Stow Fair

tiny puppies and the sad collie.


















Off we went to Stow Fair after a mind blowing early start at the sanctuary. Great big clouds looomed over the hills and it rained, showery, most of the time. It wasn't as muddy this time. We've been when it's the tracks round the field have been ankle deep in sludge. Can't think why the girls dress in breakneck high heels and wearing Ibiza type clothing in late October in the middle of a bleak field! but whatever...just glad I stuck to wellies, jeans and a fleece jacket!

So the first thing we see is the usual huge Police presence and then discover the parking has shifted from just off the town centre to 1/2 mile down the main road out of the town. We followed the crowd up the road and in to the fair field. Plenty of horse boxes on the hill and the usual curve of 'trade' stands on the opposite side. Not many tethered horses, we counted three.
We met with Jo (trustee) and her Dad. They had already been round, noticed a few grim sights.
We saw a skinny bay trotter with three youths on board. Skinny bay was being driven round the fair pretty much most of the time we were there. Another one, chestnut, very young, very poor, was in dire need of a drink, was tethered short to a truck, desperately trying to reach some run off rain water.
Usual but in huge amounts were puppies. Some, like the lurcher bitch in a barrel with her litter, protected from the rain, some not. Some were good well grown pups some were pathetic little things with eyes only just opened. Some were clearly puppy farm produce...filthy dirty, flea ridden and weak. Jo wanted to take an adult collie with such dreadully thin body condition and sad face but couldn't cope with another dog.
There were cockerals leg tethered, ferrets in boxes being prodded by kids. We saw one little kid buy a puppy off one stand for £100, the kid was no more than 8 or 9 and definately not 16! ( legal age)
We met the RSPCA crew coming in as we headed out for a break and aked they take a look at the chestnut driving pony, they were brilliant as was the young Police Officer on the entrance.
When we went back down there we were told that the RSPCA had moved 2 horses off the field already but the chestnut was still there, he was still in harness, still tied up.
I come away from there each time totally depressed that people can just walk past these animals and not care?....Royal charter to hold the fair or whatever there is no need for animal abuse in any society.