Exclusive sneak preview of ‘Tails of the Alpjuarras’

Standing-bookAfter an overwhelming response to the call for contributions, Tails of The Alpujarras, the anthology of poems, anecdotes and heart-warming animal stories, is now available in paperback and e-book.

Curated by author, David Luddington, with the kind support of his publishers, Mirador Publishing, this wonderful collection includes real-life and fictional tales generously donated by first-time writers, published novelists and broadcasters including Victoria Twead, David Luddington, Jeff Jones and Elizabeth Revill.

The cover was designed by local artist Charlotte Moore and all proceeds will go to Valle Verde Animal Rescue.

The book opens with a story from international bestselling author Chris Stewart, (Driving over Lemons) and we are excited to give you an exclusive taster of that first chapter here:

The Near Death Of Bumble

from Last Days Of The Bus Club

By Chris Stewart

Picture, if you will, a river raging from its gorge, a truly terrifying tumult of waters, an element gone berserk. As near bonkers as you can get, we, the inhabitants of the far side of that river, had sailed across it suspended from a cable, the ‘Flying Fox’ as it is known in the trade. Our daughter, Chloé, was going back to Granada.

As we hugged one another goodbye, Bumble, our big white Mastín Leonés, appeared beside us, battered and bedraggled. I could hardly believe that she had launched herself into the raging water and struggled across for no other reason than that we happened briefly to be on the other side. It was little short of a miracle that she had survived. Chloé, delighted by this heroic gesture, smothered her with a big display of affection, while Ana and I tried to disguise our anxiety as to how on earth we’d manage to get the brainless creature home.

Bumble is an enormously strong dog, affectionately known as “The Lifter”, for her endearing habit of thrusting her enormous nose deep into the crotch of unsuspecting visitors and, with a heave of her powerful neck, lifting them off the ground. There are some who find this good-natured demonstration of affection embarrassing; we find it a hoot. But there was little lift left in that poor shaken creature shivering and whimpering beside us.

Read the rest of this story and more in Tails of The Alpujarras…

We are indebted to all those wonderful people who have helped make this anthology a reality. You can now order your copy on Amazon today.

Please read and enjoy, share with your friends and know that you are helping to change lives and save lives here is Southern Spain.

Find a pet

Here are some of the other cat and dogs currently waiting to find their forever homes. Could that be with you?

Click on your favourite below or find more here

Nina, female dog rescued from the perrera is up for adoption

Nina – shy female dog rescued from the perrera seeks home

Nina has just arrived at the shelter after spending two years in the perrera. She is sweet-natured and a little shy at first. Let’s find this sweet girl a home!

Leo, abandoned dog for adoption

Leo – friendly male dog seeks a home

Leo was abandoned outside Linda’s house and has settled in very well at the shelter with the other dogs. Let’s find this super boy a home!

Bron, young male dog for adoption in Spain

Bron – playful male dog needs a home

Bron is an extremely affectionate and energetic boy who loves to play. He’s good with other dogs and ideally needs to be in a home with another dog. Let’s find this lovely boy a home.

Woody – male dog seeks loving home

Sadly, Woody is looking for a family to love him. He is an active boy who loves going on walks and playing. He loves people, no problem with children or other dogs. No cats.

Jeeves, sociable young male dog seeks home

Jeeves: sociable male dog seeks home

Born in February 2023, Jeeves is a really friendly boy. He has tested negative to all 5 mediterranean diseases. Let’s find him a home…

Mora female dog

Mora – Friendly young female dog seeks home

Meet Mora. A big, friendly girl, she loves affection and socialises well with other dogs. Mora is negative to all 5 mediterranean diseases.

Buddy – male Podenco Cross for adoption

Buddy is a Podenco cross and a very lively boy. He loves playing with his siblings. Let’s find this boy a home!

Cassidy, young male dog seeks home

Cassidy – young male dog needs a home

Cassidy is a male Retriever Mastín cross. He is fairly big but has a gentle and timid nature. Mixes well with other dogs, not dominant. Let’s find this gentle boy a home.

Toby – young male dog needs a home

Toby is new to the shelter, he came in with Daisy. He is a happy and friendly boy. Mixes and plays with the other dogs. Let’s find this great boy a home!

Boomer, young male dog for adoption

Boomer – sweet young male looking for a home

Boomer is a sweet boy. A little nervous but gaining confidence quickly. Mixes well with other dogs. Let’s find him a home!

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Adopt

Meet the Valle Verde Cats & Dogs looking for homes

Bron – playful male dog needs a home

Bron – playful male dog needs a home

Bron is an extremely affectionate and energetic boy who loves to play. He’s good with other dogs and ideally needs to be in a home with another dog. Let’s find this lovely boy a home.

Find out about other ways that you can help

We understand that not everybody can offer a home to our rescue animals, but there are many other ways that you can support the work we do. Find out more…

Donate

All your donations, big or small, help us continue our work rescuing and re-homing animals in need.

Fundraise

If you would like to fundraise for Valle Verde Animal Rescue, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Volunteer

There are lots of other ways that you can support the animals. Find out more about volunteering.

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