A welcome dog bite for student who won Lottery millions

It was perhaps the only nip from a dog that Ianthe Fullagar didn't mind receiving. Upon hearing her scream of delight at winning £7m in the Euromillions draw, Ianthe's dog, Brock, felt "unsettled" and bit her... right on the rear!

Despite a sore behind, Cumbrian student Ianthe was beaming brightly and is now splashing out on a holiday to Egypt and a Ford Ka; very sensible spending from an 18-year-old! Congratulations, Ianthe. I hope Brock is forgiven and gets a treat or two out of the winnings too.

[via BBC News]

Dog photography exhibition hangs pictures from trees

Over the weekend, an exhibition dedicated to photographs of dogs and owners took the artwork back to the natural setting of its subject: the park.

More than 100 photographs of dogs with their owners were hung from trees on dog leads in Roath Mill Gardens, Cardiff.

"The park is a major part of my life and this exhibition has really come about because of the sense of community that dog walking brings," said Bettina Skovbroto, who over the course of the summer took the photographs after asking passing dog walkers to pose on the same bench.

Skovbroto borrowed the leads from Cardiff Dogs Home and joked that after an exhibition like that perhaps the answer to whether people and their dogs really do come to resemble each other might be discovered.

What a good idea which causes comment and attracts attention in such a positive way. I hope it leads other uses of the park to consider adopting a dog so that they too can become part of the park's dog walking community.

[via BBC News]

Dog of the Week: Raffael @ Dogs Trust Kenilworth

Introducing... Raffael!

Age: 8 months

Breed: Rottweiller X Hungarian Kuvasz

Likes: I like other dogs, and patient humans who understand that I can find it a bit difficult in a home because I've been in kennels since I was tiny.

Dislikes: New situations can be a bit scary.

Needs: I need to be rehomed with another dog. A lovely lady at Kenilworth takes me home now and again to get me used to the idea, and as I can be a bit reactive in strange situations I need very special, really patient owners. Do you have time for a boy like me?

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Kenilworth on 01926 484398 or visit the centre's online gallery to see more dogs.

If you are willing to consider a special needs dogs, please check out the Special Needs and Sticky Dog galleries on the main website.

K9 Knitters take up needles to help dogs

The following information was sent to us from Carrie at K9 Knitters. Her cause is, clearly, very close to our hearts because she is a dedicated fundraiser for both Dogs Trust and other canine charities. Here's what she has to say:

"We are a nationwide knitting group who create hand made dog coats for sale, and 100% of the proceeds go to dog rescue charities. We support two charities every year - Dogs Trust is the 'constant' who we support every year, and we have a 'smaller' charity that we rotate every year. Customers decide which of the two charities their donation goes to - it works out at broadly 50/50 each year. We've raised over £7500 in total since we started in 2006.

"We regularly have a stall at events at the Sadberge Dogs Trust centre, and also send coats for fundraising events to any other of the centres who ask for them. However, most of our sales come from the website. Would any Dogs Trust supporters be interested in a buying a warm woolly winter coat for their dog and helping less fortunate dogs at the same time?"

K9Knitters Facts

- K9 Rescue Knitting Club was founded in early 2006 by Jill Danson and Carrie Warr - who didn't know each other from adam, other than via a rescue dog chat forum on the internet!

- we have raised over £7500 since October 2006. 100% of proceeds go to dog rescue charities - and all wool/other materials are donated by either our knitters or supporters.

- Our nominated rescues for 2008 are Dogs Trust and Ashbourne Animal Welfare in Derbyshire. Dogs Trust benefit every year; we rotate the 'smaller' charity every January. Previous charities who benefitted were The Oldies Club and Many Tears (in Wales).

- Over 500 coats have been sold via the website

- Over 1000 coats have been donated direct to rescues for their residents and/or their fundraising

- Over 700 knitters are registered with us

- Most popular designs are: Dennis the Menace; Dogasaurus

- One lady once bought a coat for her cat

- Our most northerly customers are in Orkney

- Our most southerly customers are in Cyprus

- Our furthest afield customers are in Maryland , USA . (We've also offered a couple of coats to the White House dogs in Washington - Barney and Miss Beazley. But we're waiting to hear back from them!)

- Our best dressed customer is Brummie the Yorkshire Terrier in London who has 10 k9knitters coats

- We've made coats for a couple of 3-legged dogs

- One of the rescue centres to whom we sent a batch of coats used one to help keep a newly orphaned lamb warm!

- We once had a donation of 2500 pairs of knitting needles! (I know - I counted them all!)

- We always welcome donations of wool - which will be put to very good use.



So if your pooch is shivering and you're looking for a good way to keep him (or a cat or a lamb, apparently!) warm through the winter, you know which website to visit!

Other Pets: Roaming tortoise finds her way home (slowly)

Sioux the tortoise worried her owners when she ambled off from the garden. They were used to her going for a daily 'run' not too far from the house, but on August 7th, she didn't come back.

Having escaped from the garden of her Bellington, Chesham home, Sioux was the subject of a painstaking search by owners Alan and Brenda Thomas, but to no avail. Luckily she was found by a motorist around half a mile (and two fields) away from home.

It was just as well he read the village magazine, because that's how he realised Sioux was a beloved pet and would be missed! She's now safely - and securely - back where she belongs.

[via PetPlanet News]

Meet Dogs Trust: Vicky Kelly

Name: Vicky Kelly

Location: Dogs Trust Glasgow Rehoming Centre

Job: Supporter Relations Officer

You what...? I talk constantly about Dogs Trust, at least I’m sure that’s how it must seem!
I attend events, speak at community groups and organise events at the centre to promote the work of Dogs Trust.

Best thing about my job: Listening to people’s stories of the canine companions they have shared their lives with and seeing long term residents leave the rehoming centre with their new families.

Pets & Family: I have my rescue dog Toffee who hides her age very well. She has lived with my husband, Martin and I for over 12 years. Goodness knows what she thought when my two daughters arrived however she has always been a superb four-legged play friend.

Favourite websites: Without doubt Facebook! I have friends and family all over the world and it’s a great way to share photos and keep in touch.

What I'm reading now: Other than my friends status updates on Facebook and Oxford Reading Tree stage 5 (my daughters school book) I don’t make enough time to read. I do however enjoy books by Bear Grylls and Dame Ellen MacArthur as I am an adventurer at heart!

Weekend plans: Absolutely none what so ever! This is most unusual. Perhaps I’ll get chance to pick up a book?

Previous Meet Dogs Trust: (Pirate) Brian Child | Alexandra Roumbas

Image credit: Stuart Dreghorn

Queen's Park dogs and owners to be taught good canine manners

Westminster Council has responded to complaints about anti-social, irresponsible dog owners by providing £5,000 worth of training for residents of Queen's Park, reports Jennifer White in K9 Magazine.

Sessions, which will be free of charge, will cover diet and exercise, basic commands, controlled walking on the lead, cleaning up after the dog and separation anxiety.

The aim is to reduce the number of incidents of dog fouling as well as increasing the number of better behaved dogs (and owners, who are, after all, the ones responsible) on the streets.

A BBC report on the news quotes dog trainer Chrissie Chambers as saying:

"The classes are called socialising as it is to socialise people and their dogs and to try and give them a better perception of different breeds and owners. Young people, many of whom have pets for macho reasons or as a fashion accessory, are generally given quite a bad reputation…but a majority of them are good owners and want to learn to socialise.”

Great to see a council tackling the problem in a positive way!

Happy Dog Stories: Chris and 'oldies' Dixie and Missy

Chris McGrath had vowed not to get another dog after the last one died at the end of 2007. Here she explains how she broke that vow to get two 'oldies' who have filled the house with love:

"When our last dog died at the end of last year we said ‘no more dogs’. We are both now pensioners so have to think about our life span as well as that of a dog*. Morbid? Maybe, but necessary!

"But … the house seemed very empty - we had had at least one dog around for the last 35 years - and there wasn’t any real reason to ‘just go for a walk’. Our daughter, who works in Dogs Trust HQ, finally persuaded us that we needed a dog!

"I first saw Dixie, a crossbreed, on the Oldies website, where Dogs Trust Merseyside had posted details of her. She was 13 years old, which was possibly the reason why she was overlooked, so we travelled down to the Centre to meet her. It didn’t take very long to decide that she was The One and a couple of days later we brought her home. She settled in very well. Poppy The Cat looked a bit confused when they first met but there were no problems at all.

"A couple of weeks later we heard about another old lady, a 14 year old Labrador, who needed a new home. However she was very poorly and we had to wait until we could meet her. A week later we travelled back down to Merseyside to introduce Dixie to Missy. They took no notice of each other! Missy had a very bad skin condition which had made her tummy hairless and very very smelly. Previously she had been living in a garage because of her bad smell. She was also scratching a lot.

"We took her home (with the car windows open because she really was smelly) and it was her turn to meet Poppy The Cat. Again, no problems. In fact the cat didn’t seem at all surprised that another dog had suddenly appeared. With ongoing monthly injections and medicated baths Missy is now a lovely sweet smelling dog and her skin condition is improving. She actually runs (she wasn’t very keen on walking, let alone running and playing ball when we first had her), and both dogs enjoy the beach and going for a swim. We discovered that Missy is also deaf, but she has learnt a bit of very basic sign language.

"We don’t know how long Dixie and Missy will be around, hopefully for a while yet, but they’ve brought so much pleasure to us. Another plus for us personally – Poppy The Cat has stopped waking us up by letting out blood curdling yowls in the middle of the night because she was pining for our previous dog. Her life must have seemed to missing something as well as ours as she had lived all of her 16 years with a dog around.

"So – if anyone is thinking of adopting an Oldie – do it!"

If you have a happy story about your rescue dogs (whether they came from Dogs Trust or not), please email me with a photo and your tale and it could appear here soon! If you're interested in adopting a dog, please visit our website for more information.

Previous Happy Dog Stories: Jo and Daisy| Kim and Jake

*The Dogs Trust Canine Care Card scheme is a special FREE service that give you peace of mind, knowing that Dogs Trust will look after your dog in the event of your death.

The Underdog Show starts tonight at 9pm on Living TV!

Exciting news for Dogs Trust – 9pm (21st September) sees the premier of The Underdog Show on Living TV!

Following the success of last year’s series a selection of famous faces volunteered to pair up with ten of our wonderful Dogs Trust dogs. None of the celebs had previous dog training experience – as you’d expect, really! – and the show follows their journeys as they enrol on a six week crash course in doggy discipline, aided by our very own Training and Behaviour Advisors.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Mark Durden-Smith present and observe their progress, and a panel of expert judges and the studio audience vote one celeb and their hound off the show each week.

And the dog mad celebs who signed up for this?

Brian Blessed (actor),
Raef Bjayou (The Apprentice contestant)
MC Harvey (former member of the So Solid Crew)
Javine Hylton (singer)
Lesley Joseph (Birds of a Feather actress)
Camilla Dallerup (Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer)
Elize Du Toit (actress)
Kevin Sacre (former Hollyoaks star)
Jason Wood
Ninia Benjamin (both comedians)

Where you can catch it:

Sky channel 112 Virgin TV channel 110

We think it’s a fantastic show case for rescue dogs – let us know your thoughts when you’ve seen it!

Dogs Trust Merseyside gets 28 black and white pups (all rehomed - phew!)

Canine carers at Dogs Trust Merseyside couldn't hide their surprise when all but one of twenty eight new pups in the centre turned out to be black and white. You can see the lone brown sibling below.

The adorable pooches came from four litters which resulted in seven Spaniel crosses, five Terrier crosses and 16 genuine Heinz 57s! Thankfully, all 28 have now been booked by prospective owners, so will have forever homes to go to, but there are many more pups in our 17 centres who will be waiting for their turn.

The fantastic pictures are courtesy of the Liverpool Echo & Daily Post.

Dog of the Week: Honey @ Dogs Trust Ballymena

Introducing... Honey!

Breed: Labrador Retriever Crossbreed

Age: 4

Likes: I am a bright girl, so I enjoy training. I've already learned basic commands and am hungry to learn more. I like children of all ages and enjoy being with a family.

Dislikes: I get stressed if I'm left alone.

Needs: I'm easy going and friendly; all I need is a house where I have company most of the day.

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Ballymena on 028 2565 2977 or visit the centre's online gallery.

Meet Dogs Trust on International Talk Like a Pirate Day: Brian Child

Yes, I know this feature is usually run on a Wednesday, but when Brian sent me this brilliant photo it was inevitable that it had to be posted today. What? You didn't know? Today is the day for calling everyone 'me hearties' and 'arrrrgggg'-ing to your heart's content...

Name: Brian L Child (Known as Brains)

Location: Dogs Trust HQ, London

Job: Information technology Manager

You what...? As the IT manager I get to try out all the new technologies (Boys Toys) and if I think that Dogs Trust can benefit from them we all get to play. There is also a lot of detective work when trying to find the source of a problem

Best thing about my job: Meeting all sorts of people and new toys.

Pets: At my house, I have tropical fish

Favourite websites: A lot of guitar links and film making links

What I'm reading now: Silvertown – a story about London just before the second world war

Weekend plans: Out taking photographs and eating out with the grand children.


Previous Meet Dogs Trust: Alexandra Roumbas | Denise Gilgallon

Other Pets: Shelters house four-legged evacuees from Ike - including lions...

Determined not to repeat the evacuation mistakes that surrounded the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005, evacuation was swift and determined in the wake of news that Gustav and Ike were hurtling towards the Southern USA.

Not only was the prevention and relief effort more co-ordinated for human victims, but pets had a better time of it too.

The Houston Chronicle reports that organisations such as the Austin Humane Society helped evacuees leave safely by taking custody of their animals until the owners are safely back at home. Many people were not allowed to take pets onto evacuation buses last time around, leading to many deaths of both animals and people who would not leave their companions.

The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act was passed by Congress a year after Katrina to ensure pets were better protected; Texas followed with a similar law last year.

You can read more about the steps that shelters have taken to ensure pet safety by following the link to the full article.

In the meantime, somewhat bigger animals have been giving Ike evacuees cause for concern as a tiger and a lion escaped from an exotic animal centre in hard-hit Crystal Beach. Shackle the lion was safely contained and spent the night comfortably dozing in a church with his owner, but the tiger is still on the loose... and apparently 'hungry'. Here's hoping that he's safely captured soon, for his own safety and that of the humans and animals around him.

Dogs Trust withdraws from Crufts: Press release amendment

Please note that point four has been amended to read:

4. If people are considering buying a pedigree dog they need to understand the importance of determining and questioning its genetic heritage.


Hopefully this amendment will help to make it clear that Dogs Trust is not against breeders or the breeding of pedigree dogs; neither are we criticising dog owners who buy from breeders. Our staff are dog-mad and own pedigrees, and we often rehome pedigree dogs. Because we rehome them, canine carers are often heartbroken dealing with the fall-out of bad breeding practices and poor or nonexistent genetic screening. As a result, while it is imperative that we continue a dialogue with the Kennel Club, we have also reached the tipping point where a more obvious stand needs to be taken.

Please keep talking to us about your feelings on this subject.

Meet Dogs Trust: Alexandra Goldstein

I was hoping to hide behind this blog a little longer, but as it turns out I'll soon by sticking my head above the parapet at the International Companion Animal Welfare Conference anyway! For that reason, I shall venture forth...

Name: Alexandra Goldstein

Location: Dogs Trust HQ, London

Job: Digital Marketing Officer

You what...? I work under the Head Geek, Jacqui Darlow, helping to promote Dogs Trust through web activities. I really get the social side of the web to play with, and have the advantage of interacting directly with a lot of supporters through this site (on which I write the entries), Facebook, Bebo, MySpace and, of course, DoggySnaps.

Best thing about my job: Being allowed to use Facebook at work! Also, my job's very flexible, so I've been known to work from home when I've got the lurgy, which is very helpful.

Pets: I am currently in a garden-free flat, but I do miss my late cats who lived out their long lives with my mum and dad.

Favourite websites: Thanks to my job and because I'm an avid blogger, I've become obsessed with pet blogs. Since many of them are US-based I've been getting really involved in the election discussion. Bark Obama, which brings together Pet Connection bloggers, Terrierman and more is brilliant - insightful, interesting and very animal-focussed.

What I'm reading now: I've just received a Sony Reader from my lovely fiance. I first used it to read and review an advance copy of Patricia Volonakis Davis' Harlot's Sauce, which I found very interesting because of my Greek background. Then I rattled through The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and got stuck into Henry James' creepy classic The Turn of the Screw, both of which are out of copyright so can be read online and on some devices for free through Project Gutenberg.

Weekend plans: I'm meeting up with my soon-to-be bridesmaids for lunch in preparation for December's big day, going to some London Design Festival events and hopefully getting to chill out and chat to my friend Kirsty, who's staying with me on a jaunt up from St. Leonard's.

Previous Meet Dogs Trust: Denise Gilgallon | Hollie Sevenoaks

Dogs Trust withdraws from all Kennel Club events, including Crufts

Press release:

Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity has announced it will be withdrawing from Crufts and Discover Dogs. Dogs Trust will also not be involved in this year’s Westminster Dog of the Year Show. This follows consultation with the charity’s Trustees and requests from its supporters.

Dogs Trust believes that this removal of support is the strongest signal it can give to the Kennel Club and breeders to achieve immediate action to ensure that the health and wellbeing of pedigree dogs is ranked over appearance and artificial breed standards.

Dogs Trust hopes that this will lead to rapid changes in the manner in which dogs are bred and is in talks with Defra and The Kennel Club to help bring about the following much needed changes:

1. The review of breed standards to ensure they are firmly focused on the health and wellbeing of the dog, not the supposed aesthetics of the breed. Breeders and show judges must be required to adhere to these revised breed standards.

2. The introduction of secondary legislation, so as to prevent inappropriate breeding practices, especially the intentional inbreeding of closely related dogs or dogs with known debilitating genetic illnesses.

3. The introduction of genetic screening of all breeding stock and the assured integrity of such a process.

4. Purchasers of dogs should first consider a rescue dog. If it is a pedigree, they must understand the importance of determining and questioning its genetic heritage.

Dogs Trust has had a long history of working with The Kennel Club in order to promote rescue dogs at pedigree shows and we hope to be able to continue this relationship as soon as these vital animal welfare points have been put in place.

Happy Dog Stories: Jo and Daisy

We like to share our new happy dog story updates on our Facebook page, and this prompted Jo to leave us a message and then send us some very cute pictures, at least one of which I couldn't resist publishing above. Here's what she had to say about her rehoming experience:

"I just wanted to share my experience from Dogs Trust Snetterton. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. They matched me with my puppy who had been found abandoned along with her sister a few weeks before. Her sister had been fortunate to have found a home and we're glad we were matched with Daisy as she has bought nothing but fun and excitement since bringing her home! She had been named Susannah but we renamed her Daisy. She is a 9 week old JRT Cross.

"Jo & Daisy (who is curled up next to me having a nap!)"

If you have a happy story about your rescue dogs (whether they came from Dogs Trust or not), please email me with a photo and your tale and it could appear here soon! If you're interested in adopting a dog, please visit our website for more information.

Previous Happy Dog Stories: Kim and Jake | Sarah and Alfie

Dogs Trust Statement: RSPCA pulls out of Crufts and Discover Dogs

The RSPCA has decided not to have its regular stall at Crufts or Discover Dogs because of the issues raised by the documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed. Here's Dogs Trust's official comment on proceedings:

Dogs Trust believes that the welfare of all dogs should be highlighted at Crufts and we have a long and successful history of celebrating and highlighting rescue dogs at the show. The recent BBC documentary raised some important issues about the breeding of pedigree dogs and Dogs Trust has passed on our recommendations to both Defra and The Kennel Club and we are liaising with them about future plans. We hope that the BBC programme has provided the impetus and muscle to bring about the necessary changes but we will be listening to our supporters and monitoring the situation very closely over the next six months.

Please feel free to add your comments below; they are all read by the relevant departments within Dogs Trust and the views of supporters do help to inform our future strategy.

Meet Dogs Trust's Dogs: Liniker

You always know when Liniker's at HQ; it's hard to believe he's already six years old because he's a pure bundle of energy! Here he gets his chance to shine and be made a fuss of online:

Name: Liniker Baillon

Breed: Jack Russell

Colour: White, tan and black

Age: 6

Who's your favourite two-legged friend at Dogs Trust? I love to get to know everyone at Dogs Trust, but my Mummy is my favourite – she gives me lots of cuddles and kisses and yummy treats when I’m a good boy!

Who's your favourite four-legged friend at Dogs Trust? I haven’t really met many other dogs at Dogs Trust because I don't come in every day, but I enjoy seeing Buster and saying hello to him in the mornings!

What's your favourite toy? I like anything that squeaks and is soft, I like to hold the toys in my mouth and chew on the squeaker for hours!

What's your favourite treat? I’m not really a biscuit type dog, but I love anything that has really juicy meat…ummm yumm!

What do you dream about? I dream about running in fields with my sisters and brother and going to the beach to swim in the sea (I love swimming!)

Where's the best place to take a walk? I really like going to muddy fields where I can splash around in the muddy puddles and find lots of different smells and trees.

What are you favourite activities? I like to find where the toys and treats are!

What's the one thing you can't stand? My sisters and brother getting more attention than me!

What do your humans like best about you? My silky coat and nice nature, I just love attention and I’ve been told I have nice eyes.

How did you meet your humans? My Mum came and picked me up with my sister from Bedford when I was 7 weeks old. That's Britney, my sister, in the background of my photo, trying to steal the attention again...

Check in next Monday for another doggy profile!

Previous Dogs Trust Dog Profiles: Harvey | Charlie aka Chas

Dog of the Week: Theo @ Dogs Trust Newbury

Introducing... Theo!

Breed: Hound Type Crossbreed

Age: 8

Likes: I absolutely love fetch and ball games. I am quite strong as well, so I am generally better off with adults than children.

Dislikes: Chaos. I need a calm home. I can get possessive about my food, sometimes too.

Needs: I'd love a quiet home with people who can continue training and making a fuss of me the way they do at the Rehoming Centre.

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Newbury on 01488 658391 or visit Newbury's online gallery.

STICKY DOG:
Theo is a ‘Sticky Dog’ which means he has been at the Rehoming Centre for over six months and is still looking for a loving new family. Sometimes dogs become sticky because they don’t like being in a kennel environment and don’t show themselves off well even though they’re fine outside. Some are sticky purely because of their looks as they are not particularly ‘pretty’ and some require a very specific kind of home.

Dogs Trust cares for such dogs for as long as it takes to find that special home. We never put a healthy dog down.

Previous Dogs of the Week: George & Phoebe @ Salisbury | Jess & Brinkley @ Shoreham

Other Pets: The Truth About Cats and Dogs (and how they get along)

A quick poll on DoggySnaps was enough for me to confirm what I already suspected; many of us have more than one kind of pet. Some will have been introduced with no fuss at all, others will have had to employ good training techniques over a longer time to help the new addition settle in. Now scientists in Tel Aviv claim to have worked out the perfect time to introduce a cat to a dog in order for them to get on well.

The problem, after all, is all to do with communication. We all know there's a huge difference between Puss's ominously swishing tail and Fido's tail-jiggling delight and that's half the problem - they don't speak each other's language. The Tel Aviv University boffins have suggested they can learn if the cat is adopted first, and they are both young when introduced; the recommended ages are up to six months for the cat and up to a year for the dog.

Of course, there are no guarantees. The temperament and history of both pets needs to be taken into account, because even in this ideal situation researchers observed indifference between the animals (which some of us might consider a success!) in 25% of homes and outright aggression in 10%. However, the conclusion was still drawn that the chances of them becoming best mates were considerably heightened following the age and adoption order guidelines.

You and I probably know many examples where cats and dogs get along fine having been introduced at much later stages in the process, or the other way around. If you have any good tips for helping feline and canine friends get along, then please share them in the comments.

You can read more about the science behind the recommendations on Science Daily.

Despite being considered natural adversaries, many households have a peaceful life with dogs and cats. For more advice on how to introduce a new dog to a feline friendly household, download Dogs Trust's free pdf factsheet.

Dogs Trust goes International as Liza Fitzpatrick helps "fashion" a home for Man's Best Friend in Ireland

Dogs Trust is soon to have its 18th Rehoming Centre, and the first International site, with the creation of a state of the art complex in Dublin.

TV style guru Lisa Fitzpatrick is today helping us mark the start of work on the new site, which is the next stage of our work in the Republic of Ireland, which began in 2005. The aim is to bring an end to the destruction of stray and abandoned dogs through a national neutering campaign, an education programme and, of course, the new Centre.

Over 12,500 stray and abandoned dogs were destroyed in Ireland in 2007 for want of a good home. That’s the equivalent of 34 dogs every day. The new Dogs Trust Dublin which will care for over 1,000 stray and abandoned dogs from all over Ireland every year.

Located north of the city, (near junction 5 of the M50), the centre will provide everything an abandoned dog needs to get him back on his paws again including the love of our specially trained staff. The Rehoming Centre will be conveniently located off the Ashbourne Road so it will be easy to get to from both North and South of Dublin.

The Rehoming Centre will include the following:

• 24 rehoming kennels (all angled and glass fronted)
• 6 puppy kennels (all glass fronted)
• Indoor puppy play area
• 30 holding kennels (all angled and glass fronted)
• Sponsor Dog Suite with three glass-fronted 'homes' for sponsor dogs
• Underfloor heating for all kennels
• Surgical suite - see below for how you can help with this!*
• Behaviour assessment and training suite
• Training barn
• 6 free-running exercise and play areas
• Accommodation for 3 members of staff to live on-site

Dogs Trust Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, said:

“We are so thrilled to be starting building work on our very first Rehoming Centre in the Republic of Ireland. We look forward to working together with our local partners in Dublin towards helping as many stray and abandoned dogs as we can. This new Rehoming Centre will enable us to care for over 100 rescue dogs at any one time and help us to find new homes for all these dogs with so much love to give.”

Lisa told us:

“It is a pleasure to be a part of this event which marks the beginning of a brighter future for dogs in Ireland. I look forward to seeing the finished results of this stylish and cutting edge Rehoming Centre in September 2009. I’m sure it will be amazing if plans are anything to go by!”

Dogs Trust will provide regular updates over the year on progress. Meanwhile, check out the picture above of the plans to get an idea of what to expect.

*Surgical suite: Building a fully equipped vet suite will cost £180,000. Can you help us raise the funds? If you want to contribute towards the building of the new suite, you can do so by simply making a donation on the Dogs Trust website, choosing "Dublin appeal" from the dropdown to ensure your money goes directly where you want it to. There is also a link to this appeal on our Facebook Page. The dogs in our care thank you for your generous support.

Happy Dog Stories: Kim and Jake

When Kim Adams met Jock, he was a sorry sight, a painfully thin, emotionally and physically scarred victim of dogfighting. Four years on, thanks to Kim and her husband's love, patience and careful training, life for a dog now known as Jake couldn't be more different:

"In December 2003 my husband Steve and I lost our beloved Staffy cross, Harry; he died of old age at 19 and my husband had had him since he was one or two.

"By March 2004 we were pining for another dog so we went to Dogs Trust Kenilworth and had a look round. At first we couldn't find a dog that would be suitable; personally I think we were trying to find a replacement Harry. However, on the second walk round the kennels we noticed a dog that looked petrified and would not come out of his bed. As we got closer to the kennel, we called him over. He came over to us and looked in quite a sad state. His head looked huge as his body was so skinny and it looked like he had many scars and not a lot of fur left on him. His name was Jock.

"We went to the office to enquire about Jock and we were informed that he was a Staffy cross and had just been brought over from Ireland and that was a rescue from dog fighting. I seem to remember that Kenilworth did not hold out much hope for him.

"Steve and I decided to talk him for a small walk as we felt sorry for him. We were advised not to walk too far as Jock was quite tired and as mentioned previously, not in particular good health, so after a few minutes we found a bench and sat down. Jock proceeded to jump up and landed himself on our laps.

"Well, we were quite surprised he had the energy to do that! We sat quietly with him and he looked at us with such sad eyes that we decided that we would take him back to the kennel and find out more about him.

"We were informed of his history as a fighting dog and that he could be quite aggressive, however, we decided to take a chance on him.

"We brought him home in April 2004 and re-named him Jake and he has been with us since. I can honestly say he is a wonderful dog. Yes, he can still be aggressive to other dogs and cats as he was bred to be like this, however, he has never been aggressive to us or our family plus we have learnt how to handle him when he is walked or around other animals.

"Jake is extremely healthy now - he is walked twice a day, he has gained the weight he had lost, his coat is glossy and his eyes shine, in fact he is not the same dog we took away from the kennels - he is an absolute joy to have.

"Here is a picture of Jake relaxing on "his" mat!

"I hope this gets added to your blog to highlight that although Jake was identified as a problem dog, he has turned out to be a wonderful loving dog that just had a bad start to his life. His problems will not go away, but you just adapt and manage."

If you have a happy story about your rescue dogs (whether they came from Dogs Trust or not), please email me with a photo and your tale and it could appear here soon! If you're interested in adopting a dog, please visit our website for more information.

Previous Happy Dog Stories: Judith and Buffy | Sarah and Alfie

Meet Dogs Trust's Dogs: Harvey

Last week, you met Harvey's adoring mum, Denise, who helps spread the word about responsible dog ownership. Here, Harvey tells us how he helps!

Name: Harvey Gilgallon

Breed: Cocker Spaniel

Colour: Black

Age: 6 years old

Who's your favourite two-legged friend at Dogs Trust? I love my Mum Denise, and my other favourite person is my Aunty Michelle who works in the Campaign Office with us. I always get lovely cuddles from her.

Who's your favourite four-legged friend at Dogs Trust? Jade, a 12 year old collie x spaniel who belongs to Aunty Michelle. We all share an office and also walk and play on the field together.

What's your favourite toy? It has to be my ball on a rope, love it!

What's your favourite treat? I like most things but doggy chocolate buttons are my least favourite.

What do you dream about? Swimming and my holidays in Scotland and the Lake District as it’s really exciting for me with all the new walks and smells

Where's the best place to take a walk? The North Yorkshire Moors which isn’t too far from where I live. There’s lots of space for me to run and explore. I also like the beach. My Dad likes walking and he takes me on some great walks

What are you favourite activities? Walking, swimming and playing with my toys.

What's the one thing you can't stand? Having my teeth brushed!

What do your humans like best about you? I’m a very good kisser.

How did you meet your humans? It was love at first lick when my Mum met me at Darlington Rehoming Centre and when I met my Dad at my new home he just couldn’t resist me and made me really welcome.

Check in next Monday for another doggy profile!

Previous Dogs Trust Dog Profiles: Charlie aka Chas | Sadie

Dog(s) of the Week: George & Phoebe @ Dogs Trust Salisbury

Introducing... George & Phoebe!

Age: 8 (Phoebe) & 9 (George)

Breed: Terrier (Phoebe) & Labrador (George)

Likes: We're known as the 'dynamic duo' or 'Little & Large' because we go everywhere together. George likes playing in water, going for walks and finding hidden biscuits, and Phoebe loves a good cuppa, a play with a tennis ball and a squeaky toy.

Dislikes: None, really. We even get on with other dogs!

Needs: We want to be rehomed together! We have too strong an attachment to be separated. We'd both be happy to live with older children, and we're housetrained.

Contact: Call Dogs Trust Salisbury on 01980 629634 or visit the centre gallery online.

Previous Dogs of the Week: Fran @ Ilfracombe | Jess & Brinkley @ Shoreham

The Chiswick House Gardens Dog Show: Sunday 28th September 2008

Al Murray, The Pub Landlord, will be kicking off this year's Chiswick House Gardens Dog Show. The event promises to be even better than last year's, which had an estimated 800 visitors, with the introducton of new classes such as Best Six Legs and Best Trick.

Also among the new additions is a Doggy Dash Competition and the special Daschie Dash open sprint race for a certain breed (no prizes for guessing which one!). Visitors can now plan their day even more easily, by pre-registering online for classes.

The fun day has attracted a greater number of supporters than ever before, including Dogs Trust, alongside: Chiswick Pets, Southfields Grooming, Outsider Tart cakemakers, Doggy Days doggy treats bakery, Labradoodle Rescue, Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, The Mayhew Animal Home, Pet Portraits and Face-to-Face face-painters.

You can also get your pet microchipped by Hounslow Animal Service.

Add to this agility and heelwork with Capable Canines, a free dog creche from London Woof, the chance to win a year's supply of beer for coming first in Best in Show (courtesy of Fullers Brewery) and many more prizes and refreshments. In other words all the ingredients for a fab day out are in place!

Get yourself down to Chiswick House Gardens Cricket Pitch (Staveley Road entrance) from 10:30am to 3:15pm on Sunday 28th September to take part in the fun.

Meet Dogs Trust: Denise Gilgallon (and Harvey)

Much of the work Dogs Trust does to reduce alarming statistics like those found by our Stray Dogs Reports is done with Local Authorities in particular campaign regions. Here, Denise tells us more about how we can improve dog welfare in the future.

Name: Denise Gilgallon

Location: Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, Darlington

Job: Regional Campaigns Manager

You what...? My job entails working with Local Authorities promoting neutering, microchipping and responsible dog ownership. The aim of my job is to reduce the number of stray dogs and also reducing the number of dogs that are unnecessarily destroyed. I've been at Dogs Trust for 10 years.

Best thing about my job: Getting positive feedback from Local Authorities to say the number of stray dogs has reduced and they have collected no unwanted litters.

Pets: Harvey our 6 year old black cocker spaniel who we adopted from Darlington Rehoming Centre when he was 18 months old. He is gorgeous and we love him to bits.

Favourite websites: I love fashion and interior design sites and have just bought Harvey some fab new toys from a website. Obviously DoggySnaps is a firm favourite.

What I'm reading now: I've just bought No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay, to read whilst on holiday in Scotland, a thriller, in which, a teenage girl wakes up one morning to discover her family have vanished without a trace. 25 years later, after a TV appeal, she begins to learn the truth behind their sudden disappearance. Looking forward to a good ‘can’t put it down’ read.

Weekend plans: Harvey, my partner and I are going on holiday to Scotland. The three of us really enjoy visiting Scotland as there are so many beautiful walks and Lochs to explore.

Check back on Monday for Harvey's profile!

Meet Dogs Trust: Jacqui Darlow | Hollie Sevenoaks

Stray Dogs Report 2008: Video

A video highlighting the results of our Stray Dogs Report 2008.



You can also find this video on Flickr.

Dogs Trust Stray Dogs Report 2008: Eighteen stray dogs put to sleep every day

Dogs Trust's eleventh annual Stray Dogs Report¹ has revealed that an estimated 96,892 stray dogs were taken in by local councils in the UK last year, 6,710 of which were put to sleep for want of a home. In fact, on average, eighteen dogs are put to sleep every day².

Despite the sustained efforts of animal welfare organisations and local authorities, on average 11 stray and unwanted dogs are handled by local authorities every hour.

• Five are reunited with their owners
• Three are taken to welfare organisations
• One is rehomed by the local authority
• And every 80 minutes, a dog is put to sleep.

Please consider visiting your local rescue centre before splashing the cash on a rental Rover.

Dogs Trust's Chief Executive, Clarissa Baldwin, explains that there is still much to be done:

"This is the first year that the number of stray dogs in the UK has dropped below 100,000. But this is still far too high a figure - it's 6,000 more than the number of seats at Wembley! For a nation of so-called animal lovers, it is unacceptable that pets are being treated as throwaway commodities. Dog ownership is a privilege, not a right.

"Dogs Trust is working closely with local authorities and runs extensive education, neutering and microchipping campaigns to help them tackle the issue. As a result the number of stray dogs has dropped gradually in the past ten years.

"However, the onus remains on owners to accept their responsibility. Get your dog neutered and microchipped and ensure he is wearing an ID tag so that if he is lost he can be reuinited with you more easily."

To learn more about adopting a dog from Dogs Trust, please visit our website.


¹Conducted by GfK NOP on behalf of Dogs Trust.
²Some of these will have been euthanised because of aggression or illness.

Meet Dogs Trust's Dogs: Charlie aka Chas

Whoops! Charlie has just barked at me to remind me that he should have had his day in the sun yesterday. My apologies, Charlie, now please take centre stage!

Name: CHARLIE (also known as Chas and Chuchi Waller)

Breed: Terrier Crossbreed

Colour: Black and Tan

Age: 11

Who's your favourite two-legged friend at Dogs Trust? My friend Jo in Fundraising who used to be like a second Mum to me until she got her own 4 legged friend so now she is more like an Auntie. I go for lots of walks with her.

Who's your favourite four-legged friend at Dogs Trust? Buster Boy who lives with Jo. He used to come for sleep overs when she first adopted him and we became best friends even though he is very tall and gangly and sometimes steps on me when we are out running in the woods.

What's your favourite toy? I particularly like handbags and shoes and I have a matching pair of pink fluffy ones at the moment which I love.

What's your favourite treat? I have a shoe fetish so my biggest treat in life is when I'm allowed to nuzzle my head into a shoe. Luckily lots of staffmembers keep a spare pair under their desks or friends that know me well willingly kick off their shoe for me to enjoy. It’s the best fun ever.

What do you dream about? I cant stop dreaming about chasing squirrels but sadly I always wake up before I catch one. Its just not fair.

Where's the best place to take a walk? At lunchtimes I always go along the canal which is nice but at weekends I love to spend hours up Hampstead Heath which is full of squirrels just waiting to be chased.

What are you favourite activities? Besides chasing squirrels I also love watching horses and cows – they are so strange looking. I sometimes dance and I love having a mad five minutes with my soft toys just before home time. I have a long pink boot that Aunty Clare bought me which is a particular favourite at the moment.

What's the one thing you can't stand? I don’t like large un-neutered male dogs that always try and push me around in the park. I much prefer gentle dogs like the lovely Sadie I share an office with.

What do your humans like best about you? Most people think I have very soulful eyes and ask if I'm wearing eyeliner; what a silly idea – I'm completely natural.

How did you meet your humans? I was found running loose in traffic and some kind soul picked me up and took me to Dogs Trust where I met my future Mum. She inisisted on taking me home and within 24 hours we knew we would be good friends. So I never did get sent to Shoreham as planned I found my new home straight away and have never looked back.

Check in next Monday for another doggy profile!

Happy Dog Stories: Judith and Buffy (and Angel and Fred...)

Judith Statham is very proud of her extended family (and clearly quite a fan of Joss Whedon!). Here she shares her story about why she's never looked back after adopting Buffy:

"I adopted Humbug - now Buffy! - when I came to help out with the Dog Training Club from Fleetwood in Lancashire this time last year. I was not looking for a dog as I had two Jack Russells, Angel and Fred, and a rescue cat already! However, she simply stole my heart as she has one of those faces. She had four puppies while in your care and although one died the other three were thankfully also adopted on the same day as Buffy. The staff were fantastic on all three visits we made and fortunately Angel and Fred loved Buffy from day one, as if she had always been with us.

"She didn't know she was allowed in the house for the first hour or so and was very timid. It took a few hours before she realised that this was home. I have never had a single moment's worry or regret in adopting Buffy; she is simply a superstar. Her recall is perfect, she loves cuddling up on the sofa and if I didn't know better would say someone had trained her once. I have since insisted to everyone I know that rescue dogs are worth every minute of your time and attention.

"Buffy enjoys her walks in our local country park and adores the river on a warm day ! She loves other dogs, kids, cats - she is happy to accept anything or anyone that comes across her path. I love her to bits and will definitely bring her back to Dogs Trust Merseyside soon for a visit. Sh is looking really well as you can see from the photo, although we have to watch her weight as she does have a weakness for food of any kind.

"Thanks so much for bringing Buffy into your centre and letting me take her home!"

If you have a happy story about your rescue dogs (whether they came from Dogs Trust or not), please email me with a photo and your tale and it could appear here soon! If you're interested in adopting a dog, please visit our website for more information.

Previous Happy Dog Stories: Sarah and Alfie | Jennie, Lex and Sassie

Food, glorious (dog) food: wolfing and other fussy food behaviours

Pardon the punnery, but my daily job involves spending a lot of time with the members of our 40,000+ member strong community, DoggySnaps. Questions about food - which, what, how often - are very common, particularly issues to do with dogs eating too fast... or not at all.

Why is bolting food so bad? Well, just like in humans it can cause all sorts of bloating and digestive issues, from mildly unpleasant flatulence to serious levels of discomfort. Dogs cannot be told to chew carefully, so they need to have their feeding routines and methods adapted to slow them down.

Firstly, it can make sense to divide the day's allocation of food into smaller portions. So if you have worked out how much wet / dry food your adult dog should eat in a day, try serving half at breakfast and half in the afternoon, after any strenuous exercise. An adult dog can be fed just once a day, but knowing that there's more food coming later can reduce the bolting behaviour and really, it just breaks doggy monotony - how would you feel if you just got one big meal a day?

One method that can tackle two issues at once by also providing mental stimulation, is feeding using a hollow toy. Stuffing a hollow Kong with some of the day's portion of food means that your dog will only be able to fish out a few small bites at a time, and it'll mean some concerted effort and concentration. This is particularly useful if they have to remain in a crate for some time, although the maximum they should be in the crate is four hours for an adult dog that has been gradually trained to accept and enjoy the process.

Pet food and toy manufacturers are also getting wise to the problem, and are developing other mealtime solutions. Food bowls that are divided into quarters or studded at the base with long rubber prongs which food gets stuck in take longer to thoroughly empty as each nook and cranny must be investigated.

At the other end of the scale, you have dogs that are just plain fussy. Assuming you've ruled out medical reasons why they might be refusing food, you can work on the behavioural ones. One way to entice them to eat is to not allow the food to sit in front of them all day. When they realise it will be taken away if they don't eat it, the chow will suddenly seem a lot more appealing. So, do the following:

• Put the food down in the usual place.
• Wait 15-20 minutes.
• If uneaten, pick the food up and try again later.

Do you have a particularly fussy eater, or a dog who makes whole meals disappear in the blink of an eye? Have any good, positive training methods worked for you? Add your tips and tricks in the comments.