Being lucky enough to live in this beautiful Archipelago, sometimes we forget the wider world…

I’ve been sitting on an idea for some time now. It is a non-profit project. I can’t use the word ‘charitable’, as I’m not a ‘charity’, despite my kids assumptions to the contrary. It’s something that’s very dear to me and a great way to use the skills I have to benefit others in the wider world.

All to often we sit on such ideas as we are so caught up in our businesses and daily lives, but during the course of the last year a few things have happened to me that have been driving home to me that now is the time to do this.

Amongst this whole series of random events, I got to know one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met, and got involved with finding a missing person here in Lanzarote. Finding him was one of, if not the, most satisfying things I’ve done in quite some time.

So, out comes the idea into daylight again. It’s time to just get on with it and stop procrastinating.

But, there are a couple of problems.

Firstly, I can’t talk about the precise details, there’s something of a ‘first’ in my plan which forces me to be ‘cloak and dagger’ about it. It would be copied if I talked about it openly, and if copied either badly, or twisted into something for financial gain – it simply won’t work.

I’m assuming many reading this have been in the Canaries for some time? If so, you’ll know that the minute you speak of or do anything original it’s not long before someone comes along to plagiarise it.

Secondly, the project requires a fair amount of funds to work to it’s full effect!

So, how do you get past those two rather significant problems?

Seeing the gravity of the problems I came to the conclusion that I had to offer something of value. Have something to sell, which is low cost and makes making a donation to the project a ‘no brainer’.

I came up with the idea of offering pixel adversing on my website. If you haven’t seen pixel ads before, basically what you do is purchase a number of pixels from a grid which link to your own website when clicked on. Roll the mouse over the grid and it displays whatever image you upload. It really is a very low cost form of advertising.

You can support the project, and get yourself some low cost advertising! Visit the website to see for yourself. All the money raised via the pixel ads will go towards the project.

Once the funds are raised and the project comes to fruition, it’s going to be an interesting ride!

Alan and his wife Elle run the Lanzarote web design company Gandy-Draper. You can visit his personal blog or follow his blog on Facebook to find out more about the project, or simply go to the pixel ads site and get your link.

If you don’t have your own website but want to support Alan’s project you might want to place a link to a friends site, or even your favourite charity.

I don’t know too much about the organisation yet, but it seems to have been developed from/by Petsworld Dog Hotel where the owner, Marisa Traen and her team have been looking after abandoned animals in addition to running the boarding kennels that she opened early in 2001.

Since then, it would appear that together they have cared for over 200 abandoned and rescued dogs and now La Esperanza Del Sur has become a non-profit registered charity here in Tenerife.

Most of the rescue dogs they have, but not all, are Podencos (Hunting) dogs.  If you have a look at the section “Our Dogs” on their website you can read about the dogs, how and where they were found.

Please visit their website for La Esperanza Del Sur to learn more about what they have been doing and how you can help them to continue with this fantastic work.

Tenerife is a beautiful island, there is no question about that.  Unfortunately however, it suffers massively with neglected and abandoned animals – predominantly dogs.

One way to begin solving the problem is to introduce a complete ban on the sale of puppies in pet shops.  This was adopted in England several years ago but here in Tenerife such sales are still allowed.

Another way, perhaps easier to introduce and promote, is to re-home and foster dogs that were once cherished pets but have now been cast aside due to owners relocating or, sadly, in a lot of cases sheer neglect.  My view is that if each person does their bit, then we could start to make positive changes here.

Some months ago we decided to rescue a lovely Doberman from one of the many refuges on the island.  We didn’t intend to have a fourth dog but when we saw him we just couldn’t leave him there!

Then, in January 2010 we took in another 4 dogs – a Pointer, a Podenco, a Labrador X and a small mix.  They were living in squalor, rarely got to eat and sadly one of them had been regularly beaten making her extremely timid.  We wanted to give them a chance at finding a home, something which they wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

The first port of call was to go to the vet and get everything done for these dogs that they had never had done before; microchips, de flea, worming, Heartworm test (luckily all negative), and all their vaccinations for the 7 canine diseases, Rabies and Heartworm.  They were painfully thin and absolutely stunk so they all got bathed (several times) and given a hearty dinner.

With much campaigning the first 2 were rehomed almost immediately.  The Pointer now has a fantastic home on the Golf del Sur and the small mix went to a nice family on the coast.

This still leaves us with the Podenco and the Lab X (Zuri and Lina).  They are both wonderfully fit and healthy, at their correct weight and, having been socialised ‘to the max’, are just amazing dogs and so willing to please.

We have had some hurdles along the way, people saying they want one or the other (or in one case, both) and then backing out, but it doesn’t dampen our spirits.  Somewhere out there is a home for Zuri and Lina with people who will give them the love and attention they deserve.

They have even hit youtube, local papers, Facebook, Twitter, various forums and I even wrote to the BBC (still waiting on that one)…….still though, they are looking for homes.

One of the problems we are finding is that people still (think they) want pedigrees, hence the Lab X remaining un-homed.  If people looked past the fact that she doesn’t come with papers they would be blessed with an amazing dog.

Fostering is something I wish to continue doing.  No one said it was going to be easy and, in a house of 6 large dogs, it has its struggles, but these dogs deserve so much better than they had and if more people could come forward to re-home on a permanent or temporary basis then we could start to reduce numbers in refuges and on the streets.

No dog deserves the lives they have sometimes and ultimately it is us who have put it on them, we now owe it to them to change the situation.

So, please, next time you are walking past a pet shop with cute puppies in the window, keep walking.  If a dog really is for you then go to a refuge or a foster carer like myself and allow a “second hand dog” into your heart.

Thanks, Steph.  It looks like you are doing a great job there, let’s hope you find a home for these guys very soon!  Steph’s contact details are shown at the end of the YouTube video, just click on the YouTube link above.

Could you provide a home for Zuri and/or Lina?  If not one of these two, maybe consider one of the many others that could benefit from being brought in to a warm and caring home environment.  Leave us a comment to let us know how you think you can help.

How long have you lived in Tenerife?

My wife and I have lived in Tenerife now for 3 years starting out in the north of the island Puerto de la Cruz but work was so quiet up there that we decided a move to the south was in order and we haven’t looked back since.

Where do you call home, here or where you were born and why?

We call Tenerife home because this is where we intend to stay for as long as possible, I was born In Dewsbury West Yorkshire and they don’t get enough sun over there.

Now that you live on a Holiday Island, what is your favourite Holiday destination?

At the moment I don’t have a favourite destination but we are looking at one or two possibilities as we haven’t had a holiday for 10 years.

Describe your best memory since living in Tenerife

This is probably going out on a friend’s boat and seeing the Whales and Dolphins in their natural habitat, also visiting Loro Parque for the first time a few weeks ago.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time (keep it clean!).

I spend a lot of my spare time on the computer, but I also enjoy the odd game of mini golf and watching Liverpool play their matches.

Which is your favourite Tourist Attraction?

Loro Parque as it’s the only attraction that we have been to.

Where would you say was the best place to eat and/or drink in Tenerife?

My favourite place to eat is the Peking Garden on the Parque de La Paz (I like a good Chinese Chicken Curry and chips), drinking wise most bars that have a good atmosphere, we tend to drink in AJ’s Bar in Torviscas quite a lot.

What has been your biggest challenge since you arrived on the Island?

Probably the biggest challenge since arriving in Tenerife was getting established on the circuit as it can be difficult some Artists see you as a threat and will offer no help at all although their are a few that will do whatever they can to help.

Is there something that you would really like to achieve within the next 5 years?

I would like to keep as many bookings as I have at the moment and stay financially stable, my biggest ambition would be to sing at the Grand Ole Opry in America, we will be visiting the states next year so you never know.

Tell us something that that few people will know about you?

I am a published Poet, a qualified painter and decorator and Joiner, appeared on both British and American radio and TV, I sang at the birthday party of Sunny West (Elvis Presley’s bodyguard) and also I have never left Tenerife, died or been bottled in the face, (sorry had to put that as this is some of the rumours that have gone around over the last 3 years).

Thanks, Jesse!  Well it seems like the Tenerife Rumour Mill has been at it again but I can confirm Jesse Garon the Multi Tribute Artist singing Country, Rock and Roll and Elvis (amongst others) is very much alive and well and performing nightly at venues throughout the South of Tenerife.

They are part of the way there, due to several generous benefactors, but construction costs will not be small, so there needs to be a fund raising initiative too.

How affordable is this then?  Could you, buy a square metre of land for Live Arico?  Well yes you can, at just €5 per square metre!

For this you will receive a certificate from Live Arico confirming your purchase and once the centre is completed your name and the number of square metres that you bought will be included on a “Roll of Honour” in the welcome centre at the new refuge.

This sounds like a fantastic initiative and should be affordable for most of us animal lovers.  For more information and to find out how you can make your purchase please call Debbie Gibson (on +34 637 918 158) or Suzy Q (on +34 629 388 102) as soon as you can or if you are in the UK and would prefer not to phone an overseas number, let me know and I will make sure the message is passed straight to them.