In the lead up to the Schnauzerfest weekend we were contacted by someone in Scotland who wanted to know if she could do something special for Schnauzerfest. And so began a transformational few days for what has been an astonishing year for Schnauzerfest.
Ros Lowrie, lives in a small village in Scotland with her family. Ros’s youngest child, Eve, died at birth on 24 December 2007 and in 2015 in her memory, Ros and her partner Paddy set up Eve’s Foundation.
As animals are a huge part of Ros and her living children’s lives, and certainly would have been for Eve too, Ros wishes to support the work of Schnauzerfest and DBARC by funding the eye surgery for one of the dogs in their care. This incredible kindness and generosity will transform how the Schnauzerfest funds are used this year, as it will enable DBARC to help at least one more dog with the funds raised collectively by the wonderful Schnauzerfest family.
Having spoken with Janet about how best to use Eve’s Foundation donation, the dog she feels is in most urgent need is Laurel, as she’s completely blind. Once it’s been confirmed by the eye specialist later this week that she’s a good candidate for double cataract surgery, her operation will go ahead and be funded by Ros.
The puppy farming background of Laurel and the other schnauzers who we help through Schnauzerfest, is something which Ros finds distressing, as we all do when we come to know the truth and extent of suffering experienced by dogs. By supporting DBARC in this way, Ros told us it goes a little way to feeling she’s doing something useful. What we all do together within the Schnauzerfest community, is more than useful, it’s truly life-changing for the dogs who are helped.
UPDATE: Laurel went on to have successful surgery, was adopted by a lovely family in Devon, renamed Bessie and now lives happily in the countryside, fully sighted, her life transformed by Schnauzerfest.
Laurel, now called Bessie, living happily in Devon, pictured 2018