First dog rehoming through Twitter sees Suzie from Ballymena finding a home!

It started with a woolly-haired dog picture, and a mild resemblance to Kevin Keegan's hair heyday. I found it cute enough to put on Twitter, and that's where supporter @emmao414 saw it. It turned out that she lives near Dogs Trust Ballymena, and was quite won over by Gia's good looks. Knowing her mum was in the market for a new pal, she swiftly called the centre to make sure Gia was still available, and headed over the same afternoon for a visit, having very sensibly done some research into Irish Water Spaniels.

Although Gia turned out to be a bit big and exuberant for her family, Emma and her mum found their heads turned by a gorgeous six-year-old Pomeranian cross called Suzie, who's all set to move into her new home at 2:30pm today! This is the first time we have been able to make a match through one of our social network pages, and we're so pleased that this strategy is beginning to work for supporters and dogs alike. To our knowledge, it's the first time any animal charity has used Twitter in this way, and we plan to work hard to make this the first of many.

You can click to enlarge the picture above to see the actual online exhange that took place, but all that really remains is to fervently thank Emma and her family for choosing to adopt a rescue dog. We hope Suzie settles in quickly and has a wonderful life with you!

By the way, Gia is still seeking a home, so if you're interested in the curly haired beauty, please do give Ballymena a call on 028 2565 2977!

Caption Competition: What Am I Thinking?

Going through archive photos of dogs who have passed through our doors over the last few years can sometimes lead to inspiration! In this case, it was "What's Millie Thinking?".


Our favourite comment, from... Anonymous! Oh no! We cannot make you a doggy web celeb if you don't give a name! Make one up next time... ;) Thanks for all your comments; I was thisclose to awarding it to Tony's "These are not the treats you are looking for...", so clearly we're a geeky lot round here!

Keep your eyes peeled and we might have another one of these around soon.

Please note that Millie is no longer available for rehoming.

Pull your socks up to raise money for Dogs Trust!

'Tis the season to think about presents, but it's also a time to spend cautiously. How about a way you could get a cute stocking filler, spend just a little and help a charity continue its work at the same time?

Here's the solution - Dogs Trust socks. They're a lovely bright yellow (look: exciting facts about yellow!) and come in two varieties: the standard sock (pictured) and the longer, thicker, warmer wellie / boot sock. Both are available in a variety of men's and women's sizes.

Yes, I have a pair of the standard variety. Let me rephrase that: I had a pair until my husband-to-be nicked them about 45 minutes after I got home and has worn them regularly ever since.

Best of all, standard socks are just £2 and wellie socks are just £5, with 25% of the proceeds going directly to help dogs in our 17 Rehoming Centres. Thanks solely to the generosity of our supporters, since Dogs Trust receives no government funding, we were able to help over 16,000 dogs last year. So your little bit of Christmas giving fun would also translate into some happily wagging tails.

Wear your support with pride, and happy shopping!

Video: Teaching a deaf dog new tricks - Daphne @ Dogs Trust Snetterton

Training a bouncy Boxer puppy is always going to be quite a hands-on experience, but the fantastic team at Dogs Trust Snetterton had a new challenge to face when it came to Daphne. Born deaf, the 10-month-old pup has been taught to recognise hand signals instead of the traditional audio cues. Here's the girl herself in action:



[Video credit: Norwich Evening News 24]

It makes their job a little easier that Daphne's very friendly and shows a real aptitude for learning. She's mastering the basics - "sit" and "down" - and would need to find a family willing to continue the process of training and socialisation. She came to Dogs Trust because she could not get along with a fellow dog in the home she was in, so she'd prefer to be the star attraction in any family and cats are not on her list of favourite things.

If you have a calm, adult household, lots of time to devote to a pup and think you can help Daphne learn and grown in confidence, give Dogs Trust Snetterton a call on (01953) 498 377 .

Dogs Trust's Krystyna McGrath gets a glam Cosmo makeover and photo shoot!

So, I thought she should tell us about it in her own words:

I’ve been working in the Dogs Trust press office for just over a year now and without wanting to sound like a creep it really is great. We meet the occasional celebrity but yesterday I felt like a (minor) celeb myself when I took part in a photo shoot for Cosmopolitan magazine…

Before coming to Dogs Trust I was at an internet marketing company doing a job that didn’t inspire me. Somewhat riskily, I resigned without another job to go to but was incredibly lucky to find myself here, doing exactly the job I wanted, precisely one month later. I heard that a Cosmo journalist was looking for examples of people changing their career in 4 weeks, so I sent her a few lines about my story and hey presto I was chosen!

I thought that would be that, but a few days later she contacted me again – they wanted a photo shoot...

Off I went to a photo studio in south west London with a lovely three legged Lurcher called Elvis and his lovely two legged owner Elvira, our Head of Campaigns. I’d never taken part in a photo shoot like this before but a freezing, white-walled attic room wasn’t quite what I expected! I had my hair and make up done (big hair, v smoky eyes) and was given some particularly shiny office wear and huge jewellery to put on.

Now, my photo repartee is generally limited to:

1. thumbs up and grinning
2. silly face and grinning
3. gurning

and I wasn’t convinced that would cut the mustard with the glam girls at Cosmo. Turns out I was right!

All the shots were taken from above – the photographer was basically perched on a tall shelf like a little snap-happy Borrower. In the first shots I had to lie back in an office chair, feet on desk, Elvis by my side. This was apparently to reflect my job – if only! The pose was easier said than done as I had to be careful not to move my carefully sculpted hair and both Elvis and I had to be looking up at the photographer at the same time. Cue lots of treats, chirruping and rustling noises from the photographer to get his attention!

Then they handed me a lovely grey cashmere dress to wear and they took shots of me lounging on a sofa, Elvis curled up next to me. I have to admit that wasn’t too tricky a pose…

In all it took about 3 hours. Elvis was a little star and incredibly friendly, hopping about on his three legs from stylist to photographer and back with a big grin on his face the whole time. If you want to see the results the article is due in the February edition, out in January. I had a great time and would do it again but I’m definitely going to stick to my day job!

Dogs Trust & Nintendo join forces to launch Nintendogs with Girls Aloud

Girls Aloud visited our West London Rehoming Centre today to help launch a new educational initiative between us and Nintendo.

The pilot scheme will build on our existing educational programmes within schools, aimed at teaching children the responsibilities involved in caring for a dog, using the popular Nintendogs game for the Nintendo DS. Nintendo will kindly donate games consoles and copies of the game, in which players care for a virtual dog, to Dogs Trust for use around London initially.

Today Nadine, Cheryl, Nicola, Sarah and Kimberley were on hand to try out the game, meet some of the children who will be benefitting from the scheme and get to see first hand what goes on in one of our Rehoming Centres.

The girls commented:

“We are all dog lovers ourselves so are fully supportive of this scheme which teaches kids what looking after a dog really involves." Nadine added, “I love my Nintendog ‘Miso’; I can feed him, take him for walks and play with him every day, it’s just like having a real dog in my hand.”

A couple of our PR team, Charlotte and Sophia, were on hand to make sure everything went smoothly, and came back full of excitement about the new launch. Also present was the London Education Officer, Natalie Dexter, who explained about the role of education at Dogs Trust:

“Our education programme targets the dog owners of tomorrow about responsible dog ownership and we’re always looking for new and innovative ways of spreading our message within schools. We’re delighted to partner with Nintendo on such an innovative scheme which captures the essence of our message about responsible dog ownership, in an exciting and fun way that will inspire and educate children.”

Check out loads more adorable pics at the Cheryl Tweedy Cole blog!

Dog writes book (almost): What is the Perfect Pong?

My name is Hoover, and I'm an author, Terrier and bath-loather.

Clearly, being a dog, I have literacy issues, but you'll find my name on the cover of What is the Perfect Pong?, a children's book about a dog's pursuit of the world's best smell.

This is cheating, but only slightly. My owner, who writes stuff, and a friend of his who take pictures, spent a day photographing me and the things that took my olfactory fancy. if they didn't, my interest was assisted with a Tesco ham sandwich - see what I mean about cheating?

Anyway, the end results went into the book, so although I didn't really write it, it's still very much my story. It's a cheerful book, although I wasn't always this happy.

Nearly eight years ago, my owners found me abandoned, starving and close to death. The vet who put me on a drip said it would have been curtains if I'd stayed out another 48 hours. You wouldn't know now, and within days I had developed a very special, Superman-style leap, which finished by burying my font paws in my owner's crotch. Needless to say, he's pleased that I've retired from that now.

As for the book, it's aimed at 0-5 year olds, and 25p per copy is going to Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity. It has 17 rehoming centres in the UK which help stray and abandoned dogs to find new, happy homes. Dogs Trust is exactly the sort of place that would have taken me in if I hadn't found a home first.

I've also got a website, whatever that is. It's stuffed with everything you need to know about a certain neutered, bearded male and his literary debut - including how to buy it.

Well, Gravy Bones don't pay for themselves.

You can watch a video of Hoover playing on our YouTube channel!

Dog of the Week: Benji @ Dogs Trust Evesham

Introducing... Benji!

Age: 6

Breed: Collie Crossbreed (Black & White)

Likes: I love being out and about; my Collie half means I love taking long walks and especially playing with toys like my favourite football.

Dislikes: Loud noises and startling handling make me nervous.

Needs: I need a home without children so I can live in a calm environment. I'm good with other dogs, but if I lived with one they'd have to be really relaxed so that they're not affected by my nerves. I could do with socialising with other dogs more so that I can gain confidence.

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Evesham on 01386 830613 or see other dogs for rehoming online.

Previous Dogs of the Week: Jake @ Darlington | Connor @ West Calder

Last-minute deal for Arctic Dog Sledding Challenge: help Dogs Trust on the trip of a lifetime

How would you like to go on the trip of a lifetime, north of the Artic Circle in Norway, commanding a team of Alaskan Huskies through the stunning, silent wilderness? What if you knew that your team of 10 - under the expert training and advice of an experienced crew - were also raising money for four-legged friends at home as you did so?

There's still time to take part from January 31st to February 6th. Usually we'd ask you to raise £3,300 to take part, but thanks to a last-minute special deal, you can take part for £2,800, with £500 guaranteed to go to Dogs Trust.

It's a unique opportunity to help a charity whilst experiencing breathtaking scenery and the brilliant challenge of dog-sledding. Will you be part of the team?

For more information or to sign up, email leonie@voyageconcepts.co.uk or call 020 8399 6327!

Moving house with a dog: hints and tips

Moving house is on my mind right now. Partly because I moved yesterday and partly because there isn't just my partner and myself to consider anymore. We're moving our cat, too. Now, we're lucky because we have friends and family who will give our cat a temporary home and he's a supremely confident and independent little fellow who will happily live anywhere as long as his toys and food come with him and enough of his routine is maintained.

Not every pet is that easygoing, however. All need some preparation before the move and a gentle transition after, but some will need particularly special attention to stop them from being unnecessarily unsettled and frightened.

In this economic climate, more people will be renting than ever; since renters tend to move house more often, I thought it might be useful to mention some of Dogs Trust's advice for moving with a dog. If you have any ideas or hints that have worked for you, please do comment!

Things to do before the move:

• If you think your dog will be distressed or anxious during the upheaval of packing, confine them to a quiet room where they can rest and be safe and where you do not have to worry about them.

• Leave packing his toys, bedding and other equipment to the last moment so that he is comforted by the presence of his familiar things. Do not wash his bedding until a couple of weeks after the move, so that he will have something familiar smelling in the new house.

• Make arrangements for your dog to stay with a friend or relative that he feels comfortable with during the move, as he may be upset by strange people coming into his house to do the removal. He will also be safer; if he stays with you in the house he may be able to escape as doors are likely to be left open. You will also be able to concentrate on the stressful business of moving house without the added worry of looking after your dog. If you do not have any friends or family that can look after him then consider booking him into a boarding kennel for the night.

• Speak to your Vet about obtaining a DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) plug-in device to use before, during and after moving.

• Have a tag made with your name, new phone number (and mobile phone number if possible) and your new address so that it is ready to put onto his collar for the day of the move. If he escapes during the move or immediately after, this will increase his chances of getting back to you.

• If you are planning to move a long distance away and your dog suffers from travel sickness or severe anxiety in the car, talk to your Vet about medication to make the journey less stressful for him.

Things to remember during the move:

• If your dog is staying with you during the move then confine him to one secure room, so that escape and injury cannot occur to him whilst people are going in and out of the house. Leave him in a quiet area with his familiar unwashed bed and possessions.

• Put his new tag on.

• Make sure that he is safely secured in the car or vehicle that he is to be transported in to the new house with a dog guard, travel crate or car harness on the back seat. If it is a long journey, make sure that he gets regular toilet and water breaks.

In the new home:

• Check any boundary fencing to make sure that it is secure, of sufficient height and ‘hole-free’ before letting your dog run free in the garden. If your dog is able to escape then take him out on a lead until you are able to do the necessary improvements.

• Try to unpack the essentials before introducing your dog to the new house so that he can see familiar items within the unfamiliar house. If possible place furniture and items in similar places to those in the old house.

• Use the DAP in your new home, particularly in the room that your dog spends most of his time in.

• If your dog is microchipped, then contact Petlog to get his records changed to your new address as soon as possible.

• Be patient with your dog in the new home and make allowances for ‘accidents’ on the carpet if they should happen. Don’t make a fuss, punish your dog or draw his attention to them as this may make the problem worse. Quietly pick up their mess and clean the area with a biological solution, or special cleaner from the vets or pet shop to properly remove the smell. Once your dog has settled in they should stop. Always praise him when he goes to toilet in the correct place (i.e. outside!) so that he knows where to go.

• Make sure that you stick to your usual routines, as this will help him to settle - feed and walk him at the usual times. Don’t give him more or less attention than he is used to having from you; this may cause him to become anxious or over dependent on you and lead to behaviour problems.

You can download an easily-printable version of this advice in PDF format here, so that it's easy to tick off and refer to as you plan. Now I'm off to unpack a few more boxes... well, after work, anyway!

[Image: Foxtongue's Flickr, under Creative Commons Attribution License]

Dog of the Week: Jake @ Dogs Trust Darlington

Introducing... Jake!

Breed: Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Age: 8

Likes: I'm a fun loving dog who loves being around people. Through no fault of my own I've lived at Dogs Trust more than once and would love a permanent home now.

Dislikes: I'm not particularly keen on other dogs as I don't like sharing my owner's attention!

Needs: I'm told I'm a bit exuberant for younger kids so it would be nice to have a household with children 16 or over who understand Staffies and are willing to be as active as I am.

Contact: Dogs Trust Darlington on 01325 333114 or visit Dogs Trust Rehoming Online for more information about adopting a dog.

Previous Dogs of the Week: Dougie @ Salisbury | Connor @ West Calder

Who are the Top Dogs and the Cat's Whiskers of the vet world?

The PetPlan Veterinary Awards 2009 are seeking nominees from you! It's your chance to nominate those people at your local practice who go the extra mile to help your pet.

The four main categories are:

• Vet of the Year
• Vet Nurse of the Year
• Vet Receptionist of the Year
• Vet Practice of the Year

So whether it's one person or the whole team who has earned your gratitude, here's your chance to tell the world about them.

To nominate someone, just call 0845 678 1063 for a nomination form or go straight to the PetPlan website.

Now in their tenth year, the awards are a wonderful way of honouring vets from those who are consistently kind and supportive to those who have pulled out the stops to perform an amazing rescue.

To top it all, just for nominating you're in with a chance of winning £250 of Love2Shop vouchers! The glittering ceremony, to which all finalists will be invited, is in April next year. Go on then, get nominating!

We wish you a merry Christmas and a Dogs Trust decorated tree...!

Now that we're rapidly heading towards December, it's not altogether surprising to see the odd Christmas tree springing up here and there. Blenheim Palace has started to deck the halls, and a dog-loving member of staff contacted Dogs Trust Evesham to make sure that one tree was dedicated to Dogs Trust!

Shauna Stedman, the Centre's Supporter Relations Officer, rolled up her sleeves and channelled Laurence Llewellyn Bowen to fill a gorgeous seven foot tree with baubles featuring dogs seeking homes. The silver, sparkly branches were soon liberally dotted with bright yellow and hopefully many of the dogs spotted on the tree will be on their way to forever homes. There will also be a collection tin placed near the tree just in case anyone passing is willing to dig deep for us; we know cash is tight right now and every penny is very much appreciated.

The tree is one of four charity trees featured by Blenheim Palace as part of their "The Spirit Christmas Past, Present and Future" display. All the charity trees will be placed in the Future section in the hope that we will head towards an ever more generous future.

Now if you don't feel warm and fluffy after a story like that then there's nothing for it but to break out the mulled wine...

The Dogs Trust Blog in on Facebook's Blog Network

We were long overdue an appearance on Facebook's Blog Network so today I made sure one was made. Look, here it is! It would be great if any of our Facebook fans or blog readers who are on Facebook too would join the group there.

It's your chance to talk about the blog as well, so you can suggest features and once we have a certain number of 'fans' on the Blog Network page you'll be able to track the RSS feed as well. Want to be one of the first to show your support?

See you there!

Misunderstanding surrounding Dogs Trust Glasgow / Glasgow Evening Times article

An article published by the Glasgow Evening Times has lead to some concerned calls to Dogs Trust Glasgow from supporters worried that we have changed our policy to never put a healthy dog down. This is decidely not the case. We continue to offer a safe haven to all the dogs in our care for as long as is necessary to find them a home.

The article, entitled "PETS SUFFER IN KENNEL CRISIS: Dogs get put down as home is so full", actually pointed out that Dogs Trust Glasgow is so busy that it is having to turn dogs away; these dogs might end up in council pounds or other centres where they might be put down if a suitable home cannot be found swiftly. With the best will (and staff) in the world, there is only room for a certain number of dogs at each Centre.

Although all our Centres try to accommodate the unclaimed strays from their local area, they all have waiting lists for other dogs. The sad reality is that each Centre is offered many more dogs than it can possibly take and has to turn away dogs each and every day, simply because there is not enough room for them all. Nobody enjoys making this thoroughly unenviable choice but all the Rehoming Centres have to make such decisions every single day of the year.

In the past, volunteers and canine carers have taken some dogs home with them temporarily when the kennels have been full; everyone is dedicated to helping as many dogs as is possible given available resources. Our Stray Dogs Report highlights the extent of dog destruction through local authorities and helps us identify ways to improve the situation on all fronts: by educating owners to be more responsible, through neutering campaigns to reduce unwanted litters, by encouraging microchipping to make it easier for lost dogs to be reunited with their owners and much more.

Having said that, the situation is improving gradually all the time. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and volunteers, the number of stray dogs is slowly dropping and last year Dogs Trust was able to care for over 16,000 dogs, over 14,000 of which were rehomed over the course of the year. We now have 17 Centres around the country, as well as Oakfield Old Dogs Home on the Dogs Trust Roden site, and work has just begun on Dogs Trust Dublin.

Please be reassured that no matter what the situation, Dogs Trust will never change the key message in its mission statement; the charity continues to work towards the day when all dogs have a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction.

Video: Lord Mayor's Show 2008 - Getting ready and showing off dogs needing homes!

While we were busy getting ready for the Lord Mayor's Show, Charlotte from our Communications department was running around with her camera getting video of the float, the Canine Gang and two of the dogs coming along with us who are looking for homes.

Lord Mayor's Show 2008: Dogs Trust dancing dog float!

Here at Dogs Trust we were proud to be part of the annual Lord Mayor's Show once again. Our float was dusted off and spruced up, and a new bunch of dogs looking for homes were taken on a lovely long walk through central London.

It was my first year volunteering, and my fiance decided he didn't want to miss out on all the fun. Luckily, he was on hand to ferry Iggle, a 1-year-old Jack Russell bitch, around when she decided she was a bit too tired to continue after spending the morning running around with excitement; she sat on the back of the float with me for the second half of the parade and having been really hyperactive during the morning she did nod off a bit when being held, as you can see from the photo below...

Four members of the canine gang (above) were also on hand in their fluffy costumes to dance away to canine classics such as "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and "How Much is That Doggy in the Window?" (not that we advocate selling dogs, of course!).

For the first half of the walk, which started at London Wall and wound through the City of London, I was bouncing about making sure the other walkers were okay, and then I took charge of Maple, a gorgeous black Labrador and the bouncy Iggle's kennel mate. We were positioned just one float behind an open backed lorry in which sausages were being cooked; Maple had to be persuaded to keep moving and not clean up every single bit of fallen sausage along the way. I also had to stop her bolting off after the lorry! She's a really well-behaved girl, with people and with other dogs, but food and Labs is definitely a challenging combination!

Iggle got plenty of attention, of course, being such a cutie, but we think we found a home for Billy the Greyhound too, when a Westminster councillor fell in love with his graceful ex-racer body and gentle temperament. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it works out for the two of them!

I'm not usually one for sentiment, but it was incredibly moving to see how many people - especially children - cheered loudly at the float and shouted "We love Dogs Trust!" or "thank you!". One woman who approached us at lunchtime showed excellent common sense, asking her children to request permission to handle the dogs and approach them slowly and confidently. She was setting a brilliant example and Education Officer Natalie Dexter and I were very impressed.

My thanks must got to Katy Heaphy and Charlotte Speedy who organised the event brilliantly, and also to Sophia Fergus, who somehow tracked down some rain ponchos at lunchtime, without which might have drowned altogether. As it was we had a very damp, but accomplished, journey home, and everyone said they look forward to doing it all again next year.

All the dogs that walked with us are current residents of Dogs Trust West London (Harefield). Please do call the centre today on 0845 076 DOGS (3647) if you're interested in adopting one of them, or any other dog.

Video to follow!

Another Hubble video, courtesy of the Yorkshire Evening Post

Thanks to @bullyinguk on Twitter, aka the brilliant John C., and with the permission of the lovely editors at the Yorkshire Evening Post, here's more of that 'ugly' (we think 'gorgeous'!) Hubble for you to enjoy!



Thanks also to @GrahamRichards for flagging the report. Today especially I really do love Twitter...

For those following Hubble's story you will be pleased to know that the rehoming requests are now flooding in, thanks to his new-found stardom! We're sure it won't be too long before he's matched to the home of his dreams, and some great owners have the great dog they deserve too.

Video: 'Britain's Ugliest Dog' Hubble has a star turn on GMTV

The lovely folks at GMTV were kind enough to give the dog labelled 'Britain's ugliest' a chance at finding a new home. Hubble was featured on television and on GMTV's website this morning, along with carer and Supporter Relations Officer Sarah Powell from Dogs Trust Leeds.

Hubble, an eight year old black terrier with a lifelong injury that means his missing a chunk of nose and upper lip, practiced preening on camera in the green room in this exclusive backstage clip!



Hubble loves attention, so he'd prefer to be the only pet in a home. If you have room for him or any of the other dogs at Dogs Trust Leeds in your life please call the centre directly on 0113 281 4920.

Update: Hubble just popped into Dogs Trust HQ in London and I got to meet him - I can confirm he is the friendliest and loveliest of dogs!

Congratulations, President-Elect Obama! Now, about that puppy...

Throughout the raging coverage of the American election, the Obama family had said that win or lose, they would be opening their home to a canine pal once a stable base had been re-established. With even the kids on the campaign trail, it wasn't suitable to become dog owners before the polls closed. Now attention is turned to which puppy.

The AP picked up on the story again today with this note in one reports: "I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House," Obama told Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, during his victory speech.

Even before the election, pet websites across America were speculating on the nature (breeder or rescue?) and breed of the pup in question. All I can add to that is please, Mr. President-Elect, set a good example to the nation and get your pooch from one of the many excellent rescue centres in the US. It would be even better if you can ensure you're going to a no-kill shelter, so that the message that no dog need be at risk of destruction for want of a loving home can be upheld by the soon-to-be most powerful man on the planet.

Update! Our friend on Twitter, @HappyHealthyPup told us that Michelle Obama, soon to be First Lady, has confirmed that the family will "adopt a rescue dog". Fantastic news!

[Image Source]

Meet Dogs Trust: Lynne Jones, Education Officer

Recently, I was chatting to Hollie in the office about the work her education officers do around the country. "Can we tell more people about our education programmes through the blog?" asked Hollie. "Of course we can," I replied, "but the best people to explain what they do are surely the people that do it!". Days later I received this post from Lynne Jones:

Name: Lynne Jones
Location: Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre Bridgend, S.Wales
Job: Education Officer Wales

As an Education Officer it is my job to visit Primary Schools and carry out workshops during which I talk to the children about responsible dog ownership and safety around dogs. Making learning fun my dog Bonnie and I deliver interactive activities which are age related and designed to encourage team building and confidence skills.

Before I worked for Dogs Trust I had completed my PGCE in Primary Teaching and was supply teaching in a local school.

The funniest thing was attempting to do a workshop in a classroom that had 2 guinea pigs and try to convince Bonnie they weren’t interesting or worth a closer look! It was a very eventful session and I’d forgotten how determined she can be.

It can be challenging trying to manage a boisterous class of 30 children who are over-excited to have a dog in their classroom and ensuring Bonnie never feels overwhelmed or intimidated.

Bonnie is a 6 year old black Labrador cross collie which I got from Dogs Trust when she was 11 months old. Her handover form stated she was “Destructive” but this was due to her being a puppy and left on her own for long periods. Apart from chewing a few cushions and digging a hole in my settee to get to a biscuit she’s not been very destructive!! She is fantastic with children and people, is very greedy being a labrador so loves her food but is a wonderful companion. She had been very well socialized as a puppy and loves to play with other dogs. She has been well trained and is very calm when in the class so often children who were initially afraid of being in a class with a dog by the end of the workshop have plucked up the courage to come over and meet her.

My hobbies include horse riding, dog walking and swimming. I also like socializing with friends and going to the cinema.

My favourite food is anything with lots of cheese and ham on, so jacket potatoes, pizza, toasties, – I don’t like seafood much or hot curries.

If I could be anywhere right now I would be horse riding on the beach with Bonnie running behind and the sun beating down on us!

Photo Credit: Larry Barlow

We can haz Wordle?

I couldn't resist anymore.

Wordle

Happy Dog Stories: Mrs. Blossom Willoughby tells all about TV stardom!

Mrs. Blossom Willoughby discusses fame, fortune and the BBC...

Well, what an exciting time it’s been! Imagine me, Blossom from Kenilworth, who was rehomed three times, appearing on National TV to discuss Dog Trust’s Canine Charter for Human Health! I knew something was apaw when Trish, that’s my human, woke me up in the middle of the night and started doing my hair and nails. Now I enjoy a pampering session as much as the next dog, but getting me up at 3:30 a.m!!

All was explained when a strange car pulled into our drive at around 5 a.m. I noticed the lights way before Trish did – humans are so unobservant – and knowing my duty, I barked the house down. Anyway, next thing I know, I’m plonked in the car on Trish’s lap, and we’re whisked away into the night. Before I know what’s wagging, I’m being chauffeur driven through security at the BBC, and escorted to the Green Room. A bit overwhelming at first, lots of humans admiring me and wanting to see me – wait a minute, I thought! Who is that bloke and why is he calling me Blossom? It’s Mrs. Willoughby to you, mate! Time for a bit of barking here, I think!

Then, next I knew, Trish was introducing me to Clarissa Baldwin herself! I nearly wagged my tail off! Blossom, I said to myself, you’re meeting all the greats today! Then Sally Wright arrived, and what a lot of fussing I enjoyed. The humans then were taken to make up – obviously with my good looks and star quality I didn’t need any – and before you could wag your tail it was lights, camera, action, and there I was, Mrs. Blossom Willoughby, live from London in every sitting room across the British Isles! Trish explained how I help her to feel better when she is sad or poorly – wow, I thought, I’m a healer and never realised it! All the time Clarissa and Trish were barking – I mean talking – to the presenters the cameras were full on ME!

Finally, we said goodbye to our new friends from Dogs Trust, and back home we went. I was glad to see my basket – I was exhausted with all the sniffing and barking I had to do. Anyway, hope you managed to catch my TV debut; now I wonder … they’ll soon be looking for a new Bond Girl. Wonder should I apply????

Barks and wags

From Blossom Willoughby (Mrs)

Five things I learned at ICAWC 2008

I'm ba-ack! Did you miss me? Were you watching the live coverage on the ICAWC blog? If not, and you're interested in all things animal welfare, I urge you to go and take a look through the posts and read highlights from presentations on subjects such as population dynamics, the EU-lobbying Pets In Europe group, trap-neuter-release in high volumes for stray cats and the business of running a shelter.

It was my first experience of ICAWC; I've only been at Dogs Trust since April, when the charity decide to focus more centrally on the marketing value of social media, and the importance of starting a dialogue online with supporters. These are some of the personal and professional things I learned from my attendance and participation.

1. Dream the impossible dream

In any other circumstances, you might dismiss Adrian's urging to set a vision for an organisation that seems impossible. However, so many examples at ICAWC proved that this is essential. Many of the delegates come from tiny organisations who do a great deal with very little. Anneleise Smillie of the Animals Asia Foundation told us of how the organisation started out in the founder's bedroom, but has now watched 6,000+ children graduate from an education programme focussing on treating animals with care and respect. That started with just one teacher at one school who was willing to take a chance.

2. Take consensus where you can get it!

Animal welfare is a complex issue. Different groups will have different ideas about the aims and methods that should be used. But one message that all the speakers held in common - and that is enshrined in the ICAWC mission statement - is that no healthy animal should be destroyed for want of a responsible owner. With this key objective established, everyone is keen to learn from each other and prepared to open their mind (and organisation) to a different point of view.

3. Handle Q&A sessions the smart way

You know how it is - the presentation is over, but there's one person with a lengthy and very specific question who ends up dominating the questions. ICAWC scrapped this format in favour of two Q&A opportunities: a 'speakeasy' at the end of each day, where speakers sat at tables around the room and were open to questions for up to two hours, and a 'your questions answered' segment where written questions submitted to the organisers were read out and answered by the relevant speakers.

I was so impressed by the way this worked to speed up the spread of information, that I used the analogy in my presentation, explaining that a website is like a presentation and social media is like the speakeasy afterwards!

4. It's okay to talk shop

At many conferences there is as much value in the conversation that goes on outside the official discussions. What was particularly excellent about ICAWC was how much everyone who was there talked about 'work' with pleasure. You don't go into animal welfare if you don't have dedication and passion because a lot of the time the goals are very hard to achieve, especially where local attitudes have to be changed and overcome. As a result we all talked about animals all the time. I now have a reputation as a Crazy Cat Lady (and the sponsor from Cats Protection who is clearly dog-mad shall remain nameless!) but have never swapped so many good tips for pet care and stories about our beloved companions before in my life.

Oh, and of course:

5. You will not get eaten by drooling monsters if your presentation goes wrong...

...but it won't stop everyone in your team going green before they're due onstage, no matter how experienced they are!

Thanks for sticking with us through the conference, and I hope we'll be seeing you there next year. Possible locations are currently being discussed!

Normal blogging service shall resume shortly...