Fluffy Friday #39

Bringing you an extra fluffy, Fluffy Friday this week to keep you nice and warm in this cold weather.  


Cuddle up and enjoy the adorable pictures of this baby owl thoroughly enjoying being petted...

Awwwwwwwww!

Check out the source for an adorable video too!


Have a lovely weekend. 

Seasonal Safety – Part Three

Are you excited yet?  Not long to go until Christmas!  Suki has been sniffing her doggie stocking since we unpacked it in our new house back in October.  Over Halloween and Bonfire night you may remember my posts on Seasonal Safety, this is the third and final instalment and I hope you find it interesting reading and a source of help to you and your pets over Christmas.

Top Tips for a Carefree Christmas

Now, I don’t mean to be a kill joy but cute Christmas costumes come in the same category as Halloween costumes I’m afraid, they are simply not suitable for most pets.  They look utterly adorable and unquestionably cute but they can really frighten and annoy animals.  It is unsafe if animals are unable to see, hear or breathe and if the costume is too tight it can cut off circulation.  Basically, costumes can be a recipe for disaster and it isn’t fair to assume that your pet wants to join in with the festivities.

Keep the mince pies, Christmas pudding and mulled wine for human consumption only, do not under any circumstances let your pet have any sweets, chocolate or alcohol and make sure that this doesn't happen accidentally either.  Sweets and their wrappers can cause choking and obstruction so ensure that you dispose or wrappers safely.  Chocolate is poisonous and can cause nerve damage and potentially death.  If your pet has eaten anything they shouldn’t have and you notice a problem, consult your vet immediately.  Ensure that you explain this to all members of your household – especially children and your guests.

You might be lucky enough to receive a lot of guests over Christmas, make sure that they are sensitive towards your pets and if you are holding any Christmas parties ensure that your animals are able to escape to somewhere safe and quiet where they can relax if they want to.


I don't know about your pet but Suki loves to chew and eat anything and everything, so keep out of reach things that may cause harm (this goes for every day, not just Christmas time)  Some things worth considering keeping your pet clear of would be, Christmas trees(!), batteries, toys, pot pourri, spray on snow.


And the final tip....

Most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy yourselves and have a lovely time together!


Take care.

Countdown to Christmas #1

The true Spirit of Christmas is helping others, this extends to animals too.  When you are buying your Christmas gifts this year make a difference to the lives of animals by contributing to a good cause and ordering your gifts from one of the animal charities who have their own Christmas stores.

Charities that have their own gift stores include:

RSPCA

Dogs Trust

PDSA

Cats Protection

Mayhew International

Over the years I have bought many things from the RSPCA and PDSA online catalogues and found it an easy way to shop, purchasing several unique and competitively priced presents at the click of a button and having them all delivered at the same time.  The gifts on offer are suitable for all types of people and the cards and gift wrap are adorable, in fact so much so that I want to keep them for myself!

My picks from the catalogues-

Musical Moggies 2012 Catalogue

Look there’s Santa Christmas Cards

Westie Slippers

Dogs Galore Cushion Cover

Pink Heart Pendant Set

Owl Money Box

Joggy Moggy Micro Mouse

Staffies, they're softer than you think.

Children screaming and running into oncoming traffic, women screeching and running wild on trains, men stopping dead in the street in terror before crossing the road and hurrying away.  An asteroid?  A tornado? A contagious disease?  No, just me and Suki out and about.  

Honestly, this is what really happens. 

I think the thing that hurts the most is when fellow dog owners spot us in the park and instead of coming to say hello they drag their dog in the opposite direction.  Shouldn't they know better? 

Suki thinks that everybody loves her and as such a sociable dog seems puzzled and somewhat surprised when people scream in her face and seem terrified of her.  We always shout to the people running away in hysterics "she won't hurt you!" or "she'll only lick you to death!" but I don't think the message gets through.  

At this point I must mention that some people gravitate towards Suki and show no fear as she attempts to lick them clean, often shaking their heads and saying "People don't realise how lovely Staffies are!" Some family members were quite wary when we first adopted her but after meeting her they are as obsessed as we are!

Despite all this, there is still such a bad perception of Staffordshire Bull Terriers amongst many people.  This is due to the minority that are dangerous because of the behaviour of their owners.  Aside from trying to educate people and show them what a loving, soppy, cuddle monster Suki is I am at a loss as of what else to do.  That is why I was thrilled to hear of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home's new campaign Staffies, They're Softer Than You Think.  The campaign encourages people to find out more about Staffies (such as the fact they are called "the Nanny dog" due to them being so gentle and good with children) and even consider adopting one of the many that are currently residing at Battersea.

I'm going to have to stop looking at the website, otherwise Suki is going to end up with more brothers and sisters than she can manage!


Go on, Snuggle a Staffie!


P.S. ~ Staffies in the news.

Please help stray dogs in Romania

Not long ago I posted about dogs in Ukraine being poisoned in order to combat the overpopulation of stray dogs on the streets.  Ukraine isn’t the only country with a large number of stray animals, according to Care2, Romania also shares this concern.  

Luckily, there are some organisations in Romania that are attempting to help the stray animals but unfortunately their funding is limited which means they are also limited as to what they can do.

This means that change needs to come for the law.  Please spare a small amount of time to click on this link and sign the petition urging the Romanian government to update and enforce modern animal welfare laws in their country.

Please also share this action with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you.

REMINDER! 8 Hours Campaign

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) reports that millions of farm animals suffer from heat stress, disease and overcrowding whilst enduring transportation across long distances in Europe in hot, cramped and soiled cages with little food, water or rest.  Once they reach the end of their journey they are slaughtered.

Please sign this petition to support the 8 Hours campaign and ask the European Commission to enforce legalisation preventing any farm animal from enduring more than 8 hours of transportation. 

Deadline for signatures is: 5th January 2012.

Thank you.

Help give farm animals a voice

{Source: Care2}

Care2 states that those of us in the UK are paying £8 each month towards subsidies for European factory farms.  Altogether the citizens of Europe are paying over 45 billion pounds (over 55 billion euros) per year into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).  With this money CAP does very little to protect our farm animals.  Now for the first time in 8 years these subsidies are up for review and it is our chance to give animals a voice and ensure that animal welfare takes precedent in the policy across Europe.

Click here to sign a petition addressing Caroline Spelman the Secretary of Sate for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urging her to put animal welfare at the heart of European agricultural policy.  Once you have signed the petition you are able to share your action on Facebook and Twitter, if you have time please do this also.

Thank you.

Nothing Super about ITVs Tiny Animal show

{Source}

I am glad that I stopped by the coldwetnose blog to see this post about an ITV show entitled Super Tiny Animals.  

Super Tiny Animals was billed as being about the trend for micro pets throughout the UK and US in recent years.  The time ITV chose to air the show (Wednesday, 30th November from 7.30pm - 8.30pm) was a cause for concern due to its close proximity to Christmas and early broadcast time meaning children would more than likely watch the show.  The concern was mainly that the show would glorify "handbag dogs" and had the potential to encourage viewers into want to buy a "handbag dog" or perhaps a micro pig for Christmas, without considering the responsibility and commitment of pet ownership.  This could lead to the animal ending up in a rescue centre in the New Year.  

The Blue Cross said in a statement that they had seen the number of so-called "handbag dogs" coming into the charity TRIPLE in the past five years.

Despite the concerned e-mails from organisations such as the Kennel Club, the Blue Cross, the Dogs Trust and the BVA sent to ITV they chosen not to respond and to air the show regardless.  In addition, ITV also chose to edit out TV vet Marc Abraham's segment on puppy farming which would have provided some much needed balance to the show.

As shown here on coldwetnose ITV did respond to one complaint from a concerned dog lover, with a vague message not really addressing the questions asked.  


Back in October there was an interesting article on "handbag dogs" in the Telegraph newspaper which you may want to check out.

In order for ITV to take our concerns seriously more of us need to make complaints.  If you want to watch Super Tiny Animals before sending a complaint you can do so for a short amount of time here at ITV Player.

Please direct your complaint to viewerservices@itv.com and make a complaint on the Ofcom website too.  Please remember to be polite and to the point and please let myself or the coldwetnose blog know if you receive a response!  (I will add the wording of my e-mail here at some point should you wish to refer to it as a guide).


Don't forget to tell your friends, the more the merrier!

Fluffy Friday #38

Have you ever gone away on holiday and fallen in love with an animal?  

A few years back, when Suki was a mere twinkle in our eyes, myself and my other half were in Greece when we stumbled across two dogs kept outside in a cage, they were left there day and night as far as we were aware.  We both fell in love with the dogs and visited them with food and water regularly, at the time it seemed all we could do as the animal laws and language barrier seemed to prove a hindrance in taking any action.  It was difficult for us to leave them and come home, I'll never forget them.

The couple in this story fell in love with a dog whilst on holiday in the Caribbean and after paying £2,000, completing vet checks and a six month quarantine have now been reunited with their dog, who they have named Weber.  Read the full story here.

Happy Fluffy Friday!

Joining forces for people and dogs

The

Happy December!

The RSPCA have joined forces with 19 organisations all in agreement that the UK government must do something about the irresponsible owners of dogs who are considered dangerous.  This 20-strong partnership including organisations such as the Dogs Trust, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the Police Federation and the Royal Mail Group are urging the government to consider the following laws:

·   Ensure dog owners take responsibility for their pet’s behaviour

·   Improve both public safety and animal welfare

·   Require micro-chipping for all dogs

·   Increase education and engagement to prevent problems.

The measures listed about are aiming to protect people and dogs and could save the country around £75 million a year in health costs.

Please sign this petition on Prime Minister David Cameron’s official website which could ignite a debate in the House of Commons.  

The RSPCA are aiming for 100,000 signatures so please share this with your friends on Facebook and Twitter as much as you can.

Thank you.