is a real testament to how safe he was feeling.  I thought we would feel sad but having never seen him as happy it has just been the most uplifting experience. Her dogs so different to ours but so fantastic and incredible in their difference too.  It would be wonderful if some of you could follow Diane’s page. Do watch the videos of her pack coming out to play. They are like a tornado flying down the field! It was also the funniest thing for us to be chatting with Diane and then look down to see 15 dogs laying perfectly still waiting for someone to throw the frisbee - never happens at ours!! But this is magic of meeting a kindred spirit who uses pack rehabilitation to help dogs most have given up on. #rescuesworkingtogether