Frightening Festivities, Part One.

There is much excitement at the moment with the build up to Halloween and Bonfire Night (dare I mention Christmas?)  Although exciting for us, Halloween and Bonfire Night can be very frightening and even dangerous for our pets and wild animals.  In our own preparation for Halloween and Bonfire Night we should consider the feelings of our pets, to help you out here are some useful safety tips for Halloween (Bonfire Night safety to follow in good time)

Halloween

On Halloween night, the door bell is ringing and strangers in funny costumes are outside in the dark, this can be very daunting for dogs and cats.  Help combat their fear by settling them in a nice quiet room with everything they need and plenty of distracting toys.  Keep them calm and reassured.

It is important to keep cats in for the night as there will possibly be lots of people and activity on the streets which can be very scary, I am always weary of bad things happening to cats on Halloween as well so bear this in mind.  Ensure they don't dart out of the door when you are handing out sweets to Trick or Treaters.  It is up to YOU to take responsibility for your pets safety.

Halloween brings lots of sweets and chocolate (if you're lucky) and it's important to make sure your pets don't get hold of any of this.  Remember, chocolate is poisonous to some animals and sweet and chocolate wrappers can cause your pet to choke.

If you're having a party this Halloween make sure your pets are kept safe and reassured in a room away from loud music, keep them away from rowdy children (and adults) and ensure they aren't able to sample the food or drinks.

Dressing up on Halloween is all part of the fun and some people love to dress their pets up as well, just remember that your pet may not be very receptive to this and may be frightened, uncomfortable and possibly even irritated (I used to make Lucky wear a coat in the winter but the withering looks she gave me expressed exactly how she felt about that!)  Any costumes with masks attached are NOT a good idea either.  If your pet doesn't want to be a pumpkin don't force them!

Action Alert ~ Costa Coffee Adverts.

I've received an Action Alert from The Captive Animal's Protection Society (CAPS) with news about Costa Coffee using monkeys in its first televised advertising campaign and have explained "Using primates in such a way has a negative impact on conservation messages as well as risking the welfare of the animals used."  CAPS, along with, Wild Futures, International Primate Protection League, BUAV and Born Free have sent a joint letter to Costa Coffee asking them to cancel further screenings of the advert. 

There is also an article on this in The Observer which points out the although Costa are certified by the Rainforest Alliance their relationship is under strain after questions arose regarding whether Costa was in breach of the Rainforest Alliance's code of conduct which states that certified partners must respect wildlife.  

How You Can Help:

1.  Read the article from The Observer.

2.  Sign the petition

3.  Write a polite e-mail of complaint to Costa Coffee at this address customer.relations@whitbread.com

4.  Write a polite e-mail of complaint to The Advertising Agency

5.  Ask The Rainforest Alliance to take action by sending a polite e-mail here info@ra.org

6.  Tell your friends!

(When I have written my complaints I will add them in to give you some inspiration)

E-mail to Costa Coffee

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing regarding your television advertisement entitled “Monkeys and Typewriters”.  As a long time customer of Costa Coffee I was greatly disappointed that you have chosen to use captive primates to sell your products.  I am shocked that as a company certified by the Rainforest Alliance you risked rebelling against their Code of Conduct in order to produce and air the commercial.

Using captive primates in this way has a very negative impact on conservation messages and also puts the welfare of the primates used at risk.

I would like to inform you that I will no longer be a customer at Costa Coffee whilst this advert is broadcast and whilst your attitude to captive animals is as such.  I will be spreading the word and asking my friends and family to avoid Costa Coffee for the same reason.

Yours faithfully...

Please feel free to use this as a guide and add anything you feel appropriate.  More e-mail suggestions to follow.

Get To Know A Dog

A while back I received an e-mail from the RSPCA featuring their new campaign entitled Get To Know A Dog.  They are referring to Staffordshire Bull Terriers and asking people to challenge their misconceptions and consider adopting a Staffie.  When I met Suki I was amazed at how affectionate, loyal and frankly sloppy she was, if I believed everything I heard in the media I would never have had the good fortune to meet such an adorable and loving companion.  

Most of the time when walking Suki people approach us and without hesitation reach out and stroke her, some even fall to their knees and give her a big hug!  Unfortunately some people see us coming and quickly move away, over the weekend one lady gave a squeal when Suki attempted to sniff her feet and another uttered "That dogs scary".  I am being a bit presumptuous really as these people may just have been scared of dogs in general, but if they were discriminating against Staffies it is their ignorance and their loss, Suki would have loved to give them a big cuddle!

If you have time, take a look at the RSPCA campaign here and learn more about Staffies and read some of the stories, if you hear anyone talking about Staffies in a negative way please direct them to Get To Know A Dog.

Hello Suki!

Despite my vow to keep up with the blog as much as I can I'm afraid I haven't done very well at all, I have made quite a big change in the last month and moved out of home and in with my boyfriend, I have a new home and new job. Ten days after we moved into our flat we added something new to the mix... A dog! She is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and her name is Suki. Isn't she adorable?


We wanted a Staffie in particular because so many of them are being dumped and regrettably having to be euthanised as people aren't rehoming them due to the negative press they have received. We know little about Suki's history, just that she was used for breeding, dumped at the pound and luckily rescued by a charity called Knine and Kitty Rescue. It was technically Suki that found us as Julia from Knine (Suki's foster Mum) saw my boyfriends advert offering to rehome a Staffie and she felt drawn to telephone him.

We went to meet Julia and Suki and immeditaely fell in love with the black and white bundle of fun with her soulful brown eyes and forever wagging tail. We took her home with us for a weeks trail (mainly for her benefit) to see how we all got along. Despite a few flatulance issues and training Suki to not cry when we went to bed we all got along like a house on fire and within a few days had decided we could give her the life she deserved. A few weeks ago we took her to say goodbye to her Foster Mum (we will be keeping in touch) and Suki is now a permenant part of the family and a real character!

We have learnt so much in the past few weeks about Suki and dogs in general. It has been a few years since my beloved Lucky passed away but Suki reminds me of her in so many ways, that adoring look in her eyes, her soft fur, the doggie smell, pink tummy and wagging tail. Like Lucky, Suki wants to cuddle ALL THE TIME and we are happy to oblige. A few days after we took her home we realised Suki was in heat and although initially didn't have a clue what that meant we now know a lot more about it and although Suki won't be experiencing that again as she is being spayed it was an experience for all of us (it even involved doggie pants!)

I'll be updating you regulary on Suki and Rusty (who I miss terribly) and I have some interesting articles planned for The Animal News so hope to see you here later on.