Find your new best friend – and save a life!

Love dogs? Thinking of adding one to your family? Please consider rescue. I know I probably sound like a broken record;-)but it is something I am SO passionate about.

Every day I hear of dogs who are facing pts (ie being put down, killed) – dogs who are out of time at the pound; who are going to be taken to the vets by their owner to be pts; who are really not coping in a kennel environment and desperately need the comfort and security of a loving home. It’s heartbreaking, it really is, and it’s never-ending.

Every time one dog is saved, rescued, adopted, there are goodness knows how many others needing help. Stray dogs who end up in the UK pounds unclaimed can legally be put down after seven days – and thousands are, every year. Some people seem to have more regard for their car or TV than they do these wonderful, living, breathing, loyal and loving creatures that we call our best friends.

So please, if you are a good person, who can provide a loving and responsible home for a dog, who has the time to care for a dog, who doesn’t mind that their house may end up being decorated with muddy foot prints, who can cope with the odd dog hair in their coffee, look at adopting your dog from rescue.

Not only will you find your new best friend, but you will also potentially be helping to save another dog’s life. Even if the rescue you adopt from keeps their dogs until they’re adopted, rather than pts-ing after a certain time, there will be dogs out there in danger who will be very grateful of the rescue space that your adoption frees up. It’s a win-win-win situation for you, your new friend and another dog:)

If you need any help finding a great rescue to adopt from, take a look at the links at the bottom of my blog for details of some of the rescues/resources in the UK. There are rescues across the UK, including the well known rescue centres and smaller  independent rescues which help all sorts of breeds and crosses, along with the breed rescues who specialise in helping a specific breed.

There’s a rescue dog out there for every loving home. Be patient, be open to what sort of dog may appeal and be suitable – and don’t forget the older dogs:)

There’s a rescue dog out there, waiting for you. Please don’t be one of those people who looks at all the dogs in need and says I wish I could … but never does.

Free chocolate!

Thought that might grab your attention:-)

I’ve decided to do a little blog giveaway. It’s 10 months this weekend since we brought Jasper home and that seems as good a reason as any.

So I’m giving away a yummy little pack of chocolate (humans only, toxic to dogs!); a Rescue Me wristband so that you can help promote adopting from rescue :); and a selection of my photographic greetings cards. If you click on the gallery below you can see all the goodies, which will be sent to one lucky person. I will include one card of each of the featured designs.

To have a chance of winning, all you need to do is add a nice comment at the end of this post and include a valid email address. Your comment can just be a hello, you can tell me about your dog, let me know which photo(s) of mine you like, what your favourite chocolate is, anything nice really. Spam will be deleted. Your email address won’t be used for anything else (just to notify the winner) and I won’t be passing your details to anyone else of course.

I’ll leave this open until Sunday 7 November 2010 and then one of the people who have left a comment, will be selected at random to win the chocolate, wristband and cards. I look forward to hearing from you:-)

Chocolate & band Mouse - card High Tea - card It Wasn't Me - card Sea Dog - card

Joy

No (more) words required …

As fireworks season approaches …

I thought I would post a link to this excellent blog post from my friend Lizi, the canine dog behaviour psychologist at Canine Mind, who offers lots of brilliant suggestions to help fearful pets through fireworks time.

There’s a full list of DOs and DON’Ts on the link above, with suggestions such as drug-free remedies, body wraps/t-shirts, massage and T-Touch.

Lizi makes the great point that while owners are often told not to reassure their dogs …

… DON’T ignore your dog if it comes to you. Despite the all too common advice to ignore a dog during fear-inducing events, there is in fact absolutely NO evidence that reassuring a fearful dog encourages or reinforces fearful behaviour. Be happy that your dog views you as its safe haven and give it some constructive touch such as ear T-Touch or gentle but firm massage to the head, neck, shoulders and back.

Here’s hoping the Thundershirt will help this year …

Looking for an easy, ready-trained pet dog?

Then think about adopting an older dog from rescue:-)

Older dogs are usually already toilet trained (though you may need to excuse them the odd accident at first as you get to know when they need to go out). They’re not going to spend their time chewing stuff or mouthing your hands as a puppy or younger dog may well do.

Many older dogs are still very happy to go for a decent length walk and come with you on adventures, but will also be happy to chill out at home – snuggling up on the sofa to watch TV with you, or laying in front of the fire on a cold winter’s evening.

These days it is often possible to arrange pet insurance for an older dog too. I’ve managed to insure dogs aged 12+. Existing conditions won’t be covered of course, but cover for other things should be.

There are SO many older dogs in rescues around the world, who are desperately waiting for someone like YOU to give them a new home. Please don’t make them wait until it’s too late.

Rescue centres do an excellent job of looking after the dogs and other animals in their care, but they can’t provide the home environment that each dog really needs.

Please visit Oldies Club; please visit DogsBlog; please contact a breed rescue, or your local rescue centre. While I have your attention, have you seen Old Jack?

Jasper (below) is one of the lucky ones – he was saved from being put down and will be snuggled up in front of the fire this winter – but thousands of other dogs will be spending their winter in kennels:cry:

If you’re worried about how you’ll be able to bond with an older dog, who has spent much of their life elsewhere … don’t be;-)

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
R e s c u e   W o r k
D o g s   N e e d i n g   H o m e s