Appletree an asset for area thanks to Kate’s hard work
Until last week, the House of Commons had been in recess for a few weeks.
This is the chance for MPs, without the pressure of urgent votes in the lobbies, to return to their constituencies and spend time there.
It’s my favourite part of the parliamentary year. Ochil and South Perthshire is an extraordinarily beautiful constituency and is home to some truly remarkable people.
This summer I’ve met quite a few of them and two of my visits really stood out for me.
One was to PADS - the Perthshire Abandoned Dogs Society.
I was apprehensive about visiting. Kennels for abandoned animals can be grim places with rows of cruelly treated pets staring dolefully out or barking excitedly, begging visitors for a second chance at a happier life. For the old, the infirm and the ugly, that second chance often doesn’t come and their stay ends unhappily.
I needn’t have worried. PADS is a joyful place. A community of carers look after a wee community of dogs with a lifetime of stories.
There are rescued dogs; dogs abandoned on the streets of Romania; dogs who have outlived their owners; some whose owners have become too frail to care for them; and yes, sadly, victims of ill-treatment.
None are ever put down. All are loved and groomed, fed well and exercised. And make no mistake, if you want to take one home, it’s the prospective human companion, not the dog who gets put through his or her paces.
PADS are discerning about who they allow to adopt their canine charges.
I fell for a dignified chihuahua with a direct gaze. If it weren’t for my lifestyle with endless travelling, I suspect I’d have been researching nutritious dog food recipes by now.
Another memorable trip was to visit a remarkable woman called Kate
Sainsbury and her son Louis who hosted me at Louis’new home, the Appletree Community.
Louis contracted meningitis as a baby and has lived with a severe mental impairment ever since.
His mother is his staunchest advocate and a ferocious champion for the rights of people living with disabilities.
Louis’s social services care over the years hasn’t always been ideal and Kate believes that heavy-handed restraint used on him has left Louis traumatised.
Kate’s dream has always been to provide him with his own place and as much independence as possible.
A financial settlement from the hospital where he was born has allowed her to fulfil her dream.
Appletree is an oasis. Set around a beautifully planted courtyard, it has been adapted from existing old stone farm buildings. Colours are Louis’s carefully chosen choice. There are living quarters for a care team.
And – as Kate told me when I joined them for birthday cake, jelly and ice cream – she hopes that others will join Louis and come to live in and share this special place.
Thanks to his tenacious, fearless mum, Louis now has a home for the rest of his life.
I left with a bit of a lump in my throat.