This week, Yasmine is away on an excursion with her students and my workload at home has, as a result, doubled, and more or less exactly when our overall load itself has doubled. We now have 8 permanent dogs, 1 dog who may find another home, 1 new pup and 4 foster pups. 2 new rescue cats, 1 very tiny and demanding foster kitten who came to us on Monday and 2 more kittens due today. I also have tight deadlines at work and on two freelance projects this week.

To try and lighten the load, I asked the other members of the trust Yasmine and I were supposed to be a part of if I could shift the 4 pups to the shelter which is supposedly our joint concern. I was told that I cannot because they have already committed to take in 3 pups from another shelter. When I pressed my case, the discussion veered from agreeing, to telling me to only bring 2 pups, to me fixing a day on which I would do this, to my fellow trustees telling me that they have told the other organisation to cancel bringing their pups. At this point it was also revealed to me that the other 3 pups were only supposed to be taken in next month, which meant some or all of my fosters could have been taken in right away.I pointed this out and was told (a) they had decided not to take the pups from the shelter and (b) there was no room for my foster pups either. I replied that I was sorry I had brought this request up at all and that I would look for other animal lovers to help me.

I feel sad, tired and angry. I am glad I do not have to work with those creeps again. In the meantime, Yasmine and I will continue to do the animal welfare work we have always done. Without poorly-chosen 'allies' who act in bad faith.