Dog of the Week: Holly @ Dogs Trust Canterbury

Introducing... Holly!

Breed: Chocolate Crossbreed

Age: 2

Likes: I can be a bit nervous, so I like a calm, quiet atmosphere with gentle people around. I'm pretty good with other dogs, too. I've never met a cat, so I might like them - I'm not sure!

Dislikes: Noise and stressful situations make me scared.

Needs: I would love calm, experienced and understanding adult owners to make a fuss of me and help me get used to a forever home.

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Canterbury on 01227 792505 or see more dogs needing homes online.

Previous Dogs of the Week: Lurchers @ Dogs Trust Evesham (Jasmine, Nigella and River still available on day of posting!)

Animal news: Cat helps deliver town post

It does seem to be the week for animals and postmen. First you have Orla the otter doing the rounds with her rescuer, Kenny Wilson, and now there's a real life Postman Pan with a black and white cat!

Somerset kitty Charlie (not Jess, sorry!) hid out in postie Nick Lock's mailbag to try and escape the rain; since then he's been accompanying Nick on his rounds. Looking slightly alarmed, if that photo is to be believed, though being a cat I'd doubt he'd be anywhere he didn't want to be.

Nick told BBC News:

"Most days now he's about. I think it's because he likes people. I don't think he likes being by himself."

Four-year-old Charlie has a permanent home with Lara Lucas, who lives on the postal route. She's highly amused by his new-found habit!

Well... you know what's coming next! We've had otters and kittens; surely there's a postie-and-dog story somewhere just waiting to make everyone go "aahhhhhhh"?! Comment away, and don't forget to add a link!

Animal news: Postie saves otter in post bag

From time to time, I reserve the right to veer away from dog news for a bit for the following reasons:

1) Dog lovers tend to like other animals too
2) Some stories are too cute / amazing / interesting to miss

This definitely falls into the 'cute' category.

Postie Kenny Wilson discovered a young otter lying alone near the roadside while doing his rounds. He scooped the weakened little creature up, cradled her in his post bag, and thn realised she was hungry. He thought that kitten milk might be a reasonable foodstuff, so bought her some and dribbled it into her mouth through the barrel of a ball-point pen! After taking her with him on his rounds, and to a car rally he was due to attend, he delivered the otter - now known as Orla - to a rescue centre.

Thanks to Kenny's prompt care, little Orla survived and is now gulping down £15 worth of salmon every day with the kind aid of a local supermarket (otters are part of the weasel family, some of the smallest - and most deadly - carnivores in the UK).

And if that's not doggy enough for you, then here's an otter fact: otter young are known as whelps or pups. See? Totally relevant.

[Source: CBBC Newsround]

Making a meal of it: how one man went from dog phobia to dog dinners

Mumbai businessman Wasiff Khan used to be scared of dogs, particularly the strays on the street of the bustling Indian city. But once he took inspiration from tiffin box deliveries of food to homes and offices, his fear turned into a thriving business and a new-found respect and love for dogs.

Homecare Dogfood now provides daily deliveries of dog meals to the likes of Bollywood A-listers and top executives.

"The dogs know that the food is coming. They jump up. It's so nice to see that, to know that they are waiting for the product. They don't need to see a watch. They start barking. They're very intelligent animals," Khan is quoted as saying in the AFP article which prompted me to write this post.

Four years ago, Khan got inspiration for the idea and worked on overcoming his fear. Undertanding that dogs are members of the family, he undertook research into appropriate foods for different breeds and ages, noted the favourite foods of his clients' dogs and spoke to animal health specialists.

The first meal was a meat and rice mixture, similar to those that vets sometimes recommend for dogs with a sensitive tummy. The local strays loved it, and the potential clients who were offered free samples found themselves signing up to deliveries.

You can read the full article about Khan's business model and they way his innovative idea developed by following the link above. Sure, most of us would still happily schlep to the supermarket or order online for a bag or case of commercial food (or the ingredients for a carefully-prepared home diet) but it's still promising to see that someone with a fear can grow to love dogs and understand the reverence with which they're treated in loving homes.

[Image source as above]

Charity Web 2.0: The Social Media Exchange

I don't generally say much on this blog about Dogs Trust and our social media work because if you're reading it, you generally have the idea that online = good are here, and we're going to work our (obviously, svelte) behinds off making sure that you can find us online, talk to us and get a conversation going.

However, today was one of those days where I get immersed in explaining to other charities why we do what we do and how they could do their own version of it too. This was courtesy of the Social Media Exchange.

The day was created to support charities by Sound Delivery, a communications agency that devotes itself to working with the 'third sector'. As such the guest list covered a range of social media evangelists and consultants like Steve Bridger and Rachel Beer and representatives of a host of diverse charities. Some - like us - were there to present, others - also like us, if we'd been able to stay! - were there to listen. The format wasn't the usual keynote-and-speeches, variety, though, but small, more informal and to my mind more useful masterclass sessions.

These were 40 minutes which roughly broke into half-presentation, half Q&A. We were presenting a case study to talk about the reasons why we use Facebook, MySpace, bebo, Twitter, DoggySnaps and, of course, Blogger; we also touched on how we use these sites to ensure that it's the supporters doing at least 50% of the talking whilst respecting the online space (e.g. not spamming supporters constantly with Facebook updates). Finally we covered what we've learned from being online: what worked, what didn't, and what our most satisfying achievements have been so far. Why the Royal We? Because I was lucky enough to have Digital Marketing Manager Jacqui by my side for moral support and because no-one know Dogs Trust online like she does.

I had a brief presentation prepared with some notes on each site, but we had a projector malfunction so I ditched the PPP and spoke straight to the audience. I explained why I was so passionate about social media; in a quick podcast vox pop taken by Sound Delivery afterwards, I was asked to finish the sentence "for me social media is..." and simply replied "a conversation". Asked to elaborate, I continued "with our supporters, with each other... with the world!". It sounds a bit trite put into one sentence, but for me communication is what makes social media important. We're not on Facebook because it's just the place to be, we're there because 32,000 people now have the chance to start discussions, share photos and videos, ask questions, give their opinion and generally feel like there's an online corner where they and Dogs Trust can meet and have a virtual cuppa (maybe a biscuit too). We like to return the goodwill our supporters show us, partly because we want you to continue to support us and encourage your friends to do so too, but also because you deserve a voice and a listening ear, so we're working on giving you that!

It was very useful to have a number of interesting questions put to us from the likes of Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. A lot were to do with community management - moderation, frequency and nature of updates, whose job it is to actually do it. Some were to do with measuring the success of what's happening; that, of course, depends how you define success. I hope we were able to give useful, considered answers to these, and was glad they gave us something more to think about. The best thing about my job is the variety, and always looking forward; listening to the way other charities work gives us ideas, too!

It was a pleasure and an honour to be asked to present, and we both felt productive and relieved at the way things panned out. A few people nodded, though no-one nodded off and we didn't have to dodge any tomatoes! I look forward to seeing all the blog posts, Twitter chatter and more that will have come out of today.

If you didn't have a chance to attend the Social Media Exchange and would like to know more about what happened in our session or would like to see the (very simple!) presentation, please feel free to email me.

Dogs Trust Honours: Sponsors & prizes sought

Our annual Dogs Trust Honours will shortly be open for nominations. These are awards dedicated to the bravest, most devoted, smartest and most talented of our four-legged friends (and the odd human who has gone the extra mile to help dogs). I'll be blogging more about the categories and past winners when nominations open, but in the meantime I have a special request for anyone able to contribute to making this a very special evening.

We're looking for both sponsorship and 'money-can't-buy' auction prizes.

Sponsors need to be companies, and there is a range of ways to get involved, from principal to event, table, award or online sponsorship.* It's a fantastic opportunity to support a pet-positive event and help us celebrate the dogs and people that make us so determined to continue caring for thousands of dogs every year. As the UK's largest dog welfare charity, we can offer coverage in a variety of ways - online and off - with a potential audience of millions.

'Money-can't-buy' prizes for the charity auction on the night are also very welcome. Can you offer someone a truly unique experience that people would fall over themselves to bid for? We have been very lucky to receive generous gifts from celebrity supporters over the years and hope that this year will continue the trend. If you are someone who can help - or know someone who needs little persuasion - please get in touch!

If this has sparked your interest and you have a suggestion, please email me with details and / or questions and I'll be sure to get back to you asap. The Dogs Trust Honours will be held on May 19th.


*Normal Dogs Trust advertising rules do apply, however, so breeders, pet food manufacturers, pharmaceutical / vet services and pet insurers are not eligible.

How a Twitter joke can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on...*

Several interesting things have been happening in the Twitterverse during the course of the day. No, I don't mean the persistent crashing under the sheer weight of tweets about Obama's phenomenal inauguration. I mean the speed with which information - and mis-information - can spread when you're not completely Twitter-savvy and there's a recession knocking at the door.

While @dogstrust was happily gathering daft pictures of business cards, ice scrapers and, erm, lobsters to prove that people really are who they say they are, one busy Twitterer was cracking a joke. In two separate updates, they posted:

Have you heard that Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is going into administration?

They're calling in the Retrievers

Boom boom! Unfortunately, well-meaning supporters quickly copied the first sentence and spread it around their followers, missing the punchline. Seeing a potentially worrying case of Chinese whispers developing, we gave the Battersea communications department and ring, and they confirmed that big name journalists, publications and even their own staff are flooding them with concerned calls and emails.

So, just to make sure the message is completely clear, this is from a member of the Comms team at Battersea:

This is an online joke – Battersea has NOT gone into administration, or called in the RETRIEVERS (a breed of dog!), and has not gone bankCRUFT (the famous dog show!)…

So there you have it!

*borrowed from Terry Pratchett

Raising funds for Dogs Trust through sporting events: the 2009 calendar

Every year, Dogs Trust is lucky enough to have dedicated sports fans take part in a number of endurance runs which raise money to help us care for thousands of dogs. We hope 2009 will carry on this grand tradition, so to make sure you sign up and get training in good time we've compiled a list of runs to look out for over the coming months.

We have places in the following events:

London Marathon - 26th April (ALL charity places gone, but you can use your own!)

Great Manchester Run (10k) - 17th May, entry deadline 6th April

Edinburgh Marathon - 31st May, entry deadline 8th May

British 10k London Run - 12th July, entry deadline 3rd July

London Triathlon - 1st & 2nd August, entry deadline 1st June

Great North Run (13.1 miles) - 20th September, entry deadline 10th July

Great South Run (10 miles) - 25th October, entry deadline 20th August


For more information, contact fundraiseforus@dogstrust.org.uk or call 020 7837 0006.

Watching Wag! grow from pen to print

Over 600,000 supporters of Dogs Trust receive Wag! magazine, a thrice-yearly update on all the goings on in the canine world. From behaviour advice and breed features to rehoming appeals and letters, Wag! covers the range of activities and allows supporters a unique insight into the Dogs Trust world.

For the last six years, Wag! has been compiled and edited by Deana Selby, and she decided it was finally time to head over to Eclipse Colour Print in Kettering, whose job is to produce the thousands of copies that will find their way to eager readers. In the past, once it had left her desk and the proof was approved she had never personally observed the production process, so she was excited to get a chance to watch her precious project come to fruition.

Indeed, "excited" was a word that came up repeatedly in my conversation with her on her return! As her photos show, Eclipse is housed in a huge industrial complex with a sheet press (which was thundering out copies of the Next catalogue at the time) and the web press that Wag! is produced on. The thumping of the press was deafening, so ear protectors were provided, and Deana was quite intoxicated by the fresh "felt pen" print smell!

All around her she could see vast reams of sustainably sourced paper which looked, she commented, "just like big stacks of loo roll!". The covers take around 12 hours to print, with the inside copy taking another day or so. Deana was talked through the process and given a colour proof to examine, being shown how saturation of ink can be adjusted to change the final product.

"It was so much bigger than even I expected," said Deana. "It's vast and so noisy, but it felt wonderful watching piles of print emerge."

Deana spends several weeks preparing each copy of Wag!; this involves writing and commissioning articles, obtaining images, planning and consulting on layout and replying to the massed heaps of correspondence from Wag! readers. Together with the web team, there are plans to launch an e-version of Wag! during the course of the year which will help reduce paper use and postage as well as being more inviting to the online generation.

Watch this space for more information!

Dog(s) of the Week: Bereaved Lurcher Pups @ Dogs Trust Evesham

I'm breaking format for this week's Dog of the Week, thanks to a sudden rehoming appeal that landed on my desk this afternoon. No less than eight Lurcher x Collies are now awaiting rehoming at Dogs Trust Evesham thanks to the sudden and unexpected death of their owner.

The dogs - five adults and three puppies - were being cared for by a friend while the owner was on holiday. The carer turned to Evesham for help when the tragedy occurred, and the centre stepped forward to take on the lovely canine family.

It never seems like the right time to think about these things, but I should mention that Dogs Trust does offer a completely free Canine Care Card, which gives owners peace of mind that the charity will look after their dog in the event of their death. You can find out more about this by calling 01386 834 875.

The dogs can be rehomed separately - we wouldn't ask anyone to take on so many together! - but would benefit from an existing dog in the home or going home as a pair as they can be nervous away from the familiar company of the pack.

Two of the pups have now been booked but 3-year-olds Jasmine, River, Sage, Bay and Nigella (all pictured above) and the remaining 4-month-old pup Angus are still looking for homes. Can you open yours for these gorgeously scruffy pooches?

Call Dogs Trust Evesham 01386 830 613.

My dog does the funniest thing! Celebrating the cuter things in a dog's life...

I was a bit uninspired on the blogging front today, so I turned to the good people of Twitter for suggestions. @jenpot eventually struck gold with the idea of cute things your dog does when you're not paying them your full attention. Her pooch goes the eyelash-batting route of picking up the fetch ball and quietly dropping it at her feet - a subtle hint, in the dog world.

Jen also added:

I'm Riley's 'mum' btw and she has thousands. Absolute best is that she grumps when she's sleeping, especially if she stretches

Here's what some of our other Twitter friends had to say:

@OKHumane My dog Oliver wads an impossibly large piece of his blanket in his mouth and starts whistling as he falls asleep.

@warriorgrll @misterbenji crosses his front paws when he lies down. It looks very refined I must say!

[Ed's note: I love that Mister Benji has his own Twitter feed... and he's certainly not the only pet that does]

@DarrenKW The dog we had a few years ago (a retired gun dog) was completely silent, apart from barking in her sleep!

@sammcarthur he hates post so much he retrieves envelopes from the bin ages after postman been, hates postmen, knows their orange jackets!

@sallyhems - mine always used to 'answer' the door when a doorbell went on the TV, despite us never having a doorbell....?

I'm sure you all have loads of examples of your own to add, and that's what the comments are for! Thank you to all those who contributed.

Don't forget - if you're on Twitter, follow us.

DoggySnaps Book Club: A Dog Year by Jon Katz

Just last week I was contacted by the lovely Katie from Ebury Publishing who suggested what I (an avid reader) thought was a great idea - a book club on DoggySnaps!

We already knew from various threads on the site that the 'Snappers are big fans of the book world. And since Ebury is the publisher of Jon Katz' series about life as the owner for a troubled young Border Collie (A Dog Year) and bouncy new puppy Rose (A Home for Rose), Katie thought these would be very appropriate for the site.

Ebury has generously offered 15 free copies of A Dog Year (to be followed by A Home for Rose next month) to the first DoggySnappers to email eburyblog@eburypublishing.co.uk with their user name, real name and address. You do need to be a member of DoggySnaps to apply, but signing up is quick, easy and absolutely FREE.

I've got my copy of the book to hand and will get cracking reading it soon for reviewing on this blog; you can be sure I'll be adding my opinion to the forum threads, too.

If you're interested in what's next from the world of Ebury, you can also follow them on Twitter.

New Year fitness challenge for massively overweight pooch

Meet Patch. He's a Beagle Cross currently living at Dogs Trust Glasgow. He's six years old, and weighs as much as a six year old... child, that is.

At a whopping 4.5 stone (28.45kg), Patch is almost twice the weight he should be and the Glasgow staff have set him a goal weight of 2.4 stone (15kg). Patch came to the centre when his elderly owner - who obviously adored and spoiled him - sadly passed away. The path to fitness will not be easy; Patch is so fat he can't even walk, let alone run, the pounds off, and needs to be lifted using a harness. Right now exercise could be extremely dangerous and he needs to gently take a few pounds off first.

Dogs Trust's Veterinary Director Chris Laurence explains:

"Patch has started a special diet, and he must lose weight before he can attempt any exercise. If he loses weight too quickly there's a real risk of organ failure.

He is very lucky he is now in our care. Being grossly obese puts him at risk of heart failur, diabetes, liver disease, pancreatitis and arthritis. The simple physical strain of carrying that much additional weight on his frame would be huge."

The whole community is rallying round to help Patch, with local kennels Allers Farm offering free use of their brand new hydrotherapy pool and staff members at Dogs Trust Glasgow digging out extra layers of bedding to help him be as comfy as possible in his kennel.

He's a wonderfully friendly, loving dog and now he seeks a caring and responsible home where his new owners will give him plenty of fuss and love while taking a tough love approach to his weight loss and resisting giving in to those pleading big brown peepers where treats are concerned.

He could go home now to the right family, and Dogs Trust staff will always be on hand to help and advise his new owners. If you think your family might be the right ones to offer Patch a new lease of life, please call Dogs Trust Glasgow on 0141 773 5130.

Sophie and Patch to walk from John O'Groats to Lands End for Dogs Trust!

Sophie Easterbrook and trusty Jack Russel Patch have let us know about an ambitious fundraising plan they're putting into action this summer. Sophie popped on to our Facebok page to tell us all about their plans for a 1200 mile hike from John O'Groats to Lands End, with only each other's company and a light pack full of the essentials to support them - all in aid of Dogs Trust!

The exhausting three-month trek is due to start in June 2009 and in the meantime practise walks, learning about GPS and working out how to fit the supplies into a pack that's less than 20% of Sophie's slight bodyweight are the order of the day! Fundraising has also started on Sophie's JustGiving page. She aims to raise a very generous £3,500 to help dogs in our care, so please consider supporting her in her energetic effort!

Sophie has already started a blog to document the planning process, and it looks like she'd welcome any helpful advice from others who have undertaken similar walks. Maybe she can contact Trish, who also did her 'trudge' from one end of the country to the other to help dogs!

We wish Sophie and Patch all the best in this endeavour and thank them both very much for their generosity. We really appreciate it and hope that this post will help bring in donations from far and wide!

Dog of the Week: Rory @ Dogs Trust Canterbury

Introducing... Rory!

Age: 8+

Breed: Collie Cross

Likes: I love a good play, even at my age, and a nice walk around the woods. I do prefer a calm, quiet environment.

Dislikes: Kennels. I'd so much rather be a family home, perhaps with older teenagers who will be patient with me and help me settle in. Also cats - bleargh!

Needs: I don't mind a little alone time, but I'd rather be the only pooch in the pad as I love fuss and attention.

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Canterbury on 01227 792505 or see more dogs needing homes online.

Dog of the Week: Hinny @ Dogs Trust Kenilworth

Introducing... Hinny!

Age: 5

Breed: Rhodesian Ridgeback Crossbreed

Likes: I'm a friendly lad who loves company more than anything and who has been overlooked for no particular reason my carers can think of! I get on well with older children and other dogs, too.

Dislikes: I'm not very keen on being left alone for long periods of time.

Needs: I'm best off with owners who have experience of big breed dogs which is why I'm really better suited to teenagers, too!

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Kenilworth or 01926 484 398 or see more dogs needing homes online.

Previous Dogs of the Week: Tiger @ Evesham | Isobel @ Ilfracombe

Scuddles Unterfuss! Here, boy!

I just cracked up laughing at this follow-up to yesterday's popular pet names post I saw on the Dogster blog.

The same insurance company that carried out the research also looked through their data to find the most unusual pet names. The results:

1. Rush Limbark

2.Sirius Lee Handsome

3. Rafikikadiki

4. Low Jack

5. Meatwad

6. Peanut Wigglebutt

7. Scuddles Unterfuss

8.Sophie Touch & Pee

9. Admiral Toot

10. Spatula

With such wonders as Peanut Wigglebutt, it surprises me that it's Spatula that makes me crease up with the giggles. What on earth does a dog called Spatula look like?! You know what I'm going to ask now... what are the oddest pet names you've ever come across?

The whole list of 100 names - including ones for cats like Botox and Optimus Prrrime - can be found on VPI's website.

What's in a name? The most popular cat and dog names in 2008

K9 magazine had a fun feature up yesterday about the most popular pet names in 2008. Most pet owners would consider their charges one of the family, and as a result more and more "human" names are taking over the lists, which were compiled from the records of 466,000 pets kept by a US insurer.

Funnily enough, the same name topped the list for both cats and dogs! It seems Max is too tempting a name to resist for owners of four-legged furries but my cat need not worry about a sudden name change - I used to have a boss called Max so it would be altogether too weird...

Here's how it stacked up in 2008:

Dogs

1. Max
2. Bailey
3. Bella
4. Molly
5. Lucy
6. Buddy
7. Maggie
8. Daisy
9. Sophie
10. Chloe

Cats

1. Max
2. Chloe
3. Tigger
4. Tiger
5. Lucy
6. Smokey
7. Oliver
8. Bella
9. Shadow
10. Charlie

Seems Chloe, Bella and Lucy are also irresistible names for both cat and dog people!

Would you choose one of these names for a new pet? Are you surprised to find your cat's or dog's name is so popular? Do you hear one name around a lot that you're surprised isn't on the list? From adding dogs for rehoming to our website I wonder if a UK list would feature Jake and Bertie (not just given to Bassetts!) in high positions.

Of course, sometimes the more unusual names come with some back story. Our cat is called Snaffle because he's an inveterate thief of unguarded food, drink and things he can chew on (for his own safety, elastic bands are banished from all but the most secure drawers). What are the stories behind your pet names?

Show your dog on DoggySnaps, the network for dog lovers!

We're pretty excited today as a project we've been sitting on for a long time has finally seen the light of day! Our community site, DoggySnaps, has just gained an extra feature - the ability to have a dog show competition using the photos and videos members upload to the site.

Any registered member can enter, which we hope will encourage members of the site who shy away from some of the chattier functions to get more involved, and anyone on the whole Internet who can access DoggySnaps can vote. Every month there will be a variety of categories and people will be able to choose a first, second and third place award. The winners get virtual (and once in a while, real) prizes to display in their kennels and Jacqui and I even get to award an Editor's Choice ribbon.

The categories for our first show include Hunk of the Month and Lady of the Month, which were the names of the fun competitions run by members on the forums when they didn't know that we had this up our sleeves! There's also Perfect Pals, for dogs that like to keep each other company even in front of the camera, and Comedy Classics, because some dog photos are genuinely hilarious. Everyone loves a cute pup, so there's a Puppy Pics section, and finally a chance to show off seasonal snaps in the Festive Photos class.

I'm looking forward to seeing lots of excellent entries, so get uploading and I'll polish the trophies...

[Image Source]

Dog-friendly holidays: Ballachulish Hotel, Scottish Highlands

I've just returned from the freezing and extremely beautiful West Highlands, staying on the banks of Loch Linnhe (about two hours drive north west of Glasgow, or half an hour from Fort William). What struck me - aside from the good food, cheerful residents and positively cinematographic beauty of the place - was how very dog-friendly the hotel I stayed in was, and what a lot of scope for wonderful walks there was.

The Ballachulish Hotel is a pleasantly crumbly place on the banks of the Loch, which does package deals for short breaks that work out decent value due to the good meals included. In their brochure they state that dogs and other pets are welcome by arrangement, and well-behaved pooches can come into the communal (though obviously not eating) areas. We found ourselves sharing afternoon tea time by the fire with a very curious and bouncie Westie (how appropriate!), two curious black Labradors and a bouncy - and huge! - one year old Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Crossing the road to spend a few peaceful moments watching the mist change colour as the sun rose above the hills, I reflected that it was the perfect place for an active dog. Just in that one stretch of ground there was a pebbled shore, a grassy bank, a brook, some muddier patches and of course the water of the Loch - a veritable symphony of sights, smells and textures. As if to prove my point, the Labs came bounding over to investigate our ankles and generally explore.

We encountered another Lab and a Collie on walks in nearby Inchree and Callop (which I'll forever think of as Narnia, thanks to the photo we took, above), so clearly the locals have the right idea. Another hotel we stopped at for lunch in Arisaig while exploring the area by car had a couple of resident pooches of its own, Harris and Lewis; I don't think I've ever met such a docile, friendly and good-natured pair of dogs (except maybe Hubble).

Despite being a cat owner, it seems work comes with you wherever you go - even on honeymoon. As more people choose to stay at home to save travelling costs, I suspect Scotland will become a mecca for dog owners as they find the freedom to enjoy a holiday with their best four-legged friends.

Happy New Year! A heartwarming reminder to start the year...

I was sitting here struggling to think of a good way to start the New Year online. Should I just wish everyone a happy New Year? Thank all our wonderful supporters for their ongoing support even in these troubled times? Focus on a dog that needs a home at the moment?

All of these seemed like good ideas, but then I came across this post by the wondrous Christie Keith, whom I'm as fond of for her personal and political blogging as for her regular posts at the brilliant Pet Connection.

What Christie's post comes down to is that we should always remember to celebrate good pet ownership and withhold knee-jerk judgement. And I couldn't agree with her more.

So often we hear story after brutal story of abuse and inhumanity towards man's best friend(s). There are undoubtedly people out there who are irresponsible, cruel, unkind, thoughtless... the adjectives go on and none of them are pleasant. There are also people whose reasons for abandoning a dog fill us with baffled disbelief. Sometimes it's painfully necessary to dwell on this reality and we do what we can every day to fight against this through education, campaigning and care for dogs.

Other times - and I think New Year is one of them - it's also important to look at the flipside. The fact that for every one deliberately or heedlessly irresponsible owner, there are also thousands of kind, generous, caring individuals who will put themselves out - financially or otherwise - to help a companion animal.

It can sound counterintuitive, but there are good reasons for surrendering a dog to a rehoming centre. There are dogs who come to us because their owners have recently died, and the rest of the family (if there is any) cannot give the dog a suitable home. There are dogs whose owners have admitted to themselves that they didn't know enough about raising a pup before they bought one, and are now out of their depths in terms of the time, money and effort it takes to train a dog; once the deed is done, I'd much rather they gave the dog away to us than continued to struggle to turn out a canine good citizen who might develop fear or aggression issues and ultimately be put down needlessly.

Then of course there are the thousands of supporters who enable us to care for those dogs by raising money or donating goods, time and skills, or who open their doors to yet another dog when they thought that the household was already full. There are the staff members, volunteers and local animal lovers who foster a dog who is kennel-stressed, or in danger of being put down for lack of a home - though naturally that wouldn't be the case at Dogs Trust as we never, ever put a healthy dog down.

Today, as those of us lucky enough to have a workplace to go to head grumbling back to our desks, I want to take the opportunity to thank not just Dogs Trust supporters, but all those people who give an active, happy, healthy life to their pets and who should be applauded and held up as a positive example.

Here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year - pets and people!