Total Dog Magazine

Tag: dog adoption

  • Gemma Atkinson Teams With Hills For Shelter Pets Campaign

    Gemma Atkinson Teams With Hills For Shelter Pets Campaign

    Actress and radio presenter Gemma Atkinson is calling on Brits to show their support for shelter pets, as Hill’s Pet Nutrition launches a nationwide campaign today, to support homeless pets in desperate need due to COVID-19.

    As the pandemic reaches the one-year mark, animal shelters up and down the country are facing unprecedented budget cuts and financial strain.

    With a growing number of pets reportedly being given up or abandoned and fundraising events postponed due to the crisis, rescue shelters are at capacity and struggling to keep the animals they look after fed and cared for.

    Gemma, owner of Spaniel and Sproodle Ollie and Norman and President of The Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, is asking pet parents to share pictures of their furry friends using #MissionForeverFriend across Instagram and Facebook. For every post, Hill’s will donate a bowl of food to a local shelter throughout the month of April, providing up to 14,000 meals in the UK, and up to 100,000 meals across participating countries.

    Gemma says;

    “Whilst the country has been in and out of lockdown the past year, shelters across the country have been working tirelessly to help the lives of the many animals in their care.”

    She went on to add:

    “Sadly, just like all businesses and industries, they have suffered hardship due to the pandemic and are in desperate need of support right now.

    My dogs are a huge part of our family and I’m a massive advocate for animal welfare and successfully rescued pets.

    By supporting #MissionForeverFriend, animal lovers can show their support for local shelters and give animals in need the second chance they deserve. Hill’s believes that all pets deserve the best care humanly possible, and that the right nutrition has the ability to not only transform lives physically but make shelter pets adoption-ready while they wait for their forever homes.”

    In addition to posting a picture of their furry friend on social, pet owners can snap a picture of their pet using a virtual bandanna filter as a fun way to show support. The virtual bandana can be accessed on Hill’s UK and Ireland Facebook @hills4pets and Instagram pages @hillspetukireland.

    There are also many other ways for pet lovers to ‘pay it forward’, including donating, volunteering at a local shelter or fostering a pet.

    Affiliated shelters will put a face and name to some of these furry friends by posting photos of shelter pets in need. Hill’s will repost these photos on their own Facebook and Instagram pages so everyone can find their own forever friend.

    Michael Unsworth, Hill’s Vet Affairs Manager, UK & Republic of Ireland said about the campaign

    “#MissionForeverFriend is an extension of our 365 day-a-year commitment to helping shelter pets, but it’s never been more important to help animals in need than right now. Centres are at capacity with many people experiencing ‘buyer’s remorse’ or sadly suffering financial or health woes due to the pandemic.

    The staff and volunteers at these shelters have worked round the clock to feed them and keep a roof over their heads, but there’s only so much they can do with funding and rehoming all on hold.

    This movement will provide much-needed nutrition to thousands of innocent animals up and down the country, and we’re thrilled that Gemma is lending her support to help the cause.”

    Hill’s Pet Nutrition UK and Ireland is proud to be partnering with Raystead Centre for Animal Welfare and Wood Green – The Animal’s Charity. Both charities aim to provide forever homes for shelter pets and offer support and advice for pet owners.

    To learn more about #MissionForeverFriend and find ways you can help shelter pets find their forever homes, visit www.HillsPet.co.uk/shelter

    Photo credit: Image Courtesy of K9 Magazine

    Looking for a dog to adopt?

  • Yes, You CAN Still Adopt A Dog During Lockdown

    Yes, You CAN Still Adopt A Dog During Lockdown

    It is possible to adopt a dog during the lockdown restrictions put in place during the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.

    The RSPCA will continue to rehome rescue animals on a delivery basis during the ongoing lockdowns in both England and Wales.

    Other dog rescues are also allowing dog adoption to take place during the lockdown.

    Pets including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and other small furry animals will remain available for adoption as RSPCA centres – now closed to the public – switch to a virtual rehoming and delivery process.

    The animal welfare charity has 14 national animal centres across England and Wales – while many of its independent branches also have rehoming facilities switching to a remote process during the latest lockdown restrictions.

    Prospective adopters can speak to RSPCA staff and meet animals via video conferencing and photo sharing – with pets then delivered by an RSPCA staff member once the level of commitment has been discussed, rehoming agreed, and a suitable pet found. However, the RSPCA continues to urge people to do their research and ensure they understand the long-term commitment of pet adoption; given “lockdown life is not forever”.

    Animals in the care of the animal welfare charity are often escaping cruelty or neglect – but can continue to find a second chance of forever home happiness during the current lockdown, with the charity utilising a Covid-secure, remote rehoming process.

    England went back into a full national lockdown on January 5, while Wales has been under tier 4 national restrictions since December 20. However, abandoned, neglected and mistreated animals continue to come into the care of the RSPCA – so the charity say they are “delighted” to still be able to find homes for pets in a safe, Covid-compliant manner.

    RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “As the battle against Covid-19 continues, our centres will once again be closed to the public as we all do our bit to stop the spread of this awful disease.

    “However, we are delighted that we will continue to be able to find new homes for animals via a safe and Covid-secure remote process.

    Dog Adoption Links

  • Thinking of Buying a Cocker Spaniel?

    Cocker Spaniels make excellent pets for anyone looking for an obedient, good-natured and loyal breed of dog. As with any breed, Cocker Spaniel puppies are playful, full of energy and great fun to be with and they grow into quite small dogs that are just as friendly and affectionate if not quite so energetic.

    Given their solid reputation as a good family pet you might find it surprising that there are many Cocker Spaniel puppies and dogs currently being cared for in animal shelters awaiting adoption. Why would anyone search for Spaniel puppies for sale when there are so many in desperate need of a permanent home?

    With any pedigree there are people who prefer to buy Spaniel puppies from a breeder, believing that they will somehow be ‘safer’ or healthier pets.

    It is understandable that people with young children will be cautious about introducing a dog into the family home, but actually choosing a pedigree from a breeder is not a guarantee that it will be any safer or more predictable than adopting a Cocker Spaniel from a rescue.

    Indeed, disreputable breeders offer Spaniel puppies for sale that have been bred for appearance and maximum profit but that have not been bred with any regard to temperament or health. Such breeders often advertise that they can offer any breed to order and are actually operating or supporting ‘puppy farms’ where the mother is kept in a confined space and her puppies are quickly removed and inadequately socialised.

    Good breeders do exist, of course, and they care very much about the dogs and puppies in their care. They take measures to ensure that the puppies are socialised and that breeding takes place with dogs carefully selected for their personality and temperament as well as for their physical features. The fact remains, though, that they are breeding more dogs and puppies than there are homes available for them in the UK. Coupled with irresponsible owners who fail to have their dog neutered or spayed and who cannot sell or give away all of the resultant puppies, these breeders are contributing to the ever increasing number of puppies in rescue centres.

    Cocker Spaniels, like any purebred dog, can suffer from hereditary disorders brought about by excessive historic inbreeding. If possible, trace your puppy’s heritage to deduce the likelihood that your puppy will develop any hereditary conditions but remember that without genetic decoding done in a lab this is little more than guesswork. Be prepared to pay for medical treatment for the rest of your dog’s life by taking out adequate pet insurance (check that it covers lifelong conditions as some policies only cover illness for a maximum of 12 months).

    Finally, remember that you cannot rely on the breed of dog to determine what sort of character and temperament it will have. Every dog is a unique individual. Staff at an RSPCA centre will be able to point you towards dogs or puppies that have been monitored and assessed as being potentially suitable for adoption by adults or families and under what conditions.

    Find out more at: https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/getfundraising

  • Stormy is 19 Years Old & He’s Just Been Adopted!

    Stormy is 19 Years Old & He’s Just Been Adopted!

    A 19-year-old terrier – the oldest the RSPCA has ever taken in to rehome – has found his paw-fect match with a retired widow from Coventry.

    Stormy was rescued by RSPCA inspector Herchy Boal earlier this month after he was spotted collapsed in a snowy garden in temperatures as low as -3C.

    The animal welfare charity received an anonymous call on 2 March and inspector Boal was extremely concerned for the terrier – who is 92 in dog years!

    His owners signed him over into the RSPCA’s care and Stormy was taken to the charity’s Birmingham Animal Hospital for a check-up before going into kennels at nearby Newbrook Farm Animal Centre.

    https://i.imgur.com/VIG5sMW.png

    Elizabeth Sidgwick, from Coundon, had been thinking about getting another dog when her daughter spotted Stormy’s story in the local press.

    “I’d been looking for a dog for a while. I didn’t want a puppy, I wanted an older dog and I felt like I’d know when it was the right one for me,” she said. “And he is the spitting image of my previous dog, Barney, who I had for 15 years.”

    She went to meet the senior pooch and knew he was the one for her. Stormy came home with Elizabeth on Sunday (25 March) and is settling in brilliantly already.

    “He is lovely – especially considering what he’s been through. He just wants to be loved,” she said.

    “He can be a cheeky boy though. When you’re eating he thinks he should have some so he sits, stares at you and barks!

    “He is just great. Everyone loves him!”

    Despite a minor heart murmur and cataracts in both eyes – which have left him with poor sight – the plucky terrier is relatively healthy.

    “He has cataracts so has had a few problems walking into doors and objects but I’m helping him learn his way around the house,” Elizabeth added.

    “But that doesn’t seem to stop him sitting on his bed and watching the TV!

    “Whether he has just a few months left or a few years, he is going to be happy and that’s the main thing.”

    And it’s not just Stormy who has been rescued – Elizabeth says the rescue pooch has changed her life too: “I was widowed three years ago and he has just brought something back to my life. He is something for me to focus on and someone for me to talk to.

    “He follows me around the house and keeps me company. I think we have filled the gap in each other’s lives.”

    Would you like to bring some joy and adopt an older dog?

  • I’m Giving My Dog up Because I’m a Vegetarian But He Wants to Eat Meat

    I’m Giving My Dog up Because I’m a Vegetarian But He Wants to Eat Meat

    Regularly the reasons why some people give dogs up for adoption can be varied, reasonable and, above all, heartbreaking for all involved. But then there are the times when people working in rescue are left speechless, dumbfounded, yet bound by duty to put the welfare of the dog at the forefront of their efforts, so they smile and the accept yet another dog in to the UK’s already overcrowded animal adoption system as they listen to a range of, quite frankly, staggering reasons why yet another dog is seeking a new home.

    “He wasn’t a vegetarian” or “didn’t like being dressed up” are some of the latest reasons/excuses cited as Dogs Trust braces itself for influx of unwanted dogs, after receiving a call every five minutes last Christmas

    The shocking real reasons people give up dogs have been revealed by Dogs Trust, as the charity braces itself for the post-Christmas influx of unwanted dogs.

    Dogs Trust is urging the British public to remember the charity’s iconic slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ after a year of bizarre reasons offered by people giving up their dog.

    Dogs Trust received a call every five minutes (3,596 calls) from people looking to give up their dogs in the month following Christmas last year. Reasons over 2017 included:

    * I won a free holiday and I couldn’t take my dogs with me

    * I’m a vegetarian but he always wanted to eat meat

    * I got him as a secret Santa present

    * She was too friendly and wanted to greet every dog and human we met on a walk

    * He was panting too much

    * He didn’t like it when we played dress up

    * She sleeps in her own bed all night – I thought she would want to sleep in my bed

    To bring the message home the charity has created a video called “Why I left you” with a twist which highlights the carefree attitude which people sadly display towards dog ownership.

    The charity’s iconic slogan has proved just as meaningful today as it was when first coined nearly 40 years ago as a new survey* reveals 20% of dog owners spend less than two weeks researching before buying a dog and 1 in 5 people confessed to buying a dog simply because it was a cute accessory.

    The survey also revealed that one in ten people admit to buying or receiving a dog as a Christmas gift. The dog owning public also significantly underestimated the financial cost of dog ownership with 70% believing their dog will cost them less than the actual cost of £10,000 during its lifetime.

    Following a staggering 1,000 calls during Christmas week last year from people unable to care for their dogs (200 of these specifically about puppies) Dogs Trust’s network of 20 Rehoming Centres in the UK are bracing themselves as they expect to take in thousands of dogs in the weeks following the festive period.

    Adrian Burder, Chief Executive for Dogs Trust, who rehomed abandoned Christmas pup Skipper in 2014, explains: “Dogs Trust take in thousands of much loved dogs from heartbroken owners who sadly find themselves unable to continue to care for their dogs due to unavoidable changes in their circumstances so it’s particularly hard for staff when they see the other end of the spectrum; dogs handed in simply because their owner’s bought them on a whim and consider them little more than toys to be discarded when the novelty wears off.

    “We really hope this Christmas is the year our nation of animal lovers finally takes heed of our slogan ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ and we don’t see dogs discarded because their owners have not considered the lifetime commitment of dog ownership.”