Dear Friends,
this will be my final post here. I have decided to not continue, or we have, my involvement with WAV – much as I enjoyed being part of it.
However, before I leave, I would like to you to know a little bit more about me – Mark has, on several occasions, spoken about himself extensively.

Animal Welfare .. where to start. Or where did it start with me – if not strictly as animal welfare as such, because a young child naturally has no concept of that, but an interest and “love” for living things other than one (human) self – early. From the time standing wide-eyed in front of a butterfly to lovingly picking up dead creatures, of whatever kind, to give them a decent burial (often to my mum’s dismay). Out and about on a Sunday afternoon, I never walked on the path like everyone else, but through the undergrowth next to it … “finding” the odd pile of dog shit in so doing (also to my mum’s dismay).
The draw of Nature was always very strong, clearly.

So, it was not long before I, one of three children, had the first pet. A rabbit. Budgies later. Cat(s) (25 in all since 1994) . Lambs (2) and horses (10), snatched from a fate as Sunday Roast and Salami.
Hedgehogs on my doorstep every night; Strays (cat); a magpie chick brought me once as having fallen from its nest – whom I hand-raised, and called “Mona”. A busy household, ever since I returned form the UK – London – in 1992.
London … is one of those places you either hate or you love. There’s not much in between, I heard many times. With me, it is the latter. For all its faults, and no doubt there are many, as with any large city of this size, London was for me a dream come true, when in 1986, I first set foot on English soil. Shortly after my apprenticeship in Germany. After a bumpy start, I soon found my feet, and by the time I left in 1992 – my life’s greatest and most regrettable mistake – London was home to me. And is to this day, from afar.
I never again properly resettled in Germany after, also to this day. Nor, to be honest, do I wish to.

Over the years I tried to fit in, but made a great number of unfortunate experiences, sadly with AW folk here also – mainly with the horses at the time, where I allowed myself to be drawn into the “rescue carousel”, at my own cost. I do not regret having had the opportunity to save a number of innocent lives, but it cost me financially mainly a great deal (I am not an organisation or had backup from one), with animals who were ill or severely traumatised. If there was a three-legged, one-eyed, mentally handicapped equine (analogy) in a butcher’s stable, and no one else came forward for it, it was me who “rode to the rescue” usually.
It was rewarded, many times, with abuse, threats, coercion, slander (online), from AW “colleagues”, and stable owners locally. I was forced to let go of my last gelding, whom I’d raised for 6 years, 4 years ago, for half the price I paid when he was a foal. Too many times also I had to watch helplessly as self-proclaimed horse experts failed in the trust (of care) I put in them for mine – and so was only able to pick up the pieces and repair the harm done to them, if I could. In two cases I could not … and I lost them.

It was a most painful lesson, and the animals were not the only ones who came away with scars. Today I restrict myself to my cats, and the odd creature on my doorstep, also for financial reasons, as I still pay for the horses, their upkeep, medical bills, etc. – after years. Not a problem as long as I was fully employed in IT, but having been made redundant in 2020, after many years for the same company, then unemployed for age reasons (now 60), then with a (now incurable) cancer diagnosis in 2023, and now with a small pension .. life is very limited.
And even now, I need to work, part-time if I can – among other things, cleaning people’s toilets.

However, I keep being committed to the AW cause, and to the animals in my care especially. It is an uphill struggle here also – rurally – as I have become the target of local ire, in this small community, as is often the case in rural areas, where animal welfare is a sore issue. And an activist such as myself, alone, is a welcome target.

All of this taken together, is challenging on a daily basis, and very taxing – in a number of ways. I cannot fall back on any support network, privately, but, the health situation permitting, as long as possible, I intend to fight on.

My work with Mark, for WAV, and before, for “Serbian Animals Voice”, which some of you may remember, has been a source of pride for us both over the years. And I certainly hope it made a difference, in a positive way, to a number of different issues, like Live Export, and extremes like “Cat Torture” – of particular importance to myself.

I hope and expect, that Mark will continue this good work on WAV, and I have every confidence in his success.

All the very best to all of you.

Diana